You could use Deep Exploration to convert directly to FBX and that format is used by Unity. Deep Exploration understands all major CAD formats including STEP, VRML, VRML2, DXF, DWG, etc., but also knows FBX. The only thing would be if you have Deep Exploration anywhere around your desk. So my answer to your initial question if there's any way to get a CAD object without any 3rd party app into Unity is: No. This workflow works pretty nice for me, but since you told us that you neither have Maya nor Deep Exploration at your hands, it's pretty much worthless to you. This is because every single NURBS surface is converted to a single polygon surface in the process, and every surface you generate in your CAD tool consists of a number of separate NURBS surfaces, depending on the curvature and how sophisticated the surface is.Ĥ.) Combine all these thousands and thousands of small polygonal surfaces depending on their original materials, while always keeping the 65k-barrier in mind.ĥ.) Save the file and import it to Unity.Ħ.) Assign shaders and make everything nice and neat. Tens of thousands, probably, depending on how your complex your object is. This will leave you with a hell of a lot of single poly objects. But unfortunately, NURBS are of no use when it comes to realtime apps like Unity, because there's no built-in NURBS approximation to generate Polygons out of it in runtime.ġ.) Export the CAD data out of the authoring tool to a format like VRML2Ģ.) Convert the VRML2 data to Maya binaries in an external converter - Deep Exploration, for example. And it's a pain in the back.Įvery CAD tool I know (Catia, PowerEngeneer, etc.) works with NURBS data because it's perfectly accurate and easy to "understand" by machines and robots. I have done what you want to do a whole lot of times in the past years: Converting CAD data to realtime-ready formats. Is the STEP format even on the radar of the Unity dev team for possible native import? Does anyone know of a way to convert a STEP (stp) file to something that Unity can import?Ģ. So, to be more specific than my previous post:ġ. If there were a way to convert a STP file into one of the DCC 3D standards (or, better yet, import it directly), that'd open up a whole new world of 3D tool possibilities to end Users.Īnyway, I don't want to debate the pros and cons of 3D file formats - I just want to get my (engineering) models into Unity. In the engineering world, the defacto standard for 3D data exchange is (arguably) a STEP file (STP extension). Boeing and Lockheed don't store real-world airplane model data in a 3DS file (for example).
Unfortunately, while those may be the standards for the DCC world, they're almost meaningless in the 3D engineering world. I know this is not a Unity-specific problem, as there's always been a barrier between these two disciplines, even though they're quite similar.ĭreamora - you mention "4 defacto standards" for 3D model exchange. I just wonder why it's so difficult to translate models between the engineering world and the DCC world? So, for me, passing anything through Studio Max (or similar) is out of the question. My issue is that I *don't have* access to the typical "digital content creation (DCC)" 3D applications, but I do have access to a number of "engineering" 3D applications. Thanks for the input, but I guess I wasn't overly clear in my original description. In addition, I'd also appreciate any consideration from the Unity dev team for a direct import of one or more pf the mechanical modeling format standards. I've found a few such packages, but so far, haven't been able to get from "here to there".Īny tips on getting these formats into Unity (directly or via conversion) would be appreciate. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of (freely) available conversion tools to go between game-centric modeling formats and their CAD/mechanical-centric counterparts. I wonder if any of the above formats are in the sites of the Unity developers? That said, many of the above *are* standard formats in the area of mechanical 3D models. I understand Unity's approach of importing 3D data is to target "standards", not proprietary formats. The typical formats that are available in these tools are things like IGES (igs), STEP (stp), STL, ACIS (sat), etc. With that in mind, I'm trying to find a path to go from the CAD modeling tools I'm familiar with (various 3D parametric solid modelers like SolidWorks and Alibre Design) into Unity.
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In my professional life, I'm a software developer in the CAD/CAM arena, but I've always enjoyed tinkering with game programming on the side.