Lightwave FBX Plug In Guide
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
LightWave FBX plug-in
August 2005
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Document:
MotionBuilder FBX Plug-in Guide
Version:
LightWave FBX plug-in 2005 08
Date:
August 2005
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Contents
1 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Windows installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Macintosh installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Importing and exporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Exporting from LightWave to an .fbx file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
FBX Exporter window options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Importing .fbx files into LightWave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Merging animation back to LightWave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
What’s supported in LightWave FBX plug-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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Table of Contents
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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1
Installation
The LightWave FBX plug-in is used by LightWave® to import, export,
and convert files using the .fbx file format. This document describes
how to install the LightWave FBX plug-in for Windows®2000/XP and
Mac OS X.
Windows installation
Note
If you had created any menu items to import,
export, or merge fbx scenes in earlier versions of
LightWave, they must be removed and re-created.
1
Download the .zip file from the Alias web site (http://
www.alias.com/glb/eng/community/downloads.jsp).
2
Double-click the .zip file and extract the file.
3
Locate the fbxlw.p file. By default, the LightWave FBX plug-in files
are copied to the C:\Alias\FBXPlugins<fbxver>\lw80 folder.
4
Remove all old versions of the LightWave FBX plug-in before
copying the new plug-in.
5
Copy the fbxlw.p plug-in file into the \lightwave-3d-80\Plug-
ins\Input-Output folder.
6
Launch LightWave 3D Layout.
7
Click Utilities>Add Plug-ins. The file browser appears, prompting
you for a .p plug-in.
8
Select the copied fbxlw.p plug-in file in the \Plugins\Input-Output
folder, and click Ok.
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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1 | Installation
Macintosh installation
If the LightWave FBX plug-in is installed correctly, the options
“Export to FBX”, “Import from FBX”, and “Merge with FBX” appear
in the Edit>Edit Menu Layout menu, in the Plug-ins Command list.
9
Add the FBX command to your File menu. Select "Edit>Edit Menu
Layout...", then drag the commands "Import from FBX" and "Merge
with FBX" from Plug-ins to your "File>Import" menu. Drag the
command "Export to FBX" to your "File->Export" menu.
Macintosh installation
Note
If you had created any menu items to import,
export, or merge fbx scenes in earlier versions of
LightWave, they must be removed and re-created.
1
Double-click the package icon to start the installation.
The LightWave FBX plug-in is installed to the selected disk drive in
the following folder: <Macintosh™ Drive>/Applications/LightWave
3D 80/Plugins/Input-Output.
2
Enter your login password to continue the installation when
prompted.
Note
You must obtain administrator privileges to
continue installation.
The Welcome window appears.
3
Click Continue to start the installation process.
4
Select a destination disk for your application to be installed and
click Continue.
5
Click Install (or Upgrade). A progress bar indicates the time
remaining of the installation; when the progress reaches 100%,
the Finish button is activated.
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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1 | Installation
Macintosh installation
6
Click Finish to exit the installation program.
7
Launch LightWave 3D Layout.
8
Click Layout>Plug-ins>Add Plugins. The file browser appears,
prompting you for a .p plug-in.
9
Select the copied fbxlw.p plug-in file in the \Plugins\Input-Output
folder, and click Ok.
If the LightWave FBX plug-in is installed correctly, the options
“Export to FBX”, “Import from FBX”, and “Merge with FBX” appear
in the Edit>Edit Menu Layout menu, in the Plug-ins Command list.
10 Add the FBX command to your File menu.
11 Select "Edit>Edit Menu Layout...", then drag the commands
"Import from FBX" and "Merge with FBX" from Plug-ins to your
"File>Import" menu.
12 Drag the command "Export to FBX" to your "File->Export" menu.
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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1 | Installation
Macintosh installation
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
4
2
Importing and
exporting
This section describes how to export models from LightWave using the
.fbx file format, and how to import .fbx files into LightWave.
It also includes a list of the LightWave features supported by this
version of the LightWave FBX plug-in software.
Exporting from LightWave to an .fbx file
1
Select File>Export>Export to FBX.
By default, the pop-up menu offers to export the FBX file with the
same name and directory as your LightWave scene file.
figure 2-1: FBX Exporter
menu.
2
Modify this by clicking the browser button next to the Address
field.
3
Select which parameters to export and click OK. Wait for a
confirmation dialog box. For more information of the Export
parameters, see"FBX Exporter window options" on page 6.
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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2 | Importing and exporting
FBX Exporter window options
FBX Exporter window options
Once you select an FBX file to export from LightWave, the FBX Exporter
window appears (figure 2-2). The FBX Exporter window contains the
following export options.
figure 2-2: FBX Exporter
menu.
Importing .fbx files into LightWave
1
Launch LightWave.
2
Select File>Import>Import from FBX.
3
Use the file browser to select the FBX file to be imported, and the
folder where your .lwo files are created (figure 2-3).
figure 2-3: FBX Importer
window.
4
Select the take you want to import.
5
Click OK.
Merging animation back to LightWave
1
Launch LightWave 8.
2
Load the original LightWave scene.
3
Save the scene as “working copy” (or any other temporary name).
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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2 | Importing and exporting
What’s supported in LightWave FBX plug-in
4
Select File>Import>Merge with FBX
In the pop-up menu, click the browser button next to the address
field, select the appropriate FBX file, and click OK.
figure 2-4: FBX Merger window
What’s supported in LightWave FBX plug-in
LightWave FBX plug-in supports the following LightWave functionalities:
Note
LightWave envelopes are treated as MotionBuilder
FCurves.
LightWave
LightWave FBX plug-in
SubPatch Objects
SubPatch objects are not visible
as a SubPatch surface inside
MotionBuilder software.
When exporting SubPatch
objects, you can activate the
Freeze option, which makes the
object a Polygon mesh.
If you do not activate the Freeze
option, the Subpatch cage is
saved as a mesh.
Materials
Multiple materials are
supported.
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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2 | Importing and exporting
What’s supported in LightWave FBX plug-in
LightWave
LightWave FBX plug-in
Textures
Embedded textures are
supported.
Only UV texture maps are
supported.
Other mapping methods are not
yet supported.
TRS animation of objects
Supported.
Bones
Only Limbs are supported. Limb
Nodes are converted to nulls.
EndoMorphs
EndoMorphs are supported.
Bone and Morph animations are
both supported at the same
time on the same object.
The LightWave MorphMixer must
be applied to the object before
EndoMorphs can be imported
into your MotionBuilder
software.
Line Polygons
Line polygons (polygons with two
vertices) are supported on
export.
Multiple Lights
Supported.
Translation and Rotation
Supported.
animation for lights
Cone Angle, Color, and Intensity
Supported.
animation
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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2 | Importing and exporting
What’s supported in LightWave FBX plug-in
LightWave
LightWave FBX plug-in
Point, Linear, and Area lights
Point light
(All Lights retain their original
light type when you merge back
to LightWave.)
Spot light
Spot light
(All Lights retain their original
light type when you merge back
to LightWave.)
Distant light
Infinite light
(All Lights retain their original
light type when you merge back
to LightWave.)
Multiple cameras
Supported.
Camera Field of View animation
Supported.
Camera vertical and horizontal
field of view animation is
converted to Zoom Factor in
LightWave.
Camera translation and rotation
Supported.
Camera Roll animation
Camera Roll is supported when
the camera has a Camera
Interest (target).
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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2 | Importing and exporting
What’s supported in LightWave FBX plug-in
LightWave
LightWave FBX plug-in
Camera interest
There is limited support for
Camera Interest (target).
The camera must not be
parented
.Camera Pixel ratio
Supported
Camera Target
If you parent the camera, the
animation is plotted to the
camera.
Camera Up node
Camera up node supported by
plotting its effect on the camera
roll animation.
Lightwave FBX Plug-in Guide
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Document Outline
