The latest release of Allplan 2023-1 comes with a Technical Preview of an all-new integration that offers synchronization between Allplan and Twinmotion real-time visualization software. In architectural offices, especially, there is a growing need for accelerated 3D design and visualization workflows that support dynamic decision-making in the design process. The new Twinmotion Direct Link in Allplan will streamline the data exchange workflow, enabling on-the-fly one-click syncing of Allplan models with Twinmotion in real time.
Prepare to elevate design to new heights! Twinmotion is a powerful real-time visualization software from Epic Games that is powered by Unreal Engine, the same engine used for popular video games. This new connection can significantly enhance your design workflow, enabling you to create high-quality visualizations and immersive experiences in Twinmotion. With some of these examples and with different ways to connect, you can work effectively with Twinmotion and take full advantage of its capabilities.
What is Direct Link in Allplan?
Direct Link is a feature of Twinmotion that allows for real-time synchronization between your 3D model in Allplan and Twinmotion. This means that any changes you make in your 3D model will be instantly reflected in Twinmotion, enabling you to quickly visualize and test different design options.
How does the integration of Direct Link in Allplan work?
The integration of Direct Link in Allplan enables you to export your 3D model directly to Twinmotion with just a few clicks. Once your model is in Twinmotion, you can use its advanced visualization tools to create high-quality renders and animations.
Benefits of using the integration of Direct Link in Allplan
Twinmotion offers real-time visualization and many other unique features and benefits that can be better suited for certain design workflows and projects, such as:
1. Creating captivating scenes
For creating captivating scenes or interpreting the unique feeling of a place, you can use Twinmotion, to create meadows with flowers and animated butterflies, for example. Or a scene can be surrounded by a forest, where trees can grow, heavy rain can be simulated, or seasons can be changed.
A materials and object library are of course a part of Twinmotion, but what is extra is that objects, such as vehicles and pedestrians, can be animated along a path you define.
2. Faster design iterations by using the Direct Link in Allplan
Through real-time synchronization of your Allplan model with Twinmotion, you can quickly test different design options and see how they will look in a real-time environment. This allows for faster design iterations and helps you make informed decisions about your project. The Direct Link in Allplan makes it faster and easier to edit your Allplan Model after having already prepared a highly elaborated scene in Twinmotion. Changes in complex projects don’t mean major reworking. An architectural model can be edited in Allplan to a very high detail and then with one click all the changes are synced to the scene in Twinmotion.
3. Streamlined workflow
By integrating Direct Link in Allplan, you can streamline your workflow and reduce the time it takes to create high-quality visualizations of your projects.
4. High-quality presentations
Twinmotion's advanced visualization tools enable you to create high-quality renders, animations, and walkthroughs of your Allplan projects. Besides still images, with Twinmotion you can create videos and panoramas of your Allplan Project, and it also has VR support. Twinmotion can export stunning walkthrough presentations in an exe file, with no need to install another viewer, and can be run on a computer for a presentation as a video game. And, of course, cloud technology is supported, so you can share your design with anyone, anywhere I the world, via a simple URL. All this can help you better communicate your design ideas to clients and stakeholders.
How to connect
Allplan offers different types of connection with Twinmotion:
Datasmith workflow
Unreal Engine by Epic Games is a platform that is able to reuse the assets and layouts that you have already built for other purposes in other design tools. Datasmith is a toolset which transforms all these files into a format that Unreal Engine understands. The new Allplan export to .udatasmith file format enables you to refine your design in Unreal Engine and other Unreal Engine- based applications and take advantage of the Datasmith workflow. Export to. udatasmith is standard functionality for export; like other formats in Allplan, all is needed is to choose the file’s destination and press the Export button.
Direct Link
This type of connection is better for detailed renderings or if many variants are needed during the design process. Establishing the Direct Link connection between Allplan and Twinmotion means fast or frequent updates of changes, which are done in Allplan are then synced with Twinmotion. Direct Link connection is one-way direction only from Allplan to Twinmotion.
a. Direct Link One-Click Sync
Synchronize the model in Twinmotion scene with just one click, with full control over the timing and number of the updates.
b. Direct Link Auto Sync
By selecting this option, every change to the model in Allplan will be automatically synchronized with the scene in Twinmotion until Auto Sync is disabled.
How to install
• Create an Epic Games account at https://www.twinmotion.com/en-US
• Download Epic Games launcher at https://www.twinmotion.com/en-US/download
• Install Twinmotion from the launcher.
In Allplan, there is no need to install an extra plugin. Direct Link is part of the visualization section within the Actionbar, and. udatasmith is available with other exports in the Teamwork section within the Actionbar.
Useful tips
When the Direct Link connection is being set up, it is important to define the Direct Link Settings and to choose between the three geometry collapse options. We recommend to structure the model by keeping the hierarchy if you plan to edit, adjust, or delete objects. It will be easier to find them and will help you to save time.
When you are working with Direct Link, it is important to know that it is always the currently loaded model that is synchronized to Twinmotion. Therefore, when you need to change drawing files or project, it is better to use One-Click Sync instead of Auto Sync.
Technical preview
After updating from version 2023 to 2023-1 to use the Direct Link in Allplan, you must update the Actionbar. You can do this manually by searching for Twinmotion Direct Link - Sync or by resetting the Actionbar.
