Moving models between Unity and Arkio

You can exchange 3D models between Unity and Arkio using GLB or glTF files. Use this workflow to bring a Unity environment into Arkio for design and review, or bring geometry created in Arkio into a Unity project.

Arkio’s Unity plugin is deprecated. The workflow below uses a separate glTF import/export tool in Unity. It does not require the old Arkio plugin.

Export from Unity

1. Prepare the geometry. Select the objects you need and simplify detailed meshes before exporting. For larger projects, export smaller sections. See Optimizing imported geometry.

2. Set up a compatible glTF exporter. One option is Unity glTFast. Install it through Unity’s Package Manager using the package name com.unity.cloud.gltfast. Choose a version compatible with your project.

3. Export the scene or selected objects. In glTFast 6.15, use File → Export Scene for the active scene, or GameObject → Export glTF for selected scene objects. Choose glTF-Binary (.glb) to keep geometry and textures in one file.

4. Check the export. If you use .gltf, keep the companion buffer and texture files together with their original relative paths. Give the model a descriptive name.

Menu names and supported features can vary by package version. Unity labels glTFast’s Editor export as experimental in the linked version. Follow its Editor export instructions and test a small part of your project first.

Import and place the model in Arkio

Upload the exported file to the Arkio Cloud portal, or use the local import workflow for your device. On Windows, generic model files can be placed in Documents/Arkio/Import/Models. See Import & export basics for the available options.

1. Open Arkio’s import library and wait for the model to finish processing. On the desktop interface shown below, use Create → Import.

2. Select the model and check its scale and orientation.

3. Place it manually, or choose placement at the origin in the Current scene or a New scene when alignment matters.

4. If the placed model is pinned, unpin it before moving it. Keep it pinned when you want to protect its position while designing around it.

The screenshots show the desktop interface; import controls may look different on other devices.

Share the model across Arkio devices

Connect your devices to the same Arkio Cloud group to access the imported file on each device. On the desktop interface shown below, open Create → Imports → Cloud and enter the group’s link code.

Once the model is placed, you can also review the scene with others in an Arkio meeting. Sharing a file through Arkio Cloud and joining a live meeting are separate workflows.

Bring an Arkio model into Unity

Export your scene from Arkio as GLB or glTF. Use the export controls available on your device. For the desktop workflow, open the scene’s export options in the File browser. See also Export from Arkio to other 3D formats.

Save or download the export to your computer. Extract it first if it arrives in a ZIP.

With glTFast installed, copy the exported files into your Unity project’s Assets folder, then drag the imported prefab into your scene.

See Unity’s glTFast Editor import instructions for import settings and warnings.

For help with the Arkio side of this workflow, contact support@arkio.is with your Arkio version, Unity version, exporter version, and a description of the issue.