Export FBX Options Dialog Box

When you specify an FBX file to export from Softimage, the FBX Exporter window opens where you can set the FBX export options.

At the end of the export process a custom property named ExportFBXOptions is added below the scene root. This property stores the FBX export options that you set and they are read back into the Export FBX Options dialog box when the scene is exported again.

To export, do the following:

Choose File Crosswalk Export FBX. For more details, see Exporting FBX [Data Exchange].

General

Crosswalk [version]	Indicates which version of the Crosswalk toolset is currently installed.
Check For Updates	Opens a Netview window displaying the Autodesk Crosswalk web page where you can download and update your Crosswalk installation with the most current released version of the plug-in.

Content

Selection Only

When this option is on, only selected objects in the scene are exported. When this option is off, the entire scene is exported (including the scene root) regardless of the selection.

Export Options

ASCII Format	Saves the FBX file in ASCII format.
Embed Textures	Embeds the textures and images associated with the FBX file when exporting. Embedding textures is useful when transferring the FBX file to a location where the texture path is inaccessible. Note that embedding textures increases the file's size.
Convert Image Format	Converts images to the specified format. This option is available only when Embed Textures is on.
Format	Specifies the format to which to convert images.
Version	Selects the version of the .fbx format for compatibility with other software.

Include

Geometry

Exports the scene's geometry. If you disable the Geometry option, the scene is exported with no models.

Note that cameras and lights are not considered models by the FBX exporter.

Hard Edges

Exports creases and edges marked as hard.

Others

Cameras	Exports the scene's cameras.
Lights	Exports the scene's lights.

Animation

FCurve

Exports the scene's transformation function curves.

Shape

Shapes

Exports the scene's shapes.

Envelope

Exports the scene's envelopes.

When disabled the scene is exported without envelopes. The geometry is still exported but does not have any weighting assigned to it.

Keep XSI effectors

Exports the skeleton and its effectors as they were defined in Softimage. See Skeleton Conversions [Data Exchange] for more details.

When this option is enabled, the effectors are not transferred under the last bone of their chain. If you keep Softimage effectors you cannot characterize your skeleton in MotionBuilder, although keyframing is still available.

When this option is disabled, the effectors are moved so that their parent becomes the last bone of their chain. This is required for characterizing in MotionBuilder.

When using Softimage's Animation Mixer to animate your character, make sure that the animation is plotted and that there are no clips in the Animation Mixer or the file may not export correctly. Save your file before deleting your clips.

Export envelope deformer as skeleton

Enables FBX to XNA compatibility. The current limitations are that DirectX FX and action clips are not exported.

In Softimage, although it's common to use skeletons as deformers, you can actually use any object such as nulls and implicit objects. (Keep in mind that FBX does not support implicit objects and you should convert them to a supported geometry type before exporting.)

Skeletons are made up of bones connected by articulated joints. The combination of bones and joints is referred to as a chain. Chains have four basic elements: a root, bones, joints, and an effector. The FBX format recognizes these chain elements as typical parts of a skeleton and exports them as a "LimbNode" with the "Skeleton" flag. For example, Model: "Model::Biped:RFootEff", "LimbNode" { ... } TypeFlags: "Skeleton".

When the Export Envelope Deformer as Skeleton option is disabled, a non-chain element such as a null that is being used as a deformer will not be exported as a skeleton element. For example, Model: "Model: :Biped:ChestControl", "Null" { ... } TypeFlags: "Null".

This default behavior can cause problems for tools (such as the Autodesk FBX - XNA Framework Content Importer) that expect any deformer involved in a skinning computation to be exported with the "Skeleton" flag. To solve this issue, select the Export Envelope Deformer as Skeleton option.

When the Export Envelope Deformer as Skeleton option is enabled, any object that is acting as an envelope deformer will be exported with the "Skeleton" flag. Note that only envelope deformers are exported with the "Skeleton" flag when this option is enabled: IK chains that are not deforming an envelope are not considered skeleton elements.

Cache

Geometry Cache File(s)

Plots and exports the animated deformations of the objects in the group (specified in the next parameter below) as a geometry cache. When you activate this option, the following files are generated:

an FBX file
an XML file
a sequence of MC files

The Softimage FBX plug-in stores the XML and MC files in a subfolder named after the FBX file with an extension of .fpc.

Group

The group of objects to cache, when Geometry Cache File(s) is on.

Advanced

Units

Scale Factor

Indicates the scaling value that will be used to export the contents of the FBX file.

Automatic

When on, automatically detects the units used in the original file and exports it with the same units (Scale Factor = 1). When off, you can export the file by choosing other units from the File units converted to drop-down list.

ImportantTurning off this option and choosing other units (Scale Factor other than 1) can cause skinned (enveloped) characters to not be exported correctly.

Scene units converted to

Converts the scene units to one of the following unit scales: Millimeters, Centimeters, Decimeters, Meters, Kilometers, Inches, Feet, Yards, or Miles. This option is only available when Automatic is turned off.

UI

Show the Warnings and Errors dialog box

Lets you enable or disable the display of the FBX Import/Export Warning Dialog Box that may appear during the export process. [Default is Enabled]

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