Workflow from Revit > 3Ds Max > Unreal 3D Engine

[dylanlester]

Hello,

 

This is my first post so excuse me if this is a complete noob question. I did a search and couldn't find anything.

 

I'm currently studying building design (drafting) and on the side I've taken an interest in Arch Viz. My question is basic so I'll keep it short: What is the workflow from Revit to 3d's max and finally into Unreal 3D engine?

Specifically, would I assign materials in Revit and then import to 3ds Max with the materials attached and then into U3D? Or Would I not bother at all with materials - keep it bare bones until I get to U3D and just render there?

[philippelamoureux]

Unreal will only import a standard material's diffuse texture from 3ds max. Don't spend too much time building complex mats in revit or max, it's going to be useless. Just assign standard materials to your meshes and spend more time tweaking your uv mappings. That's the most important for Unreal. After that, in unreal, you do the heavy work :-) but you'll see making mats in unreal is really fun.

[dylanlester]

Short - brief and to the point. Thank you Philippe!

[Scott Schroeder]

Best answer, avoid Revit all together. Beyond Revit being just awful at creating logical and clean geometry, you really want a two-software limit when you are doing something like real time. The more steps you introduce, the more junk you have to deal with. The way you want to do it now, if something updates, you have to open Revit and update. Then open Max and re-link or re-import. Then clean things back up in Max and re-tweak those UVW maps. Then export from Max. Then import into UE4. Then re-assign materials etc.

[dylanlester]

Best answer, avoid Revit all together. Beyond Revit being just awful at creating logical and clean geometry, you really want a two-software limit when you are doing something like real time. The more steps you introduce, the more junk you have to deal with. The way you want to do it now, if something updates, you have to open Revit and update. Then open Max and re-link or re-import. Then clean things back up in Max and re-tweak those UVW maps. Then export from Max. Then import into UE4. Then re-assign materials etc.

 

 

I get what you're saying. But Revit is a part of my studies. It's fundamental that I learn it.

So being able to import from it to 3DM is going to need to be learnt also if I eventually have my own firm and want to offer a render of a project I've created in revit.

is there another way to model a project created in Revit without importing? Would it be easier to start from scratch in 3DM and work off floor plans?

Edited September 4, 2015 by dylanlester

[philippelamoureux]

I get what you're saying. But Revit is a part of my studies. It's fundamental that I learn it.

So being able to import from it to 3DM is going to need to be learnt also if I eventually have my own firm and want to offer a render of a project I've created in revit.

is there another way to model a project created in Revit without importing? Would it be easier to start from scratch in 3DM and work off floor plans?

 

I've never used revit models yet but I think it's always better to start fresh in max and make a good clean geometry to export for unreal.

[Scott Schroeder]

I get what you're saying. But Revit is a part of my studies. It's fundamental that I learn it.

So being able to import from it to 3DM is going to need to be learnt also if I eventually have my own firm and want to offer a render of a project I've created in revit.

is there another way to model a project created in Revit without importing? Would it be easier to start from scratch in 3DM and work off floor plans?

 

I think your best workflow would then be to first figure out everything in Revit. When you are 95% happy with Revit, then go into Max and start the process to go into UE4 from there. I would advice against starting the UE4 process while you are still figuring out the space in Revit as you'll have to overly juggle between various softwares (Revit, Max, UE4).

 

It'll be up to you to test how much of the Revit geometry you can use in UE4. It depends on your space really. If it's a simple interior, you might be able to use Revit geomety. If you start getting into complex shapes, you'll want to remodel those in Max. If you space is simple enough, you could even skip Max all together for creating the walls and just use the BSP tools in UE4 to create you walls, floors, ceilings.

[dylanlester]

I think your best workflow would then be to first figure out everything in Revit. When you are 95% happy with Revit, then go into Max and start the process to go into UE4 from there. I would advice against starting the UE4 process while you are still figuring out the space in Revit as you'll have to overly juggle between various softwares (Revit, Max, UE4).

 

It'll be up to you to test how much of the Revit geometry you can use in UE4. It depends on your space really. If it's a simple interior, you might be able to use Revit geomety. If you start getting into complex shapes, you'll want to remodel those in Max. If you space is simple enough, you could even skip Max all together for creating the walls and just use the BSP tools in UE4 to create you walls, floors, ceilings.

 

This is the sort of typical domestic building I'm modelling at the moment.

http://i.imgur.com/Pl2Yddh.png

Having said that, it will get more complex as I move onto commercial buildings and I gain more skills.

Obviously I'm going to run into tricky things I'll want to create like lights and benches and stuff like that. So would that be better to to in 3DM or U3D?

I think I'm going to shell out the cash and take the Digital Tutors course on modelling in 3Ds max and importing into U3D they have to learn the bare basics.