Epic Games Introduces Datasmith, a Workflow Toolkit for Unreal Engine
Today at the SIGGRAPH Conference, Epic Games revealed advancements in real-time CG production workflows. New developments included a technology preview of Datasmith, a workflow toolkit to simplify moving data into Unreal Engine for architectural and design visualizations.
Additionally, Epic demonstrated an Alembic-based pipeline for the creation of high quality animated content in real time. These new tools enable content creators to easily add Unreal Engine to existing production pipelines and reinforce Epic’s leadership in real-time workflows, blurring the line between production and post-production.
We are committed to simplifying the integration of Unreal Engine in content creation workflows across animation production, AR/VR and visualization,” said Marc Petit, Enterprise GM, Epic Games. “Unreal Engine is powering Siggraph’s most impressive new AR/VR showcases along with the first ever real-time CG shorts at the Computer Animation Festival. Real-time production—with the ability to iterate interactively without render farm delays—is the future of content creation and Unreal Engine is putting that front and center at Siggraph this year.
Top image: Scene imported via Datasmith into Unreal Engine and baked, no further refinement. Bottom image: Corona rendering from 3ds Max. Images courtesy of A-VR.
Image: Real or Unreal? Photo on left, Datasmith & Unreal Engine image on right. Data courtesy of Lissoni Associates
According to current beta participants, Datasmith for 3ds Max is already providing productivity gains of over 70% compared to prior workflows using FBX because they are starting with a high-fidelity scene that mimics what they saw in their renderer or CAD program. The time saved by using Datasmith can now be applied to creating a more fully optimized or interactive experience.
If you are interested in joining the beta, find out more and register here.
About Datasmith
Who’s excited about this one? 😉
This was one of the main reasons I didn’t touch unreal, I’m too lazy to make all UVW maps again, now is a game changer and I can be an artist again, just like in Corona
Epic certainly works hard to get their platform easier for ArchVIZ artists to use.
Thank god for this
This sounds perfect. Until now the convertion from max to unreal was to time consuming to make it payable for a client. But now… it seems i need to take a look at it again.
I just can´t wait for this
This is great ! Ronen please get us definite access to the beta XD
This is a gamechanger for me; like the user Gregor Gleibs said, the conversion from max to unreal was very time consuming – this software will make the visualizations in real time a reality for me.
Has anyone heard if any of the beta has been released yet?
Hello! Please! datasmith for SketchUp! I already sign up for the beta! Hope to be selected!
Is there anyone out there that has seen any instruction / tutorial on how to use it?