Sketchup import error - georeferencing

[k.lew]

There are some 3D buildings in Google Earth that I want to import into infraworks.  I followed these instructions:

http://atlandsend.typepad.com/at-lands-end/2012/04/how-to-export-from-google-warehouse-to-aim.html

but everything I've read only allows interactive placing.

The georeferencing is built into correctly to Sketchup but seems to be lost somewhere between the 3DS and Infraworks imports.  Is there any way to keep it so that I don't have to use interactive placement??

Thanks

[ToddRogers-WPM]

You don't have to use Max.  Export it out of Sketchup as a collada (.dae) file.  Should work for you.

[k.lew]

Hmm...just exported as a collada file but the "position" is still empty and needs to be interactively placed.

Also seems I lose materials when exporting as .dae

[ToddRogers-WPM]

If you are losing material, cut the model.dae from where it is and paste it into the folder that holds the materials.  

[k.lew]

that worked for my materials.

however, my georeferencing is still lost, which is the actual issue I'm having here.

[JohnDutz]

We recently figured out a workflow that gets the Collada file into InfraWorks correctly without having to use the Interactive Placement tools in InfraWorks.  It's a bit of a challenge to get the model into the correct coordinates, but were able to do it by using a DWG or DXF underlay that has been properly georeferenced Sketchup .  Align your Sketchup model to it export to DAE (Collada) and when you import into InfraWorks, assign the coordinate system to it.

InfraWorks ignores the Geolocation options in Sketchup, along with lots of other things like textures.

[k.lew]

John - sounds like a good idea, can you elaborate a little more? Sorry, I'm probably no more then "novice" in all these programs.

So I can import the dwg and properly georeference it in Sketchup (using geo-location)? And then the dwg will also properly reference in Infraworks, and when I import the DAE, I can give it the same coordinate system??

[JohnDutz]

Not much to elaborate on, unfortunately.

If you have a 2D site plan in CAD (DWG or DXF format) that is in the same coordinates as your InfraWorks model, you can use the Import... command in Sketchup to bring it in as an underlay.

Then you move the Sketchup model to align with the CAD underlay and raise it up to the correct elevation (or get Sketchup to place it at the surface elevation).

Once the building is in the right place in Sketchup, export it to DAE format.

When you import a 3D model into InfraWorks, instead of selecting the Interactive Placement option, just set the coordinate system to match the coordinate system from your CAD file.

Of course, none of this works if your CAD files are not in an established coordinate system.

[JohnDutz]

I've attached the DAE export options that we've found work best, in case it helps anyone.  If you get these settings wrong, lots of weirdness happens, like sections of buildings disappearing and errors when importing or refreshing the model.

[k.lew]

Thanks John.  Sounds like a great solution.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to work.  You hit the nail on the head: I don't have a CAD file with the same established coordinate system as my Infraworks model.  I tried a workaround - I exported my Infraworks model to FBX, then used 3dsMax to export as a DWG, took that DWG into Sketchup but it seems to get skewed somewhere along the way.

I did manage to set the origin using geo-location, and match the "local origin" x & y to latitude and longitude.  It's ALMOST right, but always just a few feet off.  Racking my brain for what could possibly cause this tiny offset! See attached image.  The dark grey is where the building actually should be.  The lighter grey is where the lat/long place my building.  So close! Yet so far away...