Exporting from Google SketchUp to Directx/XNA (.x) file format

3D Rad Exporter is a free plug-in for Google SketchUp allowing you to save your 3d models as Microsoft DirectX/XNA (.x) files.



INSTALLATION

Unzip the 3D Rad Exporter plug-in to the

C:\Program Files\Google\Google SketchUp 6\Plugins

folder on your PC.

Note that the path to the Google SketchUp plug-in folder may be different if you have installed the program to a location other than the default, or if you use a non-English version of Windows.

Also note that the plug-in will be available under Plugins and not under Files -> Export, in the Google SketchUp pull-down menu.

USAGE TIPS

A large model can take a long time to be exported.

For large models with grouped geometry in particular, the plug-in can spend a lot of time analyzing the model, before exporting the faces.

You can minimize or eliminate completely the 'analyzing model' phase by exploding the model before exporting it.

You explode a model in Google SketchUp as follows:

1. press [Ctrl]+[A] to select all the elements in the scene
2. select Edit -> X Entities (X in model) -> Explode

You may have to repeat 1. and 2. multiple times in order to completely explode a model.

Some models from the 3D Warehouse may include hidden geometry which you may not need but is actually exported to the .x file. To see all hidden geometry before exporting, in Google SketchUp, select Edit -> Unhide -> All.