Blender FBX exporter update

I just tested the first working .FBX exporter for Blender and I'm happy to say that so far it's working pretty well. No rigging or animation support (yet) but after trying it on a couple of my own models, the meshes and UV's seem to export just fine. Amazing this guy wrote the whole thing in a couple days.

Here's the thread with download link:

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?p=842048&posted=1#post842048

 

any chance multiple uvs?

(working now can't try it myself ; )

 

Good question, I don't know. Haven't learned how to do that in Blender yet. If you have a .blend with multiple UV's give it a go or log into the thread on Blender Artists and ask the script's author.

 

me neither, but i'll give it a try later, thanks ; )

 

LATEST: YES! Multi UV is supported (I haven't tested this yet) and bones / animation look like they'll be next. Yes!

 

WOW... this would mean for the near future, that even we, who use C4D are able to get all the info we need into our files via blender... that would be awesome!

 

The guy working on this seems really good. Someone should buy this Cambo feller a nice backrub and give him all the FBX models he wants.

Thank you very much Nicholas and BigKahuna and anyone else who has been helping him out!

-Jon

 

Great find bigkahuna! And three cheers for the guy making this happen!

 

I just did, and it seems to work fine. Nifty!

--Eric

 

YAY!!!!!!


is its for sure that bones and animation are being worked on!?!?!?!?



because that would make my week

 

Based on what "Ideasman42" (the author of the script and also a Blender dev) has posted, it sounds like he intends on adding it. Best way to make sure it will be done is to register (if you haven't already) at blenderartists.org and post your support on the thread I've listed above. The more interest and enthusiasm we get there, the more likely he'll be motivated to continue. Incidently, he's doing this for no fee whatsoever and has opened the source to the public, so if you have any Python skills, you're welcome to help.

If you don't have any Python skills, you can help by testing the script, creating sample files that exhibit the features you need and voicing your support.

I'm just amazed he's done so much in just a few days. Very cool!

EDIT: At the present the script's author needs samples of FBX files with vertex colors and skinned animation. I believe he needs them in FBX (text) format. If you have any samples like this, please post it on the Blenderartists.org thread or send it to me and I'll post it. BTW, Cinema 4D can save to FBX (text) format, its in the export preferences.

 

awesome i will defiantly do that to show my support

 

this is great news

 

ideasman has written a slew of scripts for Blender. I doubt you could find a better person for the job.

Wonder if he can find a way to export ipos as animation clips.

(dares to dream)

 

Hi sorry for the noob question.
I'd like to try that fbx script, but i'm new to os x and i dunno how to find where/install my .py file !
Do i need the terminal for doing that ?
Sorry about my weak english.
Freid

 

Easiest way to open and run a script:

1. Have your model loaded and ready to export. Select the meshes you want exported.

2. Open a "Text Editor" window in Blender.

3. Load the Python script.

4. Right click in the Text Editor window and select "Execute Script".

... that should run the script!

You can automate this by adding the *.py file to a "scripts" folder and adding it to Blender's configuration. Go to www.blenderartists.org for more help with this.

HTH

 

In the Blender app bundle is a hidden folder called .Scripts. Its in the same folder as the Blender executable. Put the scripts in there.

 

Thanks guys. But i know these informations.
What i'd like to know is how i can access to the hidden .blender folder and copy my py file within its script folder !
More an os x question than a blender one (i use it a lot on pc since several years).
i was able to open blender.app, i did something in a terminal window to reveal .hidden file on my mac, buit it doesnt work within blender.app
Any advices would be cooool
freid

btw bigkahuna thanks for that advice i wanted so much to get that hidden folder that i forgot to try that way

 

control+click on the app icon and it will pull up a context menu. select show package contents. put a scripts folder in the resources folder. think that's the default file path and i don't think there's a scripts folder created at installation. you can also set a different path in the preference pane at the top of the blender window. *i think* - been a while since i used blender.

 

Yes, that's the -other- way to do it that I was referring to in my first reply.

You can actually make any folder your "scripts" folder in Blender's configuration window. There's lots of posts on this at blenderartists.org that should explain it better than I ever could...

 

...That helps !

I'm just curious, is there a way to see/use the .scripts folder within blender.app ?
(i understood that i can use one of your methods) but i'm just new to os x and curious, or maybe you know a good web place where i can learn about it ?
Thanks again !

Freid

 

I found this:

http://www.osxfaq.com/DailyTips/02-2005/02-01.ws

But I haven't tried it myself. Personally, I would rather add my own "scripts" folder rather than messing with hidden folders. But that might be because I'm still gaining confidence with OS X myself.

HTH

 

This is fantastic. Complete fbx support for Blender will be massively useful not just for Unity users, but for everybody who wants to use Blender in pro workflows. Can't wait!

This all started with Nicholas from OTEE offering, on the Blenderartist forum, to pay for development of an FBX exporter, to get Blender characters into Unity. I hope OTEE is prepared to follow through on that, to keep Ideasman motivated to finish this work. Kudos are great, and certainly Ideasman deserves them, but everybody's got to eat, and the promise of payment is what got him started.

Maybe we should start a tip jar for this; I'd put something in it. And a note that says "I love you, man..."

 

What I do is I create an alias to Blender's Scripts folder and leave it in the dock.

The scripts folder is at blender.app\Contents\MacOS\.blender\scripts

 

Very cool.

Now all we need is for Blender's UI to get fixed. (OK OK I'll stop smoking crack.)

 

i REALLY hope this animation solution gets worked out. we now already have 2UV map support, and it looks like tangent space normal map baking is on the horizon:

http://www.blender.org/development/current-projects/changes-since-243/

if all goes well with these, i can't think of any other major feature a game dev could require - and its free!

the UI is strange at first, but i have to say, once you've internalized it (don't have to think of the key you need to press) - its wicked fast. especially if you're used to any other keyboard claw-command heavy programs (i used to use autocad before they icon'd everything) - once it sticks you'll fly with it trust me ; )

 

I've done quite a bit of work in Blender and it ain't sticking. (And I keyboard cheerfully through Photoshop.)

It's highly modal, has undependable undo, etc. etc.

And nothing will ever justify its atrocious file requester.

 

I like Blender's UI. I'm sure it's not actually "good", but I can use it quickly and effectively. Well, except the file requester, yeah. (It probably also helps that I started using it on Linux, and moving to OS X didn't change a thing as far as Blender is concerned....)

--Eric

 

Hmmm... isnt that what a good UI is about?

 

Certainly part of it. Another part though is how easy it is to learn. Unity, for example, is a lot more obvious about how stuff works just by looking at it. That said, I didn't have nearly the problem learning Blender in the first place that some people seem to. Possibly the Linux thing again...I didn't have any preconceived notions about how Blender was "supposed" to work, due maybe to the large amount of UI mishmash that already exists on Linux.

--Eric

 

I see fbx export made it into 2.44. Anybody know if it supports animation yet, or if it's still being actively being developed towards that end?

 

http://forum.unity3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=5477

nicholas mentioned in another thread recently that animation support is being actively developed.