Importing Google SketchUp Models into Microsoft Virtual Earth

With the release of trueSpace 7.6 for Virtual Earth, I’ve been pinged with questions about importing 3D objects in Microsoft Virtual Earth, developing 3D objects, supporting other platforms objects, etc., etc. Well, today, my good buddy Tom Grimes from Caligari posted a note on how to pull objects from the SketchUp Warehouse and import them into trueSpace. From trueSpace you can upload objects directly into a Live Search Maps Collection (and can be imported into a platform application using the VEMap.ImportShapeLayer Method) and indexed on the site. Alternatively, you can host the models on your own servers and import OBJ files directly into the Virtual Earth 3D Control using the JavaScript APIs (see: VEModelFormat Enumeration and VEMap.Import3DModel Method). This is the very same technique Tom and I used to create The North Pole – A Virtual Earth Christmas Experience and The Making of the Virtual Earth 3D Santa Tracker.

Per Tom’s note, “If you want to bring in content from other 3D applications to use in trueSpace or to export to Virtual Earth, then the OBJ format is a good way to go. Here we look at loading an OBJ, originally created in SketchUp and downloaded from TurboSquid. ”

Check out the whole February 2009 Caligari Eye news letter which includes this piece, plus an article for importing 3D Objects into WPF and a few others.

So, if you have Google SketchUp models and would like to see them in Virtual Earth read through the tutorial and get cracking! Also, check out the 3D Team’s Blog which has great code samples and the newly released (although unsupported and widely unnoticed) documentation for using the Microsoft Virtual Earth 3D Managed Control (sans the JavaScript APIs). Makes good for using Virtual Earth in WPF applications without the limitations of the JavaScript APIs. And, don’t forget, trueSpace 7.6 is a FREE download, so if you don’t have it register and go get it.

CP