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Home ? How Do I ...? ? FBX strikes again!

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10/06/2016 08:21:48

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		Hey there,

Another FBX challenge from me. I bought a couple models and when I import them, they're semi-transparent and they flip up on their sides. I've tried examining them in Blender for hours, but can't make any progress. Any help greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

John
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10/06/2016 09:29:08

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		So the transparency part resolves itself if I save the file, close it and open it. But the flipping over thing's still haunting me!
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10/06/2016 12:30:37

PatMarrNCMuvizu mogul
PatMarrNC
Posts: 1738 		just taking a shot in the dark here... but I've noticed that models from different sources are sometimes made in a different coordinate system than Muvizu's. When Muvizu is telling a model to stay upright, that means Y+ will be forced to the top.

If the coordinate system of the models you bought uses X or Z as the vertical axis, then forcing Y+ to the top will look like the model is being flipped over on its side. If that's the case, the solution would be to rotate the object in blender and make whatever part of the model you want to be "up" to face in the Y+ direction.
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10/06/2016 14:57:55

ukBertyMuvizu mogulExperimental user
ukBerty
Posts: 975 		In Autodesk 3ds I have to set the pivot to the centre of the object and click transform to stop this happening.

So you need to know how to reset the pivot point in Blender - looks like it might be called "origin" in Blendereese.

I found this - http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/5519/setting-the-pivot-point-of-an-object but I don't know the first thing about Blender.
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10/06/2016 15:55:24

urbanlamb
urbanlamb
(Account inactive)
Posts: 1786 		semi transparent is the material settings
http://muvizu.com/Wiki/wiki/125/fbx-blender-material-settings-make-shiney-transparent-light-thingies
Pivot is
Snap cursor to center
set origin to center
snap to cursor which is now at the center of the scene
and then apply location rotation
http://muvizu.com/Wiki/wiki/160/fbx-video-tutorials

This is mostly comprehension of what your doing if you don't learn the info to go along with what your doing your always going to get frustrated.
edited by urbanlamb on 10/06/2016
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01/07/2016 08:49:36

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		Thanks so much all! Urban Lamb, I went dark because I was fighting my way through dozens of small setbacks, but I have emerged triumphant - except with regard to this flipping over issue! I have watched that tutorial and followed your instructions and tried various other stuff, but every single time, boink! Model on its face.

Maybe I've interpreted your instrucs incorrectly?

You said: Snap cursor to center
No problem - found that under object "snap"

Then you said: set origin to center
Couldn't find this exactly, so I guessed it meant "set origin to center of mass"?

Then you said: snap to cursor which is now at the center of the scene
I assumed this meant "snap selection to cursor"? (There's regular and offset, I tried both, same result)

Finally you said: and then apply location rotation.
I think this means hit Control A and select location, then repeat and select rotation?

Hopefully, I got something wrong and this is an easy fix, 'cause it's driving me crazy!

Thanks so much,

John
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01/07/2016 09:10:10

primaveranz
primaveranz
Posts: 520 		Have you tried switching off "Keep upright" in the Muvizu properties page and then rotating them into the right positions? This probably won't help if you want to animate their movement though.
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01/07/2016 17:51:08

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		Indeed – but the positioning needed is pretty precise, and once stay upright is off, the models move in every direction, making positioning impossible.

The really annoying thing is that one of the models stopped having the problem for no reason, and when I imported it again, the problem returned.

Argh.
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01/07/2016 18:21:54

ziggy72Muvizu mogulExperimental user
ziggy72
Posts: 1988 		I don't have these issues with FBX files out of blender, but I think it's because I do it slightly differently. I have a little collision box in the dead centre, I import my OBJ (or whatever), set the origin to the centre of mass and then manually move the centre of the model to more or less the middle of the collision box (I've never bothered to learn all that centering stuff). Then I export as FBX as normal and the models don't flip. Sloppy method I know, but it works.
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01/07/2016 19:08:38

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		Hm. Pretty sure I've tried that, but I'll try it again tonight. I also usually don't have the problem, but once it happens, it seems to stick around no matter what I do.

J
edited by Jwalshiv on 01/07/2016
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02/07/2016 18:59:24

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		Okay - so madness is just moments away now. I have tried EVERYTHING. I've changed the direction the model is facing in Blender to compensate for the rotation after import into Muvizu. I've changed the shape in case Muvizu was rotating based on that. I've exported as FBX, reimported into Blender and exported again. It is as if Muvizu knows I'm trying to stop the model from facing the direction it's making it face and adapting the rules to thwart me, but that's insane. Right? Right?!

I just can not figure out any logical law that is governing the result. If it's not analyzing the axis or the shape, how the hell does it know to screw the orientation up the same way every time?

Please help!

J
edited by Jwalshiv on 02/07/2016
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02/07/2016 19:08:46

ziggy72Muvizu mogulExperimental user
ziggy72
Posts: 1988 		How are you managing the collision? What volume are you using for it? If you let Muvizu decide the collision volume for you then it will screw with you every time, which is consistent with what you're describing.
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02/07/2016 19:17:07

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		I'm creating a little box and giving it the UCX_model name. So it doesn't seem like that's the issue.

The only time I'm able to eliminate the problem is when I add a new object above mine in Blender and export both, then let Muvizu define the collision, which of course makes the model unusable in Muvizu, because nothing can touch it.
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02/07/2016 19:23:55

ziggy72Muvizu mogulExperimental user
ziggy72
Posts: 1988 		But does the UCX_modelname box work? Do you have collision only for that box, not for the main object?
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02/07/2016 19:38:56

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		Yup - stuff can pass right through the main object.
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02/07/2016 20:26:57

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		Thanks, but I am indeed building in Blender.

I thought maybe the lights or camera could be having an impact, but I tried exporting selected (with my model and collision box) and same result as ever.

Argh!
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03/07/2016 01:00:14

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		Well this seems to have come up for a few folks and in some cases it is never resolved - mine is such a case. So not to be defeated, I offer others a cheap work-around. Duplicate the object, rotate the duplicate 90 degrees, join it with the original and let Muvizu have its way with the original, and in so doing, position the duplicate where you want it. Then set the model in the ground, with the reduced collision allowing you to bury the original. Take that mysterious and dastardly algorithm!
edited by Jwalshiv on 03/07/2016
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04/07/2016 10:27:00

Machiya
Machiya
Posts: 16 		FLIPPING:

Here's what I found to work. Found it searching through old UE3 import problems on the web.

In Blender,


1. Make sure the Object (TAB>Object mode) is at the Origin (ALT+G).
2. Reset Transformations (CRTL+A) Loc, Rot, Scale
2. TAB into Edit Mode.
3. Select ALL (A)
4. Set the rotation about the origin and rotate the mesh ^minus^ 90 aound the X (I use the 3D Cursor).
5 TAB into Object mode.
6. Select the Object
7. Export Selected (I only suggest 'selected' as you may have other objects in the scene).



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06/07/2016 22:39:37

Jwalshiv
Jwalshiv
Posts: 21 		Thank you so much – this is a much cleaner technique than the one I'd hit on. That said, it's still weird that we have to flip the model 90 degrees, right? I mean it imports correctly into Muvizu - so it's been created on the right axis and everything. It just flips over after we move it around at all. So, are we all in agreement that this is a straight up Muvizu glitch?

J
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06/07/2016 23:53:57

Machiya
Machiya
Posts: 16 		My pleasure. Happy to help. The FBX thing isn't Muvizu it is a UE3 thing (err, I think)
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