Topic: How to IMPORT Chief Architect plan into LUMION?

[globalDVLPRS]

HI, does anyone know how to import a Chief Architect plan into Lumion?
and which file type will best work?

[portrait]

Hi,

Currently best option is exporting your Chief Architect plan as a 3ds file, and importing into Sketch Up. After this point, you need to export this Sketchup model as a 'dae' file, and put into Lumion.

3ds is a quite outdated format, and can cause problems at times, but if you want to use other formats such as vrml, you will need non-free programs (3D Max,Autocad,etc.)
Here's a small,cheap, but very useful program that some Chiefers also use: http://www.micromouse.ca/
I didn't try this, but could do a good job. You may want to ask it on Chieftalk.

[portrait]

Chief seniors stated that they plan to bring Collada (dae) export option, but nobody knows when this is going to be available. Maybe with X6, next summer.

[globalDVLPRS]

hi, so it is not possible to export Chief plan as DWG and then import it into Lumion?
I have tried that but Lumion does not find the file when I try to load it.

[portrait]

It's possible, but you can't see them because of the scale and material problems. The best file format for Lumion is 'dae' which currently cannot be generated by Chief.

[globalDVLPRS]

@portrait.. i have exported the Chief plan as .3DS, however when I try to open it in sketchup.. it says "this is not a sketchup file"

[portrait]

I'm not a Sketch-Up user, but i know that you can't directly open a 3ds file in SU.
From file menu, select 'insert', then choose the 3ds file you want to import into SU. When you're done with modifications (if there're any), export your model.

[globalDVLPRS]

hi portrait,,
ok i have created the .dae file in sketchup and placed it on my desktop.

now when I open Lumion, and I try to import the scene, it does not find the .dae file.
i attached a screenshot of where i am trying to import...

[CSMcKillip]

I also am a user of Chief and I just dont get to import the files over to Lumion. Most of the time I have to re-create the model in sketchup (waist of time) and half the stuff I input into chief is lost. I have expoerted out of chief in 3ds, imported into Sketchup, then back over to Lumion. The triangulation of the 3ds is horible and the materials are lost or cluttered. The walls basicly turn from a flat slab into many triangles.

I will do my best to work on a solution towards a good result.

I hope a solution is found because I really like using chief.

[Morten]

hi portrait,,
ok i have created the .dae file in sketchup and placed it on my desktop.

now when I open Lumion, and I try to import the scene, it does not find the .dae file.
i attached a screenshot of where i am trying to import...

Try here, globalDVLPRS:

[globalDVLPRS]

ahhh yes i thought i was doing something wrong!  thanks for your help Morten and Portrait