Build&Export Modular items from MAX to Unreal.

Community Community & Industry Discussion
1

Trying to figure out how I can export a modular level to Unreal, from Max, and keep the transform positions.

Lemme Splain… :slight_smile:

I’m not too big of a fan of the Unreal UI or tools/shortcuts. I feel, when I work in Max, that I’m a lot more comfortable and faster.
What I’d like to do is setup my initial layout in Max, and export.
So far, all good.

The trouble I’m having is once the layout is approved, I have to overlay the static mesh set design pieces over the layout in unreal.
I’d like to do this in Max. I can use my modular pieces to create the level in max, but when I export and import, it imports and duplicates all the assets. Also, all the assets are no long in their layout position. They are at 0,0,0. (Center of World)

I want to build using my modular assets in max, and have it work in unreal as if it was done in unreal. :slight_smile:
How can I export from Max and have Unreal import a single instance of an asset, and place it in the unreal world everywhere it exists in Max?

I did try exporting the level as a single mesh…but not sure if that’s good for performance. Does object culling exist in Unreal? (Loading and Unloading assets that are not visible by the camera)
I shouldn’t bake the entire level to a single mesh, right?

Thanks All.

2

You can use FBX Scene Import: https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Engine/Content/FBX/FullScene/index.html

3

for modular stuff you might want to consider using Instanced Static Meshes in Unreal to save on memory and draw calls - but then you are going to have to get your hands dirty with Blueprint or C++ - but depending on the size of your levels and what you are doing (like an MMO or whatever) you might really want to look into it :slight_smile:

4

FBX Scene Import will already reference a single object for your 3ds Max instances, that’s part of the advantage where it will only import one object and place all of the copies where they need to be.

5

oohhh really? wow that’s a great feature! Do you know if Maya has something similar? (runs off to research) :slight_smile:

6

It’s a feature of the FBX import option, it will import single objects into the content browser and then create a Blueprint object you can drop into your level which will place all of the objects where they were in your 3D program.
Currently Epic is also working on a faster way to move scenes over from programs like Maya and 3ds Max (like a button to directly send it over)

7

Ahh I found it under “File” -> Import into Level" (which you probably already knew but just in case somebody else didn’t (like me)) :slight_smile:

very cool - had the options for creating an actor with components or a blueprint… Thanks for the tip!

8

GREAT!! That’s is exactly what I was looking for.

Just a quick note for this to work.
In 3DS Max:

  • the assets need to be instanced …duhh
  • in the FBX Export Settings > in Include > Preserve Instances has to be checked.

In Unreal:

  • **File **> Import into Level
    In the Import Options dialog, Hierarchy Type is the other important option to set. If you are a fan of XRefs in Max, then this is similar to that. If you want a update-able level, then Create One Blueprint Asset, else Create Level Actors.

Thanks!

9

Once i have imported the .fbx scene and i now have all of the individual components in my content browser, how do i place these into a level using a blueprint?

10

You don’t. On import, the objects get automatically placed in the scene. All objects mirror their locations from 3DS Max.

11

ah ok, my mistake. I misunderstood the earlier post.

Thanks