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FBX Export Archicad 25

Coulouri
Contributor

Is there at plan to give us the option to export to FBX in the future?
I see that many users talk about it but turn it to that there now is a solution to it by Datasmith to use with Twinmotion. But not all of us work with Twinmotion.

I work with 3D Studio/VRay and Unreal for many of our projects and sure Datasmith is nice to have in Archicad, but not to have the chance to export to FBX for 3D Studio or Blender is really a bummer. To not have the opportunity to have linked projects with FBX-files makes revisions a really hard days work.

FBX-Files is used by many 3D software and gives Archicad projects the chance to go in many different ways for presentation to clients. To just say we have Datasmith is to say that we only work with Twinmotion and Unreal, I don't just want to work with those, I want my projects to have the opportunity to expand in many other 3D applications. 

Maybe I missed something but I cant find the Export FBX anywhere.

86 REPLIES 86
Erwin Edel
Rockstar

You are right that Twinmotion addon for Archicad has this feature. I haven't used it much, but maybe someone who does can chime in and let you know if it is still possible to install with ArchiCAD25.

I believe there was a 'free' license with AC22 or AC23 (can't recall). Before that there was a free 'older' version you could trial indefinitely.

 

You mention working with Unreal. Twinmotion uses Unreal engine, as far as I know.

 

For 3D studio there is direct export from Archicad to 3DS.

 

If you open 3D perspective and go to File > Save As, you can see all the possible 3D formats you can export to.

Erwin Edel, Project Lead, Leloup Architecten
www.leloup.nl

ArchiCAD 9-26NED FULL
Windows 10 Pro
Adobe Design Premium CS5

Yes, Twinmotion uses the engine from Unreal and I preferer to use Unreal to our projects.

Yes, we have 3DS but the FBX format is universal with many other 3D Application such as Blender, Unity etc. For me today I'm fine with the workflow with Archicad, 3D Studio and Unreal but without the FBX the workflow is broken cus you cant use the link properties that makes new revisions to update in 3D Studio easy to manage. As far as I know.

But it's not just for me, I think that removing FBX is a very sad thing for many user who want to export Archicad projects to work with in other 3D Applications.

Emre Senoglu
Expert

You can just install the datasmith plugin without having to install TM or UE. Then you can export a FBX model you can use in any software. I actually use this method for working in 3ds Max + Corona and it works perfectly!

edit: i was wrong.

AC26 ARM // MBP M2 Max // Twinmotion | Corona | Rhino

www.senoglu.dk

I don't see how installing a datasmith plugin will help you in exporting FBX model.

Pavel Tsochev
Booster

The lack of fbx export truly brakes a very typical and reliable workflow. The partial solution, which I commented about in a different topic, is to use the new Save As .rvt.
However this comes with 3 types of issues:
1. Its slower than FBX
2. Objects in 3d, that are cut by the Cut planes are still exported as a whole object (including nested objects in them).
3. It can only be used with versions 2021 or higher.

I just checked this and indeed, installing the Datasmith Connection will not make it possible to export as FBX.

The Twinmotion file option is what saves as FBX, but Archicad 25 no longer has this option (there is no longer Twinmotion plugin for AC25); it has only the Datasmith Connection, which saves in ".udatasmith" format, not in ".FBX" format.

Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac27

Apologies for the confusion, you’re right Laszlo. I mainly work in AC23, and somehow thought the situation would be the same in 25. 

AC26 ARM // MBP M2 Max // Twinmotion | Corona | Rhino

www.senoglu.dk

I don't know about FBX, but I believe there is now a Twinmotion plugin for AC25 Twinmotion | Plugins - Unreal Engine

PAUL KING | https://www.prime.net.nz
ArchiCAD 8-27 | Twinmotion 2023
Windoze 11 PC | Intel Core i9 10900K | Nvidia Gforce RTX 3080 | 32 Gb DDR3 | 2x4K monitor extended desktop

Yes, it is the Datasmith Exporter. I have installed it and checked it. It will save a *.udatasmith file format from Archicad, not an *.FBX file format.

The Direct Link for TW does not support AC25, only earlier versions. You can find that if you click the "View archived versions" link on the webpage you posted.

Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac27