So, I am using
SH3D (Sweet Home 3D). Really nice open source software that allows you to import objects. I am new to all these file formats, so, trying to figure what is the best source of objects and how to bring them in... Work in progress...
You can start by the
SH3D library page. Remember to unzip the libraries before importing them, or else it will give you a message like everything was fine but actually nothing gets imported.
Working backwards, SH3D accepts (sorted for compatibility with Blender):
- OBJ - Wavefront << This can be opened by blender
- 3DS - 3D Studio << This can be opened by blender
- DAE - DAE Collada << This can be opened by blender
- LWS - LightWave Scene
- KMZ: this is the Google Earth file format. Not sure what it is doing here...
- ZIP
Nevertheless, the typical libraries websites:
Have files like (sorted by how easy is to get them in SH3D, mentioning what opens it that can translate it into one of the SH3D formats):
- RFA: from Revit
- DXF: use 3D Transform to transform STL, which Blender accepts.
- FBX, from Filmbox, is proprietary (folks basically hack their way in, but with a newer version, they lose that...) although the newer versions seem that it can be opened in Blender.
- DWG
- STL
- SLDPRT: SolidWorks Part file. Proprietary. You can see it with Autodesk Viewer but don't know how to save it/translate it to something (without paying...).
- SLDASM: SolidWorks too. It typically contains several of the above organized together...
- MAX: From AutoDesk. Looks like there is no way.
In some cases we lose the texture, which is not cool...
Some of the files are more complex than what we want to use in SH3D, so, we need a way not only to open it but to edit it.
Websites that allow you to change formats for free:
- http://www.greentoken.de/onlineconv/
- Input formats: 3d, 3ds, fbx, ac, ac3d, acc, ase, ask, b3d, blend, bvh, cob, csm, dae, dxf, enff, hmp, ifc, irr, irrmesh, lwo, lws, lxo, md2, md3, md5anim, md5camera, md5mesh, mdc, mdl, mesh.xml, mot, ms3d, ndo, nff, obj, off, pk3, ply, prj, q3o, q3s, raw, scn, smd, stl, ter, uc, vta, x, xml, xgl
- Export formats are: stl, stlb, collada, obj, 3ds, ply, json, x
- 3D Transform: takes .igs .iges .stp .step .brep .3ds .ase .dxf .stla .stlb .stl .wrl .iv .obj .swv .gmod .iv and outputs .STL
Editors:
- Blender:
- Sketchup: looks like they may have some freebies... Unfortunately does not run in Linux so won't comment further.
Eventually, we will also need textures. Textures are relatively easier as any jpg will work, except for the tileability (how to tile them side by side seamlessly)
