1. Scene Unit & Scale Calibration
Unreal Engine uses Centimeters as its default length unit, whereas Blender defaults to Meters.
- Go to Blender's Scene Properties > Units.
- Set Unit Scale to 0.01 if working strictly in UE centimeters, OR keep Unit Scale at 1.0 and apply Transform Scaling (Ctrl + A > Apply All Transforms) prior to exporting.
- Crucial: Always make sure your mesh origin is set to
(0, 0, 0)world space before export.
2. Fixing Forward & Up Axis Discrepancies
Blender operates on a Z-Up, Right-Handed coordinate system, while Unreal Engine uses a Z-Up, Left-Handed coordinate system.
When exporting an FBX file from Blender, configure the transform settings as follows:
- Forward Axis: -Z Forward (or Y Forward depending on your asset direction)
- Up Axis: Z Up
- Check the option "Apply Transform" in the FBX Export dialogue to prevent unexpected rotation offsets upon importing to UE5.
3. Geometry Smoothing & Custom Normals
Unreal Engine will display "No Smoothing Group Information" warnings if geometry export settings are misconfigured.
- In Blender's FBX Export panel, expand the Geometry tab.
- Change Smoothing from Normals Only to Face or Edge.
- Ensure "Apply Modifiers" is checked so Subdivision Surface or Bevel modifiers bake directly into the static mesh.
4. Material Maps & PBR Texture Export
Blender's complex procedural shader nodes (like ColorRamp or Noise Texture) do not translate directly into FBX format.
To ensure materials import correctly into Unreal Engine 5, use simple Principled BSDF nodes connected directly to image texture files (Base Color, Normal, Roughness), or bake procedural nodes into image maps before exporting.
FBX Export Preset Summary for UE5
| Setting Option | Recommended Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Selected Objects | Checked | Prevents exporting cameras, lights, and unwanted meshes. |
| Object Types | Mesh (Armature if rigged) | Isolates 3D geometric data. |
| Scale | 1.0 / All Local | Maintains 1:1 scale matching UE centimeters. |
| Smoothing | Face / Edge | Eliminates normal import warnings in UE5. |
| Add Leaf Bones | Unchecked | Prevents extra unnecessary bone tips in rigged skeletons. |