Unreal Engine Datasmith Metadata: Using Data in Architectural Models

What will you learn in this guide?

Datasmith can bring information attached to objects in 3D design and CAD applications into an Unreal Engine scene. This information may include project data such as an architectural element’s material, cost, physical properties, or intended use. After importing it into Unreal Engine, you can use metadata to filter objects during import, classify actors, or display information about a selected object in the scene.

These steps help combine design data with 3D geometry in architectural visualization and BIM-based interactive presentations. In addition to the Datasmith transfer process, this guide covers checking results such as scale, naming, surface orientation, and lightmap UVs.

Requirements and supported sources

You need Unreal Engine and a design or CAD source that supports Datasmith import. The official documentation lists 3ds Max, Revit, Solidworks, SketchUp Pro, Cinema 4D, IFC 2x3, Archicad, Navisworks, and Rhino for metadata transfer. The documentation does not specify a particular software version or user account requirement, so check the version and import compatibility for your project separately.

Metadata support is limited to data on geometry. Do not assume that metadata for scene lights or cameras will transfer in the same way. After import, you can view a Static Mesh Actor’s information in the Asset User Data section of the Details panel in Unreal Editor; metadata is read-only there.

Step-by-step Datasmith metadata workflow

1. Organize the data in the source model. Define the information you want to transfer as metadata for the relevant geometry objects in the source application. Use keys and values consistently throughout the workflow; for example, make sure a key used to identify an element has the same meaning across the model. Datasmith transfers metadata assigned to objects in the source application.

2. Review the scene’s scale and hierarchy. Unreal Engine uses centimeters for distance; if the source application uses different units, Datasmith adjusts the scale automatically. For example, an object defined as 10 units long in inches in the source scene will be 25.4 world units long in Unreal Engine. However, if parent objects have non-uniform scale and objects also use custom pivot transforms, the result may differ from the source scene. Simplifying the hierarchy may help in this case.

3. Decide whether to use metadata before import. If you want to exclude specific objects before Unreal assets are created, you can access metadata through Datasmith Scene during the import process. In Blueprint, nodes in the Datasmith > Scene and Datasmith > Element categories can find all metadata, objects with a specific key, or data for a single object. In Python, the documented unreal.DatasmithSceneElement functions can similarly return lists of objects and values by key. This approach is useful for filtering out geometry that won’t be needed in the final scene during import.

4. Read actor data after import. Once the transfer is complete, metadata from mesh elements is applied to the actors representing the corresponding Static Mesh Asset instances. You can read a specific key or all metadata for an individual actor with Blueprint or Python. Displaying BIM information for a selected object in an interactive presentation is one example. Remember, however, that Unreal Engine stores keys and values as text. If you need numeric or Boolean values, use text-to-number conversion nodes in Blueprint or text-parsing functions in Python.

5. Run batch queries in the right place. Functions that scan the data of every Static Mesh Actor in a level can be CPU-intensive when there are many actors and properties. The documentation recommends using nodes that scan an entire level in Editor-only Blueprint classes. By contrast, nodes that access metadata for a single actor can also be used at runtime. For displaying information about a selected object, focusing on a single actor helps avoid unnecessary batch scans.

6. Check the import results using names. Datasmith uses names from the source scene wherever possible, but the Static Mesh label in the Content Browser, the filename on disk, and the actor name in the Level may differ. If multiple objects share a name, asset labels can be repeated; filenames must be unique. Keep this distinction in mind when working with Blueprint or Python scripts.

Common issues and checklist

If an object isn’t visible in Unreal Engine: This doesn’t always mean the geometry failed to import. The normals of surfaces with no thickness in the source model may face away from the camera; Unreal Engine may cull back faces rather than render them. If possible, return to the source and fix the surface normals, and give thickness to objects that need to be visible from both sides. If a one-sided surface only needs to be visible from one direction, reversing its normal in the source application is another option.

Making the material two-sided can make the surface visible from both directions, but it may cause visual artifacts with static or baked lighting. Also, geometry changes made in the Static Mesh Editor may be lost when the source scene is reimported. For this reason, it is safer to make permanent fixes in the source model whenever possible.

If there are lightmap artifacts: Datasmith automatically unwraps static meshes and creates a second UV set for use with lightmaps. Overlapping triangles in 2D space in lightmap UVs can cause lighting issues. If you have UV channels prepared for lightmaps in 3ds Max, consult the relevant Datasmith guide.

If you expect physics or collision: Datasmith does not set up physics by default for the Static Mesh Assets it creates. You may need to configure them in Unreal Editor after import. Naming, geometry orientation, and metadata keys used in the transfer can also affect results, so check a representative section before bringing the entire scene into production.

Impact on architectural and visualization workflows

Architects and interior designers can use metadata to bring information about model elements into interactive presentations. Visualization teams can use the data during import to filter out unnecessary geometry or process actors afterward. It may also be possible to create an experience that links BIM information to a selected object; this requires preparing the data in the source model and keeping keys consistent.

The source documentation does not specify licensing or hardware requirements, so project-specific conditions should be verified separately. For compatibility, make sure the source application is on the supported list, metadata is assigned to geometry, and import results such as lightmaps or surface normals are checked. For large levels in particular, consider the runtime performance impact of queries that scan all actors.

Next steps

Start by organizing metadata keys in the source model and importing a small section of the scene with Datasmith. Then inspect the Asset User Data field in Unreal Editor and confirm that the data reached the correct object. If you need to filter before import, consider accessing the data through Datasmith Scene; if you need it afterward, consider single-actor access with Blueprint or Python. Finally, review scale, naming, surface normals, UVs, and collision requirements according to the scene’s intended use.

Sources and license

This guide has been adapted into Turkish from Epic Games’ official documentation, “Using Datasmith Metadata in Unreal Engine” and “Datasmith Import Process in Unreal Engine.” The source information is provided under a free-use license.