Export FBX Level from UE4.19

Third Person Project

File > Export All... > fbx 2013 format

File > Export All... > t3d format

Content Browser - Content>Geometry>Meshes, select all, rt click Asset Actions>Bulk Export... Export All

Content Browser - Content>ThirdPerson>Meshes, select all, rt click Asset Actions>Bulk Export... Export All

Notes: Materials will export as t3d files that cannot be read back into UE4 and will crash UE4 if attempt to load into a level.

ue4 default export is fbx 2013, max fbx 2018, min fbx 2011

Import Unreal Level

trueSpace 7.61

empty scene, import scale 0.01, import materials, import lights, convex polygonss, convert to z-up,skeleton nodes

ThirdPersonExampleMap.fbx

Fix skeletal mesh if desire

1. Copy the skeleton(CharacterMesh0, 1) into the actor(Actor, 1)
2. Rename the false skeleton(CharacterMesh0) to anything else
3. Rename the skeleton from CharacterMesh0, 1 to CharacterMesh0 removing the ", 1" postfix
4. Press the transfer bind pose button
5. Press the skin and transfer animations button
6. Export/reconnect the Transform OwnerMatrix to the outside
7. Export/reconnect the Transform WldMatrix to the outside
8. Connect then Disconnect the false skeleton ObjMatrix to the actual skeleton Matrix
9. Remove the false skeleton
10. Connect the Transform WldMatrix to the CharacterMesh0 OwnerMatrix
11. Go inside the CharacterMesh0
12. Reset the root nodes Root transform connector

Open Unreal Import Export Script and press the Open T3D FBX Utilities

Select the LightSource_0 and press the Convert Infinite to Directional button

Select the staticmeshes and press the Process StaticMeshes button

Blender 2.80

Scene>Units set to 0.01

? Scene>Units Length set to Centimeters ?

comes in to proper size, but items scaled to 0.01 except for skeletal meshes which have a scale of 1.0, !EXPERIMENTAL! Apply Transform can be used if there are no animations or skeletal meshes

Adjust view clipping - 'N' shortcut > View>Clip End 10m -> 100m

ThirdPersonExampleMap.fbx

Fix Base Color of materials

Lightwave 2018

ThirdPersonExampleMap.fbx

Parent all items to the WorldInfo_0 and set it's pitch to 90

Notes

ue4 fbx material exports as black

ue 4.19 used because Google VR plugin stopped working in 4.21 and higher, 4.20 is also ok

bulk export, result is folder structure matching ue4 project with exported fbx files

ue4 fbx export default 2013, min 2011, max 2018

trueSpace skeletal mesh is bad but can be adjusted

Blender 2.80 skeletal mesh is bad

Lightwave 2018 skeletal mesh is good

Lightwave 2018 imports sideways z-up

trueSpace fbx import fix yaw 180 will remove the 180 degree yaw applied to imported meshes, but is bad for animation import, possible future fix for plugin animation look at 180 option

Lightwave 2018 imported light points in the wrong direction and is not placed correctly

Blender imported light points in the wrong direction but is placed correctly

trueSpace 7.61 T3D Import

Set scale to 0.01

Press the ... button to choose the ThirdPersonExampleMap.t3d file

Press the Import T3D button

2D encapsulate the staticmesh items

Import the individual fbx staticmeshes, scale 0.01

Unreal import export script - press Open T3D FBX Utilities Open T3D FBX Utilities

Select the LightSource_0 and press the Convert Infinite to Directional button

All 3 checkboxes selected

Select the staticmeshes and press the Process StaticMeshes button

2D Encapsulate the fbx static meshes

Press the set fbx source group

Select the t3d group and press the set t3d destination group

Press copy fbx meshes

Can now delete the fbx and t3d encapsulated nodes

Notes

trueSpace fbx import is more straight forward than the t3d import process

t3d includes non-mesh items like volumes, but does not include any skeletal meshes

t3d is the only way to load levels from unreal engine version 1, obj and stl export were added in ver 2 and ver 4 added fbx export

Export Skeletalmesh and animation from UE4.19

Third Person Project

Content Browser - Content>Mannequin>Animations, select the animation sequences, rt click Asset Actions>Bulk Export... Export All

Content Browser - Content>Mannequin>Character>Mesh, select SK_Mannequin, rt click Asset Actions>Export... Export

To export mesh and an animation in one file - Content Browser - Content>Mannequin>Animations, double click an animation sequence, Export Asset>Animation Data, answer yes to the question to include the mesh.

Import Unreal Skeletalmesh and Animations

trueSpace 7.61

result good, need to delete BONESANIM and BONESBIND nodes before importing anymore skeletal meshes or skeletal mesh animations

Blender 2.80

Scene>Units set to 0.01

? Scene>Units Length set to Centimeters ?

Adjust view clipping - 'N' shortcut > View>Clip End 10m -> 100m

scale keys in dope sheet in X direction by 1.2 to fix timing

Lightwave 2018

key frame timings are off, start and end time is correct, last key frame is not valid

Notes

ue4 fbx exports 1 extra frame from what is indicated in the animation editor

Blender will set the scene at 25 fps, ue4 animations are 30 fps so scale the key timings by 1.2 (30/25). After scaling there will be a missing key frame in the center of the range and the start and end range will match the fbx file.

ue4 animation shows bad arm in all programs - bad ue4 export

trueSpace animation performance only good in the DopeSheet view, Story and FCurve are slow

Lightwave - my Info Panel will hurt animation playback - close the dialog to fix

UE4 Cinematics Import/Export

Cinematics > add level sequence

create new camera button

animate transform and focal length

right click CeneCameraActor and export

Lightwave 2018

imported ue4 level

load items from scene - choose CineCameraActor from fbx file - must click on it even though looks like it is selected

results good, got transform and fov animations

Blender

import scene, import camera

result good, got transform and fov animations

trueSpace

import scene, import camera

result good, got transform and fov animations

Notes

trueSpace camera is double encapsulated with transforms on the outer node and fov on the encapsed camera node

trueSpace camera to ue4 cinematics is good

ue4 does not import fov, spot angle or light color from any of the 3 apps

Lightwave does not export spot lights properly - exports as infinite light with no animation

Lightwave animated distant light not good in ue4 even though trueSpace can read it

Lightwave camera animation is bad

Blender camera and lights to ue4 are good - again no color or spot angle transfers over

UE4 summary and random notes

trueSpace and Blender to and from cinematics is good

Lightwave to cinematics is all bad

animated staticmesh will import to ue4 as skeletal mesh with 1 bone, other option is to import staticmesh and then import the animation to cinematics

UE4 not read color or spot angle animations

ue4 cinematics > new level sequence

trueSpace batch export - all to individual files, did not combine collision with mesh

t3d workflow maybe not worth the trouble?

trueSpace Unreal Script batch export outdated - only valid ue4 options are Skeletal Mesh and Skeletal Mesh Animation

trueSpace fbx single file clip option - was needed for old Matinee system, maybe valid for export to Lightwave which only reads the first take in an fbx file

Cinematics exports ful frame range not the selected objects key frame range

trueSpace imports meshes with 180 degree yaw, can use yaw 180 option to fix as long as item is not animated

trueSpace playback slow in Story and FCurve with play all frames option

maybe future fix trueSpace fbx 180 yaw to work with animated import/export

if dont set scene scale in Blender before import then static meshes will import with a scale of 0.01 even though skeletal mesh will import with scale of 1.0

Autodesk FBX Converter will convert up to fbx 2013 with other file formats and has a command line interface

Blender will only read fbx 2011(7.1) and up binary format, will save as fbx 2015(7.4)

Lightwave fbx 2016 and older

trueSpace fbx 2015 and fbx2010(fbx 6)

Lightwave to load 1 item from fbx use load item from scene instead of import fbx

Blender no shadows from sunlight, shadows from all others - point, area and spot

Blender will need camera, view and light clipping adjustments

Lightwave rotation keys are on, but translation and scale keys are off - still looks good when played though

Older Notes below this point

Today March 24, 2019

Lightwave 2018

fbx export: vertex colors only export from layout

will export morph targets

fbx for truespace

import blender - both work but different naming

unreal for truespace

script node:

obj imports as stair mesh parent to null with proper name, no 180 degree in z, colors are good
maybe better than fbx for this

textures must be in the same folder as the obj file
mtl file must start with a comment line or not work for anyone
blender can read the obj with full textures
truespace can only get diffuse textures
export from blender as fbx then truespace can read spec and normal - with error messages
fbx converter does not make spec and normal good from obj file - explains why tS cannot read obj spec and normal
lightwave will ask for the location of the textures if not with obj file
lightwave reads all textures but only applies diffuse - maybe autodesk limitation again?

best obj - copy textures to obj path,edit mtl file add #line at top load into blender(centimeter)