Hi, this is another issue that is causing me some headaches! I understand that the new Twinmotion can no longer open up tma artlantis-export files and we are advised to export projects as skp files and then import them into Twinmotion. The issue is that Artlantis 2019 can only export Atlo objects as skp,obj or dwf but unable to export complex atl or atla projects as skp, obj or dwf files so it becomes impossible to import a project into the now free Twinmotion 2019!
Has anyone been successful in doing so and if yes how? I’ve tried with every single one of my atl/atla files to no avail!
As always, I am overwhelmed with the extensive response from the community but as you might understand I cannot answer all of your messages!
As a thank you note, that’s how I ended up doing it:
- assemble every single vegetation object in one layer,
- turn off that layer,
- replace all 3d grass shader with a 2d shader,
- export as obj file (Artlantis doesn’t « like » direct exports of skp files)
- re-import the obj file into Artlantis (New Twinmotion crashes when importing obj files exported from Artlantis!)
- re-export file as skp from Artlantis,
- now you can import this last skp file into Twinmotion!!!
Hope this helps!!!
Thank you Tariq !!
I hope we will be able to improve the SKP exporter for Artlantis 2020 and make it compatible with the 3D grass shader.
I will keep you posted.
Hi Camile,
Thanks for your reply, are you telling me that Abvent is not going to release a fix for all these issues in a 2019 version update but, hopefully, is going to get them fixed in the next 2020 release of the software! Well, is the 2020 release going to be a free update for the ones who own a valid copy of the software or do we have to pay for fixes that were expected in the 2019 release!!!
Sorry, but I have no idea if it will be a free update or not.
If it is only a fix of the plugins, we might be able to make an update for 2019, but I’m not sure.
Hi Camile, by the way the plugin issue is not the only problem with Artlantis 2019, there is also:
- the lens flare issue (lasting since the launch of v6!), I’m not too fond of using PS or else to generate this effect as I also like it on animations!
- the external night shots using artificial lights (street lights or else) appear brighter in the final render (see my marina project render its preview is much darker but my final render is somehow over-exposed!)
- re-scaling light objects may turn the light off even if the light is enabled in the UI (had to rescale again and again the balconies’ lanterns to get them to lit up)!
- very slow render times especially for animations and the inability to exploit the power of a GPU (we have recently invested in Radeon VIIs)!
I’d prefer sticking with Artlantis because of the large library of objects/shaders that we’ve gathered over the years but my work partners are now seriously considering the acquisition of a different renderer as a support to our architectural package Vectorworks (which, by the way, does a good job exporting to Twinmotion, hence the interest in this renderer)!
which issue ? could you be more specific ?
Did you refine the preview to check the lighting before starting the final render ?
Did you use ISO/Shutter or Automatic Exposure ?
Could you send me a file or a movie showing this issue, I did not know about it.
It is true that we are slower then Twinmotion 
But you can tweek the rendering settings to improve rendering time. Unfortunately our engine does not use GPU to render, we might work on this feature in the near future.
I hope you will stick to Artlantis and use Twinmotion for the Animation !!
I did not know that Vectorworks was exporting to Twinmotion, does it generate a Twinmotion file or another format imported by Twinmotion ?
Hi Camille,
-I have already mentioned the lens flare issue to you in several posts (since the launch of v6) and in a more recent post of the wish list: the lens flares are shown even when the light source is hidden behind an obstacle and they get misplaced when you use the architects perspective.
-I will try to make a habit of refining the preview (which takes a long time for night shots) before the final render to see if it makes any difference.
-I always use the iso/shutter option on my renders!
-The file of this specific project is more than 200Mb so may not be able to issue out the atla version but may send you the atlo light object for you to test!
-Vectorworks exports to obj/fbx and generates a file that is perfectly imported into Twinmotion!
Hope this helps
T
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Ok, for the Lens flare issues, I was not sure it was this one. I will check with our engine developer if it is something they can fix.
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Please send me the atlo light object along with the jpg in zipped format, and describe precisely what you do to have the problem. (sarrut@abvent.fr)
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Artlantis also export as DWF, did you try this format ?
What do you mean by (Artlantis doesn’t « like » direct exports of skp files) ?
It crashes ?
Is it a problem with all your files ?
Hi camille,
Thanks for your response.
- atlo file already sent to your mail box!
- the DWF export works but it messes up the materials/textures structure and fuses some materials together!
- while you can export simple atlo files into skp, it ain’t the case with complex atl/atla files: Artlantis produces the « plugin error » message and exports nothing. As I explained before you have to export the project into obj first, re-import the obj file into Artlantis and then export it again into skp for Twinmotion to be able to open it. And yes it is the case with all files from simple indoor projects to major urban/architectural projects!
Hope this helps,
T
Hi Camile,
One more bug I forgot to mention to you is that when you export in the skp/dwf format from Artlantis the jpg (or else) textures applied onto the object get mirrored in the final skp/dwf output. To reproduce this bug upload any atlo file into Artlantis with an image file applied onto it (ideally with some writing (as is the case with street banners) and then re-import the skp/dwf output into Artlantis! You’ll notice that the images are now mirrored!
P.S. But when you export as obj the textures are not mirrored if you imported the obj file back into Artlantis!
Hope this helps,
T
Thanks.
With Artlantis 2019, I have tried to export a scene with a texture to SKP and DWF and import it back, but I lost the texture in both cases…
Did you use Artlantis 2019 or another version ?
Camile, try to apply a jpg image onto an object (you could check the street lights that have banners with a jpg image associated to them to have an idea!). Please don’t use the Artlantis shaders as they won’t be exported!
It is what I did, an atlo with a jpeg applied to one of its materials. It has not been exported… in Artlantis 2019.
Which Artlantis version did you use ?
Camile, I don’t understand why you couldn’t reproduce this bug because I’m using the latest 2019 Artlantis version! I’m sending you an atlo object which you could use for testing (check your mail box)!
So upload the object into Artlantis then export it into the skp format then re-import the skp file into Artlantis, you should notice that the jpg images are now mirrored!