Exporting to Twinmotion

I am using BricsCAD v21.1.06 on Mac Big Sur. I am planning to use Twinmotion to produce renderings from my BricsCAD models. I downloaded Twinmotion and watched the related demonstration video... . I also visited this help page... https://help.bricsys.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017253260-Using-Twinmotion and tried to follow the steps to begin. Unfortunately, the option to export to a .udatasmith file does not appear. Is this available currently for BricsCAD on Mac OS? I tried exporting to a .fbx file and was able to open this in Twinmotion, but I'm curious if the .udatasmith format would work better. Using the .fbx file, I noticed all layer names are lost in Twinmotion and entities are lumped together in odd ways (floor slab and lights now on same layer in Twinmotion, etc.). All layers are just titled "Material1, Material2, etc., whereas the demo video indicates layer names should be retained using a .udatasmith tile type. Also, some of the entities within my BricsCAD model did not transfer to Twinmotion...for instance, some of my blocks show up in Twinmotion, whereas others of the same type and name on the same cad layer do not. I'm curious if the .fbx file format is affecting the usability in Twinmotion and wondering if anyone else has had more success in exporting to this program. Thanks!

Comments

  • Unfortunately, the option to export to a .udatasmith file does not appear. Is this available currently for BricsCAD on Mac OS?

    Unfortunately, so far Datasmth export is lacking as well as RVT import.
    Both make bricscad basically useless for real projects.

    Using the .fbx file, I noticed all layer names are lost in Twinmotion and entities are lumped together in odd ways (floor slab and lights now on same layer in Twinmotion, etc.). All layers are just titled "Material1, Material2, etc.,

    Yes, pity.
    FBX export is basically fine for geometry and material assignment,
    but opposed to FBX exports in my other Apps, Bricscad's FBX output
    is too lossy, still after more than a year after first release.
    I lose all object hierarchy, naming, ....

    (It will only translate hierarchy and naming of BLOCKS)

  • Thanks, Michael. It is frustrating to hear this export type and the resulting usability in Twinmotion are compromised on Mac, especially since there is no mention of this limitation for macs on the help page. I upgraded multiple mac-based programs a week ago, not realizing I would run into this problem. I could handle the layer naming issues but the missing entities in the exported file that should have been converted are a real problem.

  • I have not read the missing Blocks.
    But so far I did not notice anything missing by FBX.
    I haven't used that much Blocks though.
    I just realized they will import naming.
    (But not willing to put everything into Blocks like
    Autocad users seem to do)

    I mainly just testet Twinmotion Datasmith from the Windows PC only.
    Also I still do all relevant work from Vectorworks. VW to Twinmotion
    is a) nearly lossless by FBX or C4D export and b) I get all Hierarchy,
    Naming, Materials, ....
    We are still waiting for Datasmith and Direct Exchange to Twinmotion
    from the VW side too.

    But if I will really switch to Bricscad BIM, which I really like, at one point,
    I need feature parity from macOS to Windows. Especially when all Mac
    version missing features, beside stability and UX, are basically
    deal breakers.

  • I submitted a support/feature request to Bricsys regarding this, asking if they could add exporting directly to Twinmotion/datasmith files on future versions for the Mac OS. I see the help page regarding Twinmotion now includes a note about this not being available for the Mac OS currently (saw this a day or two before I sent my request). I will post an update when/if i hear back.

  • I see the help page regarding Twinmotion now includes a note about this not being available for the Mac OS currently

    Ooooops.

    Vectorworks also has no TM Exchange so far.
    It was promised.
    They said it will take some time as Epic wants it through Datasmith framework.
    But Epic also still doesn't show any hint of VW Exchange in their Roadmap :

    https://portal.productboard.com/epicgames/3-twinmotion-public-roadmap/tabs/4-under-consideration

    But I recently weighted a few considered features and added new Wishes
    for Exchange, Mac Support and such things ....

  • Nuno Gouveia
    edited August 2021

    Hi.
    Do you know how t export 3D surfaces, regions, or 3Dfaces to Twinmotion? (I'm using Briscad in Windows10)
    My models usually have a mix of these components and so far, I've only been able to export full solids. All the rest will be missing.
    I've tried using Collada, STL, and DXF exported files, and none worked.
    Thanks for any help-

  • wait...seems to work with collada. only the units are messed up. The model becomes too small. You need to scale up the units

  • No Surfaces,Regions, 3D Faces ... are you sure.
    (In my early testing I had Solids only)

    Did you use Datasmith Export ?
    If yes, and it does not work I would go FBX.

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