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Textures on FBX file are faded when imported into CityEngine

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4 weeks ago
JackCurran1
New Contributor

Scenario: Textures applied to an FBX file are faded when importing them into CityEngine

Workflow: I have extruded building footprints in CityEngine (2024.1) and exported them as a a single FBX file. I am then importing that into 3ds Max (2025.3), assigning an aerial imagery JPG to the buildings and exporting them back out again as a single FBX file. When I import it back into CityEngine, the textures are faded, and remain faded when exporting to an SLPK.

Testing:

  • I have tried different resolutions and formats for the texture (JPG, TIFF and BMP) - no effect
  • I have tried different material types in 3ds Max (Physical material, Scanline) - no effect
  • I have tried adjusting the colour management mode in 3ds Max - no effect
  • I have tried various FBX export options from Max - no effect
  • I have tried exporting to FBX without a texture assigned (base colour only) - base colour comes through fine
  • I have adjusted the base colour in 3ds Max (in both a Physical material and Scanline) - changing the base colour to black completely blacks out the texture. Changing it to white whites out the texture (but you can still just about make it out). This makes me think CityEngine is assigning some kind of multiplier to the material on import.

Has anyone else encountered this and worked out a way around it? I'd really like to export this for use in a webscene without the buildings looking faded against the corresponding aerial imagery assigned to the underlying terrain!

Thanks in advance.

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1 Reply
ThomasFuchs
Esri Regular Contributor

Hello @JackCurran1 

Have you tried to adjusted the base colour in 3ds Max  areal image texture like this:

color_new = pow(color_old, 1 / 2.2)

It will impact the multiplier on the material in CityEngine.

If this doesn't give the expected result, it would be good to analyze the aerial imagery texture.

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