Importing a Google SketchUp model (Part 2)

Okay. Now that we have a way to "fix" Google SketchUp COLLADA files, let's go on and see what needs to be done.

To recap, Part 1 shows you the steps to import Google SketchUp models for GermaniumWeb. The additional step, between step 3 and 4, is to run your DAE file through DAE Fixer. Save and overwrite your DAE file with what is returned. Repeat if there's more than one DAE file.

Steps 4 onwards remains the same. Here's the result:

Click to run in GermaniumWeb

Not too bad eh?

Fixing broken COLLADA files

COLLADA is an extremely flexible but confusing format, and it's no wonder a lot of companies got it wrong/has different interpretation of the format. One of those things is transparency. To cut the long story short, Google SketchUp produces .dae files with inverted transparency values. Two possible fixes:

1. Add RGB_ZERO to the <transparency> element
   
2. Invert the transparency value
   

I work with COLLADA files quite a fair bit and so I wrote a script to make it easy for me to fix problematic files. I've also done a web interface for it so that hopefully others can benefit from it too. To use, go to:



A couple of options for you to choose from. For Google SketchUp .dae fix, simply choose Invert current transparency value and leave the other options as Do nothing. Upload your file and it will perform the necessary processing and return you a file with all the changes done. Simple as that.

P/S: The usual disclaimers apply. :-)

I've landed

This is a blog (mostly) about GermaniumWeb and related stuff. Huh? What the hell is GermaniumWeb? Lemme answer that in the next post. :-)