Importing
This page covers the import workflow first — the steps you actually do — and then explains every option in the import dialog.
Before your first import, make sure the FS25 game data folder is set in the preferences. See Installation, Step 4 and Preferences. Without it, the import is cancelled.
In Blender, choose File ▸ Import ▸ Farming Simulator i3d (.i3d).
A file browser opens. Navigate to the .i3d file you want to import and select it. This can be a vehicle, building, placeable, prop, tree or map.
Note: If you select a map i3d file, the add-on will detect this and import the terrain only, not the whole scenegraph (that would probably crash Blender).
On the right-hand side of the file browser you'll see the import options panel. These start from the defaults you set in the preferences, and you can change them just for this import.
Review the options on the right side (explained below) and change if needed.
Then click on Import FS25 i3d in the bottom-right of the file browser or double click on the i3d file. Then, the add-on reads the model and rebuilds it in Blender.
Depending on the complexity of the model, the import might take a moment. Please wait for the import to finish.
When it's done you get a short status message at the bottom of the window telling you how many objects were imported (and whether there were any warnings).
A few things happen automatically to make the result easy to work with:
- the viewport switches to Material Preview shading so you see the materials immediately;
- the view is framed on the imported objects;
- for very large imports (like whole maps) the camera's far-clip distance is increased so the model doesn't disappear into the distance;
- the Giants i3d Exporter's Game Location and Output File fields are pre-filled from your preferences, ready for re-export. (This is a convenience feature which saves you from having to fill the game location in the exporter over and over again.)
- if a config XML with the same name sits next to the
.i3d(e.g.vario1000.xmlnext tovario1000.i3d) and the Load XML automatically preference is on, it is loaded right away — assigning i3dMappings and the store-config preview. See Store configurations.
Press N in the 3D viewport and open the i3d Importer tab to access the workflow tools (switching materials, showing hidden objects, inspecting masks, and so on). See The N-panel tools.
When Build PBR debug materials is on (the default), every imported material exists in two versions. The reason for this is that the Giants i3d exporter needs the materials to be set up in a specific way. This setup is good for exporting, but nor does it look good, nor does it show all the extra options on the materials like dirt, moss, scratches, clear coat etc.
Because of this, we have
- a re-export material — clean and faithful, this is what survives a round-trip back through the Giants i3d Exporter;
- a PBR debug material — mimics the Giants Editor look and gives you editable sliders, but is not meant to be exported. It will look very weird in the Giants Editor if you export this material. The PBR debug materials have the same name as the export materials with
_pbr_debugadded to the name.
By default, your meshes use the re-export version, but you can change that default in the Preferences and per-import in the Import window. Plus you can switch any selection to the debug version (and back) in the N-panel. This is why a clean export later is mostly about making sure the meshes are on the re-export material — see Exporting.
The options on the right side of the file selection menu mimic what you can also set in the Preferences, but here, the setting is only for the current import. See also Preferences for the full description.
If you do not see the import options in the file selection window, click on the Gear icon on the top right. This will bring it back.
Farming Simulator uses a Y-up world; Blender uses Z-up. With this on, the model is rotated so it stands upright in Blender. The Giants i3d Exporter can apply the inverse rotation on the way back out.
Leave this on for normal use. Only turn it off if you have disabled the matching axis-conversion option in the Giants exporter and want the two to stay consistent.
Hides objects right after import that are invisible in the Giants Editor — objects with visibility turned off, or non-renderable objects such as collision volumes. Terrain decals are kept visible. These objects are still imported, just hidden, exactly as if you pressed H on them.
This keeps your viewport clean and lets you see the actual model instead of collision or other additional meshes. You can show them again at any time from the N-panel Visibility panel (the Invisible in GE section) — and you should unhide them before exporting (see Exporting).
Creates the second, debug version of every material (described above). Turn this off if you only care about the geometry and a clean re-export and don't need the Giants-Editor-style preview.
Decides which material version your meshes show right after import:
- off (default) — meshes use the clean re-export material;
- on — meshes show the debug material instead with the additional effects on the materials.
Either way, both versions exist (unless you set the above Build PBR debug materials to off) and you can switch later in the N-Panel. If you turn this on, remember that re-export only works correctly with the re-export material, so switch back before exporting.
Adds a short 4-digit sort-order prefix (e.g. 0010:) to every imported node name so the Giants Exporter reproduces the original Giants Editor scenegraph order on re-export. Blender's outliner sorts alphabetically while the Giants Editor keeps a free order, so without the prefix the node order can change on a round-trip and break things that depend on it. The Exporter strips the prefix automatically (it never reaches the .i3d), and skinned-mesh/armature nodes are excluded. Leave on for faithful round-trips. See Preferences.
Only relevant for maps / importing terrain
Sets the density of the terrain preview mesh: Off, Quarter, Half, or Full. The terrain is preview-only and cannot be exported. See Preferences for the vertex counts.
The color shown on the terrain where none of the loaded layers paint anything.
The comma-separated list of terrain layer names to load, up to 5. See Preferences for the rules and the default list.
Next: 4. The N-panel tools →