Summary
This article explains how to install the Skema plug-in for SketchUp and how to use the Skema plug-in for SketchUp.
This KB article includes the following:
Download the Skema plug-in for SketchUp
The Skema plug-in for SketchUp is made available for you to download through the Plugins & Connections menu.
To install the Skema plug-in:
Open the extension manager in SketchUp.
Select "Install Extension".
Navigate to the location you downloaded the skema_connector.rbz file to and click it to install.
After installing, restart SketchUp to be able to use the plug-in.
Download the Skema for SketchUp Test Project
The Skema for SketchUp test project is available to download here - SKP_Geolocated project test.skp
Feel free to use the test project to familiarize yourself with the project format for SketchUp files to work with Skema.
Accessing the Skema Plug-In in SketchUp
Once installed the Skema Plug-In can be found in the 'Extension" tab and by right clicking the "Tools" tab within SketchUp.
When the plug-in is selected a Skema logo will appear, this can be pinned to your toolbar to access the Skema plug-in when clicked.
If you chose to not pin the plug-in to your toolbar, it can always be accessed through the "Extension" tab and "Tools" tab.
Preparing Your SketchUp Project
To allow the Skema plug-in to recognize a SketchUp project properly, you MUST format your project in a way that will allow it to translate to a Skema project.
If you have already used Skema, you know that masses are divided into three categories;
Building, Block, and Floor, to get this workflow to work properly between SketchUp and Skema you MUST do the following.
Each floor should be modeled as a solid (extruded surface) and saved as a SketchUp Component to be recognized as a Skema Floor.
Group the set of floors (SketchUp Components) into a Group in SketchUp. This represents a Skema Block.
If there are other masses or additional parts to a mass, follow the same process of categorizing them as components, then as their own group.
Group the blocks to form the Building. Even if there’s only one block, grouping is necessary.
Once these steps have been followed and completed, you are ready to export from SketchUp to Skema.
Exporting Your SketchUp Project
To begin exporting your SketchUp project into Skema you first will have to open the plug-in. Once opened you will be asked to login to your Skema account.
Once logged in you will see the option to create a new project or to open an existing project.
Creating a new project will allow you to export your project into a blank project, this works best if you have your SketchUp project geo located, which you can export.
If you want to export your SketchUp project into an existing project, select the project and wait for it to open.
To export your SketchUp models into Skema, select the desired group, construction site or mass.
Once an object is selected in SketchUp you will see that the Skema plug-in gives you different objects to export it as.
Building - this will export the group as an editable building into Skema that you can apply your catalogs too
Construction site - this will export a plane as the construction site outline into Skema
Generic mass - this will export a group or mass as a mass into Skema, best for adding site context into Skema
Location - to import this select the location underlay, this allows you to export the geo location of the project, which will then generate a 3D model of it in Skema
The origin in SketchUp does not correspond with the origin in Skema, the location a mass exports into Skema is relative to the project center and where the Skema origin originates.
To export your selected object, select the desired category and click the button to export.
Once loaded in your exported object is now part of the Skema project and can be edited in Skema in-app.
*You may have to reload your Skema page if you added to a project you had open.*
Importing to SketchUp
If you have a project in Skema and want to bring it back into SketchUp it is done the same way you export into Skema.
First open the Skema plug-in and login if necessary, then open the project you wish to bring back into SketchUp.
Once the desired project is open, select the building you want to bring into SketchUp. Once this building in selected you will see that an option to bring the building into SketchUp is available.
The building can be brought into SketchUp at two different LOD settings, 200 and 350.
A building brought in at the LOD 200 level will bring in all information at a massing level.
A building brought in at the LOD 350 level will bring in all information at a finished level, with furniture, wall types and lighting.
To import at your desired level, select it, and then click the import button. Import times will vary depending on the level selected and size of the building.
Instructional Video
Reference file(s):