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[FBX] export from Maya import to Houdini


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Hi all,

I exported a baked character animation with FBX and imported to Houdini.

I thinks its not quite working good.

Is there any traditional way to export animation from maya and import to houdini?

Like export bgeo files from maya and import it to houdini.. or something like that?

any scripts or plug in?

Polytrans does not support houdini, right??

Thanks,

-j

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hi!

just tried it with a character and it works very well.

Make sure You do a geometry cache in maya (with double precision), then duplicate Your character and import the cache to it. Export SELECTION (the duplicated/cache imported) to fbx with quick select set ON.

In Houdini import only geometry and animation, and turn ON unlock.

This works quite well and You can just re-export changed animation, and it will pick it up.

cheers

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Make sure you are using the latest version of FBX 2009, there is some big improvements in the exporting process. Once you have baked your animation, try creating a "Quick selection set" of your baked geo, give it a name and make sure that you select it when exporting the FBX. (I think is under Geo Cache, or something like that)

When you import the FBX to Houdini, (depending on the scene), it is sometimes good to re-write the fbx animation to bgeo's and bring it back. It will significantly reduce the size and it improve the performance of your scene. (as it reads single bgeos )

I hope it helps.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
hi!

just tried it with a character and it works very well.

Make sure You do a geometry cache in maya (with double precision), then duplicate Your character and import the cache to it. Export SELECTION (the duplicated/cache imported) to fbx with quick select set ON.

In Houdini import only geometry and animation, and turn ON unlock.

This works quite well and You can just re-export changed animation, and it will pick it up.

cheers

Hi daniel I have been trying to do the export the way u describe it in the post, but for some reason in houdini only the geometry shows up the animation that i created in maya does not come through. Would you happen to have the maya scene you described in this post so I can pull it apart and see where I am going wrong please. I tried it with both maya 2009 and 2008 and I am using houdini 9.5

thanks

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  • 2 years later...

UP! :)

Hi guys. I'm developing maya <--> houdini pipeline,based on FBX file format. Now, i'm scripting quick fbx export from maya. The problem is that if we want export geometry caches, we need selection set, which contains cached objects. Then we can specify this set in FBX exporter dialog window.... But i'm writing "one button solution" and i can't figure it out, how to tell exporter, what object set to use. In FBX Documentation we have only

FBXExportCacheFile -v 1

. So, if someone knows how to tell what object set to export, plz help me :) Thanks.

UP! I did it :)

There is undocumented flag "-set" in FBXExport command, which can be used to specify selection set! ***** Autodesk :angry:

Edited by Stalkerx777
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Hi, it's me again :rolleyes:

When i'm importing fbx into houdini strange things happens =) I have 100 frames long of geometry cache in fbx, exported from maya. In houdini, while importing fbx, channels in CHOP network, became automatically extended to the end of animation range.

post-3906-129724761894_thumb.jpg

I could use trim CHOP, to cut out the excess.... but houdini don't know anything about real cache length, and i don't want to trim "on eye". So, can you explain me why houdini doing that, and how to deal with that. I need this, because i want to use some CHOPs on this cache, like Cycle CHOP for example. Waiting for reply guys, thx!

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UP! I cant't believe, nobody, never done this before. I'm the only crazy guy who wants using fbx caches in houdini ?

:ph34r:

Hi,

i ended up using pc2(you can export it from maya) and converting it to mdd in houdini(pc2 python reader -> mdd rop). Its simplier and more relieble. (fbx offsets and trims your animation before frame 1)

Nnd you can compile pc2 reader/writer for maya (source is somwhere online) i can share a win64 maya 2k11 compile if you need it

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Hi,

i ended up using pc2(you can export it from maya) and converting it to mdd in houdini(pc2 python reader -> mdd rop). Its simplier and more relieble. (fbx offsets and trims your animation before frame 1)

Nnd you can compile pc2 reader/writer for maya (source is somwhere online) i can share a win64 maya 2k11 compile if you need it

Thanks for reply Owl. Yes, indeed, fbx is not the best solution, but in my case, it should work, since i'm writing custom output scripts from maya, and custom import scripts to houdini,although based on fbx. But i'd like to try pc2 method, although it requires one extra step - "pc2 python reader -> mdd rop". So please share pc2 plugin (m.2011 x64). Thx.

BTW, i found a solution for trimming extra offsets in fbx. I wrote a script, which grabs xml cahce file, which comes with fbx, parse it, get cache length, and trim extra offsets. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey Alex,

Did you find a solution to export fbx from maya to houdini without losing any of the animation?

Actually, there is no animation lost, it's all about extra offsets(see screen-shot in previous post). I just wrote the script, that parse xml cache file, and get actual animation range from there.Then just trim those offsets. It's no problem to have those offsets at all, in case you don't want to make some funny stuff in CHOPs :)

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  • 7 months later...

Actually, there is no animation lost, it's all about extra offsets(see screen-shot in previous post). I just wrote the script, that parse xml cache file, and get actual animation range from there.Then just trim those offsets. It's no problem to have those offsets at all, in case you don't want to make some funny stuff in CHOPs :)

hi.

What did you change in xml.

this tag?

<time Range="0-21500"/>

i played with different values but nothing changes..

anyway .. i managed to get mdd out of my maya and it works with np...

tnx

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