DCC and connected-engine workflows

UI library · Engine editors · Conversion · Hotkeys

Connect and check a host

Open Apps > Capability Status..., then the host under Apps > DCC or Apps > Engine. Available setup and actions depend on installed modules, licensing and the live bridge. Use the host submenu to open/setup the application, then check System Status and request fresh scene or selection data. An indexed function or a green connection is not proof that geometry, skinning or custom graph nodes transfer correctly.

This is the existing desktop menu capture. Its entries illustrate navigation; check the current installation for exact host availability. These instructions do not certify every bridge operation.

Use Tools > The Garden (World Editor) and select DCC Tools when you want a DCC-focused layout. The same Garden viewport and level remain active when you switch to Engine Tools or All Tools; the context selector only changes the surrounding panels. Garden's scene import, live bridge view and local material preview still have distinct freshness rules. A cached scene or local preview can remain visible after a host disconnects. Re-import/probe the source when checking freshness. See workspace controls and native host APIs.

Live source objects are intentionally authoring-only. To use one in Play or a packaged build, select it and choose Create Runtime-Ready TC Asset… in Details. Conversion runs in the background, saves a standalone .tcscene below the project Assets folder, and refreshes Content Browser. This explicit boundary prevents an unavailable Maya/Blender session or an editor rig control from leaking into the player.

Maya

Use Maya's source selection and saved scene as the starting point for rig, skeleton, animation and FBX operations. Find official project functions in Search / Symbols or Pipelines, then inspect the callable's arguments in the node. Rig-control animation, skeleton animation and a baked export skeleton are different outputs: inspect the exported joints, mesh, frame range and skinning before moving on.

Example prompt: “Build a pipeline using our existing Maya functions to export the selected mesh and skeleton hierarchy to FBX, then import it in the selected Unreal project. Show the graph and required inputs before running.”

For mocap-to-control-rig work, provide the animation FBX, target rig scene and optional characterized sister FBX. Check characterization slots, source/target pose, retarget result and joint-to-control bake; a loaded FBX alone does not confirm control-rig animation. Exact availability is determined by indexed project functions and the active bridge. Do not assume every imported FBX contains HumanIK characterization.

Blender

Specify the active file, mesh/armature selection and intended output: static mesh, skinned mesh or animation. A skeletal FBX carries bones/mesh/animation; it does not recreate the original Maya control rig. Rebuilding controls requires an explicit rigging step and its own pose/animation checks. Apply only the transforms required by the selected export function, and verify units, orientation, modifiers, names and material slots in the destination.

Example prompt: “Using existing Blender functions, create two disposable static props, bevel their edges, export them separately and import them as two Unreal assets. Report both destination paths.”

MotionBuilder

Use takes/character information to select the intended animation. Confirm the active take, time span, characterized source and target, retarget pose and baked skeleton before FBX export. Scene metadata support does not imply full geometry/skin extraction. Prefer explicit FBX interchange where the live extractor cannot supply complete character data.

Substance Painter

Select the project, texture set, export preset, resolution and destination. Run the official texture export action, then verify the files and channel conventions before creating or updating engine materials. Texture export and shader-graph conversion are separate operations; packing, normal orientation and color space require inspection.

Houdini and 3ds Max

Use the application submenu and capability status to identify the installed adapter and callable tools. Houdini node operations should identify the node path and intended evaluated/baked output. For Max, verify live bridge support rather than inferring it from a menu or indexed tool folder. Where an extractor is missing, export an explicit supported interchange file and inspect it in the next host. These hosts do not have blanket full-scene conversion guarantees.

Unreal Engine and Unity

Choose the correct project before setup/import. In Unreal, setup/plugin startup and HTTP bridge validation are separate checks; inspect the bridge readback after configuration. Identify the exact destination asset path and, for animation, the matching Skeleton. In Unity, check the project/editor connection, import settings and destination object or asset identity.

Use source-editor exports for graphs and serialized engine assets. Native packages, custom plugins/scripts and cooked data are not interchangeable JSON. Conversion explains supported exported-data routes and missing adapters.

Build a cross-package pipeline

Real Pipeline node attributes showing the callable file and function arguments

Set the primary project and add source/tool folders to the index.
Find official functions; inspect host, file, required inputs and output types.
Build the graph and check file paths, selections, frame ranges and destination references.
Save / Compile, then Test. Read the result; graph validation is not a live transfer.
Run against connected hosts. Inspect files and destination assets at each stage.
Record the prompt, saved pipeline, returned receipts and visible host result.

Pipelines' Open File opens the indexed source. Where the node's external-editor option is available, use it for a configured IDE; external editor behavior depends on local configuration. Use desktop walkthrough for exact save/test/run controls. DCC function catalog and API reference cover actual signatures rather than guessed calls.

Screenshots show actual Tech Connector widgets with sample labels. A screenshot or saved graph does not prove a live DCC run.