Importing VRED Files
Learn how to import VRED .vpb files into Pixyz, including configuration, best practices, and handling variants, animations, and materials.
Read time 2 minutesLast updated 4 days ago
VRED models usually are pretty advanced scenes including a lot of manual work and knowledge. Those scenes can be imported within Pixyz for seamless usage in various virtual experiences. made with other realtime engines, such as Unity. Importing a .vpb file in Pixyz requires Autodesk VRED Pro or Design to be installed (with a valid license) on the same computer on which Pixyz is running.
Note
Only geometries (meshes or BREP surfaces) and equivalent materials are directly imported inside a Pixyz scene.
Configuring Pixyz API
To start importing .vpb files in Pixyz, the software needs to be configured when executing a Python file. See the preferences:pxz.core.setModuleProperty("IO", "VredExecutablePath", "C:/Program Files/Autodesk/VREDPro-11.0/bin/WIN64/VREDPro.exe")
Best practices when importing a VRED model using Pixyz
Without PreferLoadMesh
PreferLoadMesh- If the .vpb model contains NURBS data , you can choose to import these by setting your Pixyz IO preferences as follow:
pxz.core.setModuleProperty("IO", "PreferLoadMesh", "False")
- Due to the nature of .vpb files, all surfaces will be divided in different occurrences. This will considerably increase the import time and the number of parts. We strongly advise to use the Merge Final Occurences , followed by a CAD repair (orient = False) functions after importing:
With PreferLoadMesh
set to True
If the preference setting PreferLoadMeshTruePreferLoadMeshTrue
Importing Variants
If the preference settingLoadVariant- The custom property is added to the switch occurrences
_PIXYZ_TRANSFORM_SWITCH_TAG - The custom property is added to occurrences having a material switch
<_PIXYZ_MATERIAL_SWITCH_TAG, *switch material name*> - Material variants can be retrieved in the material library or in the occurrence in the Product Structure:
_Pixyz_MATERIAL_POOL
- More information regarding the imported vpb materials and variants can be found in additional files (created at import). Their links are attached to the node as custom properties:
Root
Importing animations
An .fbx file containing information on the .vpb animations is exported during the process (animations are preserved when importing a .vpb file). The link is attached to theRoot
Importing Realistic materials
Properties of VRED shaders included in a .vpb file can now be retrieved at import as "Custom Materials", by enabling the ImportRealisticMaterial parameter:pxz.core.setModuleProperty("IO", "ImportRealisticMaterials", "True")