What I’m working to do currently is build a workflow where I can convert CAD files into Unreal, then simplify the features and then generate LODs. What I’ve found is that the ability to defeature a mesh (Polygon Editing plugin) is not an option once you generate LODs. I am under the assumption there’s no overlap between these as the CAD processing lies in the Datasmith plugin and the Defeaturing is in Polygon Editing.
Is there any existing workflow that marries the two worlds of processing CAD assets and defeaturing models to then be able to create LODs from that?
I’ve resorted to writing basically a JSON config driven python scripted workflow for doing all of this since I could not figure it out in DataPrep. The difference between mesh reduction when using defeaturing and then creating LODs is too significant to pass up. Still, it’s just taking me a bit of time to write all of this out myself and I often look over longingly at DataPrep and wish I could utilize it a bit better to do all of this. It just seems like the things I want to do are incongruent with the DataPrep workflow. Maybe if I could run meshes that were already imported back through a dataprep asset (or just defeature as a step in the dataprep action flow), then that would fine. I just haven’t found any evidence that I can do that sort of thing
Second question. Is there any documentation on creating custom DataPrep operation steps?
Thanks for the help and advice.