I'm trying to export an geometry with an RBD simulation for its animation. Does anyone know how I can export this geometry and animation as an FBX file, so Maya can import it?

Help anyone?

Sure, which bit isn't working?

Use File -> Export -> FBX to pick the object you want to export, and to where, then in Maya use File -> Import to bring it in. Make sure you choose FBX as the file type, and also that the plugin is enabled in Maya.

Oh, also be sure you set a frame range in Houdini to export animation, and have a “Animation” checked in Maya to bring it in.

Is there some specific problem you're having?

The problem is that I need to bake the simulated animation to the geometry. Got any solution for that?

Darric
Sure, which bit isn't working?

Use File -> Export -> FBX to pick the object you want to export, and to where, then in Maya use File -> Import to bring it in. Make sure you choose FBX as the file type, and also that the plugin is enabled in Maya.

Oh, also be sure you set a frame range in Houdini to export animation, and have a “Animation” checked in Maya to bring it in.

Is there some specific problem you're having?

This is an old thread, but I'm using 12.0.634 and I have a very simple rigid body simulation on a very simple geometry.

The simulation basically causes the geometry to fall.

When I export this as a filmbox file, and import it back into Houdini, it only imports one frame.

Do I have to set up houdini to bake the simulation to key frames? Or can I export the RBD simulation? I'm having no luck and I'm starting to feel really stupid .

Cheers, and thanks for the help.

Have you set valid frame range to “Render frame range” instead of of the default of “Render any frame”? If you leave it at the default it will only use the current frame in the export. I would look at your file to check this, but I am currently not at a computer with Houdini installed.

Thanks for the reply.

And yes, I did set the range to be 1 to 240 (this being the number of frames in my simulation ). I also tried other ranges. Currently trying 2 to 239.

I've also tried using different fbx versions.

Thanks again, I'll keep at it.

Ok. I have had similar situations before and it is always one silly toggle that I forget to check. I think it is turning on “Export Deforms as Vertex Caches” and/or “Detect Constant Point Count Dynamic Objects”. With the first one on your FBX should also export a folder called “fpc” that will contain the point cache. Since imported RBD animation happens at the geometry level, it is technically deformation, not transformation, thus the point cache.

Also, be sure to export the FBX in ASCII. This will only affect the “.fbx” file. That way it is human readable and you can trouble shoot more easily.

Also, is your simulation being imported into a geometry object or do you only have an object level DOPnet? Trying to export geometry from a DOPnet directly into a scene format like FBX or alembic sometimes does weird things.

Awesome, thank you so much, this worked. I also had to make sure that when I imported it back into 3dstudio max I had “Point Cache File” check box toggled on under the “Animation” tab.

Thanks again for the help!

Awesome, thank you so much, this worked. I also had to make sure that when I imported it back into 3dstudio max I had “Point Cache File” check box toggled on under the “Animation” tab.

Thanks again for the help!

Glad to assist.

The help for the “Export Deforms as Vertex Caches” toggle isn't very, well, helpful. It makes it sound like it is just for exporting animation instead of exporting the skinning data of a rig, but really it is for exporting any SOP level deformation as a point cache. I think it is off by default for the sake of efficiency.

The point cache it kicks out is only marginally useful for what I hoped to achieve.

But still very useful info. Thanks again!