This geometry export converter writes out the Okino internal 3D scene database to Autodesk FilmBox Files (FBX). This export converter supports meshes, NURBS surfaces, spline shapes (converted to meshes or NURBS surfaces), lights, cameras, materials, automatic bitmap conversion, skeleton (bones) and mesh deformation skinning, object animation, camera animation, light animation, material animation and more.

Statistically, the Okino FBX exporter has been primarily used for moving data into the Unity 3D gaming engine. If you are exporting data into 3ds Max or Maya then please use Okino's PolyTrans-for-3dsMax or PolyTrans-for-Maya software.

Please refer to the corresponding Okino FBX importer for extensive information about how the FBX file format works with Okino software.

Enables Panel # 1

This panel controls the output of geometric items (meshes and trimmed NURBS), materials and texture definitions.

Output mesh data

If this checkbox is checkmarked then mesh geometry will be exported. This option also controls whether meshed versions of NURBS surfaces, bicubic patches, renderable NURBS curves or Spline Shapes will be output as well.

Output vertex normals

If this checkbox is checkmarked then vertex normals will be exported along with the mesh geometry.

Output u,v texture map coordinates

If this checkbox is checkmarked then (u,v) vertex texture coordinates will be exported along with the mesh geometry.

Output vertex colors (if available)

If this checkbox is checkmarked then all the colors assigned to each and every vertex will be exported along with the mesh geometry. At present this option is disabled because the FBX file format does not have the capability to export vertex colors.

Output bone deformation skinning weights

Enabling this option will turn on one of the most complex aspects of the FBX export process, that of being able to export skinning weights associated with mesh data.

"Mesh skinning" is the process of deforming a single skin mesh with a skeleton or any hierarchical set of transform nodes. The contribution of each bone of the skeleton to the deformation of a vertex in the mesh is controlled by vertex weights.

Only skinned meshes are supported for export, not skinned NURBS surfaces or skinned curves.

Typical destinations for skinned meshes are Maya, CINEMA 4D, 3ds Max, LightWave, Softimage, U3D, COLLADA, FBX and DirectX.

Output NURBS surfaces (patches)

If this checkbox is checkmarked then trimmed NURBS surfaces will be exported, either in raw form or as converted polygon meshes.

Output NURBS as polygon meshes

If this checkbox is checkmarked then the raw trimmed NURBS will be tessellated into a polygon mesh prior to export. If it remains uncheckmarked then the raw trimmed NURBS data will be exported directly.

Output NURBS trim curves

If the above option is disabled (pure NURBS output enabled) then this checkbox determines whether trim curves will be output along with the parent trimmed NURBS surfaces. Trim curves define the outer boundary of a NURBS patch as well as specifying internal trim holes and islands.

Output materials ('surface' definitions)

If this checkbox is checkmarked then materials will be exported along with any associated texture map references.

Multiply shading coefficients into material colors

The internal PolyTrans/NuGraf scene database uses "photo-realistic" materials, for which each color has a "shading coefficient". The shading coefficient can be thought of as a brightness control without having to modify the base color (such as the ambient, diffuse, specular or lumous colors).

If this checkbox is enabled then the shading coefficients will be multiplied into the respective base color before being output to FBX file format -- this is the ideal and default option. However, some programs do not import FBX materials properly and make the imported scene appear dark - so in this case you can disable this checkbox and cause the exported scene to be brighter (because the shading coefficients were not multiplied into the base colors).

Output texture layer information

If this checkbox is checkmarked then all texture references made by the material will be output in succession. The PolyTrans/NuGraf internal database allows one or more texture layers to be associated with each material, and each layer can reference a different texture map (each layer makes reference to a different "texture definition").

Enables Panel # 2

Output Cameras

If this checkbox is checkmarked then all parameters associated with a camera definition will be output.

Output Lights

If this checkbox is checkmarked then all parameters associated with a light definition will be output, including those parameters for ambient, point, spot and directional light sources.

Output hierarchy information

If this option is enabled (checkmarked) then the hierarchical relationship of objects in the scene will be exported. Please note that this option can't be disabled unless you disable the "Object animation" checkbox first.

Pivots Points Embedding Mode

Pivot points are a fundamental component of an animation system. In the realm of the PolyTrans animation system ‘pivot points’ define a local 3D coordinate system in space of an object about which the scale, rotation and translation animation function curves will be applied. The pivot point in PolyTrans is defined by a point in space and a local coordinate system defined by 3 orthogonal axes; the pivot point is defined relative to the local coordinate system of the mesh or NURBS geometry data. However, for file formats such as FBX, the pivot point is defined to be the local origin of the raw mesh or NURBS data.

PolyTrans has to resort to other methods to get this pivot point information exported into FBX. Three options are provided, the first two which are identical except for method in which the pivot info is added to the scene graph:

Embed Pivot in Geometry Data

The inverse pivot matrix (which defines the location and orientation of the pivot point) is multiplied into the raw mesh vertices or the raw NURBS Cvs. This is only done (and only necessary) when the parent null node corresponding to this shape node is animated. This is the default option since it does not introduce any new anti-pivot nodes into the hierarchy tree.

If it so happens that a PolyTrans null node (empty instance, empty folder) has animation on it as well as having a valid non-identity pivot matrix, then a child ‘anti-pivot’ node is added to the tree; the child node is assigned the inverse pivot matrix and the original parent transform node gets the animation data. This properly applies the anti-pivot effect to the subsequent children in the tree.

Add Anti-Pivot Transform Node

A new "anti-pivot" FBX node is introduced into the hierarchy tree, between the shape node (the mesh or NURBS geometry node) and the parent FBX node which has animation on it. The inverse of the PolyTrans pivot point matrix is assigned to the transformation matrix of this new anti-pivot node. This new anti-pivot node acts to ‘pivot-in’ the geometry vertices or Cvs prior to the animation data being applied to the geometry.

Don’t Output Pivot Points

This option prevents pivot point information from being output to the FBX file. Normally you would never want to enable this option.

Mesh Processing Options Panel

This panel controls the processing options of the polygon mesh exporter "engine".

Want convex polygons only

Checkmark this checkbox to cause non-convex polygons to become triangulated

Want quadrilateral polygons only

Checkmark this checkbox to cause 5 or more sided polygons to become triangulated

Want triangles only

Checkmark this checkbox to cause 4 or more sided polygons to become triangulated

Optimize texture coordinate list

Checkmark this checkbox to have the any duplicated uv texture coordinates removed.

Sort polygons by assigned material name

Checkmark this checkbox to cause the order of the polygons in the processed mesh data to be sorted according to the names of the material (surface definitions) assigned to them. Normally the polygons are output in the same order in which they exist internally in the database.

Bitmap Handling Options Panel

This dialog box controls how referenced bitmap files will be handled during the export process. The three options are basically:

• Do not modify the bitmap filename reference and do not perform any bitmap conversion. This is useful if your bitmaps are already in a format recognized by the destination 3D program.
• Perform bitmap conversion for those file formats not recognized by the destination 3D program and change the file extension of the bitmap. For example, if exporting to a file which references a bitmap called “brick.iff” (in the Amiga IFF file format), then this dialog box can enable the export converter to convert the Amiga IFF bitmap file to a recognized file format such as TIFF.

No Bitmap Conversion or Bitmap Filename Changes (Radio Button)

If this radio button is chosen then any exported bitmap references will not be changed, its filename extension won’t be changed, the path to the bitmap will not be changed and no bitmap conversion will be done.

Convert all Bitmap File References To... (Radio Button)

Rather than convert referenced bitmap images to another file format this radio button (when selected) simply changes all the file extensions on bitmap files to a specific type. For example, if set to “TIFF” then all exported bitmap filenames will be changed so that their file extensions end in “.tif”. This is a useful option is you already have all of the referenced texture maps converted to the desired file format.

Auto-Convert Bitmap Files to Another Format (Radio Button)

If this radio button is selected then all 2d bitmap textures which are currently defined and referenced by the internal NuGraf/PolyTrans database scene will be automatically tagged then converted to a new user-specified 2d bitmap file format. For example, if the scene makes references to IFF bitmap files then this option can be enabled so that the IFF images get converted to TIFF format automatically.

If the bitmap texture(s) cannot be found in the location specified by the pathname prepended to the texture filename then the export converter will search for the texture(s) in all directories specified in the file search paths (these can be modified by choosing the ‘File/Configure Paths’ dialog box and clicking the ‘Bitmaps’ tab).

Bitmap File Format (Combo Box)

This combo box lists the destination bitmap file format.

Bitmap Bits/Pixel: 2, 4, 8, 24 (Combo Box)

This combo lists determine the number of bits/pixel to write out to the new 2d bitmap file. The default is 24 bits. A color quantization algorithm will be used for the 2, 4 and 8 bits/pixel output formats. Not all bitmap file formats can accept 2-8 bits/pixel (in particular JPEG).

Dimensions: X = #, Y = #

These two drop-down list boxes determine the X and Y resolution for the converted bitmap file(s):

No Change		= Do not change the X or Y size (default)
Closest			= Use the next highest power-of-2 size
2, 4, 8, ... 256, 512	= Choose a specific size for the X or Y dimension

Confirm Potential Bitmap File Overwrites

If this checkbox is enabled (checkmarked) then the bitmap converter will confirm any potential overwrites of existing bitmap files on disk which have the same filename and extension as the one being written. If this option is disabled then no confirmation will be made.

Save Converted Bitmaps To...

These radio buttons determine where the new bitmap file will be written to. Note that enabling the ‘Replace all Bitmap File Paths With This Path:’ option or the ‘Strip File Paths From All Bitmap References’ option below will change the path prefix for the converted bitmap even though it was saved to disk in the location specified by one of these 3 radio buttons.

Directory Where Geometry Is Being Exported

The new bitmaps will be written to the directory where the exported files are being written to. Specific + Browse The new bitmaps will be written to the directory specified by the text box. This directory can be changed by press the ‘Browse’ button.

Bitmap File Paths Options Panel

This panel controls how bitmap file paths will be processed before being placed in the exported FBX file. File paths are used to proceed bitmap image filenames and basically allow specific directory or URL paths to be assigned to a bitmap image.

Convert all file paths to RFC1738 Standard

If this option is enabled (checkmarked) then all bitmap file paths written to the file will be converted into the "RFC 1738" URL format specification.

This option will override the "Convert all file paths to UNIX format" when enabled. However, the conversion to RFC1738 will not be done when a valid string is specified for the "Replace all Bitmap File Paths With This URL Address" option below (since it is assumed the URL address string specified is already in RFC1738 format). As examples:

C:\polytrans\bitmaps\texture.tif
	--> file:///C|/polytrans/bitmaps/texture.tif
\\machine\polytrans\bitmaps\texture.tif
	--> file:////machine/polytrans/bitmaps/texture.tif

Convert all file paths to UNIX format

If this option is enabled (checkmarked) then all bitmap file paths written to the file will be converted to a UNIX compatible format (it will not take effect if the "Convert all file paths to RFC1738 Standard" option is enabled). In particular, all DOS-specific backward slashes ‘\’ will be converted to UNIX forward slash ‘/’ directory separators. Also, any DOS-like drive specifiers, such as “c:\” will be removed from the file path and a warning message will be reported about the removal of this drive specifier (you should make sure that all DOS-like drive specifiers be replaced by UNC specifiers, such as \\machine1\). If this option is disabled then no conversions will be made.

Strip File Paths from All Bitmap References

If this option is enabled (checkmarked) then any file paths on a bitmap reference will be stripped off. For example, "C:\polytrans\bitmaps\texture.tif" will be output as "texture.tif".

Replace all Bitmap File Paths With This Absolute File Path:

This option allows all exported bitmap references to be prefixed with a new filepath. This might be useful, for example, if all of your bitmap files are located in one specific directory or if you wish to change the prefix on the imported bitmap references. This new path will override all other options on this bitmap conversion dialog box (in other words, it will replace a bitmap’s file path regardless of any other file path added to the bitmap via other options in this dialog box). To choose the filepath press the “Browse” button. To disable this option type any character into the "Replace all Bitmap File Paths With This URL Address" type-in line, then delete that character.

Replace all Bitmap File Paths With This Relative File Path:

This is the same as the previous "Replace all Bitmap File Paths With This Absolute File Path" option except that you can specify any arbitrary file path by typing the text into the type-in field. Whereas the previous method only allowed absolute file paths (ie: "C:\polytrans\bitmaps\texture.tif"), this option allows for relative file paths (ie: "bitmaps\texture.tif"). To disable this option, delete all text in the type-in field.

Replace all Bitmap File Paths With This URL Address:

If this option is enabled (checkmarked) then all bitmap filenames (used in association with a texture map) will be prefixed with the string specified in the URL type-in. For example, if a texture references the filename:

c:\files\textures\bitmap.tif
within this program’s database, and the URL is specified on this dialog box as:
http://www.okino.com/images/
then the bitmap filename will be stored in the file as:
http://www.okino.com/images/bitmap.tif

Animation Options Panel

This panel controls the export "animation conversion engine". This engine allows any form of animation data (TCB, Bezier, Euler, Quaternion, etc). to be exported in the format desired by the export converter mechanism.

Object Animation

If this option is enabled (checkmarked) then object animation data which is currently contained within the internal database will be exported.

Camera Animation

If this option is enabled (checkmarked) then camera animation data which is currently contained within the internal database will be exported.

Light Animation

If this option is enabled (checkmarked) then light animation data which is currently contained within the internal database will be exported.

Animation Resampling Related Options

The FBX exporter contains highly advanced animation conversion capabilities. Indeed, the animation conversion capabilities arise from some of Okino's most complex and well-designed code. Years of development effort, and feedback from users like you, have allowed us to refine our animation code into one of the most important aspects of this converter.

In particular, "animation resampling" is the hidden 'insurance guarantee' that allows all sources and types of imported animation data to be properly and ideally matched to an equivalent FBX form of animation, such that the source and destination animation data playback identically. In the ideal world the imported data from the source animation program would be fed directly to FBX, but this is not always possible, depending on the animation controllers and interpolation methods desired. "Resampling" is the process of mathematically converting the source animation data format (such as quaternion rotations + linear interpolation) into the desired destination format in FBX (such as Euler rotations + Bezier interpolation).

This animation importer will attempt to import the animation data in raw format, without any resampling, wherever possible (and thus no changes in animation data will be made). Otherwise, resampling will be used.

To minimize the amount of resampling done, and maximize your chances of getting "raw" keyframes imported, the following options should be used on this animation panel:

• "Keep Original Interpolation When Possible" checkbox enabled.
• "Keep Original Rotation Controller Type When Possible" checkbox enabled.
• "Fix up -180/180 Degree Euler Flips (Maintain Continuity)" checkbox disabled.
• All the "Force Keyframe Resampling Enables" checkboxes should be disabled on the "Animation Resampling & Reduction Options" dialog box (press the "Animation Resampling & Reduction Options" button found on this panel.

Preferred Interpolation Method (Linear, TCB, Bezier)

If and when animation resampling must be performed during the import process, it must select a target animation interpolation method. Since source animation data can possibly have controller types (such as 'constant') which cannot be readily replicated into FBX format, it is sometimes necessary to pick an arbitrary interpolation type as output for the resampling process. This arbitrary choice is left to you to choose and is selected via this drop-down box.

When the original interpolation method can be replicated into FBX format, you have a choice between keeping the original interpolation method or always using one specific interpolation method. That choice is controlled by the "Keep Original Interpolation Method When Possible" checkbox below. If you disable that checkbox, then all animation exported to FBX will be forced to use the interpolation type selected in the "Preferred Interpolation Method" drop-down box.

Keep Original Interpolation Method When Possible

If this checkbox is enabled then the animation resampling process will attempt to preserve the interpolation method used in the original source animation data. This can often be accomplished, but not in all cases. When it can be accomplished, then the animation data sent to the FBX file will preserve the same interpolation type as the original source animation data. Otherwise, the animation output to FBX will use the "Preferred Interpolation Method" you have specified above. You will typically want to keep this checkbox enabled.

NOTE: When this checkbox is enabled, keyframe resampling might still occur. However, the interpolation type of the resampled keyframes will have the same interpolation method as the original source animation data, when possible (or the "Preferred Interpolation Method" when the original source animation data's interpolation method cannot be used.)

If this checkbox is disabled then the resampling process will use the "Preferred Interpolation Method" you have specified above. If the original animation source data has a different interpolation type, then resampling must occur. If the original source data has the same interpolation type as the "Preferred Interpolation Method" you have specified above, then resampling will only occur if otherwise mandated.

Preferred Rotation Type (Quaternion, XYZ, XZY, YXZ, YZX, ZXY, ZYX)

(This option is disabled on the user interface because the current FBX file format requires Euler rotations in the XYZ order).

When we refer to the "rotation controller type" (or just rotation type), we are indicating whether a rotation animation is expressed in terms of Quaternions or in terms of Euler Angles. When rotation data is expressed in terms of Euler Angles, it is expressed in terms of some specific rotation axis order (such as XYZ or YZX). The rotation controller type of the original source animation data will have been chosen by the format-specific plugin which brought the source data into FBX. Generally, the rotation controller type of the original source animation data could vary from object to object, from camera to camera, and from light to light.

If and when animation resampling occurs on a rotation channel, the resampling process must select a target rotation type. Since repetitive-order Euler rotations (XYX, ZXZ, etc) of the source animation data are not entirely compatible with FBX's repetitive-order Euler rotations, it is sometimes necessary to pick an arbitrary rotation type as output for the resampling process. This arbitrary choice is left in your hands and is selected via this drop-down box.

Whenever the original rotation type can be replicated into FBX format, you have a choice between keeping the original rotation type or always using one specific rotation type. That choice is controlled by the "Keep Original Rotation Controller Type When Possible" option below. If you disable that checkbox, then all rotation animation exported to FBX format will be forced to use the rotation type selected in the "Preferred Rotation Type" list box.

Keep Original Rotation Controller Type When Possible

If this checkbox is enabled then the resampling process will attempt to preserve the rotation controller type used in the original source animation data. This can often be accomplished, but not in all cases. When it can be accomplished, then the rotation animation exported to FBX format will use the same rotation controller type as the original source animation data. Otherwise, the rotation animation exported to FBX will use the "Preferred Rotation Type" as specified above. You will typically want to keep this checkbox enabled.

NOTE: When this checkbox is enabled, rotation keyframe resampling might still occur. However, the resampled rotation keyframes will have the same rotation type as the original source animation data, when possible (or the "Preferred Rotation Type" when the original source animation data's rotation type is not compatible with FBX).

NOTE: The rotation type is not to be confused with the interpolation type. The selection of rotation type determines which rotation data channels are created inside the FBX file (either a single Quaternion channel or 3 independent Euler Angle channels), as well as which Euler Angle order to use (when the rotation type is not Quaternion). Each rotation channel created in the FBX file must then be assigned an interpolation type, which is determined according to the relevant options above ("Preferred Interpolation Type" and "Keep Original Interpolation Type When Possible").

If this checkbox is disabled then the resampling process will use the "Preferred Rotation Method" you have specified above. If the original animation source data has a different rotation type, then resampling must occur. If the original source data has the same interpolation type as the "Preferred Rotation Method" you have specified above, then resampling will only occur if otherwise mandated.

Maintain Euler Continuity

This option fixes exported Euler rotation channels which flip back and forth between values close to 180 degrees and -180.0 degrees, from key to key. Normally this flipping will not pose a problem unless FBX (or MotionBuilder) "slows down" an animation for previewing in slow motion, and does sub-key interpolation (in such cases the objects may appear to randomly spin in the wrong direction at specific keys). This is often a problem inside the MotionBuilder software program.

This option can only take effect when rotation curves are explicitly resampled during the import process.

NOTE: This option will not take effect if the 'Preferred Rotation Type' is set to Quaternion and the 'Keep Original Rotation Controller Type When Possible' is disabled.

Background Info:

There are several cases where the imported rotation animation needs to be "resampled" from one mathematical format to another, such as if the Euler order has to be changed, or when quaternion animation needs to be cross converted to Euler animation curves for FBX.

The resampling process first converts the imported rotation value(s) at each keyframe to a 4x4 rotation matrix, and then the matrix is decomposed into explicit (X, Y, Z) Euler rotation angles, of the desired Euler order. The Euler angles will always be in the range -180 to 180 degrees.

The primary disadvantage of the traditional Euler decomposition method comes about when the target program (DirectX, MotionBuilder, Maya or MAX) attempts to view the animation in a "slow motion" mode. Since two adjacent frames might have values of, say, -179.9 and 179.9 (or vice versa) on one of the Euler angles, the sub-frame interpolation between these values will result in a quick spin through 359.8(!) degrees, rather than the intended 0.2 degree change. When a "slow motion" mode is not in effect, the user will traditionally never see the sub-frame interpolated values because the -179.9 and 179.9 rotations are absolute and correct values (needing no further interpolation between them).

Problem example: if the imported source rotations are 150.0 deg, 179.0, deg, 185.0 deg, 190.0 deg then after resampling the rotations will be 150.0 deg, 179.0 def, -175.0 deg, -170.0 deg. These are correct. However, programs like MAX, Maya, MotionBuilder and DirectX, during slow-motion playback where sub-frame interpolation is performed, will look at the 179.0 to -175.0 degree interval and create new interpolated values through a 354 degree rotation interval and not the shorter 6 degree rotation.

What This Option Does:

Enabling this option will allow an additional algorithm to be used which detects cases of "-180/180 degree Euler Flips" and attempts to fix them. This alternative algorithm will take the previous frame of animation into account when performing rotation resampling. It will attempt to decompose the rotation into a equivalent set of Euler angles which represents the smallest Euler-space change of values. This makes the algorithm very good for preventing -180/180 discontinuities in the Euler animation curves. This allows "slow motion" sub-frame interpolation to function as ideally expected.

One possible down-side to this alternative algorithm is that Euler angles are free to "drift" away from the normal -180/180 range. Let us suppose you have an animation of a spinning top. Under the traditional algorithm, the top might spin from 0 to 180, then a discontinuity effect occurs, causing the next frames to go from -180 to 0 to 180, and so forth. With this option enabled, the top would spin from 0 to 180, then from 180 to 360 to 540, and so forth. There are hypothetical scenarios where users might not want that to happen. If that is the case, disable this option to ensure that all angles are clamped to the -180/180 range.

Animation Resampling and Reduction Options

Pressing this button will show the animation resampling and reduction options dialog box. This, in general, controls the precision and reduction options used globally during animation resampling (for both import and export). If you find that your imported animation data looks jittery or does not hit target translations/rotations, then reduce the tolerance values.

If you disable keyframe reduction, then resampled animation data will have a key at every frame. You might have a specific reason to desire that output. Leaving keyframe reduction enabled, but setting the tolerance values to zero, will result in a curve which perfectly fits the original curve at all frames, but has all redundant keys eliminated. For example, if a channel is actually non-animated, then leaving keyframe reduction enabled with a zero tolerance will result in far fewer keys than entirely disabling keyframe reduction.