SketchUp to 3D Studio Max to Unreal Conversion

I model in SketchUp - it’s the one 3D modelling program that I understand properly at the moment and I currently don’t have the time to learn how to model with another product - and I’m currently taking my models through 3D Studio Max to create the 2nd UV chanel. My problem is scale.

I model in mm (millimeters) but every single time I bring in a converted file to Unreal, the scale is hundreds of times larger than what I need. I have tried everything that I can think of in Unreal and 3D Studio. I’d appreciate any help that can be offered.

Make sure you use milimeters in all applications you use. Don’t forget to chacge the units from automatic/default (default unit is inches) to milimeters in 3ds Max in import/export settings (that depends on what format you are using).

I use .fbx. I’ll go try out your settings, but I do have one other question in relation to this: is there a way to change the units in Unreal or should I just tick “convert units” when importing?

Converting the units should do it.

It’s still coming in ridiculously large. The first person capsule is tiny in comparison to the imported model.

I’ve converted the units and I’ve also updated the units that 3DS Max uses, but to get my model to work properly in Unreal, I’ve had to scale it down 0.11. Is there anything else I can do?

Figured out after the last few days that all my units need to be in CM. Unreal doesn’t convert properly for me with MM. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Trial and error and someone pointing me in the right direction have led me to discover the answer to my own question. If telling 3D Studio Max that the units used should be mm doesn’t work when importing into Unreal, following the steps listed below should help:

  1. model in your usual units (mm, cm, feet, inches, et al)

  2. when finished, change model units to cm

  3. make sure that 3D Studio max units for importing and exporting are set to cm

  4. when importing into Unreal Engine, tell Unreal to convert to scene units.

Following these, your model should come in at 1:1 scale. Following this has helped me get several large models into Unreal at an accurate scale that I haven’t had to mess around with and hope works. I hope this helps other people like me struggling to get this conversion process working properly.

Trial and error and someone pointing me in the right direction have led me to discover the answer to my own question. If telling 3D Studio Max that the units used should be mm doesn’t work when importing into Unreal, following the steps listed below should help:

  1. model in your usual units (mm, cm, feet, inches, et al)

  2. when finished, change model units to cm

  3. make sure that 3D Studio max units for importing and exporting are set to cm

  4. when importing into Unreal Engine, tell Unreal to convert to scene units.

Following these, your model should come in at 1:1 scale. Following this has helped me get several large models into Unreal at an accurate scale that I haven’t had to mess around with and hope works. I hope this helps other people like me struggling to get this conversion process working properly.