Node type customization using name suffixes

Many times, when editing a scene, there are common tasks that need to be done after exporting:

• Adding collision detection to objects.

• Setting objects as navigation meshes.

• Deleting nodes that are not used in the game engine (like specific lights used for modeling).

To simplify this workflow, Godot offers several suffixes that can be added to the names of the objects in your 3D modeling software. When imported, Godot will detect suffixes in object names and will perform actions automatically.

Warning

All the suffixes described below are case-sensitive.

Remove nodes (-noimp)

Objects that have the -noimp suffix will be removed at import-time no matter what their type is. They will not appear in the imported scene.

This is equivalent to enabling Skip Import for a node in the Advanced Import Settings dialog.

Create collisions (-col, -convcol, -colonly, -convcolonly)

The option -col will work only for Mesh objects. If it is detected, a child static collision node will be added, using the same geometry as the mesh. This will create a triangle mesh collision shape, which is a slow, but accurate option for collision detection. This option is usually what you want for level geometry (but see also -colonly below).

The option -convcol will create a ConvexPolygonShape3D instead of a ConcavePolygonShape3D. Unlike triangle meshes which can be concave, a convex shape can only accurately represent a shape that doesn’t have any concave angles (a pyramid is convex, but a hollow box is concave). Due to this, convex collision shapes are generally not suited for level geometry. When representing simple enough meshes, convex collision shapes can result in better performance compared to a triangle collision shape. This option is ideal for simple or dynamic objects that require mostly-accurate collision detection.

However, in both cases, the visual geometry may be too complex or not smooth enough for collisions. This can create physics glitches and slow down the engine unnecessarily.

To solve this, the -colonly modifier exists. It will remove the mesh upon importing and will create a StaticBody3D collision instead. This helps the visual mesh and actual collision to be separated.

The option -convcolonly works in a similar way, but will create a ConvexPolygonShape3D instead using convex decomposition.

With Collada files, the option -colonly can also be used with Blender’s empty objects. On import, it will create a StaticBody3D with a collision node as a child. The collision node will have one of a number of predefined shapes, depending on Blender’s empty draw type:

Choosing a draw type for an Empty on creation in Blender

• Single arrow will create a SeparationRayShape3D.

• Cube will create a BoxShape3D.

• Image will create a WorldBoundaryShape3D.

• Sphere (and the others not listed) will create a SphereShape3D.

When possible, try to use a few primitive collision shapes instead of triangle mesh or convex shapes. Primitive shapes often have the best performance and reliability.

Note

For better visibility on Blender’s editor, you can set the “X-Ray” option on collision empties and set some distinct color for them by changing Edit > Preferences > Themes > 3D Viewport > Empty.

If using Blender 2.79 or older, follow these steps instead: User Preferences > Themes > 3D View > Empty.

See also

See Collision shapes (3D) for a comprehensive overview of collision shapes.

Create navigation (-navmesh)

A mesh node with the -navmesh suffix will be converted to a navigation mesh. The original Mesh object will be removed at import-time.

Create a VehicleBody (-vehicle)

A mesh node with the -vehicle suffix will be imported as a child to a VehicleBody3D node.

Create a VehicleWheel (-wheel)

A mesh node with the -wheel suffix will be imported as a child to a VehicleWheel3D node.

Rigid Body (-rigid)

A mesh node with the -rigid suffix will be imported as a RigidBody3D.

Animation loop (-loop, -cycle)

Animation clips in the source 3D file that start or end with the token loop or cycle will be imported as a Godot Animation with the loop flag set. Unlike the other suffixes described above, this does not require a hyphen.

In Blender, this requires using the NLA Editor and naming the Action with the loop or cycle prefix or suffix.

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© Copyright 2014-present Juan Linietsky, Ariel Manzur and the Godot community (CC BY 3.0). Revision 53e837c6.

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