FBX conversion from 7.0/6.0 to 5.5 (client is getting red!!)

#1

dear motionbuilder community

Thanks to Colkai’s great (the Mighty MB guy) help i started to use my old MB 5.5 with LW (i ve been told that is the only version works with LW without a problem)

So Life instantly became easier. Even it is an old version it really like a dream software. So eventually i started to collect FBX mocap files.

I have found couple of FBX files which made with version either 7,0 or 6.0.

Now here is the deal. I downloaded the FBX converter from autodesk and tried to convert all the files (6.0 and 7.0 fbx files) to my MB5.5.

Then … all i have a barren UI with a skeleton gazing at me with T-stance pose. I tried everything but he is just not MOVING.

WHAT the heck i m doing wrong. Help…or Client will kill me. Because i have risen his expectation with offering him Lots of pool girls around his Architectural Viz project…

So he is getting red…Actually there is a white wall behind him and he looks like a Japan Flag!!!

HELP is needed

BEST

#2

I am using MB v. 7 and lw 9 just fine here. I havent used version 5.5 in a while so sorry I cant help more on that end. But if you want to send me an fbx file I test it on my 5.5 and see if I can get it work. Good luck

#3

dear sud

thanks for your concern Sud. I really appreciate it.

I am sending you a PM with the linked files.

What is your setup for LW 9. Which FBX plugin version you are using?

BEST

#4

as far as I know, ver6/7 files are incompatible with ver5. :hmm:

#5

The fbx converter was changed in the latest version (version 2.0 from Autodesk) and it can sometimes be finicky with Lightwave even when converting FBX files to the older 5.5 version. The older stand alone FBX converter (mine is Version 1.0 and dated Oct 22th 2004) is rock solid. This one will convert Motionbuilder 7.0 or 7.5 files perfectly to the older FBX version which is compatible with the Lightwave plugin. If you do use the newer build in converter in MB 7.5 just select File\FBX Converter from the top menu and then the FBX Converter window will open. Next select the Convert FBX to FBX tab and then click the Add button and navigate to your fbx file that you want to convert. In the Compatibility for saved FBX select MB 5.5 and check embed texture if the object has uv textures applied. Also, UV’s must be used for easy texture exchange between MB and Lightwave. I hope this helps.

#6

Also, for typical exchange using the above workflow the Lightwave plugin from Aug 2005 still works with all versions of Lightwave including 9.x. If you are simply applying motion from a rig in motionbuilder to your Lightwave character then there are very few problems. If you try to import a FBX file from another application (or even one that came from Lightwave) then you will see that objects and the UV textures will most likely come in fine but no bones. Also, all objects will have a strange -90 rotation on them when imported into Lightwave.

#7

dear Rob

thanks for the input, i appreciate that. Everything is working here…Client is ok.

and you guys rock!

Best

#8

Cool! No Problem. Good luck with the project.

#9

Hey Rob,

You said
“If you try to import a FBX file from another application (or even one that came from Lightwave) then you will see that objects and the UV textures will most likely come in fine but no bones.”

What do you mean no bones? Do you mean no bones in the LW definition or no skeleton? I have a skeleton that comes into MB just fine from LW.

Thanks,
Dave

#10

Dave,

Exporting bones to MB is no problem but Importing bones back into Lightwave does not work.

#11

Yeah thats my experience as well. Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something.

Dave

#12

That for me is my biggest gripe with the FBX plugin for LW.
As part of a team that uses several apps, it’s annoying that we cannot use FBX to share our data in a way we expected. When it came out, it was touted that FBX would allow this seamless sharing, as time passes, it seems LW is pushed further and further to the boundaries for this particular dataset. :cry: :banghead:

#13

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