Anyone else tried or use Unreal engine with LW?

[genesis1]

I've been trying to learn Ue4.25 this week and found it a big headache.
First off, any model I create and uv texture in LW doesn't work properly in UE. Even using the UE Bridge in LW. Seems no matter how I change the coordinates of the UV some will just not work in UE.
Secondly it seems to be really over complicated nodal wise.
I created a Tardis Model in LW and created some textures for the four sides and one for the roof. Now in LW they look fine, but when you try and add them in UE the front and back texture work, the roof doesn't map properly and neither does the left or right sides. They look as if they are the wrong coordinates. I've changed them every which way possible in LW to make them work in Unreal, but they won't work. I've remapped them to x then y then z but none will project correctly for the roof or left or right sides.

Hoping someone might have had some experience to share?

[RPSchmidt]

There's a gentleman on the Lightwave Support Group Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/lightwiki/) named Martin Boumans who may be able to help you out. I think he's been working with LW and Unreal quite a bit.

There are other excellent LW users there as well who can most likely lend a hand.

[BeeVee]

When you say four textures, I presume you mean four images applied to one UV map? Unreal (most games engines or DCC apps) really only supports one UV map for surfacing.

B

[genesis1]

No, each side, left, right back, front, top all have their own UV map. If I try it on a simple cube it does the same. Front will map OK as does back, but left map and top map are wrong coordinates it seems. Top projects the UV at an angle and left is just messed up. It's OK in Lightwave but not in Ue4.25.

[BeeVee]

Like I say, put all the sides into one UV map. Unreal supports more maps but they are for special purposes, like lighting. Unreal needs a single UV map. Also, are you checking that images are being correctly mapped in LightWave? That the images are the right way around?

B

[rustythe1]

yes as beevee says, unreal will only really see one uv map properly, if i were doing things your way for unreal (i have done in the past), create and set up all your maps like you have in lightwave, then create a final uv map using atlas, send it to layout and use the surface baking camera to bake out that atlas as an image, delete all the other uv maps and then send the object with the single texture, problem in unreal is it reserves some uv channels for things like lightmaps,

if you have a small amount of uv maps you can sometimes change the uv index in unreal and it will show properly, use texcoord node, and change the index, you can usually use up to 7-8 uv maps, but either 1 or 0 is usually reserved for lightmaps, but i think you can also change that in the object properties, although you can technically use 8 channels i find re importing can often mess up the order for some reason so i always try to stick to one as it always comes in as channel 0

[genesis1]

That sounds a good idea. Don't think I've actually used the surface baking camera, or maybe once a long time back. Will have to refresh myself on that process. Does sound the best idea.

[BeeVee]

You can also use UDIM to maintain full resolution for your maps. That way you will stick to only one UV map but with multiple UDIM tiles. Unreal finally started supporting UDIM in v4.19, I seem to recall? Have a look in the wiki for how to use Modeler's UDIM tiles. https://docs.lightwave3d.com/lw2020/.../udim-workflow

B

[rustythe1]

surface is easy, just set camera, turn off all lights, set surface to 100 luminosity (if using PBR and not standard material remember to plug the colour into the luminosity) "camera properties", select the object and the atlas uv map, hit render, if there are any artefacts start upping the distance above surface setting (sometimes smoothing angles can force the surface above the default UM value)

[Sensei]

Somebody had problem with some game engine, not so long time ago, also with UV mapping, and solution was "don't touch size/scale of object after import from LW".. once he did it, UV mapping was screwed. Search forum.

[Sensei]

I've changed them every which way possible in LW to make them work in Unreal, but they won't work.

Try Unweld Points. Export. See if it changed anything.
Merge Points. Export. See if it changed anything.

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That sounds a good idea. Don't think I've actually used the surface baking camera, or maybe once a long time back. Will have to refresh myself on that process. Does sound the best idea.

If you will find quirks of Surface Baking Camera,
or you will have many maps to bake,
try Batch Baking Camera instead.
http://batchbakingcamera.trueart.eu

[genesis1]

Somebody had problem with some game engine, not so long time ago, also with UV mapping, and solution was "don't touch size/scale of object after import from LW".. once he did it, UV mapping was screwed. Search forum.

That may have been me. I was experimenting importing a head model. It only had a single UV so wasn't a problem. But I had to drag the uv texture map onto the object in Ue4.25 However, I found if I had resized the model first it screwed up the mapping. You have to map and then resize.

- - - Updated - - -

Try Unweld Points. Export. See if it changed anything.
Merge Points. Export. See if it changed anything.

- - - Updated - - -



If you will find quirks of Surface Baking Camera,
or you will have many maps to bake,
try Batch Baking Camera instead.
http://batchbakingcamera.trueart.eu

Thanks for the helpfull info.

- - - Updated - - -

You can also use UDIM to maintain full resolution for your maps. That way you will stick to only one UV map but with multiple UDIM tiles. Unreal finally started supporting UDIM in v4.19, I seem to recall? Have a look in the wiki for how to use Modeler's UDIM tiles. https://docs.lightwave3d.com/lw2020/.../udim-workflow

B

Thanks, will try all these helpfull suggestions.

[Sensei]

Thanks for the helpfull info.

Watch Batch Baking Camera video tutorial. I showed what you might experience (quirks in Surface Baking Camera), which you might not like in it.