FBX ® - A Platform-Independent 3D Data Interchange Technology

1. FBX® - A Platform-Independent 3D Data Interchange Technology Cyrille Fauvel ADN Sparks

2. About the Presenter Cyrille Fauvel Autodesk Developer Network Cyrille is a member of the M&E workgroup of the Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) team, providing developer support, training, and conference presentations on AutoCAD, RealDWG, Inventor, MapGuide, Maya, and FBX API. He joined Autodesk in 1994 as an AutoCAD developer based in Switzerland and California, USA. Later moved to the Developer Support group, and Consulting division. Cyrille graduated in Mechanics and Electronics in France, worked as a teacher and C++ developer for a 3rd party developer on AutoCAD. He is fluent in six programming languages, tries to learn Japanese, has two kids, plays the guitar and trying piano, likes reading, love sailing on oceans, sports, and hand-ball in particular.

3. Autodesk Developer Network • Access to almost all Autodesk software and SDK’s • Includes early access to beta software • Members-only website with thousands of technical articles • Unlimited technical support • Product direction through conferences • Marketing benefits • Exposure on autodesk.com • Promotional opportunities • One to three free API training classes • Based on user level www.autodesk.com/joinadn

4. Class Summary This class will focus on learning how to integrate FBX ®, Autodesk's primary file format to communicate between M&E solutions using C++ and Python. In this class you explore how FBXcan facilitate high-fidelity 3D data exchange between applications in your pipeline including several Autodesk® content creation packages, and how to some extents be used in other contexts. We will review the limitations and possible issues in using FBX as well.

5. Learning Objectives At the end of this class, you will be able to: • Explain what FBX is about and its integration in Autodesk products • Be able to decide whether FBX is a solution to your workflow issue • Explain the advantages / inconvenient of using FBX versus a private file format • Create FBX plug-in extension to support your private data in existing pipelines • Connect your application (or pipeline) to FBX • Publish / Import FBX file into your application / (or pipeline)

6. Agenda

7. The Challenge

8. #1 - 3D modeling DWG CAD • AutoCAD / Inventor • ASM ( manifold, non-manifold 3d geometry ) • Boundary representation topological model • Accuracy / Precision versus Realistic • 3ds Max, Maya • Mesh, Nurbs • Speed / Rendering versus Precision

9. Tessellation Lose of model history Not fully round-trip

10. #2 - Materials

11. Consistent Materials Realistic & consistent visual materials Common materials definition and catalog Custom visual materials Materials interop Materials preview Materials UI

12. Autodesk workflow DWG CAD FBX M&E Data Preparation Engine DirectConnectorTranslators

13. FBX versus RealDWG • Accuracy / Precision versus Realistic • Speed / Rendering versus Precision • Layered Animation evaluation engine • Solvers • PhysX • RealDWG • AutoCAD native file format • ASM ( manifold, non-manifold 3d geometry ) • Windows only • Not Free • FBX • Mesh, Nurbs • Tesselation • Multi-platform • Not Round-trip with ASM • Free

14. Supported by majors products

15. Overview

16. Open & Free FBX 7.2.0 project file ; Copyright (C) 1997-2010 Autodesk Inc. and/or its licensors. ; All rights reserved. ; ---------------------------------------------------- FBXHeaderExtension: { FBXHeaderVersion: 1003 FBXVersion: 7200 CreationTimeStamp: { Version: 1000 Year: 2011 Month: 11 Day: 19 Hour: 12 Minute: 33 Second: 2 Millisecond: 96 } Creator: "FBX SDK/FBX Plugins version 2012.1" SceneInfo: "SceneInfo::GlobalInfo", "UserData" { Type: "UserData“ … • Free • Free download from autodesk.com • Open • SDK - Developer Center • http://www.autodesk.com/developfbx • Binary and ASCII format • Open, but not open source • Because of the Solvers • Comes with utilities (UI or command line) • File converter (3ds, Collada, DXF, OBJ) • Viewer • Explorer • Take Manager

17. Autodesk MotionBuilder native file format • Native MotionBuilder FileFormat • Support at least all MoBu features • M&E platform's interchange information platform

18. Feature • Geometry • Polygon Mesh, NURBS, Spline, Instances, References, • Lights • Cameras • Textures & Materials • Deformations, Bake information • Constraints • Animation, Rigs, Skeletons, • Units, Layers • Embedded media (both binary and ASCII) • and more…

19. Web ready • Quicktime FBX plug-in • Internet Explorer 8+, Firefox 3+, Safari 3+, Chrome <script type="text/javascript“ src="AC_QuickTime.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> QT_WriteOBJECT_XHTML(‘cyrille.fbx’, '800', '600', '', 'autoplay', 'true', 'emb#bgcolor', 'black', 'align', 'middle'); </script> • Limited to the FBX binary file format for performance reason

20. Universal Content Delivery Mechanism

21. Animation Delivery

22. Extend FBX via API

23. API • C++ • Multi-platform, multi-version (see next Slide for details) • Release and Debug • Python • Python version (2.6 or 3.1)

24. C++ Compiler support • Release and Debug

25. C++ Sample See demo

26. Python Sample See demo

27. FBX Extensions SDK • Our answer to your most requested feature: • Want to have the spec of the FBX file format • Want to customize what FBX export/import from DCCs • You will find in the Extensions SDK: • The source code of the FBX and Collada readers/writers • Entry points to intervene during the FBX export/import process

28. Traditional approach Proprietary Plug-in Proprietary File Format • You wrote your own File I/O plug-in and file format • Advantages: • You have full control over what is exported / imported from the DCC • Disadvantages: • You have to do all the work yourself • Import may be challenging

29. “off the shelf” approach FBX Plug-in FBX File Format • You use an “off the shelf” solution like FBX • Advantages: • It’s free, it’s supported • Disadvantages: • You had no control over what was being exported / imported • You rely on the FBX plug-in to do all the work

30. FBX Extensions SDK – Best of both worlds By using the FBX Extensions SDK, your plug-in is invoked during the Import/Export process. Your plug-in is free to take action before, during, or after FBX have processed the scene.

31. FBX Extensions SDK – Best of both worlds Proprietary Plug-in FBX Plug-in FBX File Format • Advantages: • We provide the backbone • Highly customizable • Documentation (DCCs and FBX SDK) and source code available (FBX importer/exporter) • Supported by Autodesk

32. FBX Extensions SDK – Best of both worlds Proprietary Plug-in FBX Plug-in FBX File Format In most cases, your extension will also link with the DCC, so you can operate on both the DCC scene and the FBX scene. Your extension must be registered to the FBX Plug-in in order to be invoked during the Import/Export process.

33. Extension sample See demo

34. A concrete example

35. Sample • Preview an AutoCAD scene in a FBX Viewer inside AutoCAD • with animation • with material • ready to be used in 3ds Max Design or Maya

36. Additional Information

37. Significant 3rd Parties using FBX • EIDOS • Illuminate Labs • Quest3D • Microsoft XNA • Unity • JDA • DigitalExtremes • EuroCom • SideEffects • Maxon • Luxology • Epic (Unreal) • PixelActive (CityScape) • Goalem • And more…

38. FBX SDK Updated regularly Multi-platform

39. FBX Extension SDK Multi-platform

40. FBX Tools Updated regularly Release cycle independent of product releases Archive of older versions also accessible

41. Web Resources for FBX • Autodesk AREA http://area.autodesk.com/ • http://area.autodesk.com/forum/autodesk-fbx/ • http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/chris • Support • fbxplugins@autodesk.com • fbxsdk@autodesk.com • Online documentation • http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=16707768

42. Additional Resources for FBX • www.autodesk.com/developfbx • Autodesk Developer Network – Sparks program • Annual subscription • Get access to almost all the software for development purposes • Technical and Marketing support • Direct technical support via DevHelp online • Trainings and Mentoring • www.autodesk.com/joinadn

43. Comment from the WEB If you have not used FBX in a few versions, give it a second chance as there are lots of updates and more features making it a great option for helping your art team work in the software of there choice.

44. Thank you!cyrille.fauvel@autodesk.com

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