This is a plugin script for Google's free 3D design program Sketchup. The free version of Sketchup has limited file export options. Most CAM programs will not recognise the native Sketchup (SKP) file format. This plugin allows you to export your Sketchup model as a DXF or STL triangular mesh or as DXF lines, which should be readable by most CAM software.
To use the plugin, download the file below (skp_to_dxf.rb) to the Sketchup plugins folder on your computer.
- On a Windows PC. If you have installed Sketchup on the C: drive then this folder will be at C:\program files\google\google sketchup 7\plugins.
- On Mac OSX. The sketchup plugins folder is /Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 6/SketchUp/Plugins
After copying this file, start Sketchup and you should now have an extra menu option (Export to DXF or STL) in the Sketchup Tools menu.
There are five export options:
- DXF polyface mesh (recommended). This will give the most faithful reproduction of your original Sketchup model.
- DXF polylines: exports the outlines of each face as a polyline, sometimes useful for CAM toolpaths.
- DXF triangular mesh: breaks all the faces up into triangles
- DXF lines. This option exports the edges in your model as lines.
- STL triangles. The stereolithography triangular mesh format, useful for some CAM programs.
The latest version has been optimized to work on large Sketchup models.
This plugin has not been tested extensively, use it at your own risk. Please post on the forum any problems or suggestions (no more comments below as the page is getting too big).
The latest version has major improvements by Konrad Schroder.
It might work on Apple computers: it has been tested on an Apple PowerPC G5 OSX 10.4.11. It works with Sketchup version 6 and Sketchup version 7.
Known limitations
The plugin will not work if you try to save the exported file in a location where one of the folders contains non latin characters, eg: "ą, ż, ź, ć, ń, ó, ł".
CAD/CAM software compatibility
The plugin's output is compatible with the following CAD/CAM programs tested so far:
DXF: Cambam, Sketchup, A9CAD
STL: FreeMill, Vectric Cut-3D (evaluation version), Roland Modela Player, Boxford's 3D GeoCAM.
Please post on the forum if you can confirm compatiblity with other programs
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Download Sketchup to DXF or STL plugin | 6.05 KB |
