hi, i am trying to find a means of converting google's scetchup files to a gmax inportable file.
Does anyone know a script or plugin that will let me import google's kmz file

Ehm. Google sketchup sucks kthxbai. The problem is, if you model with sketchup, it has so many errors, its not even funny.

yeah, but some of the halo 3 models that you can download for scetchup are so totally awesome that i had to give it a try!

those models are fail

This ^^. They are completely inaccurate, contain errors, and are a pain to convert.

Alright, let's clear this up: The free version of Google SketchUp cannot export ANYTHING to any other format other than those stupid KMZ files for Google Earth. Unless you find and download a plugin that allows you to export your model as a .OBJ file, you'll need to get the ridiculously priced Pro version, which allows .3DS file export.
The errors that occur during export from .skp to .3ds are EASILY fixable by making the object an editable mesh in MAX or GMAX, selecting all vertices, and welding the vertices. You don't need to do target weld or anything, just weld the selected vertices. It works fine for me.

The Halo 3 models (Be it found on that stupid 3D Warehouse or found on here) are not worth the download for SketchUp. If they're already in SketchUp then they're almost undoubtably available in .3DS, .MAX, or .OBJ format somewhere else on the internet. Get the files from those places. (Unless the thing you've found on the "3D Warehouse" is original and also very cool)

I can only assume you're talking about that model pack "released" by someone called Shockwave. They were made in SketchUp, stolen, and posted here. Since nobody uses them anyway it's not such a big deal to me, but they are inaccurate and full of errors because they were hand-made without reference in SketchUp by someone with a relatively limited knowledge of practical modeling, and they were NOT made with practicality and game-friendliness in mind.

I beg to differ; I've seen some very good stuff done in SketchUp. You all only assume it sucks because modeling noobs download it, make junk, then never improve and forget it, or you yourselves have downloaded it to check it out and found it not to your tastes, and stuck with 3DS Max. As said in the past, it is NOT ideal for things such as complex terrain, organics, and bipeds, (It's mortifyingly bad at ANY kind of creature or biped creation) but it has strengths in other places such as making buildings, weapons, robots, and ships. (By ships I mean things like the IAC and POA)
And before you say it, it's not all extruding and primitives.

1. No, you obviously don't know your facts. There are many other errors than just open edges. weapons, no problem. Vehicles, bipeds. Huge. They need a collision model, and collision models require all errors to be fixed.
2. No, I used to be addicted to downloading that crap. Until I realeized it sucked, and I learned to model, MUCH better than that shiz. They didn't model from any reference. Secondly, Tazz's model pack, was edited Halo 1 models. Way to go again, you don't kno what you're talking about.

http://hce.halomaps.org/index.cfm?fid=3453
That's the pack with stolen models. You must have been thinking of something else, I know what I was talking about there. And when I say "I've seen some very good stuff done in SU", I mean stuff that is as good as or better than some of what is seen here. Admittedly, very-high quality things aren't seen at a frequency that matches this or other websites, but they do happen.
I already said they didn't model from reference.
Alright, I don't know ALL of the errors that occur during export. So please, enlighten me on what exactly the errors are. I would very much like to know so that I CAN fix them.
Edited by electricSquid on Mar 31, 2009 at 05:13 PM
Edited by electricSquid on Mar 31, 2009 at 05:13 PM