i guess we differ in definition of "finess" then.
to me, camera import and export is about as fundamental as it gets.
_sam
Sam Cuttriss
Janimation 3D Aficionado
peter boeykens wrote:
file import / export is a grey zone of mixed interests.
if a software doesnt have good import / export tools, it will hurt it,
especially with new users, migrating from other software, or in
pipelines where it would be added next to other software.
In order to make the import and export really work, one needs to delve
into the software at the other end of the data transfer, and possibly
intermediate software, and get familiar with them. As this is most
likely software from competing vendors, the extent to which this can be
done is limited. One might not have access to source code, detailed
specifications or even said software. Nor a wide variety of example
files, preferably relevant to real production situations, to test and
debug on. And there might be copyright restrictions.
It is understandable that with such factors, I/O tools can not be
developed with the same amount of care as the rest of the software.
But that doesnt benefit the end users of course.
Despite the overtones in my original mail, I do believe Softimage is
taking intitiatives to adress this.
And to be fair, in the shots I was working on I eventually got a
perfect match, based on the imported data, which included complex sets
and rigged characters, so the major part of the import is working. Its
the finessing, such as camera's, that is lacking a bit.
----- Original Message ----- From: "André Adam"
<a_adam(at)49games.de>
To: <XSI(at)Softimage.COM>
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 9:23 AM
Subject: Re: [rant] crosswalk / fbx import
The fbx im- and export is based on the original Autodesk dlls,
unfortunately nothing Softimage can do much about. A while back we
encountered crashes with a whole bunch of fbx files; support was able
to
get us the exact line number where the Autodesk dll crashed out, but
obviously couldn't help us any further. It turned out that even Maya
crashed the exact same way on this data, and the fbx files were
generated with a current Motionbuilder release.
Bottom line, it's Autosdesk who can't read their very own file format.
-André
Sam Cuttriss wrote:
And who says sarcasm doesnt translate well
online!!?
ive flared up on this one occasionally myself, and wholeheartedly agree
with you.
i just assumed it had been fixed as their hadnt been much noise about
it.
_sam
*Sam Cuttriss
* Janimation 3D Aficionado
peter boeykens wrote:
[start of rant]
Any have any ideas what the "rate" value in the import options might be
for?
For some weird reason I expected it to be related to frame rate, as in:
amount of frames per second. I typed all kinds of values, such as 25,
29.97, 30, 1234,0.0001 to find out that they all have the exact same
effect on the imported data: none at all. A bit frustrated I tried
typing fcukall, and to my amusement the tool didnt blink an eye, and
happily digested a string where a float should apply. No errors
whatsoever. Bottom line - the way to get a correct import is to set
sequence frame rate before calling the import, and to ignore the option
otherwise.
Also great idea to import the camera onto the default camera that is
constrained to an interest and set some weird fov value and leave all
else untouched. At least the resulting imported camera is so far of the
mark, that there can be no confusion about the need to go in a verify
and rectify a thing or two.
No worries, giving the camera an obscene name and hiding it in a model
outsmarts the importer, and a new camera is made, that has untouched
positional and rotational data. Now if only it was kind of vaguely
directed at the scene?
luckily, at the end of the day, a bit of swapping axes, adding a couple
of 90 degree rotation offsets, some negative signs and all's good?
Well the rotational values still dont match the FBX data - actually
there is a one degree offset on all three axes. (wonder who didnt do
his homework...) But I'm not going to let that hold me back now.
Oh right, camera settings! Luckily in this all-digital age I thought of
scribling down all values on a piece of paper - so I can now type them
in - and after a few attempts even conclude that it is actually as
simple as that? typing the same values in the proper places simply
works!!
Repeatedly on over 20 shots now, so I quickly script the thing - takes
about ten minutes of work - make a little plugin out of it - and yes!
now I have a tool that fixes all the errors the importer makes. (at
least the ones I found so far)
the FBX data is consistent between three other 3D applications on
import and export so I assume they're not collectively wrong.
Lets just hope none of this gets fixed in an upcoming release - I would
hate to uninstall my first self-installing plugin.
[end of rant]
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