Import and manage assets

In Spatial Editor, you primarily deal with two types of assets: compositions and objects.

Objects refer to 3D models and any associated data. The supported 3D formats for import into a Spatial Editor project are .glTF, .glb, .obj, and .fbx. To utilize 3D objects in other formats, convert them to .gltf or .glb using a conversion tool like Blender.

Compositions represent an asset hierarchy. Upon export, they are converted to a .glxf file, which can be loaded and displayed in a Spatial SDK application. Your project can include multiple compositions, which consist of various objects and nodes.

To import an object from your desktop:

You can also import a .gltf or .glb file by dragging it from your computer’s file browser directly into the Project Assets panel.

For more detailed control over the import process, use the Import Wizard (File > Import Wizard). This allows you to select specific parts of the object to import, isolate particular meshes or materials, and exclude unwanted animations.

Assets can also be added to your project via the Asset library, which is a curated library of assets provided by Spatial Editor.

Once you import an asset, it will appear in the Project Assets panel. To add the asset to your composition:

You can import .glTF and .glb files by reference from the File menu. This action creates a read-only copy of the asset in the Spatial Editor, and it includes the raw asset on disk. Alternatively, you can drag and drop these files directly into the filesystem where the Spatial Editor project exists. This method is useful if you plan to use these raw .gLTF or .glb files when exporting the project, as the Spatial Editor doesn’t alter them. This ensures the assets remain unchanged after being processed by Spatial Editor.

If your asset contains any animations, each track will be shown in the Project Assets panel when editing the object. When selecting an animation track, the animation playback controller will be shown in the Properties panel. Here you can play, pause or reset the animation. The play bar also allows you to scrub through the animation:

Animation tracks can be imported or excluded when using the import wizard. If importing without using the wizard, then all animation tracks will be included:

Animations in Spatial SDK apps can be controlled by adding the Animated component in the composition and selecting which track you want to play.

Your project can feature multiple instances of the same asset across different compositions. Editing an asset in one location, such as adjusting an object’s material properties in the Object tab, will automatically update all instances of that asset.

To track the usage of specific assets within your project, refer to the Reference list in the Properties panel. Clicking a node in the Composition panel will display the asset it references: