3D models - multiple materials issue

[D11-Design]

Hello!

 

I frequently download .skp files from 3D Warehouse and they work fine. They have multiple materials which can be adjusted separately (colour, texture, etc.).

 

However, most 3D models that I download from manufacturers' website have only 1 material in Chief, e.g. a sofa with a pillow on it, the pillow's material cannot be adjusted independently.

 

The issue occurs with almost anything that is not .skp: 3DS, DWG, etc. However, when these models are opened in their native environment (3DS in 3D Studio), they have of course different materials.

 

The strange thing is that sometimes 3DS and DWG formats work fine and they have different materials, which makes me think it must be some kind of a settings issue within these 3D files.

 

Has anyone found out the issue behind this?

 

Attached the .obj and .3DS formats of the same model downloaded from the manufacturer's website. The .obj format has 1 material, the 3DS format has 2 materials (strange as usually 3DS doesn't work).

ta_11bt_hp.obj

ta_11bt_hp.3ds

[Dennis_Gavin]

You can overcome this problem by exporting the object from chief in 3ds,

importing it into sketchup and then change materials there.  save and reimport

into chief.