Datasmith Export creates too many children & cannot create assets which are repeatedly reference.

[Ben Garcia Design]

This is previously discussed in this other thread, however that one is more about the general workflow issues whereas I am looking to highlight the specific 'too many children' issue here when exporting a Vectorworks file to Unreal Datasmith. I am using VW 2023 SP3.

 

When I have a group in Vectorworks, the group is given it's own parent for the group. That makes sense, but then each of the meshes as apart of the group have their own actor & child mesh-actor. This middle actor can be removed. It serves no purpose.

 

For reference, here is this group. It's 2 solid subtractions & 1 extrude.

 

 

 

This will currently export as this:

<Actor name="Group_Doors_20" label="Group_Doors_20">
    <Transform tx="0.0" ty="0.0" tz="0.0" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="0.0" qy="0.0" qz="0.0" qw="1.0" qhex="0000000000000000000000000000803F"/>
    <tag value="Empty Actor" />
    <children visible="true">
        <Actor name="Solid_Subtraction_Doors_73" label="Solid_Subtraction_Doors_73">
            <Transform tx="0.0" ty="0.0" tz="0.0" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="0.0" qy="0.0" qz="0.0" qw="1.0" qhex="0000000000000000000000000000803F"/>
            <tag value="Empty Actor" />
            <children visible="true">
                <ActorMesh name="Instance8589611062427493340_16736547581515919266" label="Solid_Subtraction_Doors_8589611062427493340_16736547581515919266">
                    <mesh name="Mesh16896199164350926892_7180970239964908936Sub0"/>
                    <Transform tx="677.549194" ty="-998.677795" tz="101.535332" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="-0.000104" qy="0.000321" qz="-0.951752" qw="0.306866" qhex="7B5CD9B89F89A8390DA673BF991D9D3E"/>
                    <tag value="Mesh Actor" />
                </ActorMesh>
            </children>
        </Actor>
        <Actor name="Solid_Subtraction_Doors_58" label="Solid_Subtraction_Doors_58">
            <Transform tx="0.0" ty="0.0" tz="0.0" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="0.0" qy="0.0" qz="0.0" qw="1.0" qhex="0000000000000000000000000000803F"/>
            <tag value="Empty Actor" />
            <children visible="true">
                <ActorMesh name="Instance15365997431380323710_86819806465637521" label="Solid_Subtraction_Doors_15365997431380323710_86819806465637521">
                    <mesh name="Mesh279954500711682462_8339932488154455650Sub0"/>
                    <Transform tx="677.549194" ty="-998.677856" tz="101.614708" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="-0.000104" qy="0.000321" qz="-0.951752" qw="0.306866" qhex="7B5CD9B89F89A8390DA673BF991D9D3E"/>
                    <tag value="Mesh Actor" />
                </ActorMesh>
            </children>
        </Actor>
        <Actor name="Extrude_Doors_21" label="Extrude_Doors_21">
            <Transform tx="0.0" ty="0.0" tz="0.0" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="0.0" qy="0.0" qz="0.0" qw="1.0" qhex="0000000000000000000000000000803F"/>
            <tag value="Empty Actor" />
            <children visible="true">
                <ActorMesh name="Instance1600644069928305191_10288283762171703730" label="Extrude_Doors_1600644069928305191_10288283762171703730">
                    <mesh name="Mesh10132752585299418352_16003714575914235506Sub0"/>
                    <Transform tx="677.549194" ty="-998.677795" tz="101.455956" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="-0.217061" qy="0.673218" qz="-0.672763" qw="0.216914" qhex="24455EBE02582C3F383A2CBFB91E5E3E"/>
                    <tag value="Mesh Actor" />
                </ActorMesh>
            </children>
        </Actor>
    </children>
</Actor>

 

But should instead export as:

<Actor name="Group_Doors_20" label="Group_Doors_20">
    <Transform tx="0.0" ty="0.0" tz="0.0" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="0.0" qy="0.0" qz="0.0" qw="1.0" qhex="0000000000000000000000000000803F"/>
    <tag value="Empty Actor" />
    <children visible="true">
        <ActorMesh name="Instance8589611062427493340_16736547581515919266" label="Solid_Subtraction_Doors_8589611062427493340_16736547581515919266">
            <mesh name="Mesh16896199164350926892_7180970239964908936Sub0"/>
            <Transform tx="677.549194" ty="-998.677795" tz="101.535332" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="-0.000104" qy="0.000321" qz="-0.951752" qw="0.306866" qhex="7B5CD9B89F89A8390DA673BF991D9D3E"/>
            <tag value="Mesh Actor" />
        </ActorMesh>
        <ActorMesh name="Instance15365997431380323710_86819806465637521" label="Solid_Subtraction_Doors_15365997431380323710_86819806465637521">
            <mesh name="Mesh279954500711682462_8339932488154455650Sub0"/>
            <Transform tx="677.549194" ty="-998.677856" tz="101.614708" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="-0.000104" qy="0.000321" qz="-0.951752" qw="0.306866" qhex="7B5CD9B89F89A8390DA673BF991D9D3E"/>
            <tag value="Mesh Actor" />
        </ActorMesh>
        <ActorMesh name="Instance1600644069928305191_10288283762171703730" label="Extrude_Doors_1600644069928305191_10288283762171703730">
            <mesh name="Mesh10132752585299418352_16003714575914235506Sub0"/>
            <Transform tx="677.549194" ty="-998.677795" tz="101.455956" sx="1.0" sy="1.0" sz="1.0" qx="-0.217061" qy="0.673218" qz="-0.672763" qw="0.216914" qhex="24455EBE02582C3F383A2CBFB91E5E3E"/>
            <tag value="Mesh Actor" />
        </ActorMesh>
    </children>

 

 

Hopefully it is clear how this is far more useable & clear.

[Dave Donley]

@Ben Garcia Design Thanks for posting this info and yes I think I understand and agree this would be a good improvement, we will work on it!

 

There are other cases where we can consolidate the sub-objects further:

1. Groups with a lot of 3D polygons in it all with the same color or material, this can happen often with imported geometry

2. Walls that have many separate sub-objects for the wall components

3. Plug-in objects, where all the sub-objects could be combined under the plugin object instance, example would be a single Cabinet actor with all the geometry in it.  Since you can't edit plug-ins you might want these to be consolidated.

 

[AlanW]

Yes i agree, too many children. would be nice if say a door can be consolidated in the DS export to a door and frame. for instance.

Am still using C4d Export with materials but would be nice to keep the VW hierarchy as you see it in VW not all exploded. 

The new Twin Motion 2023.1 Preview and DS syncing works better now, a lot faster and smoother.

Looking forward to possible solution.

 

Thanks