Smart Export Tool

It is accessible from the export icon in the toolbox or the OpenCutList → Export Parts menu.

This tool is a concentrate of magical things. We have developed it with the aim of covering a maximum of needs with a minimum of user actions, while at the same time providing a real-time preview in the 3D model of what will be exported.

To achieve this, this tool focuses on exporting the 3D or 2D geometry of a single element through 3 types of action.

Actions

Smart Export Tool supports these actions: Export 3D part, Export 2D part, and Export face. Each action has several options. All possible actions are visible at the top of the screen.

Export 3D Part

The Export 3D part action allows you to export the 3D polygon mesh geometry of a single part as an STL or OBJ file.

Once this action is activated, just point and click on a part in the model to export it.

Supported Formats

The 3D geometry can be exported to files with the following formats:

• STL : Stereolitography

• OBJ : Wavefront OBJ

Export Options

• Unit : Defines the unit used in the exported file.

• Anchor Point : This options preserves the location of the origin of the coordinate axes of the SketchUp component of this part in the exported file (Project the part's origin). Otherwise, the smallest coordinate of the bounding box is used as location of the origin of the coordinate axes (Default).

Export 2D Part

The Export 2D part action allows you to export a 2D projection of a part as an SVG or DXF file. Note that it is more powerful than just a face exporter.

Once this action is activated, just point and click on a drawing face of a part in the model to export the 2D projection along the plane of this face. This allows you to quickly choose the projection plane according to which you wish to export the part. You can also point at an edge to align the red axis (x).

The projection algorithm slices the 3D geometry in several coplanar layers.

Along the projection direction, the top most face determines the depth zero layer. All other layers are calculated in relation to this one.

If a face is curved (a smooth surface) or not coplanar to the projection plane, the projection of the face will flatten up that face to its top most point. In the Figure below, two such faces are shown as horizontal blue rectangles. Coplanar faces will be merged.

The tool displays a preview of the exported layer in the 3D model.

The projection plane is shown as a black dashed rectangle, and each layer is represented by a blue line. The dark blue lines correspond to the zero depth layer, and the light blue lines correspond to the other layers.

Hidden faces or hidden portions of faces are ignored.

Supported Formats

The 2D projection can be exported to files in the following formats:

• SVG : Scalable Vector Graphics

• DXF : AutoCAD DXF

Face Projections

This option determines which faces should be included in the export. The target face is the face that gets the click.

• 1 : Use only the target face.

• ∞ : Use all parallel faces of the part.

Export Options

• Unit : Defines the unit used in the exported file.

• Anchor point : This options preserves the location of the coordinate axes of the SketchUp component of this part in the exported file (Project the part's origin). Otherwise the smallest coordinate of the bounding box is used as location of the origin of the coordinate axes (Default).

• Smoothing : Smooth circles and arcs. Learn more.

• Merging Mode : Learn more

  • Default : The part shape is exported with one layer per depth.

  • Outline + Drillings + Merge : Activates the separation of the outer contour of parts from their holes, as well as the merging of depths for each cavity.

• Paths : Enables the use of edges, which are not associated with a face contained in the part, to export them as a path. Learn mode.

• Parts colors : Customize the line and fill (SVG only) colors of exported parts.

• Drillings colors : Customize the line and fill (SVG only) colors of exported part's drillings.

• Paths colors : Customize the line color of exported paths.

Export Face

The Export face action allows you to export a 2D projection of a drawing face to a SVG or DXF file.

Once this action is activated, simply point and click on a face drawn in the model to export it.

Supported Formats

• SVG : Scalable Vector Graphics

• DXF : AutoCAD DXF

Export Options

• Unit : Defines the unit used in the exported file.

• Smoothing : Smooth circles and arcs. Learn more.

• Parts colors : Customize the line and fill (SVG only) colors of exported faces.

Shortcuts

• use TAB (left to right) or SHIFT + TAB (right to left) to navigate through actions.

• use CTRL + TAB (Windows) or OPTION + TAB (Mac) to navigate through action's modifier.

Advanced Options

Smoothing

To overcome SketchUp's technical limitations in terms of circles and arcs, we have developed a curve detection algorithm.

This algorithm is able to detect circles, ellipses and arcs from the contour of a face or a curve. Circles need not to be known to SketchUp.

Once this option is activated, the detected portions are emphasized with a bolder line.

Merging Mode

By default the 2D projection algorithm slices the 3D geometry in layers that contain only projected faces that correspond to their depth.

By enabling Outline + Drillings + Merge, the algorithm will go further :

• Through holes will be detected. They are drawn with a purple line in preview.

• Depth zero layer now contains the full merged outline of the part, without any holes.

• Sub layers are merged by cavity.

Let us consider a more advanced example:

Paths

In addition to exporting faces, you can now export open or closed paths. These paths could be useful for exporting non-geometric elements integrated into the part without altering its dimensions.

A path is a curve or a single edge that is not associated with a face.

The best option to embed paths into a part geometry is to draw them in subgroups.