I’m about to give up on this, because it creates such a mess, the engine multiples all the meshes, the lighting is messed up, etc.etc. I don’t even know what’s going on.
It’s such a shame because it’s so easy to do architectural/structural objects in SketchUp and it has a massive library of every kind of object you can imagine.
Is there any viable solution to this?
Is there a similar software to SketchUp which has the same features but has no issues with importation to UE4?
SketchUP is an awesome tool for intuitive modelling. One of the reasons it’s such a nice tool is that it basically abstracts or hides all of the parts of modelling that most people find tedious (UV mapping, normals, edge flow, topology, etc). Unfortunately, an efficient realtime renderer like Unreal cares a lot about all of these things, and SketchUP produces some thoroughly awful geometry.
Given that the two requirements (simple and easy to use / produces clean geo) seem diametrically opposed, I don’t think the tool you are looking for exists.
Some people have found Modo to be a good compromise, but it’s still a compromise.
In what way is Modo a compromise?
The new version has actually an Unreal Engine Live Bridge built in.
Modelling was never easier.
You can make some things with Sketchup, but Sketchup isn’t a really great tool for engine game modelling, you’ll be wasting some of your time in there. Unless your doing concept design, 3d printing, or making screensavers. Even if you make good models from sketchup, re import into a good software, and retopologize, re assign materials, re map uv’s. You could’ve made them in the actual program that plays nice with ue4. Sketchup is good for concepting, but you will have problems with it over time.
Blender. Does everything the first time. Learning this is learning the hard way. Maya does everything productive, and annoyingly. Modo a mix between the two.
Whatever program you choose learn. Learn to make it from scratch, and accumulate skills with it.
Chances are no matter what you use. You will be dropping F bombs at your computer for the next month, or 2.
I love Modo, but it’s nowhere near as intuitive as SketchUP. On the other hand, a lot of people find Modo a lot MORE intuitive than Maya or Max. Seems to be a good halfway point between necessary complexity and pleasant user experience - a good compromise.
I find it even more powerful than Max/Maya. 