Overview

Here is a brief overview of Transmutr features. Click on the link at the bottom of each section to learn more.

Loading a file

To load a file, simply drag-and-drop it into the Transmutr window, or click the Browse File button.

Transmutr will immediately load the file. The duration of this step varies depending on the complexity of your model: from a split second for simple models, up to several minutes for the most complex ones.

Once the file is loaded, you will be presented with a two-part interface:

• On the left, a live preview shows your model. A SketchUp-like figure serves as a scale reference. You can orbit and pan, just like in SketchUp.

• On the right, various settings let you modify the model before converting it to SketchUp. Settings are split between two tabs: Geometry and Materials

Alternatively, you can directly import Megascans assets from Quixel Bridge. Learn more

Finally, you can edit an existing component or group directly from within SketchUp, for instance if you want to simplify its geometry. Learn more

pageLoading a file

Geometry tab

Transformation

Scale Multiplier and Units Conversion help you resize the model in case it is not imported at the right scale.

Up Axis is used to orient the model correctly. This is particularly useful if the modeling application that the model is coming from uses a different coordinate system.

Origin moves the origin of the model (its pivot). This is especially useful when the geometry has been modeled far from the scene's origin.

Soften Coplanar Edges and Smooth angle are the same functions as in SketchUp. They are used to smooth/soften edges to get continuous surfaces.

pageTransformation

Mesh Simplification

This feature reduces the number of faces of the model. If a model has hundreds of thousands or even millions of faces, it will probably make SketchUp slow (unless you are using proxies). In this case, it is often a good idea to simplify the model, as it will make it much lighter while preserving the overall shape of the original object.

Move the slider to the right to simplify the geometry of the model.

pageMesh Simplification

Proxies

Transmutr can export the model as a V-Ray Proxy, a Thea Proxy and an Enscape Proxy. In this way, SketchUp will only show a lightweight placeholder of the model and maintain good performance while the render engine will use the high-quality original model.

Placeholder is the geometry displayed in SketchUp, there are several options to choose from:

When you export as proxy, the generated *.skp file is supposed to be imported as a component into another model, you should not open it directly.

pageProxies

Materials tab

This tab displays all the materials loaded from the input file. You can click on a material name to expand its panel and see and edit all of its settings.

Alternatively, if you hover on the preview on the left, you will see the cursor turn into an eyedropper. Click on a material in the preview to automatically expand its card on the right. This is especially useful if the materials were not named correctly in the original model, and you have trouble deciding which is which.

Transmutr tries to automatically retrieve as much information as possible from the input file. So if the input file has information about material reflection, bump or opacity, Transmutr will automatically preserve these settings. You can then edit any setting for any material. Click here to learn more about material settings.

Materials will automatically be exported as regular SketchUp materials (simple color/texture and opacity), V-Ray materials, Thea materials and Enscape materials. It is transparent to you, there's nothing you need to do.

pageMaterial settings