topic Re: Import SketchUp file in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Import SketchUp file

AprilChipman — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 21:44:55 GMT

I've got a SketchUp file that I would like to import into ArcPro (or ArcMap) in order to create an interactive webmap.

I've got 3D Analyst, and am trying to use the Import 3D Files tool, but keep getting an error: "model more recent than reader"

Is there another way to get the features and attributes from SketchUp into ArcGIS? Should I have more files than one *.skp?

Is there a way to determine the version of the SketchUp model by just having an .skp file?

Re: Import SketchUp file

Robert_LeClair — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 22:46:57 GMT

Do you have the Data Interoperability extension? That also can import *.skp files as well.

Re: Import SketchUp file

AprilChipman — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:44:12 GMT

Thanks for this tip!

It took a couple of hours, but I downloaded and installed the extension. Then managed to import the skp file.

But now I've got one feature with a hundred or so buildings and also some lakes, rivers, roads, trees, etc. Is there a way I can break those apart so that each building is one feature?

Re: Import SketchUp file

Robert_LeClair — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:52:23 GMT

Not sure if this will work but there's an Explode command on the Modify Features pane that makes individual features from a multipart line/polygon. What type of feature class is the output from the SketchUp file? Is it a point/line/polygon/multipatch?

Re: Import SketchUp file

AprilChipman — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:57:02 GMT

It is a multipatch feature class.

It also doesn't have a spatial reference. Can I georeference it like I would an image before I "explode" it?

Re: Import SketchUp file

Robert_LeClair — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:17:50 GMT

When you add your newly created feature class in ArcMap, what are the coordinates displayed in the Data Frame? Are they page page (i.e. 2, 😎 or are they Lat-Long (i.e. -105.37, 37.5) or are they in hundreds of thousands or millions? It could be that the data is already in a coordinate system and the only thing you'd have to do is Define the Projection.

Re: Import SketchUp file

AprilChipman — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:22:43 GMT

This is the coordinates after I imported the skp again and defined the projection as WGS84. Not much different than when I imported the file without defining the projection.

Is there a way to georeference the entire big feature? If so, I suspect that's what I should do before trying to explode all of the pieces into individual features.

Re: Import SketchUp file

Robert_LeClair — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:39:01 GMT

Okay - so I think what's happening here is what I call 0,0 space meaning the data is located off the SW coast of Africa. Basically where the Prime Meridian and the Equator intersect. What I would do is bring the data into ArcMap into a dataframe with existing data for your AOI. Then open the Spatial Adjustment toolbar, create a series of displacement links and transform your data to a projected space. Once you've fine-tuned the transformation, run the Define Projection tool on the multipatch feature class and write out the file to whatever projected coordinate system your base data is in.

Details may be found here - http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/manage-data/editing-existing-features/about-spatial-adjustment.htm

Re: Import SketchUp file

AprilChipman — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 19:50:04 GMT

Well, I was halfway through the Spatial Adjustment toolbar directions when I received a geolocated skp file from the original creator. Yay! I am able to Import into a local scene in ArcPro and it lines up beautifully with the basemap.

However, I'm still having the problem of the whole model (roads, buildings, trees, people, vehicles, benches, etc) being one multipatch feature. I'd like to be able to turn layers on and off and symbolize differently, as GIS-folk usually do. Do you know of a way to make ArcPro "explode" all those pieces into individual features?

In the meantime, I have downloaded the free version of SketchUp and trying to force the model to my will. I've figured out how to explode or ungroup all of the features so that each house is one unique feature. I've also tested an export of a single layer from SketchUp (by turning all of the others off), which imports into ArcPro as a single feature, but at least all of the buildings are together and on their own layer.

So, I'm getting closer to solving my problem, but it's going to take a lot of time to deal with all of these layers and making sure the parts I need are all on the same layer and then exporting the individual layers from SketchUp and importing them into ArcPro for symbolization (color changing) and the ability to make a webapp.

Any additional suggestions would continue to be greatly appreciated!

Re: Import SketchUp file

Robert_LeClair — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 19:55:39 GMT

Yay! Progress! So one suggestion is to use Select By Attributes on the single multipatch layer and select out roads, buildings, trees, people, etc. and export them to a new multipatch. Would that work or is the multipatch a single feature with a single attribute record? Please advise.

Re: Import SketchUp file

AprilChipman — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 19:59:04 GMT

The multipatch is a single feature with a single attribute.

Re: Import SketchUp file

Robert_LeClair — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 20:02:27 GMT

Okay - select the single feature and select the Explode command on the Modify Features pane that makes individual features from a multipart line/polygon. The only negative to this is that there will be no way to group the features according to type unless you do it manually. Perhaps the better route is to select out the objects by type in SketchUp as you're doing now and create each layer by layer type.

Re: Import SketchUp file

AprilChipman — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 20:12:05 GMT

The Explode doesn't work. I can select the single feature, but then the command button at the bottom never becomes active.

I tried it on this version, with everything, and on the test version with just a single layer. Same outcome.

Sounds like I'm going to be able to add SketchUp to my list of known software by the end of this...

Re: Import SketchUp file

Robert_LeClair — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 20:15:05 GMT

I suspect it may not work with Multipatch hence it's grayed out. I think you're correct about adding SketchUp to your list of known software. If you want me to take a look at the data, you can send it to rleclair@esri.com. If it's sensitive data, then no worries.

Re: Import SketchUp file

VictoriaBeckley1 — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 22:47:09 GMT

Hey, I have a sketchup model that I'm trying to import into pro, and it is only one building, so I hope I won't have the issues you had with needing to explode it and such. But I'm having trouble with the import.

I downloaded and installed the data interoperability extension, and am trying the quick import, but I can't get it to allow me to use a .skp. Did you add the data format somehow?

Thanks,

Victoria

Re: Import SketchUp file

DavidBrooks5 — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 12:00:19 GMT

It seems that ESRI aren't focussing a great deal of support in this area unfortunately. I've spoken with numerous developers, and it appears that we could do with a sketchup plugin that would enable the creation of a model hierarchy based on the individual sketchup layers. Possibly just an automation that creates individual multipatch FCs linking to a layer file.

Re: Import SketchUp file

BabuKE — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 10:41:30 GMT

Has this ever been added to ArcGIS Pro? I Have a whole city model in layers and such an import function would save me countless hours