Real-Time Vehicle Configurator - JD Power
Maya // 3DS Max // Unreal Engine - Blueprints // Python
In an effort to show our product team what Unreal Engine can do, I developed an interactive vehicle configurator application that allows users to customize cars in real-time. This project was an internal demo directed at our Product team. One of our key objectives was to demonstrate the capability to create an animation that seamlessly transitions into a configurator that would allow for various customization options such as colors, wheels, interiors, and accessories, all aimed at enhancing the car-buying experience..
As the Supervisor of the 3D Team at JD Power, I was tasked with creating a demo that would excite the imaginations of our product team.
I integrated OEM Assets and 3D models using 3DS Max and Maya, focusing on optimization and organization. I utilized and modified two sample products released by Epic and Unreal.
To streamline the process, I wrote scripts to implement naming conventions and automate optimization tasks, including combining meshes and unwrapping UVs 3DS MAX.
In Unreal Engine, I utilized the Variant Manager to handle configuration options and developed Python scripts to automate the pairing of assets with their respective logic.
Since one of the challenges was being able to recreate this configurator with other vehicles in a timely manner, I developed Python scripts in maya and 3DS Max to streamline the optimization process, and in Unreal to automate the process of pairing the 3D assets to the logic in the Variant Manager. The transition from animation to the configurator was an integral piece to ensure a smooth and seamless user experience. Unreal is a game engine first, so I knew I could achieve this in the same way that many developers create cutscenes in games. I used the Sequencer tool in Unreal to create the animation which ended with the same camera position that the configurator started with.
