[Radiance-general] Sketchup to Radiance [was: dxf2rad]

[Thomas Bleicher]

On 23 Oct 2007, at 20:39, Rob Guglielmetti wrote:

> Yeah, I got two models recently, one built in SketchUp and the other
> in Revit (same project, same model extents), and the Revit one was
> literally unusable in AutoCAD, much less Radiance.
>
>> I would certainly be interested in trying your translator if and when
>> you feel it is ready to share.
>
> As a very recent licensee of SketchUp Pro, I too would be interested
> in your translator, Thomas!

It should be said that the script works with the free version.
I don't have a licence.

> I'd also like to hear (maybe off-list) your thoughts on how to model
> accurately in SketchUp, since it seems to still lack direct coordinate
> input, UCSs, and the object snaps seem a little lean compared to  
> ACAD...

Well, I have to say that I personally don't use Sketchup a lot. But my
colleagues in the office do and just about every computer trained  
architect
out there. I started the script because the export via OBJ wasn't  
successful
with our models (double entities, totally uncontrollable materials  
etc.) and
I wanted something with a bit more control.

I share your opinion that Sketchup is the '6B pen' of CAD tools. And yet
once someone has done all the work to create the model, I think it's not
effective to do it again in another application. Changes are necessary
to get meaningful results in Radiance but these changes can be done in
Sketchup as well. For Radiance (and lighting in general) the model  
doesn't
have to be 100% accurate.

It would be nice if the architects would pay more attention on the  
accuracy
of their models. But it's not their job to provide the consultants with
usable models for their particular simulation tool. It's their job to do
the fuzzy visual things and that's what Sketchup was design for. If  
it would
require more precision and accuracy it would not be as popular as it is.

Everyone has a favourite and if you know how to use your tools I  
don't see
why it shouldn't be possible to create good Radiance models in Sketchup.

I just can't get the hang of it.

Thomas