How best to turn unfolded sketchup model into picture for colouring?

[paper hollywood]

Here's something simple and free you might try. I have this installed and it works, but haven't really created anything with it. It's a free plugin for Sketchup called jf unfoldtool. It allows you to flatten a 3D model inside Sketchup. You have to unfold each surface one at a time and apparently have to do it in the right order, so it takes some practice. Then you should be able to simply export it as a bitmap image and color it as needed. You'll find it on this page with about 355 other free plugins: A-Z plugins list - Ruby Library Depot

[mldixon]

Originally Posted by paper hollywood

Here's something simple and free you might try. I have this installed and it works, but haven't really created anything with it. It's a free plugin for Sketchup called jf unfoldtool. It allows you to flatten a 3D model inside Sketchup. You have to unfold each surface one at a time and apparently have to do it in the right order, so it takes some practice. Then you should be able to simply export it as a bitmap image and color it as needed. You'll find it on this page with about 355 other free plugins: A-Z plugins list - Ruby Library Depot

You should use Flattery, same link, much better at unfolding models also has export SVG option included , but all unfolds so far are one face at a time, unless you use pro and export to Pepakura. But that is another can of worms.

[mldixon]

Originally Posted by RyanShort

You don't HAVE to use Layout. There are several other options including some SVG exports that can go into a program like Inkscape. Look for SVG plugins.

Ryan

Yes Ryan you don't HAVE to use layout, but the question is scale, SVG as far as I know doesn't address this issue, if it does please elaborate.

[sporticus]

Thanks for the unfolding suggestions! However, as per original post I 've allready unfolded the model! (using flattery )

The issue was with how to export the model. However, I think that the method in CT's link will work. Any other suggestions welcome though as there are many ways to peel a potato.

[RyanShort]

If you have an established scale OR a scale marker, you can fairly easily come up with the correct scale, and it is VERY easy to rescale objects in Inkscape. Here's a little prototype I've been working on in my ever-dwindling spare time. You'll see I take the bow piece, unfold it (with Waybe in this case, Flattery would work) and then I show the exported piece after some very minor tweaking in Inkscape.










In Inkscape you'll have to use the "node" tools to get the piece just like you like it. It'll be a number of line segments, but you can delete and join them and then you'll have your perfectly scalable piece.

That's my current workflow...

Ryan