Question: Is there a way with datasmith or a way to alter datasmith with the goal of merging all objects that share a layer into one actor upon import. Additionally, this system would work when re-importing a datasmith file.
Context: I work in the architecture field. We often have thousands of objects in a design/model. This can take a toll on Ue4 and creates a high draw count. It would be much more efficient if there was a way to combine all objects that share a layer into one actor. (Example) Instead of having thousands on panels of glass imported into unreal, it would be better to combine them all into a single object.
I know that there is a merge actor function within the developer tools, however this is still manual process that would need to be repeated everytime your design changes and you update your datasmith file.
Workaround: My current workaround to this problem isnt great. I currently make a secondary model that mirrors my project. However in this model I mesh all objects and combine them by layer. Then I export as a datasmith file. This works just fine once I get it into UE4. However it is a time consuming step, and can make design changes difficult to manage. This is not a high speed/long term solution.
Any help or input would be great. Thanks peps!