CAD models to Machinima

Hello!

In short, here is my workflow of real work, using custom CAD models from my customer. Cinema 4D is useless with Machinima. I have to start using Maya or 3dMax.

Object: ETRA case - made in solid edge CAD.
Exported in Assembly ASM -format
Import in to Okino Polytrans
edit / geometry processing / process poygons
Export as FBX 7.

in Unreal Engine
import FBX
Import Uniform Scale: 100
Import All
Drag all objects to scene, make the topmost object a “master” as dragging the all the other under it as childs.

In Unreal Engine 4.25 I used these free metal & glass materials:

Voila!

I added some tools inside the cabin,common objects from CGTrader.com
You can use just normal UE 4 import command:
Import normal FBX objects (with texture files in the same folder as they are)

but sometimes they do not import correctly, mostly scaling issues.
For example the Drill in my scene:
https://www.cgtrader.com/items/93078/download-page
Import from assembly ( *.SLDASM ) to Polytrans, with 1000 scaling factor
Export as FBX 7
In Ureal engine when importing the fbx, add a scaling factor of 100

Etra logo at the side of cabin:
import PDF to illustrator
save .ai ver8
drag that .ai file to Cinema4D
Extrude to have some geometry
export as FBX 7
import as FBX to UE

I used the Omniverse UE Connector (connected to my localhost Nucleus server first) and
used “export to Omniverse” feature.

In Omniverse I first made two tiny box objects and used those as parents, “pivot points” to doors in my object,
this way I could rotate them so they open correctly. There is no pivot point feature yet in Machinima so I made all
the door objects the child of tiny boxes.

I think customers are going to love this!
Next thing is I add some industrial environment and more tools inside the cabin!

Pekka

Over the years, a lot of thought has been given to how to solve the “size normalization” issue. I think we’re closer today than ever to making this easier to solve, but we do not have the solution yet. Today the solution I think most people go for is to have that “scale factor” embedded in a scripted pipeline so that all models from one “source” are processed and scaled to some “norm” scale.

Keep it up Pekka! We are watching your progress earnestly and eagerly.

Ryan

1 Like

Thank you!
I am now re-surfacing this model from start, since I can finally use Nvidia Omniverse sample material library: Machinima cannot import Nvidia sample material