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Unreal Engine·Jul 25, 2026·7 min read

From Animation to Income: A Guide to Selling 3D Assets on FAB (with Cascadeur)

The full creator journey for 3D assets: rig-light animation in Cascadeur, opening a FAB seller account, packaging & publishing products, getting paid, and handling withholding tax (W-8BEN).

CascadeurFAB3D AssetsGame DevAnimation

From Animation to Income: A Guide to Selling 3D Assets on FAB (with Cascadeur)

If you make 3D assets — characters, animations, environments, props — then FAB (Epic Games' official content marketplace, which merged the Unreal Marketplace, Sketchfab, Quixel and ArtStation Marketplace) is the most natural place to sell today. This post walks the full loop: make an animation → open a seller account → publish a product → get paid → handle tax.

⚠️ Quick note: The tax section below is general knowledge, not personalized tax advice. Numbers and procedures change over time — always double-check FAB's official docs and consult an accountant before filing.

1. Making animations quickly in Cascadeur

Cascadeur is AI-assisted keyframe animation software, strongest for physics-based motion (jumps, punches, falls, action). The best part: you don't need complex rigging to get "real" motion, thanks to a few AI features:

  • AutoPosing — adjust a few control points and the AI balances the whole body into a natural pose.
  • AutoPhysics — analyzes motion by gravity/force/momentum and adds believable secondary motion (an arm swing on a jump, the follow-through of a kick).
  • AI Inbetweening (since 2025.1) — auto-generates the in-between frames connecting your key poses for smoother transitions.

The core workflow (blocking → physics)

  1. Install & open a project — grab the Free build (fine for solo work) from the site, then import your model/rig or use a sample character.
  2. Blocking — set the key poses on the timeline: start, peak, end.
  3. AutoPosing — use it to quickly lock each pose into a balanced, on-center stance.
  4. Spacing & timing — adjust frame spacing to shape the rhythm of the motion.
  5. AutoPhysics — enable it to add momentum and secondary motion; fine-tune with the sliders/filters.
  6. Polish & export — smooth things out, then export to .fbx for Unreal/Unity or for packaging into a product.

Videos to watch (easy to advanced)

2. Creating a seller account on FAB.com

Selling on FAB goes through an Epic Games account. The steps:

  1. Register / sign in to Epic Games at fab.com — email, or link Google/Apple.
  2. Click “Publish” in the toolbar to start the become-a-seller flow.
  3. Accept the Fab Distribution Agreement. Read the terms carefully before agreeing.
  4. Create your Creator Code — a unique code/username that also becomes your publisher page URL (fab.com/sellers/<creator-code>).
  5. Complete your Publisher Profile — avatar, display name, bio.
  6. Trader Verification — verify your seller identity, then complete your tax and payout details. Specific requirements vary by country (see section 4).

💡 Have these ready: your ID document, your payout account info (PayPal/bank per FAB's supported methods for VN), and the details needed to fill out the W-8BEN tax form.

3. Packaging, publishing & getting paid

3.1. Packaging your product

  • Standardize your files: export the right formats (.fbx, .glb, textures .png/.tga, materials...). For Unreal assets, package to the correct engine project/plugin structure.
  • Clean, clear naming: consistent file/folder names, remove leftover and temp files.
  • Include docs: a short README (how to import, scale, license) reduces refunds and earns better reviews.
  • Check the rights: every texture, sound, and model inside must be yours or licensed for resale.

3.2. Publishing (listing)

  1. Create a Listing in the publisher dashboard.
  2. Upload asset(s) — a listing can bundle multiple assets into one product.
  3. Media set — required: a thumbnail + at least one more image or a 3D preview. Good images massively lift conversion; include a nice render plus a wireframe/scale-reference shot.
  4. Fill in the details: title, description, tags, category, compatible engines, price (or Free), license.
  5. Submit for review — FAB reviews before it goes live. Only products that pass technical & content checks get published.

3.3. Getting paid (payout)

  • Revenue split: you keep 88% of the revenue from your product sales (FAB keeps 12%).
  • Payout threshold: FAB pays out ~30 days after month-end, but only once your balance reaches $100 USD or more. Below that, it rolls over to later months.
  • Refunds: approved refunds are deducted from your next payout.

Example: a $20 product → you receive ~$17.6 per sale (before the withholding tax in section 4).

4. Income tax from FAB

This is the part many people skip and then feel "short-changed" at payout. There are two layers of tax:

4.1. US withholding tax — the W-8BEN form

Epic/FAB treats asset sales as royalties. Sellers outside the US must file:

  • Form W-8BEN — for foreign individuals.
  • Form W-8BEN-E — for foreign businesses/entities.

This form confirms you're not a US taxpayer and sets the withholding rate on the US-sourced portion of your revenue (purchases by buyers in the US).

Key points for sellers in Vietnam:

  • Vietnam currently has NO income tax treaty in force with the US. So you don't get a treaty-reduced rate, and the US-sourced portion of your revenue is typically withheld at the default 30%.
  • The non-US-sourced portion (buyers elsewhere) is not subject to US withholding.
  • Filling out W-8BEN accurately and completely still matters: incorrect or blank forms can get your entire payout held or withheld more heavily. (Many sellers report getting stuck at tax setup due to an incorrectly generated form — be patient and redo it under the correct individual/business type.)

4.2. Income tax in Vietnam

FAB income is foreign-sourced income and, in principle, must be declared in Vietnam:

  • An individual earning money online usually falls under personal income tax / household business — typically VAT + PIT at a percentage of revenue (the exact rate depends on revenue thresholds and how you register).
  • Keep all records: FAB payout statements, amounts already withheld in the US, exchange rates — for filing and to avoid back-tax risk.
  • Because there's no VN–US treaty, tax already withheld in the US is hard to credit against your VN tax → all the more reason to plan carefully to avoid double taxation.

✅ Practical recommendation: as soon as revenue becomes steady, (1) fill W-8BEN correctly from the start, (2) register the appropriate business/filing form in Vietnam, and (3) meet an accountant familiar with foreign-sourced income tax. The consulting fee is far smaller than penalties/back taxes.

Summary

StepWhat to doKey takeaway
1. AnimationBlocking → AutoPosing → AutoPhysics → export FBXThe free Cascadeur build is enough to start
2. AccountPublish → accept agreement → Creator Code → verifyUses your Epic Games account
3. PublishClean packaging → great media → submit for reviewKeep 88%, payout at ≥ $100, ~30 days after month-end
4. TaxW-8BEN (individual) / W-8BEN-E (business) + file in VNNo VN–US treaty → ~30% withheld on the US-sourced portion

Making great assets is only half the story — the other half is building a clean selling process and managing your cash flow. Here's to shipping your first product soon! 🚀

References:

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