The goal is to have a great 3D logo for web presentations or other publicity usage. Here a sample of what we will obtain by following this tutorial:
The advantage by using Daz Carrara is that you will have many option not just for rendering a still image, but also you will have the opportunity to animate the logo, and both are compatible by using a plugin, is in fact the use of correct plugins what SketchUp enhance many options in the 3D modeling process.
The first step is to get the vector logo, for that matter I strongly recommend the use of www.brandsoftheworld.com its a free site for a huge brand logotype database, if you have created your own then you only will need the vector image for start up.
You will need to click agree to have the download option. Once you have the vector file in your PC you will need to open it on Adobe Ilustrator, this is because you need to export the curves to the SketchUp, for make that possible you will need a plugin called export autocad files to SU:
In this page you can find several plugins: http://www.sketchup.com/developers/plugins
We need this one:
Depending on your operative system choose from the options, and install your plugin in your file destination.
I have heard of trouble shootings installing plugins on SU8 or in the newer SketchUp Make 2013, I am using at this moment the free SU7 for Mac version, and I can help in the installation of plugins in that platform only.
Well, once you have your plugin installed, proceed to open your vector logo in Adobe Ilustrator, you will have some similar to his:
You need to be sure that art be on curves, use the vector cursor on Ilustrator to select the entire logo, normally the logos used on Brands of The World are truly curved ones, but we never know, so in the case you have a logo with the type non converted to curves just what you need is to convert them using menu, type and select "create outlines" and after that you also need to expand the appareance option, that to ensure that you have all the art in vector lines.
The next step is to select the art and export it to the Sketchup, on the options do click to the following:
The .dxf file is what SketchUp import with the best results, I recommend to do some tests first and see what are your best results, in my personal case the following option are the ones that are getting me the best ones:
