Replaced plants are reverting in Twinmotion

[DCB]

I'm using the Datasmith Direct Link Tool (Auto Sync) in Vectorworks 2023 (sp3) to sync a model in Vectorworks to Twinmotion (2023.1.0). In Twinmotion, I have used Replace Object to replace the Vectorworks plant objects (trees) with Twinmotion objects (also trees). These replacements are maintained when I save, quit, and then reopen the Twinmotion file. However, when I quit and reopen the Vectorworks file and reestablish the Twinmotion sync and then quit and reopen the Twinmotion file, the object replacements revert back to the original Vectorworks objects.

 

Is anyone else experiencing this issue? Does anyone know how can I prevent the replaced objects in Twinmotion from reverting back to the original objects?

[Jeff Prince]

4 hours ago, DCB said:

Is anyone else experiencing this issue? Does anyone know how can I prevent the replaced objects in Twinmotion from reverting back to the original objects?

 

I have experienced this too.  I don't know how you prevent it, so...

I place my plants directly in TwinMotion

or

I do not use data sync and instead use an export to c4d or similar workflow, never returning to Vectorworks for the remainder of the project.

 

There is a video on the Twinmotion website which shows a workflow where you use cubes from your modeling software as placeholders for objects and then use the replacement feature.  The benefit to that method is you won't have two trees for every vectorworks tree 🙂. The downside is that it does not seem to keep the choices you make for replacement and puts you back to square, or in this case, cube, one.  When I try their method, even if I use a nice mix of cars or trees, it always ends up replacing everything with the first selected model (of car or tree) and placing them with the same rotation direction instead of respecting the rotation I set in Vectorworks.  It would be nice to know why this happens, especially since this behavior is not exhibited in their video and I am using all the same settings.

 

Finally, there is a replacement option that I have yet to try.  Looks like you create a csv file and use that as the basis of replacement.  Maybe that is a better way to manage large amounts of object replacement because you could just re-run it and get the same results presumably.

 

 

[DCB]

Yes, I have seen the Enable Substitution in the Twinmotion Direct Link settings but it looks like the user has to manually enter substitutions into the CSV file (which is crazy to me). Unfortunately, it seems that replaced objects in Twinmotion (e.g., trees and it sounds like cars) do not retain their values when the Vectorworks source file is closed and reopened; the objects revert back to the Vectorworks style (and placement). Can someone on the Vectorworks team comment about this and let us know if this is really the case? Also, and I know that this has been mentioned in other posts about the Vectorworks/Twinmotion sync, it would be very helpful to have a series of Vectorworks case studies explaining recommended Vectorworks to Twinmotion workflows.

 

Jeff, if you don't use the dynamic sync, what is your workflow in Twinmotion  for handling changes to the VW model? Do you do a series of exports of only the model objects that have changed?

[Jeff Prince]

38 minutes ago, DCB said:

Jeff, if you don't use the dynamic sync, what is your workflow in Twinmotion  for handling changes to the VW model? Do you do a series of exports of only the model objects that have changed?

I don’t typically have to change the model once I go into Twinmotion.  What changes do happen are usually Twinmotion based content or architecture with pre baked textures.  It would be nice if changes were accommodated easily though.

[DCB]

okay, thanks Jeff. I appreciate your help.

[Jeff Prince]

6 hours ago, DCB said:

okay, thanks Jeff. I appreciate your help.

I think the only value I’ve added is being another voice of frustration 😉

 

[_James]

I'm having the same issues but with materials reverting back to the Vectorworks defaults.

 

I agree with the advice that the best solution seems to be to export the model, without using the Datasmith Direct Link, and not go back to Vectorworks once you're in Twinmotion. This is completely against the point of the Direct Link though! Really frustrating and it feels like another half baked feature.

 

Like you I am running VW2023 SP3. I have been working in Twinmotion 2022.2.3 thinking that this would be more stable. It's not easy to keep track of which version of Twinmotion you should use with which version of Vectorworks. I know it's much easier said than done, but it should just work.

 

Increasingly feel like Vectorworks is too complicated for its own good - I have this enough with the buildings we make, I don't need this with the software too!

[mfiodorow@gmail.com]

The same issue here with textures that revert to VW defaults, it is impossible to work with this bug. When Architect gives me a small change in the VW model i need to reapply all textures in Twinmotion, and that means that it is impossible to work with on bigger projects. I have tested other exports and C4D does not have that problem, but it has another problem: it does not keep all texture parameters from VW to TM. See attached picture with 4 different file exports, only datasmith (second from the left) keeps all textures the same as in VW, C4D loses the blue color in one texture, so it is not a replacement for datasmith. Please fix this issue.