AutoCAD 2019 removed FBX import and export

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

I just want to mention for all thinking about updating to 2019 that FBX can't be imported and can't be exported any more.

Also discussed >>>here<<< as I use it quite often to exchange data between Infraworks and Civil 3D. But there are some other reasons too to need FBX import and export.

For me it's not an upgrade, it's a downgrade when a new version of a product can do less than the previous one. Really sad with that.

- alfred -

[skylardaniels]

Alfred,

Good question thanks for asking!

To give you some perspective on why it has replace FBX import/export for me, I am a tradesperson who does BIM VDC work fulltime for a contractor. I work primarily out of Navisworks (for coordination with other trades) and AutoCAD. We would regularly use FBX export from Navisworks in order scavenging design model valves/components/equipment/vessels/steel or any other model content that we were not provided in DWG form and import them into AutoCAD. I am not sure of your use of FBX other than to import to Civil 3D from infraworks, but when FBX import capabilities were removed it disrupted our workflow for accessing this geometry from Navisworks to AutoCAD. Could we manage to bring them in by converting the FBX to DWG with 3DS max? Sure, but it was not very streamline and if one did not have the AEC license bundle they would have to purchase additional software.

I hope that I did not offend anyone by posting this here, I just it might help some folks. Will Navis to Acad be beneficial in your personal workflow? Maybe. Could it benefit other folks who are using Navisworks along side AutoCAD who stumble upon this thread? I would bet on it.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> I am not sure of your use of FBX other than to import

>> to Civil 3D from infraworks

FBX is not just used for AutoCAD to Infraworks (or Civil 3D to Infraworks), in the meantime FBX is one of the major data exchange formats for 3D geometry with optional material-/texture-information.

So it's useful to exchange data between a lot of different products ... and now you can't get that done any more as Autodesk decided to remove one important file format from AutoCAD and verticals.

>>Would we manage to bring them in by converting the FBX to DWG with 3DS max?

Only for those, who

• have a license of 3DS-Max
• have the knowledge for how to use 3DS-Max

>> I hope that I did not offend anyone by posting this here

Not offending, but I don't understand the usage of your plugin as a suggestion or solution to the thread's major question "FBX is removed in AutoCAD".

- alfred -

[JamesMaeding]

@skylardaniels 

You did the opposite of offend, you created a solution that interested me, at least, a lot.

Autodesk is the one that offended us by removing fbx without giving a real reason, not just that it was "easier" for them to do.

Anyway, how hard was it to deal with the FBX SDK? I assume that's what you did?

Was your tool a major project or was it somewhat easy to implement in your opinion?

At first I thought you with autodesk but I should have known better as this is likely a no-touchy subject for them.

[JamesMaeding]

@Alfred.NESWADBA  and @skylardaniels 

True, the plugin is not perfectly on topic, but I always welcome comments from programmers that have worked on aspects of the issue.

The fact that adesk released an "add back in" for fbx read and write to autocad, is a sign that its possibly not that hard to do with the SDK. I'd love to hear from anyone that has dug into the fbx sdk. Maybe its right under our noses.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> anyone that has dug into the fbx sdk.

Why do you think that the FBX SDK was used?
From the video it looks like a plugin for Navisworks creating objects in the active AutoCAD task. I don't see anything with FBX involved in that. But lets see...

- alfred -

[skylardaniels]

Jmaeding,

It was a bit of an undertaking but I mostly do software development moonlighting in the evenings as my full time gig is a BIM modeler. Although it is not using the FBX SDK, I have dug into it a bit and everything to make an FBX importer is available via the C++ SDK. I have not looked into the Python SDK but I assume the same capability is there. A lot of folks, myself included, look to the FBX SDK for doing run time importing of models into the HoloLens.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> A lot of folks, myself included, look to the FBX SDK for doing

>> run time importing of models into the HoloLens.

One more application that misses AutoCAD's FBX export option 😉

(well, if parts of your BIM models would come from AutoCAD, of course)

- alfred -

[JamesMaeding]

@Alfred.NESWADBA  and @skylardaniels 

Just remember that civil's don't yet have BIM software. I've done this 3d model coordination for years now, and the building guys have Revit but Civil3d and others out there are not BIM level. Autodesk seems to have taken heed not to all out advertise C3D as BIM, and we need to hold them to it as our industry has decades of development unattended to. We are just starting compared to Revit and real BIM.

[cwr001]

I just want to push this until a proper solution is found - I really don't get why they'd remove this feature.

It was such a simple yet effective workflow for Civil3d <-> Infraworks (at least if you knew about that bug with large coordinates...).

Mindboggling.

[JamesMaeding]

@cwr001 

Right, they kept fbx in IW, so why can't autocad consume an fbx?

You know there was a conversation at autodesk where someone that did not appreciate autocad and wanted to steer us to 3dsmax since "of course" we would want to use that for 3d modeling, and we would have to pay for it.

That must have insulted the remaining autocad focused people but apparently they did not have the clout to prevent it.

I guess this because autodesk did release the "add back in" tool for 2019, then retracted it. Oops.

I'm sure someone got their hand slapped for that. All these games and the customer loses in the end.

I just went to see if adding fbx back to autocad was on the idea station page. Whoops, no idea page for autocad.

That proves we have no enhancement requests for autocad. Its amazing how they read our minds so perfectly.

[alexey.kurenkov]

@JamesMaeding  You have the option to once again give access to AutodeskAutocadFBX2019_64.exe? You'll help me out.

[dean_bloomer]

A rather important Note to make per this discussion- to me at least.

The supplied Ribbon still has a Pallette icon and command to do the task ? WTF

Refer attached screen grab.

[cadffm]

1. This is not AutoCAD (but the topic is)

2. Are you sure that this panel is a standard panel of 2019 AdvanceSteel?

    I am just asking because of the "cloud" icon, instead a correct icon.

If so: THX, good to know.

[dean_bloomer]

to be quite honest I was trying plain vanilla acad 2019 and Advanced steel must have snipped the wrong screen but came up same for bot.

Icon no idea....

did it in acad 2016 ... progress.

[cschnarr]

---

@JamesMaeding 

Do you still have the FBX add in? I realized i need it today and I found this thread. It seems the link you provided is no longer good. Please advise or re-post. Thank you.

[jeffbeck]

I don't have my work computer handy but what I did have was and OBJ importer
and exporter from ProtoTech.
https://www.prototechsolutions.com/product-category/3d-cad-plugins/obj-expor
ter/

Be careful though, my machine crashed and I had to reinstall the OS and
replace the motherboard. I had to pay for a new license as their policy is
one install per "hardware". If there was any other product available I
would have chosen it as their policy is bewildering and unfair.

If you do find another solution, I would be happy to hear about it.



Good luck,

[JamesMaeding]

sure, use this for fbx add on:

fbx add on 

[cschnarr]

Thank you very much. It seems like Autodesk is not going to provide an
add-in for 2020 and beyond.

[jeffbeck]

I guess we'll see if they listened to us with this newest release.

[pendean]

You don't have to wait... R2021 is out.