Getting Started – Making Static Furniture

Now that you have played a little, it is time to build something to sell in IMVU.

First, we need to make sure that what we build will be in a scale that will fit in our 3D world, and that our Avatars will be able to interact with. To help you do this, we have created some template SketchUp models that have all you need to get started. You can find these files at:

Click here to download the
Sketchup to IMVU Exporter & Template Files

For ease of access, download this file to your Desktop, un-compress, then drag the directory called "SketchUp_to_IMVU" to your C: directory. The SketchUp_to_IMVU directory is where you will do your exporting and the contents should look something like this:

1. “SketchUp Chair” Template folder
2. “SketchUp Furniture” Template folder
3. “SketchUp Sofa” Template folder
4. "Exporter" folder
5. “SketchUp to IMVU” shortcut button to Run conversion script

To get started, let’s explore the contents of the “SketchUp Furniture” Template.

Open the Furniture_Template.skp file in Google SketchUp

Inside you will find two objects. One is a standing floor lamp, the other a Cube that intersects the base of the lamp and the level of the floor.

The Lamp is the Model we will be importing into IMVU, and we call it a Mesh. The cube represents the Root Node and it tells the Previewer where our Mesh will appear in the 3D world. How the Mesh and Root relate to each other is the information that is exported to the Previewer. In the end, only the Mesh will be visible in IMVU, but it would not work without the Root Node being present.

Note:  For scale, the standing lamp Mesh is roughly the same height as the Avatar. Keep this in mind as you build your furniture models.

For the Exporter to work, it is very important that things are named properly. To do this, you will need to make sure that your Mesh and Root Node are saved as “Components”. SketchUp considers all geometry separate editable pieces. Once you have finished your Mesh model, select the entire Mesh and go to Edit\Make Component. This binds the pieces of your model together, but not to worry, you can always edit a Component later if you need to make changes.

When the Make Component window opens, be sure to name your model “Mesh”. To check that the name is correct, Right-Click on your model and choose Entity Info, and check for the name in the Definitions/Name field. You should make a habit of this since incorrect naming is the reason for most problems later down the line. There should only be one Mesh in your final model, so if you are replacing the Standing Lamp model, be sure to delete it before you Export your model.

Note: You can also select the Lamp model and choose “Hide” if you do not wish to delete it entirely. Any model items that are hidden will not be exported.

Next: Making Avatar Seats