Tag: obj

How to Create 3D RPC Files From Any Geometry with this new Beta service from Archvision

Luke Johnson

Archvision have a new beta 3D RPC creator service available. You can upload a 3D file and the service will generate a 3D RPC. Place this in the correct location, and you can use that RPC directly in Revit.

Prepare an obj file following these steps.

  1. Just head over to http://labs.archvision.com/ and login with your Archvision account details.
  2. Then you should be able to access the ‘Creator’ at https://creator.archvision.com/
  3. Hit Create RPC
  4. Fill out the fields and hit Create

There are a few more steps from here, but I will refer you to this page that will give you more details.

Basically, you will need to consider the detail and quality of your content, as well as its purpose. Do I have highly detailed content that I want to render? The above will likely be quicker than modelling in vanilla Revit family geometry, and the result will be lightweight. However, aside from overall size it will be more difficult to handle any kind of parametric modification of the content.

Another OBJ Exporter for Revit – addin for download

Luke Johnson

 A long while back, I posted about an OBJ Exporter for Revit by Jeremy Tammik. Looks like there is another way of doing this now, and it has been released for Revit 2014 and 2015. The purpose behind this addin is to allow easy import to Blender for rendering – but it could be used for many other things too.

>>Download ZIP File<< – Version 1.8.1 – Revit 2014 & 2015

Main page at Ingelgreen:
OBJ Exporter for Revit – free plugin – New v1.8 « INGLEGREEN.com – BIM/Revit and Architectural IT in Bournemouth and Southampton


A free Revit 2014/2015 add-in to export Projects and Families to OBJ format. The OBJ files have been tested with 3ds Max Design 2014/2015, Blender and Octane Render.

Heads-up from Punto Revit:


Here’s the link to the zip file containing instructions and .dll and .addin manifest
via
Punto Revit: Free plug-in OBJ Exporter for Revit

A little Memento and some Recap Photo

Luke Johnson

For some time, I have been looking for a way to get 3D geometry from any format, make it into a nice, Revit-friendly SAT and then use it in massing or visualizations.  Can Memento help me with this?  Answer – not really.

What it can do:

  • Import and Export formats: OBJ and RCM (Recap)
  • allows users to easily (?) fix meshes for digital use or fabrication
  • fix topology or texture issues (holes, spikes, tunnels, particles, etc.) prior to downstream use

First, download and install it:
Direct Download Link

Read more at:
Autodesk Labs Project Memento

Ok, now that you have installed it… I previously explored point cloud geometry workflows at:
https://wrw.is/2013/06/using-point-cloud-tools-to-convert-any.html

Upon opening an OBJ file, Memento will create an associated RCM (Recap mesh) in the same folder.  Here’s what I did (this is a failed workflow):

  1. Downloaded an SKP of something interesting
  2. Imported to 3dsMax, cleaned it up a bit, exported to OBJ using Deep Creator preset
  3. Imported OBJ to MeshMixer, exported to XYZ as per this guide
  4. Imported the XYZ to Recap, and used decimation at 50mm (note, there is a Recap update at http://updatesdl.autodesk.com/updates/files/autodeskrecap_sp1_for43.24_x64.msp)

I realised at this point that you can’t make an RCM file from Recap… What a pain!  So, looks like we need to make one using Recap Photo.  To use Recap Photo, upload some images to Autodesk 360.

This time, I sort of succeeded by:

  1. Importing an interesting model into Revit
  2. Making a Walkthrough that circled the object, and exported to a set of JPGs
  3. Uploaded them to Autodesk 360
  4. Selected them and clicked on the little Create 3D button (only 250 images will be accepted for processing)
  5. Waited overnight for the model to process…
  6. Opened Autodesk 360 and downloaded the file .obj.zip
  7. Now, use Memento to open and edit the OBJ – and try to fix the holes in it.

My first experience with Memento wasn’t great … I was expecting a Fix All button 🙁

  1. Opened the OBJ in Memento
  2. Click find defects (middle of top of the screen)
  3. After they are found, click next or previous, then click Fix
  4. Rinse and repeat thousands of times

Note: Memento will not run on Windows XP.


Heads-up via

Revit Model Exporters via The Building Coder – OBJ STL IFC

Luke Johnson

Quote:

To follow up the discussion of my quick and dirty Revit model OBJ exporter, I want to point out that Adam Nagy completed his series of posts on the AEC DevBlog on a Revit model exporter and viewer for iOS using an even more minimalistic custom data format for uploading to the cloud and viewing on an iOS mobile device:

  • Part 1: Revit add-in to upload geometry data to a storage service
  • Part 2: An iOS application to download and display the model using OpenGL
  • Part 3: Interactive view orientation and manipulation using gestures

While the OBJ format I looked at is more heavy-weight than Adam’s minimal custom format, my implementation includes some other enhancements which make it quite effective as well.
I have also heard of other home-grown viewer implementations with some support for switchback, individual element tagging and object identification based on VRML and on the Unity gaming engine.
If you are interested in a finely tuned exporter with more complete coverage and control over what gets exported, you might want to take a look at the open source STL exporter.
Finally, for high-end exporter requirements, the Revit IFC exporter is also open source.

 via
The Building Coder: Running Language Code and More Exporters

Bring your Minecraft model into Blender

Luke Johnson

Have you made something cool and architectural in Minecraft and you want to make it real?  How about sending it out to Blender?  Direct CG has made a tutorial to show you how …

This tutorial covers:

  • downloading and installing the mcobj Minecraft to .obj exporter by quag
  • converting your Minecraft world into usable .obj format
  • importing your Minecraft world into Blender
  • rendering your first Minecraft image
  • how to showcase your world with clay materials with Fabio Russo’s Clay Render addon

If you then want to move the OBJ file between formats, check out my previous posts:
Sketchup tools – DWG import / export, OBJ importer, IFC importer

Convert OBJ, DXF, DAE and 3DS to FBX for free

Read on at:
Minecraft to Blender – directcg

Convert OBJ, DXF, DAE and 3DS to FBX for free

Luke Johnson

Updated links: https://www.autodesk.com/developer-network/platform-technologies/fbx-converter-archives

Windows

Mac

—

Autodesk have provided a bunch of handy FBX converters and plugins at this link.

The goal of FBX is to “constantly and significantly improve interoperability between Autodesk products and other Digital content creation (DCC) software packages.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBX

Transfer files from one file format to another quickly and easily with the FBX Converter. This utility enables you to convert OBJ, DXF™, DAE, and 3DS files to or from multiple versions of the FBX format. New tools are now available with the FBX Converter 2012.1. You can view FBX animation files in real time with the FBX Viewer, explore and compare FBX file contents with the FBX Explorer, and manage animation takes with the FBX Take Manager.

Mac *

FBX 2012.2 Converter for Mac (tgz – 33931Kb)

via
Autodesk – Autodesk FBX – FBX Plug-Ins, Converter, and QuickTime Viewer Downloads

Here is a quick video of me converting a OBJ to FBX using the above tool.  In the video I also use the FBXIMPORT command to bring the FBX into AutoCAD.  From there, you could save as DWG and bring into Revit:

PS – This still doesn’t quite solve the Mesh to Solid conversion problem … I am currently experimenting with MESHSMOOTH and CONVTOSOLID.

EDIT:
Here is a vid showing Revit to 3dsMax via FBX.

Sketchup tools – DWG import / export, OBJ importer, IFC importer

Luke Johnson

DWG import and export (free)

Currently, the best way to exchange DWG/DXF with SketchUp is to use SketchUp 7.1 & the DWG/DXF import plugin for SketchUp 7.1 (Free)

As of now, both SketchUp version 7.1 and the optional installer are available for download. Only the Pro version of SketchUp 7.1 is available for download, but that’s OK – it will revert to the Free version after 8 hours use, and you will be able to continue using it.
via
Jim’s SketchUp [Plugins] Blog: SketchUp 8 Free & DWG/DXF

Direct links
Google SketchUp Pro 7 Download

DWG/DXF import plugin for SketchUp 7.1 (Free)
Windows 
Mac 

The DWG/DXF importer isn’t available in Google SketchUp 7.1, however it is offered in Google SketchUp Pro. You can download this optional plugin for Windows or Mac that enables the DWG/DXF importer.

IFC2SKP
Last updated: June 2008
IFC2SKP works inside SketchUp and has the ability to load IFC datafrom popular BIM (CAD) applications such as Revit, ArchiCAD and Microstation. The plug-in will not only load the geometry or object data into SketchUp from the IFC file format but it will also display the BIM data of each imported objects. IFC2SKP has been updated to work in SketchUp 8.  
via

http://sketchup.google.com/download/plugins.html

Direct link:
Download IFC2SKP Program File

OBJ importer
If you need an .obj importer plugin for Sketchup, you can check out FluidImporter.
FluidImporter is super fast (entirely written in C++) and completely free.

via
Downloads | FluidRay – Physically Based Renderer

Older OBJ importer:
View topic – [Plugin] Import OBJ with Materials v1.9 20110223 • SketchUcation Community Forums

Various Sketchup resources and plugins:
Resources – SketchUp Sage