For importing there is an attach to existing geometry option. The workflow we have now is using a previous version 1.0.45 and scripting the export and import thru their python api.
The behavior is a bit different in the latest version. There are now export options for transformations. Without it in front of me I think it's (flat hierachy, full hierarchy and baked global) If I recall correctly I just selected the geo to export with flat hierarchy selected in the export options. In the import scene I needed the same named object to receive the operator. With nothing selected I was able to import the data with the 'attach to existing' option checked. Overall it seems to be very sensitive with object names and what is selected. When I have the time I'll see if I can get our pipeline work with the latest version. On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 1:40 AM, Nick Angus <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi David, what is your recipe for getting alembic as ‘pointcache only’?, > we have always found it tries to replace existing geo regardless…**** > > ** ** > > N**** > > ** ** > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *David Barosin > *Sent:* Tuesday, 29 January 2013 2:41 AM > *To:* xsi > > *Subject:* Re: building asset tools**** > > ** ** > > We're currently using alembic from soft to soft here. Using reference > models with pre existing envelopes that attach on the fly to our rigs. > Alembic is basically used for point caching.**** > > Alembic has also been used here for sharing data between Soft, Max, Maya > and Houdini quite nicely (cameras, animated geo...) It has been the most > robust experience I've had to date compared to FBX or any other data > format. The speed can be a little slow if you're also using alembic to > generated the topology per frame but for point cache only purposes it's > very nice. > > > What are you referring to regarding Maya Alembic? I haven't heard the > good side of it. **** > > ** ** > > On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 10:58 AM, Stefan Andersson <[email protected]> > wrote:**** > > So Maya Alembic wins again...**** > > > > **** > > On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 3:31 PM, Guillaume Laforge < > [email protected]> wrote:**** > > You can't 'out the box', but you could store all the envelope weights and > static pauses using some Alembic properties. **** > > The main problem would be that you would need to interpret those new > properties in every DCCs alembic plugin too...**** > > ** ** > > So, in short the answer is no :).**** > > ** ** > > Guillaume**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 9:07 AM, Stefan Andersson <[email protected]> > wrote:**** > > Does anyone here on the list knows if you can envelope an alembic file? > > regards > stefan**** > > > > **** > > On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 2:22 PM, Guillaume Laforge < > [email protected]> wrote:**** > > > As far as technicalities go, I'd go for FBX for storing hierarchies of > objects. **** > > ** ** > > Hierarchies can be saved using Alembic too. It is a format to bake scenes > after all :).**** > > ** ** > > FBX "advantages" are that you don't bake the meshes as they keeps their > envelope and use the DCC specific code to do the skinning. It can be very > useful if you do the skinning in a package and the rigging in an other one. > **** > > But for every validated assets, I won't use such format as you can't be > sure your animation will be the same at the end of the pipeline. The > optimized point cache approach of Alembic is much better.**** > > ** ** > > Cheers,**** > > ** ** > > Guillaume Laforge**** > > ** ** > > On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 4:15 AM, Michal Doniec <[email protected]> wrote:* > *** > > *"I would say, the most important is to make the right difference between > the asset and the file on disk.***** > > *The asset is just a concept, often just an entry in whatever storage > unit you choose with metadatas and bind to a file on dis*k."**** > > I can only second that. The most common design mistake I see in data/asset > management systems is treating files on disk as the higest level assets. > Having a higher abstraction level ("*asset is just a concept*") from the > beginning is really beneficial in many cases, including the one pointed out > by Jo and will for sure lead to much simpler code. If you decide to treat > ordinary disk files as assets, I can guarantee you will end up with a layer > of "super assets" or asset collections, packages (call it what you want) > sooner or later.**** > > As far as technicalities go, I'd go for FBX for storing hierarchies of > objects. The format has a future, is expandable, but be prepared to deal > with some oddities and bugs from time to time.**** > > At my previous place, all pipeline was mostly fbx based for rigs and > similar.**** > > Cache format, Alembic is imo the best choice.**** > > ** ** > > On 27 January 2013 20:39, jo benayoun <[email protected]> wrote:**** > > hey Stefan**** > > I would say, the most important is to make the right difference between > the asset and the file on disk.**** > > The asset is just a concept, often just an entry in whatever storage unit > you choose with metadatas and bind to a file on disk.**** > > So to keep things simple, why not considering your asset as a zip archive > on disk, in which you may use different file formats to store datas > depending on the type of the asset and the**** > > application it's most often used in. Bundled with the archive, add it a > json/xml/whatever file used to store the metadatas (creator, ctime, > asset-type, ...)**** > > It becomes easy then when an asset is wanted to retrieve the adequat file > (if exists) or run a converter (if needed). This allows you to keep > application-specific file formats while not having trade-offs on their > re-use in others by abstracting. Your asset manager don't know about the > files but only about <assets>.**** > > Dont bother with file formats but make your asset manager enough solid to > handle whatever is used underneath to store datas.**** > > --jon**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > 2013/1/27 Stefan Andersson <[email protected]>**** > > Hello everyone, > > I'm building a set of tools for a asset manager for Softimage. I've had it > working in Maya for a while, but I'm now converting it and re-writing it to > fit Softimage. I'm quite tempted to use Collada as it's a xml format and > pretty easy to work with. But I would like to hear what everyone else is > using? I *need* to be able to export it as collada or fbx for the model > assets so that it can be imported into other applications. The Rig/Sim > assets will be native emdl as they are only going to be used in softimage > (though I have my issues there too...). > > A few things my exporter is doing are > > * exporting MatLib with all materials > * exporting ColladaXML > * exporting/converting images to exr (via OIIO) > * parse MatLib and fix the filepaths for the textures (pointing at asset > location) > > > Big plus for using Collada > * will work with most applications > * can be used in Softimage as Reference > * xml based > > Big plus for FBX > * will work with most applications > > Big Minus for FBX > * can NOT be used in Softimage as Reference > * not a xml format (need to make your own parser) > > Big Minus for dotXSI > * tends to crash other applications when importing dotXSI > > Big Minus for emdl > * binary, impossible to edit > > So all of the above points towards Collada, but what do you guys think? > Any takers? > > regards > stefan > > > -- > *Stefan Andersson | **Digital Janitor***** > > blog <http://sanders3d.wordpress.com> | showreel<http://vimeo.com/sanders3d>| > twitter <http://twitter.com/sanders3d> | > LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/in/sanders3d>| cell: > +46-73-6268850 | skype:sanders3d**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > > > **** > > -- > ---------- > Michal > http://uk.linkedin.com/in/mdoniec **** > > ** ** > > > > > -- > *Stefan Andersson | Digital Janitor***** > > blog <http://sanders3d.wordpress.com> | showreel<http://vimeo.com/sanders3d>| > twitter <http://twitter.com/sanders3d> | > LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/in/sanders3d>| cell: > +46-73-6268850 | skype:sanders3d**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > > > > -- > *Stefan Andersson | Digital Janitor***** > > blog <http://sanders3d.wordpress.com> | showreel<http://vimeo.com/sanders3d>| > twitter <http://twitter.com/sanders3d> | > LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/in/sanders3d>| cell: > +46-73-6268850 | skype:sanders3d**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** >
