Fbx export option all grayed out / Export Ik rig

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,

I am currently trying to export a simple mechanical rig with two IK arms managed by a central controller.
For the details the rig is not using skin object but constraints, and I parented the ik_handles to the central controller.

My issue is that when I am trying to export my file as fbx and reimport it in Maya the Ik chain is not here anymore and the ik_handles became empty objects.

When I checked the export options I realized that all include options were grayed out, while maya specified that fbx objects can manage IK constraints : https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/maya/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2020/ENU/Maya-Dat...

On the other hand, the Constraints option is available in the Export Fbx Animation tab, but I am tyring to export my model and rig with no animation.

I tried to import an image to show you the panel but autodesk server seems to have issues so it loaded for an eternity and failed, same for this post actually.. I'll try to upload it later.

If anyone know how I could do to make my export work ?

[regalir · Accepted solution]

Hi,

If you want to export the constraints, you still need to enable the "Animation" option to have access to the "Constraints" option. If your Maya scene has animation curves that you do not want to be exported, you will have to delete them inside Maya before the export. The FBX plug-in is designed to reproduce the Maya scene as close as possible to the original data and this means that, sometimes, you will have to "tweak" the scene before export to eliminate some data that you do not want in the FBX file.

Cheers!

[Anonymous]

Hi, I selected the Animation and Constraint boxes in the File Type Specific Options, but still have all the Include Options greyed out and the fbx is not exporting with my constraints. 

[regalir]

This is strange!

Maybe you just have some incompatibilities with the binaries? One thing you can try to do is to delete C:\Users\youraccount\Documents\maya\FBX\Presets folder to make sure your fbxmaya plug-in will re-use the default presets that ship with Maya. If the plug-in loaded the wrong presets, it is possible that it got confused with the available options.

Also, I can try on my side too but would it be possible to have a simple file that reproduce the issue? 

[Anonymous]

So here is a post about this issue.. :

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/maya-lt-forum/fbx-export-with-constraints/m-p/8848244#M5326

[Anonymous]

Couldn't get it to work on my end even after deleting the presets folder. Here's a sample file if you want to try on your end. Nothing in the above thread helped either. 

Sample File: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vnU69iGYB-HFTmDL2QhfmZUDZxthmJC3/view?usp=sharing

[regalir]

I guess I will need more information! I have tried your file in both Maya and MayaLT, the FBX export/import works as expected. At this point I am really not sure what is going on 😞 Which version of Maya are you using? Have you installed a different version of the FBX plug-in? What are the steps that you are performing to export and import?

I asked around and a Maya running a Student license does not block any features of the Export/Import of FBX so everything should work as expected (the file you gave me is indicating that it is generated with a student license).

[Anonymous]

Using regular Maya. Do you mind uploading the fbx? I gave to a friend and he couldn't get it to export with constraints or IK either. Even on re-importing back into maya, all the IKs read as empty groups. I'm using Maya 2020 but have 2019 and 2018 and the problem persisted in every version, even creating new scenes with new objects and constraints. Some people are saying maya doesn't even support exporting IKs or constraints, and you have to recreate those relationships in whatever software you are intending to export to, so I'm not really sure what to think at this point 😕

[regalir]

Well, let's clear the bad rumors first : Maya can export the following constraints to FBX (the option would not be in the UI if it was not working ;-)).

• Point
• Orient
• Scale
• Parent
• Aim
• IK Handle

I used Maya 2019 to generate the uploaded files but all recent versions of Maya should work as well. Constraints have been supported for years! I sincerely don't see why a regular Maya 2020 would not work. The only thing I can think of, is that it got confused with the other versions installed on your machine and it is loading the wrong plug-in. One thing you can do to verify this, is to go in the Windows->Settings/Preferences->plug-in manager, click on the (i) button of the fbxmaya plug-in and make sure that the 'Path', 'Plug-in Version' and 'For API version' values are consistent.

Ultimately, it may be worth considering to re-install Maya.

I have also uploaded a short video showing the Export/Import of the simple scene : single_ik. All the files are in ASCII so you can easily inspect them. And if you do a search for 'Constraint' in the FBX files, you will quickly find all the hiHanle constraints 🙂

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much. Yeah I'm expecting I'll need to reinstall as well, your fbx imported properly with all the constraints, really appreciate your taking the time to help.

[Anonymous]

I have the same problem I have uninstalled and done everything you suggested I even tried different versions of Maya and on multiple computers, it's always greyed out. Does the student version not have that option?