hi guys,
because vox4u is outdated and either the engine or the vox format itself has made some changes since 4.12 was released, i will need a new .vox importer.
you can look through his git repo to get an idea what is necessary to make it happen. i have a 4.16 x64 version of that old plugin compiled and ready to try, but it does nothing but spit out an error log to crash in the end (100% unknown chunks).
here is some more insight:
- .vox file format explained: voxel-model/MagicaVoxel-file-format-vox.txt at master · ephtracy/voxel-model · GitHub
- old plugins github repo: GitHub - mik14a/VOX4U: MagicaVoxel VOX Format import plugin for Unreal Engine 4
- unity’s comparable voxel plugin: http://picavoxel.com/
- interview with ppl using voselx in ue4: Intensive Exposure: Building UE4 Game with Voxels
quotes from the interview:
- “We developed in-house tools to support voxels in UE4 by importing .vox files directly from MagicaVoxel and it worked amazingly well when paired with Unreal’s PBR (Physically-Based Shading) capabilities.”
- “To help us create voxel-based games, we added custom voxel model support to the engine. This allows us to import .vox files from MagicaVoxel, adjust colors in the editor and even add effects like glow or reflections.”
- “Additionally, we have the possibility to remove any parts of the model in runtime, allowing us to simulate damage and large-scale destruction (to be used in future projects).”
VOX4U importer errors:
[2017.08.01-08.34.08:976] 27]LogFactory: FactoryCreateFile: StaticMesh with VoxelFactory (0 0 C:\Users\dufft\Downloads\MagicaVoxel-0.98.2-win\MagicaVoxel-0.98.2-win\vox\NewHouseFix.vox)
[2017.08.01-08.34.13:056] 27]LogVox:Error: unknown chunk. 䅐䭃 ]
[2017.08.01-08.34.13:056] 27]LogVox:Error: unknown chunk. ]
[2017.08.01-08.34.13:056] 27]LogVox:Error: unknown chunk. ]
[2017.08.01-08.34.13:056] 27]LogVox:Error: unknown chunk. ~ ]
[2017.08.01-08.34.13:056] 27]LogVox:Error: unknown chunk. ]
[2017.08.01-08.34.13:056] 27]LogVox:Error: unknown chunk. 㤫㍘ ]
...
[2017.08.01-08.34.17:237] 27]LogVox:Error: unknown chunk. ]
[2017.08.01-08.34.17:237] 27]LogVox:Error: unknown chunk. ]
[2017.08.01-08.34.17:237] 27]LogWindows: Windows GetLastError:
i expect you to know what you are doing, so i am not paying for your education on that topic. for the first iteration of the vox importer plugin i would really like to get an estimate for the costs. thanks.
sidenotes:
once you have got the old plugin running again or build a new one from scratch, i would ask you to enhance the plugin in some areas. if i had to do a forecast today i would say that i’d need individual voxel settings (color, glow, translucencny, and so on), a custom radial force component to make full use of voxels and an “animator” that is able to move an imported .vox’s voxel/s in unreal editor, store its new position/s to set keyframes for animation (or import several models, array, swap meshes). we should talk about those as i am no expert in building meshes and what is possible and what not.
in the end we could make a deal, if we wanna sell it on the marketplace together.
also, if more people want to jump in here, we can share the costs.
pm me if you are interested or hit me up on discord duffte#9236
daniel