UE Basics Thread, Talking, Learning, and Maybe More

[Fantam_Mayfly]

@presto423

presto423

13h

You may have to import those assets in Unreal, then convert them to static mesh independently from Bridge. The term in Unreal is “static mesh”, whereas the term in a different application could be “mesh” or “model” or something else. Those assets are more like a brush, or a prefab…they’re still a 3D object / actor you place in the scene. However, they’re not defined as a static mesh in Bridge. Unreal puts the emphasis and technical meanings of the assets as static meshes, so try exporting or downloading from Bridge and importing to Unreal to a specified folder in the project. Then convert to static mesh.

In the dialog for it, select “Import Normals and Tangents” to maintain those used in the original asset, or select “Compute Normals” to let Unreal Engine compute new normals for them. I can’t say which is better or correct, though I would attempt to import the existing normals and tangents first. Enable “Convert Scene” too, on import, and enable Unreal’s coordinate system for the imported assets, and select Unreal’s scale units. If it’s too small, disable Unreal scale units or disable “Convert Scene”. It’s a trial/error process.

Have a pleasant TDay!

Apparently dragging the asset folder into UE did not bring in the .fbx files or it’s just another case of newb error.

Ok, now I have picked them specifically, imported them and see the static meshes. When I double clicked on them I expected to see an associated material, They have no materials or textures assigned to them. There is an empty material slot and under a texture label, there are two textures listed, T_Default_Materil Grid_N and T_Default_Materil Grid_M, but if I select either of these, nothing happens.

Now I remember from another landscape tutorial that the author actually built materials (which I have) for his rocks and plants. I’ll have to revisit this.

I’d like to clarify in UE for an asset like a rock downloaded from quixel there will be textures but, no material included?

In my brief experience, I have been working with materials where I plug in textures into it at the appropriate slots, and then assign that material to an asset (static mesh), but mostly I have been working with applying materials to landscapes, versus objects like rocks/trees so this is new territory for me.

For UE I’m seeing all the textures sitting in the asset folder, but no material. From a landscape tutorial I do have 2 materials designed for rocks and plants. I can try those and until I try it, I assume I can assign the textures to the material, and then assign the material to the “material” slot in this mesh and see what happens.

As I just completed the Intro to Unreal Engine tutorial, LOD section, I’m going to let UE create the LODs so I’ll just keep the LOD0 and work from that.

Sound good, any advice (from anyone)?
Thanks!