Workflow for architectural concept demo! Help Please!

Community Community & Industry Discussion
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tl;dr: Can anyone explain a basic workflow for taking 3d assets from blender (bridge, buildings, etc…) and adding into UE4 with terrain, and an FPS Controller.

Hello Guys/Girls/Non-Binary Gender Fluid Beings,

So here’s what I’m looking for help with, I am currently on a , the final unit is a group orject, we have been tasks with designing a pedestrian footbridge over a dual-carriageway.

I am in charge of the design/modelling side of things.

My idea is to model all of the elements within blender, the bridge as well as some surrounding building, and a landscape for everything to sit on. I am fairly efficient in blender and am already on with the modelling.

My question is, if I would like to take everything I make, and build an interactive experience (Game) out of it, what would the workflow for this be?

This is my assumption, although bare in mind I am not experienced in UE4, and be constantly researching how to do everything I need to within it:

> Model assets in blender.
>Texture assets.
>Import assets into blank UE4 project.
>Assemble the scene, placing things where they should be in relation to each other.
>Export the game (interactive experience)

Now I know with my limited knowledge of the software some people may find this amusing, but I am extremely driven to achieve this.

A couple of things right off the bat that I’m struggling with:

  1. If I download a free blender material, which is a .blend file, I can use it in blender using the “Append” function. Although once I have added this material to my object, I am unsure of how to get the material into UE4, since all the texture files are compiled together in the .blend so I cannot simply copy them into UE4.

  2. For the terrain model, would I be better off sculpting this in blender, or UE4? and how straight forward would it be to texture it in UE4? It is a fairly flat terrain, with a dual carriageway running through the middle, and a canal winding through the right side.

I understand this is a huge post with a lot of questions, and I would massively appreciate any help I an get, even if it is a simple set of bulletpoints explaining the most efficient workflow for this task.

Thanks in advance,

.

2

I think you you have some confusion going on with regards to the workflow. I’ll try to clarify :

> Model assets in blender - Yes ! Maintain proper geometry , limit triangles and ngons.
> Texture assets - Unless you are using Datasmith you don’t need to. Waste of time imo, as UE materials are better. Make sure to assign a different material ID or material where needed
> Import as fbx into unreal - yes
> Do whatever game mechanics you need in unreal

For materials, just use the starter kit. It has almost everything you need for a CE project. Duplicate the material you want to use and change it’s textures from the material editor.

I don’t use the terrain functions in UE. I prefer modelling.

Hope it helps. If not, ask away :slight_smile:

Dan