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Import to Another Software

Formats and their Use Cases

This format is widely supported and can be imported into many 3D modeling and animation software packages. It stores geometry, vertex normals, texture coordinates, and material definitions, supports only one UV map, and doesn't support vertex groups, instancing,animation or other advanced features.

This is a proprietary format developed by Autodesk that is commonly used for exchanging data between 3D applications. It supports a wide range of features, including geometry, materials, textures, animation, and more.

This is an open standard format that is used for the efficient exchange of animated 3D data between software. Supports a wide range of features and is supported by many 3D animation and VFX software packages. It stores animated geometry, materials, and other scene data in a compressed format, making it useful for exchanging large data.

This is an open standard format that is supported by many 3D modeling and animation software packages. It is similar to FBX in that it supports a wide range of features, including geometry, materials, textures, and animation.

This is a standard file format for 3D printing. It stores triangle mesh data in a simple, ASCII or binary format. Does not support materials or textures.

This is a simple format for storing 3D mesh data. It stores vertex positions, vertex normals, and optional color, and texture coordinates. It is mainly used for 3D scanning and does not support animation.


When choosing an export format, it is important to consider the intended use of the model and the compatibility of the format with the software you choose will be using to import it. Some formats may be better suited for certain tasks, such as 3D printing or animation, while others may be more suitable for exchanging data between applications.

Limitation

These limitations include the limited export of materials and textures which are tied to the specific render engine they were created for.

How to set up the export

  1. To ensure that your exports from Blender are set up correctly, ungroup the shader node groups, as textures may be stored there and will only be preserved if they are on the top material level. For export into Unreal or Unity, scale the asset 100x.

  2. Next, open the File menu and select the Export option. This will bring up the export dialog.

  3. In the export dialog, choose the file format that you want to use for your export. There are many different options to choose from, including the formats above.

  4. Once you have selected the file format, you will need to specify the location where you want the exported file to be saved. Use the Export To field to browse for the desired location on your computer.

  5. In the export dialog, you will also see a number of options that allow you to customize the export process. These options will vary depending on the file format you have chosen but may include settings for materials, textures, and other elements of your model. Adjust these settings as needed to ensure that your model is exported correctly.

  6. Select Export button to begin the export process. Depending on the size of your model and the complexity of its materials and textures, this process may take a few seconds or minutes depending on complexity and chosen format.

  7. Once the export progcess is finished, you should have a 3D model file that you can use in other software.

How to import to another software in fbx

  1. In the Content Browser, right-click and select the Import option. This will bring up the Import dialog.
  2. In the Import dialog, browse to the location where you saved the exported FBX file and select it. You will see a number of options that allow you to customize the import process. These options will vary depending on the type of model you are importing Adjust these settings as needed to ensure that your model is imported correctly.
  3. Click the Import button to begin the import process. It might take a few seconds
  4. Once the import process is finished, your model should be fully functional in Unreal Engine and ready for use in your project.

Unreal only supports triangles and quads

Unreal Engine may show you: Unable to import mesh due to a face consisting of 6 vertices, expecting triangles (3) or quads (4). That happens when you attempt to import geometry which contains single edges or vertices. N-gons are triangulated automatically. One possible solution is to select the asset, go to edit mode, duplicate a single vertex, use Shift+G (Select Similar), choose "amount of collecting edges" and press Del.

  1. In the Content Browser, right-click and select the Import New Asset option.
  2. In the Inspector, you will see a number of options that allow you to customize the asset.
  3. Your model should be fully functional in Unity.