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FBX SDK 2013.x - Upcoming Major API Changes

29 REPLIES 29
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Message 1 of 30
RobertGoulet
1134 Views, 29 Replies

FBX SDK 2013.x - Upcoming Major API Changes

Hello everyone!

In the next major release of FBX (2013), we are planning a major change to the whole API. We are putting a lot of efforts to bring the API to a consistent level. Since the modifications are major, we wanted to let you know that your code calling FBX SDK API will most likely be broken upon upgrading to FBX SDK 2013.

What are we doing exactly?
- Renaming almost every class/structure of the FBX SDK to a consistent way.
- Moving enumerations inside classes.
- Grouping logical classes/functions together.
- Renaming file names and path names.
- Removing a lot of deprecated code.
- Exposing previously private classes.
- Unifying usage of internal classes.
- ...and many more small clean-up changes all over the place!

In this release, we will not have any deprecated calls, since this would mean the whole SDK would be deprecated. This also means a lot of functions or classes will not be available anymore, and sometimes without replacements. At some point we needed to look back and make some decisions about what the FBX SDK should offer. Decisions were mostly motivated by the fact that the FBX SDK has grown pretty large over time, and inconsistent in a way. This is ok, we've been working on it for almost two decades now. 😉

FBX 2013 will not be ready for a while still, we just wanted you to be aware of the upcoming major changes, and we hope to upload a build on the Beta boards eventually, thought I cannot provide any precise schedule. We are very excited with the API face-lift, and we hope you will all like the FBX SDK API rejuvenation we are working on for some time now!

If you have any questions or comments about this topic, please do not hesitate to ask below! Thank you!

-Robert Goulet
Robert Goulet, FBX Dev Lead
29 REPLIES 29
Message 2 of 30
Anonymous
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Hi Robert,
thanks for the heads up.
To help us out with the renaming, could you ensure that typedefs for the old names are provided? e.g.
K_DEPRECATED typedef FbxNewClass KFbxOldClass;
K_DEPRECATED typedef FbxClass::NewEnum EOldEnum;
Thanks
-Michael
Message 3 of 30
RobertGoulet
in reply to: RobertGoulet

As we have previously stated, we do not intend to have any deprecated calls in this version of the FBX SDK, that would be too much work. However, we do plan to provide a compatibility header file that will typedef most of the previous classes just like you are proposing.

This will help the transition, but it will be difficult to make sure we didn't forget to add a class or an enum to this file. I propose that once we deliver the early alpha FBX 2013 that you test it out and report any missing class, function or enum that should have been added to that compatibility header file.
Robert Goulet, FBX Dev Lead
Message 4 of 30
Anonymous
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Aside from the the API, will there be changes in the FBX file format?
Message 5 of 30
Anonymous
in reply to: RobertGoulet

I assume that FBX SDK 2013.x will be compatible with python3.2, is that correct?

However, have you guys considered rebuilding the current release for python3.2?
There are some environments where this version of python is a natural choice
and being stuck to python3.1 due to the lack of support from FBX SDK is a little
uncomfortable, to say the least 🙂
Message 6 of 30
RobertGoulet
in reply to: Anonymous

We will most likely tune a few things, but it will remain backward and forward compatible. You will not notice any major changes in the file format.
Robert Goulet, FBX Dev Lead
Message 7 of 30
RobertGoulet
in reply to: Anonymous

For the FBX 2013.x, yes I think it would be a good thing to upgrade to Python 3.2. As for the 2012.x line, there's another release coming down the road at the end of this summer, perhaps we can manage to fit this upgrade there, but I cannot promise anything. 😉
Robert Goulet, FBX Dev Lead
Message 8 of 30
Anonymous
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Howdy,

Will it be rock solid and more stable (crash resistant) when using with other api's, for example in a non Autodesk application plugin project?

Edit:
If you don't understand exactly what I mean, take a look at my post in this thread over at the Cinema 4D plugin developer support forum:
www.plugincafe.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5845&PID=24471#24471

Adios,
Cactus Dan
Message 9 of 30
zoujy06
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Hi Robert,

ZOU
Message 10 of 30
zoujy06
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Hi Robert,
I’m sorry, what I am going to talk about may be not directly related to this topic, but it is very important to me . I hope you can help me . Thank you forward!
My problem is I find that memory leak occurs when I Load a .3ds file using FBXSDK 2011.3.1or 2012.1.
I have done a simple project in vs2005 to test whether memory leak occurs when loading .3ds files or .fbxs file or .obj files using FBXSDK 2011.3.1 .
The result of the test is that when loading .3ds files, memory leaks. When loading .fbx files or .obj files memory is OK.
The attachment is the test project, I hope you can help to find whether the memory leak is due to my misapplying of the FBXSDK.

Thanks a lot.

ZOU

fbxsdk2011_test.zip

Message 11 of 30
RobertGoulet
in reply to: Anonymous

We always work hard to be as much crash free as possible. Sometimes, the unexpected can happen.
Robert Goulet, FBX Dev Lead
Message 12 of 30
RobertGoulet
in reply to: zoujy06

I will log this defect in our database, thank you for the information!
Robert Goulet, FBX Dev Lead
Message 13 of 30
Anonymous
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Hi Robert,

I would like to ask the FBX team for something that has been asked before by other people, although I'm sure it might not be in your plans, but anyway...

The importance of memory-loading for very large projects is a must, as we run the risk of having to publish the application with all the .fbx files lumped up in a data directory, and as such, viewable by anyone with the right tools. I would like to avoid that as much as possible, so is there any possibility that you might include the option to memory-load the .fbx files onto the FBX SDK?

This would be quite a lot of help for anyone planning to release something big in the future. I hope you will give it some attention, I cannot express how much it would help me personally.

Thank you very much for a brilliant SDK.

Kudos,
albeif
Message 14 of 30
Anonymous
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Will the new FBX enable us to read AutoDesk materials. for example Revit FBX includes internal binary material description that makes it unreadable by none AutoDesk application which forces us to request users to install a Revit plugin to export formats other than FBX.

If the new version will enable us to access those materials, this will be a great plus.
Message 15 of 30

Hi simlab,

The materials that are in Revit can only be used in AutoCAD, Navisworks, Showcase and 3dsMax.

There is an option on the command-line FBX Converter, called /matconvert, that will convert the objects in the original file to be Materials. However, no color or texture information will be included. The converted file will be able to have materials applied in correctly with the names of the materials that were used in the Revit file.


Viviane Rochon Montplaisir
Message 16 of 30
Anonymous
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Howdy,

Will the new version support spline IK? Since it already supports IK and constraints, it would be nice to also have spline IK support so that a fairly complete character rig could be exchanged between applications.

Adios,
Cactus Dan
Message 17 of 30
Ionchiq
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Will be good to look forward to geometry with changing topology animation when planning future fbx architecture changes.
Message 18 of 30
nhasson76
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Hello,

I'm working with the FBX sdk for couple of months and so far it is extremely helpful tool.
Our project is based on Direct3D rendering engine using Left Handed coordinate system.
The conversion methods of the KFbxAxisSystem class are not working well for us and we have to overcome some issues using our own conversion matrices.
It would be nice to know if a fix for that issues is planed for the upcoming version.

Cheers,

Nir
Message 19 of 30
Anonymous
in reply to: RobertGoulet

Do you have a timeframe for the alpha release and instructions to apply?


Thanks,
Kev
Message 20 of 30
Anonymous
in reply to: RobertGoulet

+1 for Python 3.2, I want to write an FBX importer for Blender,

the latest version comes bundled with 3.2,

checked out the latest SDK (2013.2), unfortunately still no Python 3.2 available.

It'd be much appreciated, thanks guys for the awesome SDK. 🙂

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