I agree with Simon, if it's only for rendering I would export just the geometry with flattened hierarchy and transforms, will be a light cache that way if you don't have any deformations.
On Wed, Apr 22, 2015 at 1:34 PM, Simon Reeves <[email protected]> wrote: > How much rig are you keeping in XSI for your render model? > > Personally I would prefer to only export the meshes from maya, without > hierarchy (and have none in xsi). > > Doing that with crate doesn't *only* export deforming point caches, it > will export kinematics if the object is being animated in a hierarchy > > I did a simple test like that > > *- Null* (animated) > * - Null* (animated) > * - Geo* <-- export without hierarchy as point cache only > > [image: Inline images 2] > > XSI: > *Model* > * - Geo* > > Select the *Model* import alembic with these settings > > [image: Inline images 1] > That should attach the cache to any objects in the selected model (import > root selection) that match the object names in the .abc file > > strip namespaces (likely you need to) > add the time control to the model rather than scene root (optional) > > And that attached cache to the kinematics so the object is rotating not > just deforming. > > I hope that's helpful! Sorry if it's too simplistic! > > > > > > > > Simon Reeves > London, UK > *[email protected] <[email protected]>* > *www.simonreeves.com <http://www.simonreeves.com>* > *www.analogstudio.co.uk <http://www.analogstudio.co.uk>* > > On 22 April 2015 at 09:23, Morten Bartholdy <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I have a complex vehicle which is animated in Maya and needs to be >> exported to Softimage for shading and rendering. I am using Crate for >> export and import, having a shaded Master model in Softimage and attaching >> animation only to the existing geometry. There are some snags though, and >> the Crate documenTation is kind of slim on this, so I thought I would ask >> the Alembic savvy people here. >> >> >> The model is rigged so rigid geometry is constrained to a hierarchial >> rig which is then animated. Hierarchial meaning for instance a crane arm >> with several hinged parts. There are deformed tubes which are part of the >> crane arm, so eventually I need pointcache as well as SRT exported. >> >> >> When I use the built in Maya alembic exporter I get almost all of the >> animation, but it seems certain constraints are nok baked and exported, >> plus a few parts jump to wrong positions where identically named parts >> (with individual numbering) are positioned. Using Crate I can export the >> geometry with animation and import the whole thing fine, but when I try >> attaching the same file animation to existing geometry (the shaded master >> model) I only get the top hierarchy controllers SRT. The naming is >> identical and I strip Maya namespaces, so that should not be a factor. >> >> >> How do you guys manage a Crate workflow similar to this and are there >> any particular pitfalls, or do's and don'ts? Specifically I fail to find >> the various export options comprehensively documented, so it is a bit >> unclear how to be sure to export pointcache for deformed objects and SRT >> for rigid ones. >> >> >> Any insight in this wil be much appreciated - thanks! >> >> >> Cheers >> >> Morten >> >> >> >
