Have you seen this: https://www.daz3d.com/dm-suit-for-genesis-2-male-s-and-michael-6

I hadn't. That's pretty close. Shame about the lack of a clasp, but I could probably make that in SketchUp.. Thanks. 

well the buggers made 3Dwarehouse no longer accessable with my older versions of Sketchup with obj export abilities so they can stick their table where it folds! 

Thought I would post an update. There are places where this model can be found. I'll include the links below. Honestly, even if you download it, I'm not even sure it's something you'd even be able to open or import into DAZ studio. I haven't had any luck getting it to work but if you do find a way please let me know how, I'd certainly be interested. 

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/64155091a6f25d648bc3bc426ce6293/Cafeteria-Table

https://www.formfonts.com/3D-Model/1/17878/1/equipment-furnishings/e10-equipment/e1020-institutional-equipment/cafeteria-tables-8foot/

EDITED TO NOTE: An update... In case anyone has come across this thread on or around 2023, the software mentioned below no longer exists as it was removed from ShareCG a couple of years ago... Sorry.

UltimateUnwrap (the pay-for version) still exists though and is still very good and goes for around $50 for the basic version and $60 for the Pro version... plus it has many different file format importers and exporters which allows you to use it to convert formats... Example: SKP (SketchUp native format) to OBJ... Which can be extremely useful.
 

So ignore anything below this point unless you are just morbidly curious about dead software you delightful ghoul. 

It's funny how one can forget stuff and then rediscover that same information if they don't use it long enough... Yesterday when I posted stuff about Ultimate Unwrap I went looking for tutorials again (frustrating because there are virtually none and if you forget something you are sooooo screwed until you figure it out or accidentally find something)...

That said, the information I rediscovered is LithUnwrap... I guess it is sort of, either a free ultra lite version of Ultimate Unwrap 3D or an early beta/experimental version... It's really not mentioned anywhere, but long ago I figured out it's by the creator of UU3D (Bolthouse Studios)... Either way, it's here...

LithUnwrap: http://www.sharecg.com/v/5169/Software-and-Tools/LithUnwrap---Free-UV-Mapper-for-Windows

If you (the OP, or anyone else stumbling across this thread from a Google search) don't have a ShareCG account, it's free to register and they are a legitimate site, but you need to have a registered account to make downloads... 

LithUnwrap is an easy way to dabble and get familiar with the basic workings of Ultimate Unwrap for an indefinite period without the time restrictions often found in most trial software... 

It also seems to get update and bug fixes too... So it's not abandoned... And I suppose one could even ask some basic questions in ShareCG's comments section.

And one more thing to think about for people considering buying Ultimate Unwrap 3D... Something I rediscovered last night... Apparently when you purchase UU3D you get "Free updates when they become available"... For some reason they forgot to include this in the list of features (it's only mentioned on the purchase page)... and that's a pretty big deal because many software companies charge for updates. And there are frequent updates and bug fixes... One of the most frequent updates is import/export format additions, of which there are at the moment 57 (including DUF and DSF) 3D file formats, and 73 (more or less) video game file formats.

SketchUp users have a new UV tool/plugin called WrapR, looks relatively easy to use.

https://wrap-r.com/

 

I've tried the beta versions and it is pretty good... For use with SketchUp. But it's based off of Roadkill, so if you are not a SketchUp user, it makes more sense to just use Roadkill... It's free and WrapR is around $60... Which is kinda disappointing because most of the "pay for" SU plugins aren't much more then $40... And WrapR was based off of a free program.  Ultimate Unwrap 3D Pro (which works with .skp files) was $60... That has a lot more features and can be used to export models out in other formats... But it has no community support, and a handful of crappy tutorials and no YouTube videos... It's great if you have been uv mapping for years and know a lot, but daunting if you are trying to learn.   In that regard, if you are a SketchUp user, and make proper quad models, WrapR is a better buy, because it operates similar to Roadkill, which there are tutorials and videos for... Also one can ask questions at the Sketch-U-cation website, where WrapR has its own thread.

Agreed and I love Ultimate Unwrap 3D Pro, it's my go too UV Mapping tool! 

SketchUp users have a new UV tool/plugin called WrapR, looks relatively easy to use.

https://wrap-r.com/

 

I've tried the beta versions and it is pretty good... For use with SketchUp. But it's based off of Roadkill, so if you are not a SketchUp user, it makes more sense to just use Roadkill... It's free and WrapR is around $60... Which is kinda disappointing because most of the "pay for" SU plugins aren't much more then $40... And WrapR was based off of a free program.  Ultimate Unwrap 3D Pro (which works with .skp files) was $60... That has a lot more features and can be used to export models out in other formats... But it has no community support, and a handful of crappy tutorials and no YouTube videos... It's great if you have been uv mapping for years and know a lot, but daunting if you are trying to learn.   In that regard, if you are a SketchUp user, and make proper quad models, WrapR is a better buy, because it operates similar to Roadkill, which there are tutorials and videos for... Also one can ask questions at the Sketch-U-cation website, where WrapR has its own thread.

SketchUp users have a new UV tool/plugin called WrapR, looks relatively easy to use.

https://wrap-r.com/

I'm very much a newbie compared to others. I'd dabbled a little bit with 3D and found it interesting, but my primary interest was always in coding - first with web pages and then with database-driven software. This started in around 1990 and the need for images was few for a while - stock sites met most of my requirements. It must have been some time in 2009 when I was putting together a project which needed lots of embedded images that I went off in search of a way I could create them myself. This led to Sketchup, and many, many hours spent rendering in Kerkythea. Sketchup is great for inorganic stuff like buildings and props, but not much good for living, breathing creatures. Up until August 2014 I hadn't needed many of those or had found a way around it, but one particular project that year needed images of people, and lots of them. Having investigated MakeHuman and finding it fell short at the time, I decided I was going to draw my own. Given my skill level, it's fortunate that when looking for a digital version of one of those poseable wooden art dolls I found Daz Studio instead. Less fortunate for my finances though! :)

I'm getting more out of Daz Studio than ever since I finally got to grips with blender a couple of months ago. I still code occasionally but it's a long way from being my primary interest now. These days I'm much more likely to be found modeling something, rendering or making surface materials or images pretty in Photoshop.

Not exactly the same but would any of these work?

Free:

https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/bridge-max/465089?referral=The_Dodger

https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/golden-gate-bridge-3d-model/330037

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/ude844274-69fe-452b-8ab5-ba301f1eb9d5/LGB-Scale-Model-Railroad-Truss-Bridge

Paid;

https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/exterior/street/steel-truss-bridge

https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/maya-golden-gate-bridge/312131

https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/exterior/other/suspension-bridge-46013411-3590-421c-8d82-295db4f4e9cc

https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-models/exterior/street/suspension-bridge-5de096b4-ad7e-437f-b75f-874ed031e20a

I don't know about female uniforms, but if male ones were made it shouldn't be too hard to also make female-fitting versions. Indeed costumes from that period would be nice, including Waterloo-ready red-coats, and Nelson-era Royal Navy uniforms, with different mats for various ranks.

Presumably a difficulty is that there are so many different regimental uniforms, to say nothing of all the different nationalities, and they could never do all of them.

On a related topic, a conversion thing to turn the pirate ship Medusa into a late eighteenth century Royal Navy vessel (including striped sides, a figirehead, shinier and correct flags etc.) would be nice. I've been intending to attempt a conversion using photoshop on the existing mats and sketchup to make some additional components, but if someone wants to beat me to it they are welcome. 

Male and female civilian costumes from the perriod (and hairstyles) would also be useful. All very Bronte-sisters/Jane Austen/Poldark.

I've gotten decent models off of the warehouse with decent tires and wheels, and some like this, no spokes or tread, of course I've seen models like that come from sharecg as well.

Same here and sometimes totally unusable 

especially the ones in .obj format. All exploded with parts missing.

 

Or the ones in 3DS fornat, those are the worst about being exploded!

 

 

Yeah I remember a tank model that even with the camera backed up to like -90,000 it wasn't completly visiable 

I had a couple of sketchup models that had to originally be 3DS models at one time, came into Blender all exploded, fortunately, when you import one of those into blender, everything comes in highlighted, and you can just scale everything down to where you can put it all back together.

Yeah.. problem is that the sketchup model as it comes has no spokes/tire detail.. those tires are basically placeholders until I can run up or find some proper knobbies ... V2 is in the works.. 

 

The free version is now called "Make"... There has been a bit of a change since Trimble purchased SketchUp... Previously SketchUp had two download options, A fully functional eight hour Pro trial version (but 8 hours of actual use... You could take years to use those 8 hours) and plain old Free version...

The difference between free and pro was that "Free" lacked the full exporters, the ability to author dynamic components and another application called "Layout" (for 2D presentations of projects)... As of version 7 the free version included a DAE exporter (initially it only exported geometry, but by 8 it also exported textures too).

I haven't upgraded my version of Make (free) for a while so this bit may have changed because it was confusing a lot of people, but apparently up until at least last year, clicking on either Pro Trial, or Make, would give you the Pro trial... The only difference being was that if you chose Pro trial, that would expire after 30 days and ask you to upgrade... If you downloaded the "Make" version, you it would work as Pro for 30 days, but after the 30 day trial it would give you the option of upgrading or continuing as the limited free version.

The 30 day trial period is like most trials, in that once you use the software, you start a countdown timer to expiration... So if you use it once it expires after 30 days regardless of whether you use it again.  When Google owned SketchUp, there was no countdown... It just subtracted the use time from the total... A lot of people would use an old free version to model and a new version of Pro to export models in OBJ or 3DS. You could get a lot of export mileage out of 8 hours, if that's all you used the pro trial for.

More info than you probably asked for, but yes, there is still a free version.

The free version's only non native export option (.skp) is the DAE format... I find models made in SketchUp import much better to Poser/DAZ if you export them as a DAE into Blender and export them back out as an OBJ and then use them in DS or Poser.

There is also an excellent free OBJ exporter plugin by a guy named TIG, available at: https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33448

You probably have to register at SketchUcation's website to download that though. It's free and they are a good site, and they are a great source of free plugins and SketchUp related information.

Good luck.

 

I appreciate all this information!  I have the old free version of Google SketchUp - Version 8.0.4810.  I do see that exports as a COLLADA file .dae.  Are you saying this old version of Sketchup is (was) the full program - the only difference was in the file export capability? 

So this .dae file can be imported into Poser/Daz Studio/Blender?  Or converted into a .obj in Blender?

So, in other words, I have the whole full SketchUp program for free? (minus the 2D Layout part of it)?

The free version is now called "Make"... ...............

 

Good info, thanks for thet. I used to use Sketchup awhile back along with Ultimate Unwrap 3D which supports the .skp file format, but haven't used it in awhile.

That depends on what you want to make and what your budget is.

Just simple props for your own use... nothing too organic... SketchUp. My kids learned how to use it when they were 7 or 8... The big thing to remember with SU is keeping with quads (avoid Ngons) and watching that it doesn't flip the surface normals on you.

For more complicated stuff... Hexagon if you want to wait until doomsday for a new version, or just bite the bullet and learn Blender... It's really not that hard if you don't already know how to model in other programs... If you do, just ignore what you already know.

Silo is also pretty easy and it's often on sale for $20-$40.

 

Sketchup doesn't offer the free version anymore - does it?  Or you can't save or export models or something?

The free version is now called "Make"... There has been a bit of a change since Trimble purchased SketchUp... Previously SketchUp had two download options, A fully functional eight hour Pro trial version (but 8 hours of actual use... You could take years to use those 8 hours) and plain old Free version...

The difference between free and pro was that "Free" lacked the full exporters, the ability to author dynamic components and another application called "Layout" (for 2D presentations of projects)... As of version 7 the free version included a DAE exporter (initially it only exported geometry, but by 8 it also exported textures too).

I haven't upgraded my version of Make (free) for a while so this bit may have changed because it was confusing a lot of people, but apparently up until at least last year, clicking on either Pro Trial, or Make, would give you the Pro trial... The only difference being was that if you chose Pro trial, that would expire after 30 days and ask you to upgrade... If you downloaded the "Make" version, you it would work as Pro for 30 days, but after the 30 day trial it would give you the option of upgrading or continuing as the limited free version.

The 30 day trial period is like most trials, in that once you use the software, you start a countdown timer to expiration... So if you use it once it expires after 30 days regardless of whether you use it again.  When Google owned SketchUp, there was no countdown... It just subtracted the use time from the total... A lot of people would use an old free version to model and a new version of Pro to export models in OBJ or 3DS. You could get a lot of export mileage out of 8 hours, if that's all you used the pro trial for.

More info than you probably asked for, but yes, there is still a free version.

The free version's only non native export option (.skp) is the DAE format... I find models made in SketchUp import much better to Poser/DAZ if you export them as a DAE into Blender and export them back out as an OBJ and then use them in DS or Poser.

There is also an excellent free OBJ exporter plugin by a guy named TIG, available at: https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33448

You probably have to register at SketchUcation's website to download that though. It's free and they are a good site, and they are a great source of free plugins and SketchUp related information.

Good luck.

Greetings,

Thanks for posting those!  I was interested in VWD, and I emailed the developer, and it doesn't work on a MAC.  I have a cheap PC laptop that runs Windows.  How much memory does the VWD program take up?

All of it.  I don't mean that to be mean, or anything, but the more memory you can give it, the happier it'll be.  It uses that memory to store the springs and information about the dynamics.  If you're using it to make basic clothes, that's probably a lower impact use.  Using it to re-drape complex conforming clothes has...tested my patience with memory issues, and I have 32GB of RAM in that box.

You could PROBABLY use it, if you're going to make clothes the way @ebergerly describes, but you'll find quickly that you want to do much cooler, and complex things, and when it runs out of memory it behaves badly, in my experience.  It's gotten better in a series of patches, but it's worth keeping in mind.

To the original question, I think that Sketchup is probably the simplest, but isn't comfortably part of the general modeling world, and probably won't teach you skills that'll work across multiple applications.  Still, for quick prototyping, it appears pretty easy to pick up.

I found Silo to be...amazing, faster than Hexagon, and easy to understand, especially with Fugazi1968's Silo tutorials on 'rosity.  (For the modeling needs I vaguely recall you describing upthread, something like his Lil House tutorial would be perfect, and decently priced; he also has a Digital Tailor series that is nice for clothes.)  They're all dated, but the interface hasn't changed significantly since then, IMO.

If Silo had a plugin capability, I'd be trying to write a DAZ <->Silo bridge right now...

--  Morgan

That depends on what you want to make and what your budget is.

Just simple props for your own use... nothing too organic... SketchUp. My kids learned how to use it when they were 7 or 8... The big thing to remember with SU is keeping with quads (avoid Ngons) and watching that it doesn't flip the surface normals on you.

For more complicated stuff... Hexagon if you want to wait until doomsday for a new version, or just bite the bullet and learn Blender... It's really not that hard if you don't already know how to model in other programs... If you do, just ignore what you already know.

Silo is also pretty easy and it's often on sale for $20-$40.

 

Sketchup doesn't offer the free version anymore - does it?  Or you can't save or export models or something?

That depends on what you want to make and what your budget is.

Just simple props for your own use... nothing too organic... SketchUp. My kids learned how to use it when they were 7 or 8... The big thing to remember with SU is keeping with quads (avoid Ngons) and watching that it doesn't flip the surface normals on you.

For more complicated stuff... Hexagon if you want to wait until doomsday for a new version, or just bite the bullet and learn Blender... It's really not that hard if you don't already know how to model in other programs... If you do, just ignore what you already know.

Silo is also pretty easy and it's often on sale for $20-$40.

 

...SIlo also has a 64 bit version.

That depends on what you want to make and what your budget is.

Just simple props for your own use... nothing too organic... SketchUp. My kids learned how to use it when they were 7 or 8... The big thing to remember with SU is keeping with quads (avoid Ngons) and watching that it doesn't flip the surface normals on you.

For more complicated stuff... Hexagon if you want to wait until doomsday for a new version, or just bite the bullet and learn Blender... It's really not that hard if you don't already know how to model in other programs... If you do, just ignore what you already know.

Silo is also pretty easy and it's often on sale for $20-$40.

it took 2 years for Zbrush to actually click for me and I still suck in it!

I got my second ever computer that was not windows 98 (which I had for a few months prior )in 2008 and learnt to use Sketchup the free version almost right away, so I would certainly suggest that as a free start but the mesh topography is pretty bleh.

I myself use Carrara mostly and Zremesh the results.