Runtime FBX Import for Unreal Engine - Importing Your First FBX

The Full Import Flow

Open file picker

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Initialize FBX Load

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Call Import FBX File

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Handle events / UI

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Actor spawns in world

Step 1 — Open the File Picker

Call Open FBX File Dialogue (from RuntimeMeshFunctionLibrary, Blueprint callable) to open the native Windows/Mac file dialog. It returns the full file path as a String. Store it in a variable.

// Blueprint
Open FBX File Dialogue → Out File Path (String)
Store → File Path Variable

Step 2 — Initialize FBX Load

Before importing, call Initialize FBX Load on your FBX Import Manager actor reference. This sets the coordinate system, scale, collision mode, and skeletal mesh detection for the upcoming import.

Parameter	Type	Description
Collision Type	Enum	`No Collision` — no physics; `Mesh Collision` — auto complex collision; `Mesh Collision From Source` — use mesh geometry; `Custom Collision From Source` — use UCX_ meshes from FBX
Scale	Vector	Uniform scale applied to the imported mesh. Default `(1, 1, 1)`.
Transform Vertex To Absolute	Boolean	When true, vertices are placed at their original world position from the FBX file. Leave true for most imports.
Coordinate	Enum	`Right Handed` (standard for Blender/Maya/3ds Max) or `Left Handed`.
Front Vector / Up Vector	Enum	Match the axis convention of the software that exported the file. Use `Front` / `Up` for most tools.
Auto Detect Skeletal Mesh	Boolean	When true, any mesh node that has bone data is automatically treated as a skeletal mesh. Leave enabled unless you want to force everything as static.

Step 3 — Call Import FBX File

Call Import FBX File on your FBX Import Manager, passing:

File Path — the string returned by the file dialogue
Location — world position where the mesh should appear
Spawn FBX Actor — leave true (set to false only if you want to manually control spawning)

💡 Call Initialize FBX Load first, then Import FBX File immediately after. Both are on the same actor reference.

Imported FBX meshes in the scene — a large building and a character with the node list visible in the UI

Step 4 — Handle Import Events

Override these events in your FBX Import Manager Blueprint to drive your UI:

Event	When it fires	Typical use
On Import Started	Immediately when import begins	Show a loading screen or spinner
On Import Progress Changed	Repeatedly during import, passes a 0.0–1.0 float	Drive a progress bar
On Node Processing Changed	Each time a new mesh node starts processing, passes the node name	Show status text like "Importing Chair_01…"
On Mesh Processing Progress Changed	Per-mesh geometry progress during large files	More granular progress display
On FBX Actor Created	When the FBX Mesh Actor is first spawned in the world	Store a reference to the actor
On Import Completed	When everything is fully finished	Hide loading screen, enable UI

Parameter

Type

Description

Collision Type

Enum

No Collision — no physics; Mesh Collision — auto complex collision; Mesh Collision From Source — use mesh geometry; Custom Collision From Source — use UCX_ meshes from FBX

Scale

Vector

Uniform scale applied to the imported mesh. Default (1, 1, 1).

Transform Vertex To Absolute

Boolean

When true, vertices are placed at their original world position from the FBX file. Leave true for most imports.

Coordinate

Enum

Right Handed (standard for Blender/Maya/3ds Max) or Left Handed.

Front Vector / Up Vector

Enum

Match the axis convention of the software that exported the file. Use Front / Up for most tools.

Auto Detect Skeletal Mesh

Boolean

When true, any mesh node that has bone data is automatically treated as a skeletal mesh. Leave enabled unless you want to force everything as static.

Event

When it fires

Typical use

On Import Started

Immediately when import begins

Show a loading screen or spinner

On Import Progress Changed

Repeatedly during import, passes a 0.0–1.0 float

Drive a progress bar

On Node Processing Changed

Each time a new mesh node starts processing, passes the node name

Show status text like "Importing Chair_01…"

On Mesh Processing Progress Changed

Per-mesh geometry progress during large files

More granular progress display

On FBX Actor Created

When the FBX Mesh Actor is first spawned in the world

Store a reference to the actor

On Import Completed

When everything is fully finished

Hide loading screen, enable UI