Workflow questions for environment objects from Maya/Max to Unreal

Development World Creation
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1

Hi All

I`m having some issues with best workflow practice for bringing in eg maya/3dsmax scenes into unreal.

For example , I have a 3 story house. Its basically split up into groups and sub-objects ie

Upper_floor_Group
Interior_walls_upper_floor
Exterior_walls_upper_floor
kitchen_units
window_frames_upper_floor
window_glass_upper_floor
Middle_floor_Group
Interior_walls_middle_floor
,etc,etc

So what I`m doing is exporting the upper_floor_group of objects as a single FBX. Then when I import into Unreal i turn off combine objects, and import materials/textures.
This brings in 10 or so objects per level, and I select them all in the content browser and then drag them into the workspace, then reset the transforms to default so it snaps to its centre position.
I then create a new folder in the content browser for the middle section of the house and repeat the above, and then again for the lower section.

It seems to work ok, but if I either add any objects to a group in Maya and try re-importing back into unreal its making a new combined object for that level , It doesnt seem to recognise there are new objects in the fbx and add them as a separate objects to the scene. So it makes it awkward if I need to go back at any time and make additions, I have to delete all the objects in unreal for that floor area and reimport the fbx again.

So just wondering how other people do it? Would it be better to export each object from maya as a separate fbx file?

Thanks

Paul

2

Have figured something out for myself.

Created folders in Unreal content browser for

Environment
-Upper_level
-Middle_level
-Lower_level
-Materials
-Textures

Name all objects with a suffix for each level
eg. stairs_upper

Using filetexturemanager script copy all textures and assign new path to the unreal /textures path.
Using Fbx exporter script export all the objects into unreal directory eg Upper_Level
Drag out all models from content browser into scene. reset transforms in details panel
Then filter out objects in content browser e.g _upper and move them into “Upper_Level” directory, and do same for the other objects
Filter out materials and move to Materials folder, same for textures.

Then any additions can just be imported as a new or existing fbx model and it updates automatically in unreal.

Be interesting to know if anyone else has other workflows.