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Load SGS Mesh Layers in Unreal Engine

Yaniv Dayan
  • Updated

With the new support for Cesium 3D Tiles recently added to Unreal Engine, Unreal Engine users can now combine the high-fidelity rendering power of Unreal Engine with high-quality 3D geospatial data. Mesh data can be loaded not only from Cesium ion, but also from SkylineGlobe Server, which exposes the mesh layers as 3D Tiles for the Unreal Engine user.

To load SGS mesh layers in Unreal Engine, follow the steps below. Most of the information below is also included in Skyline's SGS webinar.

 

Step 1: Download and install the free Cesium for Unreal plugin:

  1. In the Unreal Engine Marketplace, search for Cesium for Unreal.
  2. In Content Detail, click Install to Engine to install the plugin on your Unreal Engine account.
    2022-03-07_17_49_17-Epic_Games_Launcher.png

Step 2: Activate the Cesium for Unreal plugin

  1. Launch the Unreal Engine and create a new project.
  2. In the Edit menu, select Plugins, and then search for “Cesium”. Select the Enabled check box for the Cesium for Unreal plugin. You may need to restart Unreal Engine after enabling the plugin.
    cesium_unreal_enabled.png

Step 3: Add a Cesium 3D Tileset

  1. In the Unreal Engine's left panel, in the Quick Add Basic Actors section, click the plus plus_unreal.png icon next to Blank 3D Tiles Tileset. This adds a new blank Cesium 3D Tileset to the scene.
    unrealurl.png
  2. In the Details section, in the URL field, enter the SGS URL. Use the following format: https://[ServerName]/SG/skyline/b3dm/[LayerID]/tileset.json
    E.g., https://cloud.skylineglobe.com/SG/demos/b3dm/1726297/tileset.json
    Note:  An alias can be used in the URL instead of the layer ID.
  3. Set the Georeference to CesiumGeoreference.

Step 4: Point the Viewport at Your 3D Tileset

  1. Double-click your Cesium 3D Tileset in the World Outliner to point the viewport at your tileset. It may be oriented incorrectly. This is because the Unreal Editor camera is maintaining its normal “+Z direction is up” orientation. If oriented incorrectly, set the origin in the georeference to the location of the 3D Tile.
  2. To point the viewport in accordance with your tileset, in the World Outliner, click the CesiumGeoreference (selected in #3 of Step 3). Then in the Details section, click Place Georeference Origin Here.
    georeforigin.png
  3. If the scene turns black, this is likely because it is night in the location of your tileset. In the World Outliner, select CesiumSunSky, and then in the Details section, modify the Date and Time. properties.
    datetime.png

For more information, see https://cesium.com/learn/unreal/unreal-datasets/.

 

 

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