Can't export animation in FBX

Forums Houdini Indie and Apprentice Can't export animation in FBX

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Ethernaut: Member; 24 posts; Joined: Oct. 2014; Offline

Dec. 10, 2017 4:08 a.m.

Hi,

I'm using Houdini Indie and can't export an animation rig to .fbx. I'm making sure I'm specifying the frame range and take, and have tried multiple different fbx versions and checkbox combinations. To test the resulting file, I'm using both Unity and Autodesk FBX Review in MacOS High Sierra.

I even built a barebones scene with a bouncing sphere just to test it, and it still doesn't work (mesh is exported, but no animation).

I'm attaching the basic bouncing ball scene, just in case.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Attachments:
bouncyball.hiplc (66.6 KB)


Enivob: Member; 2629 posts; Joined: June 2008; Online

Dec. 10, 2017 9:37 a.m.

Hmm…it seems to work for me.

Attachments:
Untitled-1.jpg (116.2 KB)
ap_bouncyball_FBX_export.hiplc (68.7 KB)
bouncyBall.fbx (33.1 KB)

Using Houdini Indie 20.0
Windows 11 64GB Ryzen 16 core.
nVidia 3050RTX 8BG RAM.


Ethernaut: Member; 24 posts; Joined: Oct. 2014; Offline

Dec. 10, 2017 12:56 p.m.

Oh, I didn't know there was a FilmBox out node! That one works.
I was using the File/Export menu, which seems to be broken and doesn't export the frame range correctly. Bug?

Thanks!


rrats: Member; 12 posts; Joined: Jan. 2017; Offline

Dec. 26, 2017 1:48 p.m.

Solved a similar problem for me as well! Thank you


Len: Member; 133 posts; Joined: July 2007; Offline

Dec. 30, 2017 7:58 p.m.

AYAYAY!!
I just burned a couple hours with the same broken FBX exporter (File->Export->Filmbox FBX…).
It definitely is broken on Mac High Sierra Houdini 16.5.268. No idea which versions it may have worked on. Absolutely no keyframes, even with the simplest test scenes. Even importing back into Houdini itself.
But the Filmbox Output ROP DOES work. Frustrating but thankful for a way forward!


edward: Member; 7899 posts; Joined: July 2005; Offline

Dec. 31, 2017 2:32 a.m.

I'd try the latest 16.5.323 production build. This bug should have been fixed in 16.5.314.

Edited by edward - Dec. 31, 2017 02:32:37


nicholasralabate: Member; 114 posts; Joined: Sept. 2017; Offline

April 29, 2019 5:50 p.m.

“I just burned a couple hours with the same broken FBX exporter (File->Export->Filmbox FBX…).”

I wish they would just remove that menu-level option – I just lost time because in 17.5 Apprentice the menu-level option silently fails whereas the FBX ROP correctly warns you that FBX export is unsupported in Apprentice.

Why are there two ways to export FBX? Just so we can have divergent bugs like these? I vote to just get rid of the menu-level option and stick to the ROP.

I think it is especially a big problem because FBX export in all apps is finnicky and if you are in blind try-everything mode you now have to try everything TWICE because, hey, maybe it works one way in the menu-level FBX version and another way in the FBX ROP.

Edited by nicholasralabate - April 29, 2019 17:52:28


edward: Member; 7899 posts; Joined: July 2005; Offline

April 30, 2019 7:58 a.m.

xxyxxy
I wish they would just remove that menu-level option – I just lost time because in 17.5 Apprentice the menu-level option silently fails whereas the FBX ROP correctly warns you that FBX export is unsupported in Apprentice.

That's odd, are you macOS? On Windows, those menu items are disabled for me.

Edited by edward - April 30, 2019 07:59:40

Attachments:
Capture.PNG (38.7 KB)


nicholasralabate: Member; 114 posts; Joined: Sept. 2017; Offline

May 2, 2019 3:14 p.m.

Yes, I'm running Mojave. I'll write a bug, but my larger point was that it is sort of annoying to have two ways (menu and ROP) to do (purportedly) the same exact thing especially on such a platform-slash-engine finicky process as FBX export where unfortunately things often descend into “try ever export option available until it works”… it would just be nice to have less variables.

I guess the benefit is that you save time by not dropping a ROP, but… really? It's not like removing the default File SOP in 17.0. That's something people do a thousand times a day. Export (for me at least) is an end-of-proj thing that has to be perfect so I don't mind spending 1000ms dropping a ROP.

Edited by nicholasralabate - May 2, 2019 15:18:22


edward: Member; 7899 posts; Joined: July 2005; Offline

May 2, 2019 4:18 p.m.

There are two ways because we have a hard time making functionality discoverable for new users. For more seasoned users, the ROPs become the workflow default.


rvinluan: Staff; 1283 posts; Joined: July 2005; Offline

May 2, 2019 4:19 p.m.

xxyxxy
I wish they would just remove that menu-level option – I just lost time because in 17.5 Apprentice the menu-level option silently fails whereas the FBX ROP correctly warns you that FBX export is unsupported in Apprentice.

I fixed the bug on macOS and the Export FBX menu will be disabled in Houdini Apprentice starting in tomorrow's 17.5.245 build.

Cheers,
Rob


jbartolozzi: Member; 60 posts; Joined: July 2013; Offline

June 27, 2019 11:58 p.m.

I am trying to export animation to an FBX using the FBX Rop on OSX and then use the Agent node to read it, and I haven't been able to play back the animation in the Agent node. Any ideas?
The File->Import FBX seems to load the animation with a CHOP. But no such luck with the Agent SOP.


edward: Member; 7899 posts; Joined: July 2005; Offline

June 29, 2019 10:10 p.m.

It sounds like it is being exported out as baked. Try doing a “Force Skin Deform Export”.


rayalez: Member; 13 posts; Joined: Nov. 2014; Offline

Dec. 20, 2020 6:48 p.m.

Hi! I'm using Hou 17.5 in Mac OS Catalina.
I need to export an animation for a game, with multiple animation clips in the same fbx file.
But the "Export Animation Clips (Takes)" option is missing from the FBX ROP node on Mac. It is there on linux version.
Does anybody know why? Is there any other way to export multiple animation clips?


edward: Member; 7899 posts; Joined: July 2005; Offline

Dec. 20, 2020 8:21 p.m.

It should be there for all OSes. For "Export Animation Clips (Takes)" parameter to be enabled, you must make sure that the Valid Frame Range paraemter is set to "Render Frame Range".


rayalez: Member; 13 posts; Joined: Nov. 2014; Offline

Dec. 20, 2020 11:59 p.m.

@edward - I did specify the frame range, the checkbox just isn't there, take a look at the attached picture.

Attachments:
Screenshot 2020-12-21 at 04.58.08.png (241.4 KB)


edward: Member; 7899 posts; Joined: July 2005; Offline

Dec. 21, 2020 8:59 a.m.

I see it in 17.5.806 on macOS Mojave. Maybe try moving aside your preferences directory. And/or upgrade to latest 17.5

Edited by edward - Dec. 21, 2020 09:01:57

Attachments:
Capture.PNG (521.2 KB)

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