Actually, I still use Autodesk Inventor for doing the majority my modeling, which is basically the same as Solidworks. 3DS Max can import Solidworks files directly, as well as a format such as .stp.
Okay. But is there still an issue with the .3ds exports from .skp/skb? Like does the exporting screw up the meshes still or is more because Sketchup is based on faces and doesn’t really work in solids?
Also what type of specific format does the team work with?
.3ds is an old and outdated format, you want to avoid using that.
Ultimately, if you want to get involved in modding, I’d say if Sketchup cannot properly export fbx, it’s time to dump that software. Solidworks would give many more export options, and is overall a much more sophisticated modeling package. It’s still a CAD package and not a content creation suite, but it’s still better than Sketchup IMO.
If you want to model in Sketchup for concept purposes, then no need to change what you are doing.
Looks like I can export to .fbx too (nice)… Didn’t encounter any problems during the process either, but I can’t verify the quality of it 
I can test a mesh if you can get me an fbx.
That would be awesome, but where should I upload it now?
We don’t have a public FTP anymore, so you’ll have to use Google drive or somesuch.
I’m not sure if it’s due to a plugin or not, but my copy of 3DS Max can import sketchup files directly.
Ah, I am on 2014 now and yes I do see that.
Have you tried it yet?
I’ve done it, and it works pretty well, actually. Keeps instances working, as well as textures and UV maps, Doesn’t fix shitty modelling, but then, nothing can.
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Do you have a mediafire account, Spectre? I’ve used that ever since getting into sharing craft files off KSP.
Nah, decided to use Google Drive instead.
[quote=“Kichae, post:27, topic:92”]
This is true, but your radiator won’t. Any photons that are radiated by any but the two end fins will simply be re-absorbed by its neighbour:[/quote]
This I know.
Assuming radiation surfaces will be purely cosmetic (looks like this is the case), they’re just there for the Star Warsy, used-future cool factor.
That said, I would really like to see heat become an issue for ships in I:B. The current art direction would have to take a massive turn for that to happen though, at least if passive radiators will be used.
Which is highly unlikely at this stage. Especially just to have heat dissipation mini-games.
Or we can have heat dissipation mini-games without any visible parts … or hardpoint parts.
But yes of course … feature creep in the Art Departement isn’t good at all.
No mini-games needed, nor changes to the art. I’ve been thinking about heat-as-mechanic for a while now, and it’s actually not that hard to make it a viable mechanic.
By default, as a ship generates heat, you collect and store through heatsinks, to be dumped (the fiction could be that it’s dumped out the engines [this could also have the effect of making heat dissipation faster when not accelerating…]). The pilot can can increase the capacity/speed/both of this process by installing larger numbers of heatsinks.
Taking a leaf out of Elite’s book, you could even create a piece of hardpoint equipment that takes this heat, dumps it into some kind of puck or volume of coolant until saturation, and then flings it out into space, getting rid of large amounts (but not all) of your heat very quickly and efficiently (and maybe even throwing missile tracking for a loop while you’re at it), but at the expense of limited uses.
If the heat a ship generates exceeds its ability to radiate, the average temperature goes up. Once the average temperature reaches a certain point, equipment starts to become less efficient (slower weapon firing, longer update times on sensors, etc.) then malfunctioning (misfires, giving false readings, etc.), and then outright taking damage.
Not sure if that fits your guys’ overall vision, but that’s one way you could do it.
Indeed, mini-game mechanics would be unnecessary, heat management would be more of a tactical consideration.
Stun weapons could be replaced by heating weapons. It would have several advantages : no need to remember a new, separated mechanic for stunning, and there would be less of a frustration to “you can’t play for the next 10s”, as going back online/at full capacity would depend on your own heat dissipation abilities - possibly with tactical choices like using expandable coolants, filling heat-sinks or waiting for it to radiate.
And it would end the whole “stun deals no real damage” silliness.
Ejecting coolant or filled heat-sinks could be used as the flare mechanic. So instead of having, say, 30 “dumb” flares, you could have 30 heat-sink flares that are more efficient if heated - meaning that building up some heat could be advantageous.
No need for new hardpoints as well, as they could be ejected by the engines. Ejecting coolant could similarly make you harder to hit with homing weapons.
It would also make planetary environment more interesting and different : here, convection through atmosphere would make heat dissipation considerably more effective, though high-speed re-entry would build up heat.
Landing could be even more efficient to cool down, or even be used as decoy - a heated patch of land could look like a ship’s heat signature from afar.
And obviously, heat generation for weapons and components could work as a more interesting “mana bar”, instead of (or in addition to) ammunition or energy consumption for balancing purposes.
For all those, heat doesn’t work as a new mechanic but as another way to work with existing mechanics ; a way that makes them better integrated (less complexity) and more tactically interesting (more depth).
With more resources, it could be fleshed out more, with heat level for individual components (so a turret could be disabled by overheating), heat-specialized hardpoints like coolant ejectors or deployable solar panels that would make for more targets on capital ships… But those aren’t needed to have interesting heat mechanics, without actually adding complexity.
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In any event, this is fan art, so you guys can put all the radiators on your ships that you want 
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And maybe you could replace coolant by scooping water from the ocean
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Some cool ideas in that deviation!
Going in low. I really like that idea.