Mecabricks export model to Unreal Engine 4

[Nachapon Lego]

Combine Mecabricks with UE4 to become an ultimate real-time Lego rendering tool.

Just know that Unreal Engine 4 is free for everyone form March 2015, So trying it today to import some obj bricks model. It would be nice if DasMatze or someone can make a tool to import Lego model from LXF or LDR with auto material / bevel shader. Then we get a zero wait real time rendering tool! Even make some fan-made Lego game!!

(14.5 GB HDD space) UE4 V4.8 free download link: https://www.unrealengine.com/faq

Real time animate sea wave:

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import test by Nachapon S., on Flickr

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import test by Nachapon S., on Flickr

l by Nachapon S., on Flickr

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import test by Nachapon S., on Flickr

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import test by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Just tried to import some Mecabricks obj model into Unreal engine 4. But the model lose all smooth groups. Can be fixed by run scrubs's blender script before export.

Chrome can not export complete .obj of 10179 (.stl is ok but UE4 not support), so I delete some parts to get it work. Why only 10179 get material exported?

Second time tried to import some more Mecabricks model in UE4. In Mecabricks workshop export Collada format with « Group by Geometry » options and « LEGO Logo » ticked then open it in Blender. Save as FBX failed, but save as OBJ work fine.

Left one without Scrubs's blender script: Show decals / show Lego logo / no smooth + edge_split / wash-out colors.

Right one with Scrubs's blender script: No decals / show Lego logo / show smooth + edge_split / better colors.

It should be possible to play with photo-real Lego render in realtime using UE4! By assign well made materials.

Even use UE4 as ultimate Lego design / building tool directly.

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Then every same material just replace once. Very quick to get this result.

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import test by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited June 11, 2015 by bbqqq

[Renderbricks]

Amazing. Can you show us realtime captures of your above tests?

[Nachapon Lego]

Amazing. Can you show us realtime captures of your above tests?

Thanks, it can looks much better with good materials and rebuild(reprocess) the lights.

Just import a Mecabricks model into an UE4 tech demo. The Fraps video capture make the game lag. Tried to use Nvidia shadow play to capture but fail.

Edited June 11, 2015 by bbqqq

[Renderbricks]

Just a fast test using .fbx

Edited June 11, 2015 by virtualrepublic

[Nachapon Lego]

Just a fast test using .fbx

Looks very nice! how did you export to .fbx? I tried Blender but fail. So I use only .obj.

It would great if we can add brick gaps and bevel shader in UE4.

lw by Nachapon S., on Flickr

ll by Nachapon S., on Flickr

r by Nachapon S., on Flickr

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import test by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited June 11, 2015 by bbqqq

[Renderbricks]

This looks phantastic!!! The direct obj format from MECABRICKS will not work here. Do you import this into BLENDER first and export it to obj again?

I export to Collada without instancing, import into MODO, recalculate smoothing with the Vertex Toolkit and export to fbx. But in MODO you need to turn on all fbx options before: save materials and mesh smoothness.

The MECABRICKS models have very small gaps. The rounded corner shader might be a legal problem because Mental Images (Mental Ray) has a patent on this and The Foundry (Luxology) bought this for MODO. I think there was a discussion on the UE4 forums about this.

One of my VR team members tested with materials today and it's ofc possible to setup a SSS-shader look. The test with a UE model looked great. You can setup a master shader and use instances of this what is the optimal method.

Edited June 11, 2015 by virtualrepublic

[Nachapon Lego]

^ Thank you, look like fbx's material is better than obj's

-> In mecabricks export to Collada format with « Group by Geometry » options and « LEGO Logo » ticked

-> In blender open Scrubs's template.

-> Delete all Scrubs's template bricks as his instruction.

-> Import the Collada model.

-> Run scrubs's blender script to get smoothness(+edge_split) and better brick colors.

-> Export to obj (Export to FBX always fail)

-> In UE4 import the obj model

Edited June 11, 2015 by bbqqq

[mzoli]

@virtualrepublic, @bbqqq, @Scrubs,

I'm following your posts since I registered in this forum. I really like and appreciate your professional work and enthusiasm.

Please keep it up!

[Nachapon Lego]

@virtualrepublic, @bbqqq, @Scrubs,

I'm following your posts since I registered in this forum. I really like and appreciate your professional work and enthusiasm.

Please keep it up!

Thank you for your kind words. Both Scrubs and virtualrepublic are truely professional guy.

Indy in Atlantis tech demo. It would be fun if we can control indy to walk around. Wonder why TLG didn't use advance game engine like UE4 to create some Lego games. Then we can play photo-real Lego games.

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import test by Nachapon S., on Flickr

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import test by Nachapon S., on Flickr

rr by Nachapon S., on Flickr

YouTube Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import test by Nachapon S., on Flickr

undDASfed by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited June 13, 2015 by bbqqq

[Renderbricks]

Great screenshots. This is pretty creative ^^

[Nachapon Lego]

Great screenshots. This is pretty creative ^^

Thanks, I am glad you like it.

UE4 just release the lastest "A boy and his kite" tech demo DEV kit.

But Target spec is

CPU: 6 core 3.3 Ghz

RAM 24 GB

GPU GTX 980

31 GB HDD

It is a much higher spec than my notebook and PC. It think maybe your professional system can handle it. Will you give it a try?

REC IV by Nachapon S., on Flickr

REC IV by Nachapon S., on Flickr

REC IV by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Unreal engine 4: Mecabricks import by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited June 18, 2015 by bbqqq

[Nachapon Lego]

Mecabricks model export to Blender can make panoramic renderings, too.

- Move camera to viewer eye position.

- In camera tab -> Lens -> Panoramic -> Equirectangular.

- Render tab -> Resolution set to x:Y = 2:1 ie 2000x1000 pixels.

- Start render and wait...

Panoramic online viewer link:

http://sky.easypano.com/panoramic-images/Lego001-26493.html

Mecabricks to Blender @ easypano viewer link by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Mecabricks to Blender @ easypano viewer link by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Mecabricks model export to Blender can make fast photoreal render preview in viewport (1.2M pixels). Each renderings below took about 4 minute only by set the sampling from 10 to 55. Then maximize the render preview viewport and wait until the preview render complete (55/55).

4 minute render preview by Nachapon S., on Flickr

4 minute render preview by Nachapon S., on Flickr

4 minute render preview by Nachapon S., on Flickr

4 minute render preview by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited June 19, 2015 by bbqqq

[Scrubs]

I really like what you can do with the panoramic scene. I didn't think about it before. Well done!

[Nachapon Lego]

I really like what you can do with the panoramic scene. I didn't think about it before. Well done!

Thanks, I will try to make panoramic scene with camera depth of field(focal blur) next time.

Panoramic online viewer link:

http://sky.easypano.com/panoramic-images/lego02-26525.html

Mecabricks to Blender @ easypano viewer link by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Mecabricks to Blender @ easypano viewer link by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Capture by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Capture by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Capture by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Capture by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Capture by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Capture by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Capture by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited June 20, 2015 by bbqqq

[Nachapon Lego]

Hope that we can have Lego game with Lego movie(photo-real) quality soon.

(Fan made) Mario Is Unreal by aryoksini.

Here is Mario running in Unreal Engine 4, all the environment assets were taken from the Unreal marketplace, all the character actions were scripted using blueprints only, all animations were re-created from scratch as well as the PBR ready textures.

Edited June 29, 2015 by bbqqq

[Nachapon Lego]

Ldraw mini doll model [.obj] import to Unreal engine 4.

Lego friends Lara model Unreal engine 4 test (realtime render) by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Lego friends Lara model Unreal engine 4 test (realtime render) by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Lego friends Lara model Unreal engine 4 test (realtime render) by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Lego friends Lara model Unreal engine 4 test (realtime render) by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Lego friends Lara model Unreal engine 4 test (realtime render) by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Ninja fig model by Scrubs.

Mecabricks export model to Unreal Engine 4 by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Mecabricks export model to Unreal Engine 4 by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Mecabricks export model to Unreal Engine 4 by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited May 27, 2016 by bbqqq

[BrickBelt]

Hey, I've been messing around with this and I had a question! What tech demo did you import the pirate ship into? I can't seem to find it anywhere. 

EDIT: I have everything taken care of except materials. The model is in and it has the right colors, they just don't look good in the environment at all. Any tips for handling the materials so it looks a bit more realistic? 

Edited February 12, 2017 by BrickBelt

[Nachapon Lego]

Cyberpunk City 100,000+ pcs of LEGO high poly bricks in Unreal Engine 5 (mecabricks model) by AmyOakv

.

Mecabricks Canyon 60000 pcs (x4) by IXProd "Zebra (Non-Commercial)" (https://skfb.ly/otuvo) by Nyilonelycompany is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

Edited January 24 by Nachapon Lego