Work Flow for using RTB?

[kingsbpd]

Ok, been testing gettting a basic terrain with a track surface and a objects as well as start line an dpit boxes into AC.

Works as indicated. My current work flow is:
1. RTB to create terrain and lay track and lay basic objects.
2. Export progress as FBX file
3. Import FBX into ksEditir and export KN5.

Couple questions for more advanced work. Can I insert other 3D model objects via RTB (static vehicles, houses and props etc. or do I need to add another step in the work flow and take the FBX file to 3DSimedit or similar app?

It appears ksEditor is no good as a proper 3D tool and seems to be more of a KN5 exporter.

I am imagining that taking the FBX to an interim 3D editor is going to be fraught with frustrations as I try get a grip with how the 3D tool may end up altering the well ordered RTB exported FBX file.

What 3D editor are you folks using for the additional editing after RTB?

[SquidCap]

You need to use XPacker to import new assets to RTB. There is a reason for this; RTB is procedural so it needs to have fixed set of source files that work 100%. XPacker is used to make the assets work reliably. But this also poses a danger; importing untested new assets to main project is DANGEROUS. Don't be scared though, we can negate the danger quite easily by using a new, empty project to test these new assets before we use them in the main project.

Two ways, use new empty project, just a loop of road kilometer long, put all assets in the XPacker in to the scene and import it all the way to game and playtest. heck logs if there are any for errors, if everything works, the XPack is good. You don't need to test more than once so it's not huge workload. The benefits of this are invisible but this will also make sure that when you create new assets, you put in more effort and define ALL needed in the XPacker, you optimize them there and you get XPacks that will create good, optimized scenes. It is a bit of extra hassle, the upside is that we don't need to store the actual geometry at any time before exporting, it is "dynamic" and live, consistent from v0.0 to v1.00.

The other way is to create a backup from your main project and then import untested XPacks and test them on your main project. I use both, depending on the depth of task; totally new, big XPacks that i'm not sure of or the ones i create myself, i use empty project. Small packs from confirmed sources, i do the backup trick. Also sometimes, using main project to import custom objects that are unique to that track, i do one "trash copy" where i totally import, copy, duplicate and behave badly just for faster iteration cycle, makes sure the custom objects are perfect, then import them to main project and delete the "trash project".

Those trash projects are good for testing things, at the same time as you test new assets, you can test new all kinds of things you are too afraid to do in the main project...

I use Sketchup for assets but it barely resembles original anymore with artisan and 20 other plugins.. Blender, 3dsmax, all 3D editors that output FBX works. Also, get autodesk FBX converter, it is going to be invaluable for all FBX conversions (you can define the required format quite a bit better..)..

[future_productions]

hey Kingsbpd

i use 3ds Max 2015 to do my modling, Export to FBX and load into Xpacker

i also take my Venue into Max before KsEditor, to do little extras what are not possable in RTB

also when Exporting a Model/Obj from Max, one could test it in the KsEditor first, before Importing into Xpacker

[kingsbpd]

Thanks for the tips. I have Z modeller and 3DSimED at the momoent and am workign out a workflow that relies on ksEditor to write the KN5 file.