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Blender 2.79



Blender 2.79: Animation Pose library. Poses in a pose library can now be ordered. Adding a pose in a pose library only stores keys for selected bones. If no bones are selected, all bones are keyed. This restores a feature lost in version 2.57. Frame Change Undo. The animation workflow is more smooth now that all frame change related operators.

In this article we will take a look at how we can utilize Blender as Sketchup modelers and export/import textured models between the two programs. We will use Blender version 2.80 and Sketchup maker 2017. To export and import Sketchup files into Blender we will also look at a way to bring .skp files into 2.80 through 2.79 since the .skp add-on is not yet available in Blender 2.80.

  • ☆ I hope this tutorial helped you to download blenderl! ☆⋘ ───────── ∗ ⋅ ⋅ ∗ ───────── ⋙blender: https://download.
  • This tutorial will walk a new user of blender through the basics of setting up a mesh for rendering using Cycles using only free assets available online. The tutorial can be followed along with blender 2.79 on my website. Feel free to ask me questions and give feedback on the tutorial by tweeting me @robb5300 or leaving a comment on my website.

How to import a Blender model into Sketchup? The easiest way to get a Blender model into Sketchup is to export using Collada(.dae). Then import the .dae file into Sketchup Maker 2017. This will keep the diffuse texture from Blender to be viewed in Sketchups viewport. You may have to tick 'selection only' in Blenders Collada export settings as the only exception to the default export settings.

We will continue to look at different alternatives for bringing files between Sketchup and Blender, with or without textures. Without Collada this can prove to be a much more difficult task than most people might think thanks to Sketchups limited import/export options.

You can download Sketchup Make 2017 here and Blender can be downloaded from here.

How to export Collada from Blender 2.80

Exporting Collada is the simplest and best supported way of getting objects from Blender to Sketchup. Here I will just outline the process given above in a more step by step manner.

To export from Blender to Sketchup Maker follow these steps.

  • Select the objects in your scene that you want to export
  • Go to file -> Export -> Collada (Default)(.dea)
  • Check 'Selection only' in the properties found in the bottom left.
  • Browse for a location to save the file.
  • Name the exported file and hit 'Export Collada' in the top right.

How to import Collada into Sketchup Make 2017

This is a simple step by step process. Let's get right to it.

  • In Sketchup go to File->Import.
  • Make sure that you have .dae files visible by choosing it as the file type.
  • Browse for the file, select it and hit Import.
  • Click in the viewport to place the object.

Sometimes I have had issues with textures when importing into Sketchup. It can be a single face somewhere in the mesh missing or a face that does not get textured. It is not very common but it happens. What usually fixes it is if we go back into Blender and just slightly move one or more vertices that is attached to the face just a tiny bit and export again.

This is more common with .obj files but I have had it happen with Collada files as well.

How to export .obj files from Blender

The obj exporter work similar to the collada in Blender. For our intents and purpouses we follow this procedure.

Blender 2.79

Blender 2.79 Download Windows

  • Select the object(s) you want to export.
  • Go to file->Export->wavefront(.obj)
  • The settings we need to check are
    • Selection only
    • Include UVs
    • Write materials

The .obj file format can only export one UV-map. This will be the UV Map that is currently selected in the object properties. To check this go to the properties panel and find the object data tab. Find the UV Maps section and make sure that the UV map you need is selected, meaning marked with a blue background. The UV Map set to rendering does not matter in this case.

Name your file and browse for the location you want to save the file. The textures you need won't come with the export. What you will get is an .mtl file that contains information about the material.

You can open the .mtl file in any text editor and there will be a block of code similar to this:

If you look at the first line, this material is called 'wood' inside Blender. If there is no line beginning with 'map_Kd' at the bottom of each block of code then there is no texture to be loaded in for this material. Add this line to have a texture added.

You can also just use a file name instead of a path if the file is located in the same folder as the .mtl and .obj files. This way you can make a self-contained package.

How to import .obj files into Sketchup

Let's look at the import procedure for Sketchup using .obj files. This requires and add-on for Sketchup. There are two alternatives that I have tested. One free alternative that does not work with textures. The texture projection seems to get scrambled when importing to Sketchup.

The other alternative is a paid add-on from SimLab that works well with textures intact. However, we have to alter the .mtl file that we get when exporting to have it properly display the texture in Sketchup after import. Let's take a look at that.

You can find the free obj plugin for Sketchup here and the paid plugin can be found here. Don t starve mac download free. It is not different versions of the same plugin. They are both independent and sadly, I got the impression that the free one is not maintained since 2013.

The free add-on can be downloaded from sketchucation. You need an account to log in and download the plugin.

For the simlab plugin you can scroll down the page and find 'download older versions'. There you can find a version for Sketchup 2017.

If you are on the latest version of Sketchup, you can just download at the top of the page.

Import OBJ with material plugin

Let's start by looking at the free plugin. It is called 'Import OBJ with materials'. Once you have an account and downloaded the file you get a .rbz file.

In Sketchup, go to window->Extension manager and press install extension and browse for the file.

Once enabled the add-on is installed, go to Extensions->OBJ Importer and choose the 'no materials' options. The materials option won't map the texture correctly. Browse for the .obj file.

When prompted with the question to flip coordinates, press yes.

simLab obj importer

This exporter uses a stand-alone installer. Once installed, restart Sketchup if you had it open during install. If you don't get prompted when Sketchup start, go to Extensions->SimLab OBJ Importer and press 'import'. You will be asked to activate the extension or request a trial. A trial is good for 30 imports or 14 days.

If you request a trial, you will get a license file e-mailed to you that you can use to activate the extension.

Now go to Extensions->SimLab OBJ Importer, choose import and browse for the file. Hit 'open' and place the object into your scene.

How to import .skp files into Blender 2.79

There is a .skp file importer for Blender 2.79 that we can use to import Sketchup files. From Blender 2.79 we can then save the file and open it in 2.80 or later.

Apart from the latest version of Blender we will need version 2.79 and the .skp import add-on. These can be found here:

  • Blender 2.79 official, latest nightly build or older versions
  • .skp importer for 2.79

Blender 2.79

The Sketchup file importer for Blender supports version 2017 or earlier. Later file versions can be re-saved as 2017 .skp files by selecting the correct file format when saving in later versions of Sketchup.

Open Blender 2.79. The user preferences are located under the file menu. Go to the add-on section and press 'install from file'.

Browse for the importer .zip file to install it. Enable it and save user settings.

Go to file->import->Import Sketchup Scene(.skp)

Browse for the .skp file and hit 'Import SKP'.

Now we can save the .blend file and open it in Blender version 2.80.

How to export from Sketchup and import into Blender using Collada?

In Sketchup Make 2017 we can also export Collada files that we can later import into Blender. In Sketchup, go to file->export. Choose the Collada format and save your file, there are no options.

In Blender go to file->import and use the Collada importer. Just browse for the file and import.

Related questions

If I want to learn Sketchup, where do I start?

The best place to start is probably at learn.sketchup.com

If I want to learn Blender, where do I start?

While I would like to say, right here at artisticrender.com. There are other great resources as well. The beginner series from CGboost for example.

Author

Erik Selin3D artist, writer, and owner of artisticrender.com

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Take your animations and 3D models to the next level

Creating things in 3D is becoming more and more popular, and there's a lot of software out there that will assist us in creating video games, VR, and items made with 3D printing. Whether you're making a film and are looking for ways to improve your visual effects, you want the characters in the game you're developing to be as well-rounded (literally) as they can be, or you want to craft a 3D figure to add to your collection, you'll need certain tools to be able to make those things happen. This is where Blender comes in. Blender is a completely open-source, 3D creation software that contains tools that will help many different types of users master the art of integrating 3D elements into whatever they're looking to make, in part or entirely. Modeling, rendering, motion-tracking, game creation, and video editing - Blender has it all and more.

A 3D tool suite streamlined for individual and small company use

Setting up Blender is super simple.
2.79

On the website, you'll see all the amazing things you can do with the software like creating feature films and video games, and all of the features that it comes with. Choose what platform you'll be running the program on and start the installation. For us, installation speeds were really fast; the whole process only took about three minutes for 84MB. Once it's done, the program opens and you can begin creating immediately.

If you're a beginner to Blender, at this point you might feel a little overwhelmed. The software contains a massive amount of features and even if you're only using it to 3D print something, you most likely won't touch half of the functions available. Unless you've got a background in 3D modeling, animation, and other related areas and you've have previous experience with tools to create, it's a bit confusing. Never fear, Blender gives you plenty of options for help. There's an entire page dedicated to tutorials separated into sections. Under 'Getting Started', you'll see everything that you need to learn the basics of how to navigate around the interface, and videos about creating game assets. In the 'Modeling' section, you can learn how to make a human head, in 'Lighting', you'll go in depth on textures and styles, and the list goes on.

Your other option for learning about what you can do with Blender is the Blender Network. On the Blender Network, you have the opportunity to connect with people all over the world who have experience using Blender for their individual projects. Sort by continent, the type of training you'd like (one on one or a classroom learning type format), and the type of work that you'll be doing, and a list of people that can help you will pop up. You'll see photos of themselves and their work, a biography, and links to their portfolios and social media where you can contact them to start training.

The first thing you'll want to do when you start creating is adjusting the settings to your liking. By clicking on the user preferences tab, a window will pop up where you can edit how things appear on the interface like scaling the display, and enabling certain functions in view manipulation. Other things you can do here are managing your add-ons and themes, and viewing basic system information.

From here, depending on what you'd like to use Blender for, there are more functions than you'll ever need. The main features that you can utilize with Blender are simulation, video effects and scripting, modeling, animation, and rendering. If you're willing to put in the time to learn your way around the interface, it's able to be full customized, allowing every type of user to create hundreds of projects for years to come.

Where can you use this program?

You can download Blender for a number of different operating systems including Windows (64 and 32bit), Mac (64 bit), Linux (64 and 32 bit) and you can also download the software on Steam.

Is there a better alternative?

Blender has a lot of good functions, but there are a lot of software packages that help with 3D creating and each of them has their pros and cons. Depending on what you’re looking to make, Blender could be your go-to, or you can explore some other options like another one of our favorites, Inkscape. Right off the bat, a major advantage to Inkscape is that it is cross-platform. If you're creating 3D aspects for a video game, this will save you a ton of time and prevent you from having to make changes to your project in order to use it on different platforms. Inkscape, like Blender, is also free and open-source. This software, on the other hand, is a bit more user-friendly than Blender, requiring less previous knowledge from the beginning. If you're a sucker for aesthetics, we prefer the appearance of Inkscape's interface as well.

Our take

There's no doubt that Blender has a lot of features for a wide variety of projects. This software is difficult to use, but once you get the hang of it, there are no limits to the projects that you can create. This is made even better by the fact that it's free.

Should you download it?

Here's the truth - learning how to use Blender is hard. Like, really hard. It's got a pretty steep learning curve so we don't recommend this software for beginners unless you've got a bit of time on your hands to go through the tutorials and possibly reach out to others in the Blender Network that can help you in a more casual setting. If you're well versed in 3D printing, modeling, and the other areas in which you can create with this software, we couldn't recommend it more. As long as you're able to find your way around the program, you can do just as many things as you can with paid software like Maya, and the results could look even better. You'll just be putting a little more effort into learning how to use it before you actually can produce the results.

Highs

  • 3D printing options
  • Extremely customizable
  • Keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys
  • Many add-ons to choose from

Lows

Blender 2.79 Online

  • Very steep learning curve
  • Not cross-platform
  • Overwhelming menus

Blenderfor Windows

2.79