topic Re: Exporting models from AC to Maya in Collaboration with other software

Exporting models from AC to Maya

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 20:16:14 GMT

Does anyone knows if there is a *fbx plugin for exporting models out of ArchiCAD?
or maybe some of you have figured out what is the best way to export models from ArchiCAD into Maya?

Thank you all in advance

Re: Exporting models from AC to Maya

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 04:31:33 GMT

hi Tamir

I've tried the old version of Maya, and I think Maya have a 3ds import available.

Re: Exporting models from AC to Maya

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 00:57:17 GMT

To Starchi wrote (I've tried the old version of Maya, and I think Maya have a 3ds import available.)
my experience is that Maya 6.5 does not import 3ds
Most of the problems i have with importing models from Ac to Maya
are not in the geometry but rather with materials and UV's

any ideas?

Re: Exporting models from AC to Maya

Djordje — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 08:48:19 GMT

See what Archicad can export from the 3D window.

See what Maya can open.

Check all the options.

Re: Exporting models from AC to Maya

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:01:06 GMT

So far the best way i've tried is to save out of AC in 3ds
then re open file in 3D Studio Max and then out of 3D Max saving it as fbx and exporting it to Maya. Unfortunately this is a long process and naturally every transfer some of the Data is lost, hence my inquiry if someone knows about a plugin for exporting fbx directly out of AC. Most probably some of the Data will be lost, but less so then transferring via 2 different software, I.E ArchiCAD-to-3D Studio Max-to-Maya

Re: Exporting models from AC to Maya

Andy Thomson — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 05:24:50 GMT

Ages ago I used to use the old wavefront format, it seems this is still extant in AC10 - the OBJ export - where an export option switched AC's Z axis for Maya's Y (a Maya convention, I also switched this pref in Maya). The geometry was good, materials could be seen in the hypergraph, but everything was bound up in a single polymesh node. It appeared that all other elements were there, independently, and if one could somehow break that node, the export would be almost complete....

Let me know what you find, I haven't used Maya since v4.5...

Re: Exporting models from AC to Maya

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 17:52:10 GMT

So Guys it seems that, the solution was under my nose, but still thanks for all the tips.
for those of you who have Maxon Form, I found that the best way to export out of AC in to Maya is to "select all" in the 3D window and then choose edit selected elements in Maxon Form, then from Maxon just use the Export Command and choose FBX, this way it comes in to Maya Crisp and Clear and Clean.
Maybe its time to ask Graphisoft to include FBX export & import in AC, since its slowly becoming the industry standard for 3D model migration between programs.