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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.

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As a user since 1991 and a reseller from 1993-2018, I can't recall ever seeing the program fall so short in such key areas of 3D. It is what Archicad used to be known for. As of now:

There is no acceptable 3D viewer for Archicad models. BIMx doesn't cut it.
There is no facility for exporting to the industry standard 3D interchange format FBX
Such new technologies are very limited because of this. Those offices wishing to take advantage of higher-end rendering are limited in their options, and exportation to AR apps, which is gaining ground for architectural presentations. The only option we have are workarounds.

My potential client I mentioned the other day are still undecided if they want to pursue their gaming platform in Unreal or Unity. However, they're still wanting to see assets from me. If I could simply have a PLN workshop for assets and quickly export them to FBX using the publisher, imagine the streamlined process. As it is now I need to export to Sketchup manually and individually tweak each one, EACH time I update the asset.

Again, this is a $5000 program with a nearly $1000 yearly fee.

Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System

Hey, I have found a workaround for this issue! (at least for 3DS Max users)

The RVT format (revit) format is really an FBX file under the hood. In the past I had used the RVT to link to max, however, when I discovered MAX really treats the RVT format as a "special" FBX file, I just started to use FBX instead.

Anyway, the new Archicad has a RVT exporter! (RVT 2021 to be exact, so you have to use this solution with 3DS Max 2021 and above)

So you can use the RVT as your "FBX" link. I tested it and it works!, it retains your surface material definitions, and "some-what" retains a good enough naming convention so you can identify Archicad elements.

How ironic is it that an Autodesk competing product gives the solution for Epic's problem it created for Archicad users...😀 

Hope this helps you out, it certainly helped me!


RVT export for ArchiCAD.jpg

Hey, after realising the lack of FBX export in AC25 (no thanks to Epic) I went experimenting to find a solution, and I think I have found a workaround for this issue! (at least for 3DS Max users)

The RVT format (revit) format is really an FBX file under the hood. In the past I had used the RVT format to link to max, however, when I discovered MAX really treats the RVT format as a "special" FBX file, I just started to use FBX instead.

Anyway, the new Archicad has an RVT exporter! (RVT 2021 to be exact, so you have to use this solution with 3DS Max 2021 and above)

So you can use the RVT as your "FBX" link. I tested it and it works!, it retains your surface material definitions, and "some-what" retains a good enough naming convention so you can identify Archicad elements, whilst keeping the link to AC25 for building updates!

NOTE: You do not need the Revit the application to use this solution!

How ironic is it that an Autodesk competing product gives the solution for Epic's problem it created for Archicad users...😀 

I hope this helps everyone out, it certainly helped me!


RVT export for ArchiCAD.jpg

I'm not sure how the RVT file is really an FBX under the hood, but it sounds like that's useable workaround for those with 3DS  Max. Presumably 3DS Max can save the model out as a FBX then. The Archicad community got something it needed through the Twinmotion plug-in and when that changed a lot of people were left without a function they had become dependant on, not just for Twinmotion.
It should be no surprise that Autodesk products work with RVT or FBX as they're both Autodesk formats.

just use the RVT export from AC25 in the mean time while Graphisoft comes up with a solution.

The RVT file works just like the FBX.. (well almost) and it can be referenced linked in 3DS MAX as well. So you can have a working AC25 <--> 3DS MAX workflow even without FBX.

We just tested this solution but we can't get the textures right. Were you able to export textures and uvw-coordinates correctly by using your revit workaround?

I did try that also, but unfortunately rvt-file is much slower to export from Archicad and much slower to link to 3ds max too... I'm working with a large school project and it used to take under a minute to export fbx and 5 minutes to update the link, but with rvt-file the exporting took half an hour and linking to max at least a couple of hours. I wasn't paying attention to how long it took precisely since it had been going on for an hour already in the background. 

With small to medium sized projects this might not be an issue, so I do hope it will be useful for some users 🙂

Ohh wow, I see your point. I do agree that FBX would be much much faster. other possible suggestions are:

>>Solution #1<<
Break the project into modules and export/Link modules as separate smaller RVT files

>>Solution #2<<
If you really want the use of FBX and willing to jump through another hoop (free of cost), then you can download unreal engine, which is free, link via datasmith to AC25, and export as FBX from unreal and link to MAX. (i Know its not ideal, but this workflow is free of cost)

>>Solution #3<<
Another solution that allows you to link to MAX is: using the SKP format, (which i find is the most accurate export, second to FBX ofcourse). MAX will import SKP files natively, however, you cannot keep a link to AC25 via an SKP export, and you will lose a suitable object naming convention... however!... you can link that Max file as an Xref Object to another max file, which will keep all objects and materials from MAX file containing the SKP import. (I'm sorry if this sounds confusing...  here is a simple diagram

AC25 --> SKP_export --> MAX SCENE #1 --> XRef Object (link) --> MAX SCENE#2

Notes:
The Max Scene #1 - its only purpose is to provide the ability to import via an SKP file from AC25... IMPORTANT>> each time you do an update you would delete the object and reimport the new updated building SKP. (this is why you WOULD NOT add materials or modifications in max scene #1)

The MAX Scene #2 is for doing all your edits, material manipulation etc. The idea is that when you re-import an updated SKP into MAX scene#1, you would update the link in (or simply close and reopen the) MAX Scene#2. This should keep all your material definitions for any existing polygons (elements) whilst updating new objects coming from the AC25 SKP import in Max Sene#1.

NOTE IMPORTANT: Any Objects you modify in the source AC25, you will lose the material or any modifiers you added to them in the MAX scene #2. but all your other unmodified source objects will remain intact.

Yes, I know it's a bit convoluted, but it should work. (at least until Graphisoft creates their own FBX exporter for AC25)

Also note you can use this methodology with any other exports from AC25 (however I find SKP to retain the most accurate representation of your AC25 model)

>>Solution #4<<
Another "hoop hopping" solution to get an FBX into max coming from AC25 is to export an SKP file, Open In Sketchup Pro (you will need a sketchup Pro license) then export as FBX and link to MAX.

>>Solution #5<<
This I have not tested, however, you can try and tell me how it works for you. Using the method from "Solution #3" however via an IFC export, (I believe the IFC export from AC2 should carry over more data compared to the SKP export, however you will need an IFC importer for MAX, you can get it here: http://ifcopenshell.org/ifcmax


Solution #3 Screen Shot.jpg

Or simpley use AC 24

It's interesting as you say that Autodesk is fixing a Graphisoft problem, LOL!

I wish this were a generic enough solution though. I'm not sure how universally accepted RVT file would be as an "asset" format for a market, client or AR app that needs a universal format. Always good to know what's out there. I'm kind of the same as you but using SKP instead of RVT. When needed I'll take an extra step to save out FBX from Sketchup, but that requires a Sketchup subscription, which I bought solely for this purpose.

I really find very concerning that there is no update from Graphisoft on this thread. This obviously means they have no solution on the boards for future releases. And, this amidst a price increase for subscription?

Rex Maximilian, Honolulu, USA - www.rexmaximilian.com
ArchiCAD 27 (user since 3.4, 1991)
16" MacBook Pro; M1 Max (2021), 32GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
Apple Vision Pro w/ BIMx
Creator of the Maximilian ArchiCAD Template System