Export to FBX only exports nodes and no mesh

[buttauma]

Hi, 

I reinstalled Alias today on a new System. Every setting is stock and no preferences are loaded in. I tried to export a model to FBX and import it in a diffrent software. Tessellation seems to be not working eventho everything is checked accordingly. I tried to do the same on other projects, same results. No meshes are generated, only empty nodes that represent the pivot points of the surfaces. 

Might there be a problem with missing drivers or framework programs that I'm missing? All Drivers are up to date. 

[Michael-GG]

@buttauma which version are you working on? Could you please provide the result of such an exported file, and the logfile of the export process as well?

[Andreas_Bergmann]

Hi, did you tesselate the surfaces before export? This is my workaround... also gives you more control on uvs.

Best,

Andreas

[rauscht]

Hi,

sorry to hear you are facing issues with Alias' Save As FBX functionality.

In order to be able to analyze the problem, please provide some more information - like GG already asked for. To be more specific, could you please

• Name the Alias version you are using
• Use the option set as shown in the attached screen shot below, specifically use "Logfile Output" and "File Format" := "ASCII"
• Please provide a sample FBX file which you have created that way
• Please provide the according log file

If you want to, you may open the FBX file in your preferred editor (ASCII flavor of FBX is kind of human-readable), and check if there is some geometry contained.

Thanks

Thomas

• 

[steve_k2400]

Hi!

There is still no solution to this problem. (Build 299, Update 1).
Our IT was informed by Autodesk that it will be MAYBE fixed in 2024.
Was that a joke or do you really want to prohibit the users of your product (who paid a lot of money to you for licensing the software) to exchange tesselated FBX files with other 3D packages?

[steve_k2400]

Are you ignoring my comment because this problem is actually not a bug but instead a deliberate elimination of functionality?

Let's summarize some facts:

- The tessellation algorithm in Alias works just fine. It is used by the Diagnostic Shading and the Hardware Shade and both work as expected. (They both have the same tessellation settings as the FBX exporter so it should be the same code).
- Tessellation in OBJ Export works perfectly. It has slightly different settings so it might be a different subroutine.
- Tessellation in the JT exporter also works fine but it also has slightly different settings.
- Tessellation for the STL output is also okay but again a completely different interface.

(Why do you have so many different tessellation variants in your code for the exact same task? That's not very efficient...)

- The FBX exporter itself also works except it doesn't tessellate. But NURBS and curves are all exported perfectly.

So, as it seems, the only thing that is broken, is that tiny little checkbox that tells the FBX exporter to tessellate the surfaces.

Normally checkboxes don't break down between releases as they are just an IF statement calling or not calling something else. Even if they would, they could be fixed in a minute. (As the actual tessellation code in Alias is still working flawlessly.)

I'm not sure if you are using an internal translator routine or calling the external FBX translator (AlToFBX.exe) from inside Alias but I guess you use the external one as it has the exact same problem.
(If not, then what is the chance that both the internal as well as the external translators are broken "accidentally" the same way?)

Why is FBX so important in Alias?

Because currently it is the only convenient way to export polygon data out of Alias to an efficient, binary file with all characteristics (shaders, layers, meshes, animation, etc.).
None of the remaining file formats are able to export all of that data at once and tessellate/organise the resulting polygons at the same time.

So, if that tiny little glitch is not fixed within a day and mentioning it after a reasonable amount of time (3 months!) only gets ignored, then the only reason remains is that it's not a glitch but a deliberate castration of the software to disrupt emerging workflows which shift certain tasks to better performing and cheaper software. Such a behaviour would be by the way a deliberate fraud on customers.

Correct me if I'm wrong, please. (By simply fixing the problem.)

PS: repairing and distributing the external translator alone would already solve the problem and would be an easy and quick fix. (No need for a complete redistribution of the complete software.)

So, what is stopping you to do so?

[Andreas_Bergmann]

Hi, 2024 now tesselates the nurbs in fbx export but uv mapping is not usable, no cord length and tiling is unpredictable. Without basic UV mapping control fbx shader export functionality makes no sense to me. I stick to 2023, tesselate manually, reparametrize the meshes and export as fbx. This is as far as I could get but really not convenient.

[steve_k2400]

@Andreas_Bergmann : Thanks for the info.
Unfortunately that workflow can not be automated from the outside of Alias. And that's exactly the problem and also that is the reason why I think there is some deliberation in the way Autodesk handles this.
With a properly working external converter, one can call the converter from outside and process the resulting FBX file from another software. Simple and this was working fine in 2022.
As I'm working for a large, multinational company, the possibility to roll out updates of a software is limited as it involves a huge IT apparatus. So becoming well tested, bug free software is essential to us. (Not to mention, that we are not talking about a 50 Euro software here).

Reverting to 2022 is also not easy because of that large IT infrastructure again. 

I would be happy if we could get the 2022 external translator with proper tessellation for the 2023 version. It's just a small exe file and it doesn't run without proper licenses so there is no harm to just post it here as an attachment.  
I'm sure that if Autodesk would WANT to solve this, they could do it easily. What makes me angry, is that there is no willingness to provide a quick fix. 

You get better support from companies offering freeware software...

[Michael-GG]

@steve_k2400 sorry for the late reply here. My QA team and I were very busy until end of last week to get Alias 2024.0 out of the door. I already flagged this thread for myself for follow up last week.
We are aware of this issue, as well as of its importance. For internal and external reference, this issue is logged as ALSO-4749 for Alias 2024.0, respectively ALS-17150 for Alias 2023.X.
For Alias 2024.0, this bug was fixed, even though Andreas has just stated that the bugfix seems to be only partial. I will look into this with high priority.
We are also currently investigating what it would take to offer a solution for Alias 2023.X. The bug is not in the Alias code itself, but in one of the translation libraries we are using, as you have already figured out yourself. But of course we don't want to offer our customer a "hand made" solution, which requires manual work, but instead something which works out of the box. But investigating this takes time and effort.
I sincerely apologize again for the inconvenience being caused here, and I can assure you that we take this issue very seriously!
I will comment on this thread very soon, on both, the remaining 2024.0 issue, as well as potential solutions for Alias 2023.X.
Thanks,
GG

[steve_k2400]

Hi Michael, thank you for your reply and thanks for taking it seriously. 

To be honest, a quick "hand made" solution requiring some file changes in an existing 2023 installation would be preferable for us. Such a replacement can be packed in a batch file and automatised without requiring a large IT software roll out. (As an in between solution until the next major release change).
Anyway, I'm looking forward to your comment.

Thank you,

Steve

[Michael-GG]

@Andreas_Bergmann thanks for your feedback here. We have logged ALSO-4748 and ALSO-8108, which (for your information) seem to be import related bugs. We will look into them as soon as possible.

Thanks,

GG

[steve_k2400]

Hello Michael, is there any progress or solution yet?

We really need a functional exporter as this problem hinders some of our workflows greatly.

As you already identified the broken library and fixed it in 2024, that should make fixing the 2023 version a lot easier.

Please consider a quick solution with a simple replacement of the broken library files instead (or beside) of rolling out a full update. As I mentioned before, a full update roll out in our studios is a large IT task with pre-testing and roll-out packaging which takes a lot of time.

I'm looking forward to hear from you.

Thanks and best Regards,

Steve  

[Michael-GG]

@steve_k2400 I started the discussion, but there is no final call yet on how/when we are going to address a fix for Alias 2023.X (please keep in mind it's vacation time currently).
As you are working "for a large, multinational company", could you please get an official support ticket logged, and let me know once you did? Knowing which customers need a 2023 solution for this problem helps us to prioritize this the most accurate way.
Thanks,
GG

[steve_k2400]

@Michael-GG I sent you a PN.

[Michael-GG]

@steve_k2400 received, I will get back to you on this shortly.