Datasmith for form•Z Technology Preview

[jldaureil 69]

Hi every body

Twinmotion is simply our favorite rendering engine for 2019

It's an amazing software at the best price (free for me because we gone in 2019l

The renderings quality is really good even it's not the level of maxwell or vray

But the rendering time are of courses more than rapid especially for videos 

The setup time are mainly oriented to improve de scene with a lot of assets in from the  library (not for rendering settings} 

TM import natively. Skp 

Si you can find for free assets from quixel to 3d wharhouse 

Here is our YouTube channel to see example of our work made with formz and twinmotion

https://youtube.com/channel/UCkYGCZPEs-6RIv-s4f8gQDg

 

I've tested the formz datasmith plug-in successfully 

The main advantages are :

The objects  scene organisation is preserved 

The geometry is correctly exported (better than with the fbx export that cause problems with solid  objects with hole or open cut) 

Objects are imported to the correct location 

(with z9 fbx you should set a rotation y-90 and  z 180 for an import with x axe up) Without theses settings fbx are not in the original location or weather effect in tm are not correct (snow) 

With the plug-in all of this is obsolete 

The only problem I've seen is with Greyscale bump map for converted materials 

(tm prefers normal map 

Bump map in tm are reversed 

Bump in tm is set by default to 100% 

In TM bump should be set to 50% to follow the normal map

Lower and higher values override the normal map intensity 

So if you set the bump value in TM to 50% and prepare you normal map for this you can increase or decrease the bump effect after in the TM materials

I would like to pointed hee a very cool software to make tiled (extra) textures included normal maps from images

"pixplant" 

Simply the best software I know for that 

You can also use allegorithmic b2m on steam platform) (or substance alchemist if you have money for that) but pixplant is really superior to make tile operations 

Voilà 

I would like to congratulate autodessys for win the epic grant 

And of course for the super good job

This is simply the best news for me and a super perspective for formz 

I will share the info in the exceptional Facebook twinmotion communauty 

(best place to see the best renderings or for information 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.facebook.com/groups/twinmotion.community/&ved=2ahUKEwiHnbaIhNLtAhVJ4YUKHZEeCkUQFjACegQIEBAB&usg=AOvVaw15CWjXe2ZxJBl-Gc7E8ZAG&cshid=1608105875420

 

Un grand merci à  autodessys 

C'est vraiment super cool 

 

[pkcn 29]

Hello,

We installed the plugin and export a project in .udatasm format under Twinmotion label.

When we open a file in Twinmotion, we dont see it, because Twinmotion open only .tm format.

When we click on the .udatasm file directly in our drawer, Twinmotion opens but we cannot see any object.

What is happening?

[jldaureil 69]

You should import the datasmith file as any fbx file 

Menu file import or in the import section on the right of user interface 

[AsOne 441]

This is amazing news!  Unfortunately I'm absolutely swamped until February, but after that I might be able to check it out.

[pkcn 29]

Twinmotion is still free but with limited output 2K resolution picture.

The results are not so good as Maxwell does but it is a realtime rendering. Reflection needs some additional work (adding a reflexion prob) and there is no HDRI illumination. There is no alpha channel neither so inserting an architectural project in a real environnement require Photoshop clipping (hard to adjust an accurate point of view).

But, overall, it is a really good addition to FZ capacities and we will try it for quick presentations.

Thank you Autodessys!

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by pkcn

[jldaureil 69]

pkcn

some of these gaps are under consideration...

alpha channel:

https://portal.productboard.com/7pu88c9kpmqtzt8hwg6arujh/c/107-render-passes

raytracing or light probe

https://portal.productboard.com/7pu88c9kpmqtzt8hwg6arujh/c/86-ray-tracing-support

https://portal.productboard.com/7pu88c9kpmqtzt8hwg6arujh/c/120-reflection-probes-improvements

Hdri Sky

https://portal.productboard.com/7pu88c9kpmqtzt8hwg6arujh/c/93-hdri-map-for-sky

hope they add IBL ...

[pointer 9]

On 12/9/2020 at 3:46 PM, Tech said:

It is installing into the proper location: "/Applications/formZ 9/plugins". It is should not be moved to  "/Applications/formZ 9/FormZ 9.0 pro/plugins". If you do this it may get removed or interfere with future updates of form•Z itself.

The problem is likely that /Applications/formZ 9/plugins is missing from the plugins search paths on your machine. This path should get added automatically. You can check the plugin paths in Extensions->Extensions Manager->Search Paths.  If its missing from the list, you can add it with the "+" at the bottom . If the path is in the list, be sure it has is active (check mark.) We tested this process here on a clean installation and the /Applications/formZ 9/plugins path was properly added to the plugins search paths so we are puzzled as to why it is missing on your machine. 

Note you that can also reset the plugin search paths by removing the file "formZ Previous9.fpo" from the /Users/<user name>/Library/Preferences/autodessys/formZ 9.0 pro folder (\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\autodessys\formZ 9.0 pro directory on Windows). Note that this will remove any custom paths that you may have added.

Hi Tech, I am having issues with this too. I have tried the above and clean uninstall and re-install and no options are showing up in the FormZ export options list.  I am on Windows 10 Pro, version 20H2.  FormZ 9.1 Build A399.  Any other ideas to try?  Is anyone else having this issue?

Thanks

[Tech 944]

5 hours ago, pointer said:

Hi Tech, I am having issues with this too. I have tried the above and clean uninstall and re-install and no options are showing up in the FormZ export options list.  I am on Windows 10 Pro, version 20H2.  FormZ 9.1 Build A399.  Any other ideas to try?  Is anyone else having this issue?

Thanks

It's possible your Windows machine is missing libraries. Try downloading and installing the following Microsoft redistributables:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40784. 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145 

If during the installation Microsoft tells you that you'll need to uninstall a newer service pack or that a newer service pack exists, skip that installer.

[pointer 9]

4 hours ago, Tech said:

It's possible your Windows machine is missing libraries. Try downloading and installing the following Microsoft redistributables:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40784. 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145 

If during the installation Microsoft tells you that you'll need to uninstall a newer service pack or that a newer service pack exists, skip that installer.

I will give this a whirl and post back here. Thanks.

UPDATE - This solved the issue straight away! thank you Tech!

Edited March 4, 2021 by pointer

[andrew 65]

Very excited about this. I'd love to see a link setup like Revit or Sketchup have. I have gotten good, dependable results on Windows, so far.

[johnalexander1571 80]

Thanks ADS! This is awesome. This TM export preserves the mapping with no prob. It's almost fun doing up the project in TM, so many headaches are eliminated.

[johnalexander1571 80]

I watched the webinar given by the developers for the GI engine in Unreal 5.0 early release. The realtime GI requires at this time (in addition to at least a Nvidia RTX 2000 series card) that the walls in your project be separate meshes! The whole thing looked really great but it reminded me of Renderzone Plus, where raytracing does the reflections, AO is handling the nooks and crannies and the final gather handles the big lights. It can do IES and emissives already, but emissives are like the tricks we are already used to (they can't just replace all the lights), except they do propagate in AI. Like always, good diffuse maps win the day. They were also brightening diffuse maps to make them bounce more light.

What is interesting about this is that you can get very sharp 4k (and this method doesn't blur textures at close ranges) at frame rates we who are not gamers drool over. In the time of one rendered animation, you could have the whole house presented with lots of pans and sweeps with all sorts of cool lighting. I don't know if UE has the same sort of simple camera animation as TM, but I suspect this GI engine will come to TM in a year or so.

They showed some good solid archvis results. Certainly makes animation easier. I am finding that all the final compressors sort of wash away all the detail and having the ability to make 4k mp4's right of the screen for all intents and purposes I suspect make for awesome 1080p Youtube results.

 

[3dworks 208]

Is there any tutorial about how to import the datasmith file and assets into unreal? I don't get this done without getting deeper into the matter. At least, it's not working drag and drop, LOL. Twinmotion seems to work well so far!

Edited October 25, 2021 by 3dworks

[Des 378]

If you go to the Epic Games Launcher and go to Marketplace, the type into the search Twinmotion, you'll see the Datasmith Twinmotion Importer Plugin.

After you install that, install the Twinmotion Content for Unreal Engine (needed so any TM content already in your project will come in). Massive download! The links are on the same page.

You can also import data smith files generated from FormZ directly into UE4 using the data smith button at the top but if it's an architectural project it's maybe better to go through Twinmotion first as TM gives more user-friendly control.

[ZTEK 59]

I started testing Twinmotion for the first time today and had a lot of fun!

I did some quick testing with this interior remodeling project I'm working on. Nothing too deep, just following my intuition and using a little brute force. It's very straightforward and intuitive.

I liked the result and want to start using it and add it to my workflow, after some more serious study, of course!

These images are the ones I usually generate in formZ in Shaded Full combined with Hidden Line and the ones I made today doing my tests in TM.

Congratulations to AutoDesSys for the excellent work, and many thanks!

Mac mini M1 16GB/1TB macOS Big Sur

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by ZTEK

[Justin Montoya 318]

Fun stuff.  Thank you for sharing.

I'm waiting for the Direct Link plugin before jumping further into Twinmotion.  We simply get too many changes to the files to use a Import/Export method like Datasmith.  

Any word on the Direct Link upgrade for Twinmotion for FormZ?

[ZTEK 59]

After a week of learning and testing, these are some of the final images for the client and contractors. I'm also finishing some panoramas that I think will be very useful.

It was a very entertaining process, and it didn't take me long to learn the basics, which is the best thing. With more time using it, I hope to improve, but so far, I'm happy.

It's been a long time since I've done renderings of this type and interiors only a few times. Many years ago, I decided to show all my projects in formZ Shaded Full only, which was a great decision to optimize my work system, focusing more on my designs and the build and production aspects.

So Twinmotion is very welcome in my new toolbox for my Seattle life, and I hope to start using it more often.

My only comment, and concern, is that mirrors don't work very well and are problematic, as seen in the bathroom images.

I don't know, but I guess the new Path Tracer rendering engine fixes reflectivity issues and the like, but currently, it only works on Windows and not macOS. Being optimistic, I think this will happen sometime soon, especially after Enscape announced its macOS version for next year, which I expect will put some pressure on Epic, but who knows!

Edited November 20, 2021 by ZTEK