How to edit stock .sff 3D models (POIs, Trees, Signs, etc.)

[Jason.Delaney]

From right to left: 1) a stock InfraWorks 360 Do Not Enter sign, 2) a No Parking sign made from the previous sign, 3) a stock InfraWorks 360 Stop sign, 4) a modified version of the stock Stop Sign.

Modifying a stock 3D model in an outside application lets you make your InfraWorks model fit your needs. For example, InfraWorks only ships with a limited number of street signs, What if you wanted a model of a more regional one that isn’t in InfraWorks? This is an example showing how to change the texture of a street sign.

1. Open your InfraWorks 360 model and sketch the 3D model that you want to modify.
2. Use the Export 3D Model tool to interactively define an export area around the object.     
   • In most cases, you can leave the Target Coordinate System setting as is.
   • Under Target File(s), checkmark the Multiple Files option and select only the Feature Type that applies to your 3D model (.sff) Specify a location on your local system to save the exported data
   • Feel free to use whichever export file format you prefer.
3. Click Export.
4. Open your exported file (FBX, DAE, OBJ) in a 3D modeling environment such as Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk AutoCAD, or Autodesk Revit.

   

   A stock Do Not Enter sign that was exported from InfraWorks in FBX format and brought into Autodesk 3ds Max.

5. Minimize your 3D modeling environment and use Windows Explorer to Navigate to the location of your exported data on your local system. (In this example, I exported the Do Not Enter Sign in FBX format to one of my local drives.)
6. Expand the .FBM folder that was created when you open your exported FBX data in an external 3D modeling application (a similar folder will be available for DAE and OBJ export formats). The textures for the road sign (or whatever asset you are modifying) will be located within this folder.

   

7. Use a simple graphics editing program (Autodesk Pixlr is free) to modify the texture file to resemble your new sign. I changed the nyc_streetsign_donotenter.jpg file to a No Parking sign using basic photo-editing skills, then saved the JPG. This automatically updated the 3D model of the sign for me in Autodesk 3ds Max.

   

   The newly created sign using the old sign’s geometry.

8. When you are finished working in your 3D modeling environment, export the modified 3D model in FBX, DAE, or OBJ format.
9. Reopen InfraWorks 360 and import the 3D model into a style catalog. You can now sketch this modified style in InfraWorks 360 using the sketch tools.

These techniques can be used on all the stock 3D models in InfraWorks 360, and can also be used to edit the geometry of the 3D models.

3D content artist Jason Delaney interned with the Autodesk InfraWorks 360 team in Summer 2015.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone tried this approach?  When I export the sign I do not get an .fmb folder.  Using Infraworks 2018.

[Karsten.Saenger]

Hi @Anonymous

the FBX SDK version in InfraWorks has changed since 2015.

In the export dialog at the very bottom, there are options for the FBX esport. Have you tried to export with different settings.

Alternatively, you could open the FBX file in Navisworks and export from there as older FBX version and various textures settings.

Regards,

Karsten