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Several Unreal Engine plugins are available for Windows.

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VIVE Mars Nova 3DGS

The VIVE Mars Nova 3DGS plugin imports .ply and .spz splats into Unreal Engine with a drag-and-drop workflow and renders them through Unreal Engine’s Niagara system. The current private beta is available by invitation and supports Unreal Engine 5.4–5.6. This walkthrough shows how to import a Marble splat and configure collision and environment lighting in Unreal Engine.

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Volinga

The Volinga plugin imports and renders .ply and .nvol splats in Unreal Engine. It supports additive lighting and multiple splats in one level; Volinga Plugin Pro adds proxy-mesh support and HDR workflows. Volinga is paid, and its watermarked 14-day trial is limited to non-commercial use. This walkthrough shows how to relight a Marble splat in Unreal Engine with Volinga. Volinga also documents a production that used Marble worlds on an LED volume here.

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Akiya

The 3D Gaussians Plugin from Akiya Research Institute imports and renders .ply splats in Unreal Engine. Its render modes include lit, masked, and shadow-casting options. The plugin is available through Fab as a one-time purchase. This walkthrough shows how to export a Marble world to Unreal Engine with the Akiya plugin. Gaussian Mansion also used this plugin; see our case study and the game website.

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Postshot

The Postshot plugin for Unreal works reliably (we’ve verified it works on UE5.2)! A free version is available, but you need to upgrade for commercial / production use. It requires standalone Postshot software to be installed: you’ll import .ply files into Postshot and save out in postshot format (.psht) before loading into Unreal. Check out this walkthrough video for Postshot from one of our users!

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Luma / XVerse

While the XVerse and Luma plugins are completely free, they are not actively maintained and our users have had limited success with these. In particular, XVerse is functional on UE5.2 but comes with visual artefacts from under-the-hood aggressive optimizing / downsampling.

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Community troubleshooting and feedback

If you have had positive or negative experiences with any of these plugins, we appreciate your feedback and will be updating this page as we go.

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Q: Which Unreal Engine plugin supports depth of field with splats and meshes together?

A: For depth of field support, Volinga is potentially the best option, especially for virtual production use cases. The 3D Gaussians Plugin (Akiya) also supports depth of field and works with nDisplay. Note that Postshot didn’t work well with nDisplay according to user reports. discord discussion

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Q: How can I get depth of field to work with splats in Unreal Engine?

A: You can change the splat material from translucent to masked with AA Temporal Dither. This allows depth of field to work correctly, but note that it will slightly lower the visual quality compared to translucent materials. To do this, open the large Niagara node and look at the bottom section where you’ll see the material your particles use. Change the material blend mode from translucent to masked and enable AA Temporal Dither. discord discussion

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Q: Why do my splats look low resolution in Unreal compared to viewing them on the Marble site?

A: The XVerse plugin does internal downsampling that causes artifacts and reduces splat density. This is a known issue with that plugin. Postshot doesn’t have this low resolution issue. Also, make sure you’re not downloading files as “SPZ Low-res” format, as that will naturally have fewer splats. discord discussion

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Q: Does Postshot add a watermark to my Unreal Engine scenes?

A: Yes, Postshot implements a watermark icon in the Unreal Engine scene when you import a .psht file. This watermark appears in the scene view. discord discussion

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Q: Can I still use the Luma plugin for Unreal Engine?

A: No, Luma no longer supports its Unreal Engine plugin and it won’t work properly. The plugin was discontinued and is not actively maintained. Even in UE 5.3 (the last supported version), the plugin doesn’t function correctly. discord discussion

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Q: How can I convert SPZ files to PLY format for use with different plugins?

A: You can use the online converter at https://spz-to-ply.netlify.app/ to convert SPZ files to PLY format. This is useful if you need to use a plugin that requires PLY format or if you’re experiencing issues with SPZ files. discord discussion

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Q: Which plugin works best for virtual production with nDisplay?

A: Volinga is the recommended option for virtual production and nDisplay compatibility. Postshot had issues with nDisplay according to user reports. The 3D Gaussians Plugin (Akiya) also supports depth of field and works with nDisplay. discord discussion

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Q: I’m getting texture errors when importing PLY files with XV3DGS in Unreal Engine 5.5. Is this normal?

A: Yes, this is a known issue. In UE 5.5, XV3DGS shows texture errors when importing PLY files. On first import, you may see an empty cube, and after reloading, you may see a gray mesh. This is expected behavior with this plugin in 5.5. discord discussion

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Q: My material status shows “none” after importing with XV3DGS. Will anything work?

A: If the material status is “none”, the splats won’t render properly. Try exporting your Marble world as SPZ format and converting it to PLY using https://spz-to-ply.netlify.app/ before importing. Make sure you haven’t modified the particle material or textures in the import folder. discord discussion

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Q: What’s the best plugin for depth of field and nDisplay support if I’m willing to pay?

A: According to the linked user reports, the 3D Gaussians Plugin (Akiya) is the most reliable option for this use case. It supports depth of field, works with nDisplay, has an automatic splitting system to divide scenes into multiple Niagara effects for full quality, and provides better quality than XVerse. discord discussion

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Q: Can I change the material settings in XVerse/XScene-UEPlugin to enable depth of field?

A: While it’s theoretically possible to change the material from translucent to masked in the Niagara component, users have reported that Unreal Engine crashes when attempting this with the XScene-UEPlugin. The material settings may be locked or cause instability with this particular plugin. discord discussion

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Q: Does Postshot still allow exporting to PLY format in the free version?

A: No, the Postshot plugin no longer allows exporting as PLY if you don’t have a paid subscription. This is a limitation of the free version. discord discussion