To import a Vuforia database, you can use the same steps you usually use to import any FBX or texture files; In your Content Browser click on Import, and browse to your database .zip or .dat / .xml file.
When you click Open you’ll be presented with a custom import UI panel (this is still a work in progress and subject to change):
This will present you with some useful info about the database before you decide to import, and it will check the selected file to make sure it is a valid Vuforia database. If all is good and you want to import you can also choose to extract the actual targets into Unreal as UAssets.
- Path: showing the selected file path
- Type: zip / dat / xml
- Valid: perform multiple checks to verify the selected file; for example:
If a zip file is selected, check if contains the .dat and the .xml files.
Always check if the file names are coherent between the dat the xml files.
Check the xml file schema if is compatible with the Vuforia schema. - Name: shows the database name.
- Type: show the database type (Image, Model, Area, etc…)
- Targets info: show the total nb of targets and if contains multiple types, show the nb of each type.
- Extract Content: if true, will extract and import the targets into Unreal as assets (UTexture2D for images, StaticMesh for Models, etc…)
Extract Database Content #
For now, we support the image and the 3d model extraction and import, the images are imported with the unreal built-in TextureFactory while the 3d models are imported with a new Vuforeal Custom Factory that supports Draco compressed glb and gltf file format since the unreal built-in importer does not support it for now. For more info on this new importer factory go to: <insert link>.
Managing the Associated Files #
When you import a database we take care of packing the necessary files and data for the final build depending on the target platform, since Vuforia requires that the .dat and .xml files are in the final build package. We also manage all the additional imported files and UAssets and keep track of the imported databases, so when you delete the “Vuforeal Database UAsset” we also delete all the associated files and assets.
For more details on this system check: <insert link>
Reimporting a Database UAsset #
We also support Reimport functionalities, and we also present you with a similar import UI, so you can verify the new database’s info and reaffirm if you want to extract the new database content to Unreal.