Simple dummies for proxies?

This way all proxies would have to have a correct orientation with "front" and "top".

Or we could display the coordinate orientation but that wouldn't be reliable as well as they depend on the used solutions to create the content.

As an idea - if the proxy is shown as a box, can each face of the proxy box have a (low res) image of the containing element on it as it would be on that face? (ie a plan on the top elevation, projected front, rear and side elevations and a bottom elevation. It would make placing, scaling and orientation of proxies much easier and you could actually see what each proxy was (if you used multiple different proxies).

This would be a good feature to have,

I sometimes drop a 2D arrow on to a proxy, create a group and then just have the arrows in a layer so i can hide them

Quote from Jorgensen

just an idea - when using octane render in skectup - i can just rightclick on any component and then select a proxy.

it would be quite nice if the same could be done with enscape.

jorgensen

you can turn componants in to a proxy when working in a model ??? Enscape needs this

There is a r-click option (SU) on components to "Save as external model for Enscape" - I've never used it, but I presume it's to make a proxy.

Quote from Gadget

There is a r-click option (SU) on components to "Save as external model for Enscape" - I've never used it, but I presume it's to make a proxy.

learn something new everyday works like like a dream....

The "Save as external model for Enscape" replaces the component with the empty box, though.

If you want to have a simple representation of your proxy in SketchUp, you can edit the proxy component and add stuff. This geometry is ignored in Enscape. But attention, there are a few interactions which restore the empty box.

But there is no automatic way to have a simple representation of the proxy at the moment. I thought about a few possibilities, but nothing was so good that I wanted it:

• Show pictures at around (or inside) box: Where do these pictures come from? Can use Enscape renderer only if it's running. And the images are stored inside the sketchup model and might therefore even increase the file size.
• Add the few biggest surfaces: Not always what you want to see
• Add a few random surfaces: ugly
• More sophisticated mesh reducer: that's a tough task
• Add boxes for all sub-components: I have seen components of trees with a single leaf at the lowest component level, so that's not an option. Or it must be somehow configurable.

All in all: Too many questions, so there is no such feature at the moment.

Quote from Simon Weinberger

But there is no automatic way to have a simple representation of the proxy at the moment. I thought about a few possibilities, but nothing was so good that I wanted it:

• Show pictures at around (or inside) box: Where do these pictures come from? Can use Enscape renderer only if it's running. And the images are stored inside the sketchup model and might therefore even increase the file size.

To me this is the best solution; Yes, the images are inside the native model, but if they are low rez then it's obvious that it's a proxy and it takes less space.

I would probably use a pixel border and a transparency mask for the background on each face.

(The attached was just creating a box with screen-shots taken from the basic "front/right/left/top/bottom/back" views from SU.)

Any plans to show some detail in proxies vs just a box. I know you get live updates in the enscape viewer, but coming from Vray proxies, it's helpful to see it as very low polygon vs just a box.

That usually slows down SketchUp. What is the exact benefit of the ablility to see a preview of the proxy? To avoid using the wrong proxy?

Thank you in advance!

This was my idea: Simple dummies for proxies?

I think It would help to both orientate the proxy and select it.

... But if you could highlight a component/group and say "replace this with a proxy when redering" then you could include low poly-count models or even cut-outs that would be replaced. It would also allow you to use the low poly for collision detection while walking (rather than not being able to go under the tree canopy for example)

It would be more for cars and people placement. Ya, i know I can look at the enscape window.

Thanks for your feedback. Topic is on our agenda and got your upvote.

I like to use a custom low res mesh for proxys rather than a bounding box, so that I can tell what the proxy is.

When I want to change my proxy model, I use the Linked Model dialogue box, and then I browse for a different skp file.

Upon choosing a different skp file, my custom low res mesh changes back to a bounding box.

Could you provide a way to keep a customized low res mesh?

Thanks,

Chris

Hi Chris, a corresponding topic is already on our agenda and got your upvote.

But I have to admit that an automated creation of a simplified proxies isn't that easy to perform on the fly.

We'll check for a feasible solution.

That is not my request... Thanks for clarifying. I maually edit the simple bounding box.. Sometimes as simple as adding a text label or orientation pointer. I want an option to have this persist if I change the linked model.

I made a little SketchUp plugin to create low poly proxies from components in your model which works with Enscape .

Read the following post:

SketchUp plugin to convert components to low poly version which works with Enscape.

Kind regards,

Guy

Has there been any progress on adding a proxy preview somehow.

Its not very helpful just to be plastered in empty boxes without knowing whats in it, what way its facing without having enscape running at the time.

Seriously slows down editing big time.

even just the sketchup preview image would be helpful to know what tree was what

thanks