logo
NOTICE:  This is the new PunchCAD forum. You should have received an email with your new password around August 27, 2014. If you did not, or would like it reset, simply use the Lost Password feature, and enter Answer as the security answer.
Welcome Guest! To enable all features please Login or Register.

Notification

Icon
Error
Best pipeline using SharkCAD to Unreal Engine? - Shortest tool path or fewest intermediate tools?
Options
Go to last post Go to first unread
Previous Topic Next Topic
ZeroLengthCurve  
#1 Posted : Monday, September 29, 2025 11:51:35 AM(UTC)
ZeroLengthCurve

Rank: Senior Member

Joined: 5/15/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,053

Thanks: 74 times
Was thanked: 88 time(s) in 57 post(s)
Hi. I am getting closer to putting over the transom stuff I draw in SharkCAD 12.

My workflow doesn't really use meshes. I mostly start with curves, add surfaces, stitch them, shell them for massing properties, and then add a lot of annotations.

Can anyone suggest the best, cheapest, safest, low-stress tool path with SharkCAD as the creation start side, and Unreal Engine as the destination side?

(I realize that some people probably exclusively do everything possible in UE, but aside from inability to re-parent geometry across layers in SharkCAD, SC is my starting point.)

Thanks much!

Also, does anyone know of it is OK to show the SharkCAD user interface as part of demos or tutorials to teach people how to replicate my SC work?

Thanks.


Extra fluff/stuff:

I do NOT draw for construction blueprinting purposes. It's more like presentation at the "ship cartoon" stage, or vessels in free 3D space. They can be starting points for others who want to buy or license my drawings.

Some people use Rhino. Some use Sketchup. Some use Blender, etc. Then, they export to an intermediate file type their app directly provides for for going to Unreal Engine.

I searched for the export types from SharkCAD to compare to what is compatible with importing into UE. It seems meshes might be necessary.

That was weeks ago, and I found maybe 2 of 3 possibly viable flows.

I have no need nor intent to use SketchUp. I am wondering that I might have to consider Blender as an intermediate step.



But, as I'm poor, and I do NOT pirate software, I need a tool path that is free of painful constraints. As I make money and can budget for contributions, I want to repay projects for enabling me to do the stuff that I learn to do.

Thanks!
Back to top
MPSchmied  
#2 Posted : Monday, September 29, 2025 12:36:53 PM(UTC)
MPSchmied

Rank: Guest

Joined: 4/9/2017(UTC)
Posts: 570
Man
Germany

Thanks: 308 times
Was thanked: 187 time(s) in 133 post(s)
Game engines generally require meshes; graphics cards essentially only understand triangles. Solids would be converted into meshes upon export anyway.

Edited by user Monday, September 29, 2025 12:38:32 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

OS: Windows 10 | CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 | RAM: 32 GB | Graphic: AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 | SharkCAD 15 Pro | Unit: mm
Back to top
thanks 1 user thanked MPSchmied for this useful post.
ZeroLengthCurve on 9/29/2025(UTC)
ZeroLengthCurve  
#3 Posted : Monday, September 29, 2025 6:31:36 PM(UTC)
ZeroLengthCurve

Rank: Senior Member

Joined: 5/15/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,053

Thanks: 74 times
Was thanked: 88 time(s) in 57 post(s)
Thanks, MPSchmied.

I definitely will need to practice exporting various solids and surfaces to meshes, test them on the UE server, and look for any bad node or vertex connections.

It's seeming to me that I better plan ahead to replace solids or remove features, simplify the model to surfaces, make sure they are watertight before exporting, and then export to meshws, and check that they are suitable for import to UE.
Back to top
ZeroLengthCurve  
#4 Posted : Wednesday, October 1, 2025 9:21:25 PM(UTC)
ZeroLengthCurve

Rank: Senior Member

Joined: 5/15/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,053

Thanks: 74 times
Was thanked: 88 time(s) in 57 post(s)
For any interested, I did a little (surfing) research and found that it is possible to import .OBJ into Unreal Engine.

Looking at SharkCAD 12's export options before finding this out, I assumed VRML and Wavefront OBJ to be likely suitable candidates, but WFO being the likelier of the two, given the number of selectable export options for WFO from SharkCAD.

I have no SharkCAD beyond 12, so other than what the product comparison sheets may say, I don't know that there's anything relative to a workflow towards Unreal from SharkCAD that suggests upgrading SharkCAD in the near future.

I also learned that FBX files can be large and impose so constraints, so, I'd definitely want to keep to a minimum the number of intermediate apps or filters. So, ideally, I won't HAVE to go through SketchUp, Rhinoceros, or Blender, etc.

I learned that post 2018, Autodesk removed bot the import and the export capabilities of its products that pre-2019 could import and export FBX. So, now, only a few specific,post-2018 AD apps allow import or wxport. There's a specific FBX app or filter in users must seek.

Anyone with anything to share, I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance.
Back to top
Users browsing this topic
Guest
Forum Jump  
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.

Powered by YAF.NET 2.1.2 | YAF.NET © 2003-2025, Yet Another Forum.NET