Hi Morten, Here at DAT <http://digitalassettailors.com> we are exporting Maya geometry via alembic to XSI for shading purposes(yes plenty geo big files = slow) later on we export ASS archives for non-deformed parts from XSI shading scene, logically split, front left wheel, rear left wheel, car body etc. Then we plug it on standin objects in rendering scene where we transfer animation via animation curves or via alembic... I guess best way would be to export transformed nulls from Maya to Soft via alembic for all those parts and attach standins to dummy objects under those nulls? Then you just overwrite your alembics per shot and your ass files when shading updated.
Hope this makes sense. Cheers. Ivan On Wed, Apr 22, 2015 at 2:58 PM, Simon Reeves <[email protected]> wrote: > Yeah sounds tricky with so many objects! Good luck... > > > > 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 13:20, Morten Bartholdy <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I am not using the rig in XSI, just the render geometry in its >> hierarchy. >> >> >> >> Thanks for the illustrative ppg's :) >> >> >> >> >> >> Morten >> >> >> >> Den 22. april 2015 kl. 13:34 skrev Simon Reeves <[email protected]>: >> >> 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 >> >> >> >> >> > > -- Ivan Vasiljevic - Lighting TD Founder, Digital Asset Tailors - web: http://digitalassettailors.com/ email: [email protected]
