IES-VE User Forum

Hi all,
I have few questions about using VE sketchup plugins:

- It is possible to update a model made in sketchup ad exported in VE? For example, I made a simple model in sketchup and, when everything is done, I export it in VE and work on it. Then I have to modify geometry (for example adding a room or changing building height) and I want to do it in sketchup. How can I update the geometry mantaining all the work done in VE?

- Trying to solve the previous problem, I've notice that when I export a model from sketchup, plugin automatically creates a directory "veExport" where I can find a .xml file. So I've tried to import that file in previous VE model but nothing has happened! xml file seems corrupt.

- Most of the time when I re-identify rooms, sketchup loses some of the previous information (room names, destination etc) also if i check "yes" to preserve previous names. Why?

- Sometimes when I re-open a skp file previously exported to VE, all my groups are hide (I always work with groups) and, around, there is another "not-group" model.. a model around the model! So I have to clean all geometries and unhide groups. It is normal?

Thanks in advance, I hope you can give me some good advices!

Hi ,

- It is possible to update a model made in sketchup ad exported in VE? For example, I made a simple model in sketchup and, when everything is done, I export it in VE and work on it. Then I have to modify geometry (for example adding a room or changing building height) and I want to do it in sketchup. How can I update the geometry mantaining all the work done in VE?

Yes , it is possible to update the model in (Google SketchUp as well as in VE) . GEM file comes very handy for keeping different versions of same model.

- Trying to solve the previous problem, I've notice that when I export a model from sketchup, plugin automatically creates a directory "veExport" where I can find a .xml file. So I've tried to import that file in previous VE model but nothing has happened! xml file seems corrupt.

Where you are importing xml file & for what purpose ?

- Most of the time when I re-identify rooms, sketchup loses some of the previous information (room names, destination etc) also if i check "yes" to preserve previous names. Why?

The room identifier asks the user that , it is going to identify the rooms , do you want to keep previously indentified rooms or shall I rename them. It asks because , if you have set properties to the particular room re-identifying could make you confuse (Which room the particular property was set , which room is the office room etc.).

- Sometimes when I re-open a skp file previously exported to VE, all my groups are hide (I always work with groups) and, around, there is another "not-group" model.. a model around the model! So I have to clean all geometries and unhide groups. It is normal?

Please go through the whitepapers for exporting model from Google sketchUp to VE , it include the section explaining , How to work with Groups & components.

one key point here, the import from SketchUp to VE is a one-way process. So if you import to VE and then do more work in SketchUp and import to VE again, you will overwrite your previous work.

Some tips to avoid this:

- Rename the VE project after first import then when you bring new geometry through you can export the bits you want to merge to the new project as a GEM file (as Vj mentioned) and import this to your master VE project without overwriting the rest of it that was unchanged. The new geometry comes in blank so you would need to reassign thermal templates, Constructions etc but this would at least save you from losing all of your work in VE.

- I usually advise at some point in the design you move away form SketchUp and work fully in VE. ModelIT doesn't cost that much and will allow you to make any minor geometry edits in the VE project and so keep all the other data assignments together.

Early design stages are great in SketchUp (especially if you are using the Toolkits for quick feedback) but if you're serious about VE-Pro analyses then there should come a point in the project where the options you are assessing are in the thermal data assignment and the geometry itself is fairly stable

Phil