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    Scene Express 2 :: FBX

    Getting Started with Scene Express 2
    Getting Started with Scene Express 2

    Part 9. FBX Export

    Screen captures are from VNS 3.
    Scene Express for WCS 6 does not include VNS-specific features.

    Notes on the FBX Format

    » PNG textures are not supported in all FBX importers. This is a known problem with the FBX plugin for QuickTime.

    » Foliage transparency is not preserved in FBX exports. A MEL® script is generated for flipboard foliage exports to solve the problem in Maya.

    » Flipboard foliage always faces north and south.

    » Interpretation of FBX camera aim, light aim, and object rotation varies among importers. At this writing they only work as intended in Maya.

    » Frame rate may be ignored on import (known to be ignored in Maya).

    1. Open the Atlantis project from the WCSProjects\SX folder on your hard drive. Save the project as AtlantisFBX.

    Screenshot of Visual Nature Studio 3.0 software interface displaying a 3D model of a landscape and a structure in editing mode along with various toolbars and panels for model manipulation and data input.

    2. To make our camera match in Maya, open the Theater Camera Editor. Show Advanced Options and enable Realistic Lens Distortion.

    Screenshot of the Camera Editor - Theater window showing settings for camera name, features, type, and options, including checkboxes and dropdown menus for various camera configurations.

    3. Go to the Lens page and enable Depth of Field and Synchronize Lens and Field of View. VNS will remind you it’s a transient link.

    Camera Editor interface displaying options for Lens & Aperture settings including Depth Of Field, Focal Length, F Stop, and Film Size. Shutter settings include Motion Blur and Antialias options.
    Dialog box titled "Sync Lens & FOV" with information about a transient effect that allows adjustment of lens length, film size, and field of view. There is an OK button at the bottom.

    4. Go to the Render Task Mode in the Scene-at-a-Glance and add a Scene Exporter Component.

    Screenshot of the Visual Nature Studio 3.0 software interface, showing a context menu with options related to rendering tasks, including "Add Component of this type" highlighted.

    5. Name it FBX and change the Output Format to FBX. Edit Exports\AtlantisFBX in the Output File field to read FBX\AtlantisFBX. This will create an FBX folder in the SX project folder to hold the exported files. Temporary files will be saved in an Exports folder.

    A screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor - FBX application, showing configuration options for exporting files in the FBX format, with fields for file name, output file, temp path, and additional settings.

    6. VNS Only. Go to the Terrain page. Choose Geographic – WGS 84 from the Coordinate System dropdown list.

    Screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor for FBX interface, displaying terrain resolution, grid cell size options, coordinate system selection (Geographic - WGS 84), and fractal depth settings.

    7. We’ll export the entire scene with one DEM object with 200 Columns and Rows. That will give us a grid cell size of about 5 meters.

    A software interface for the Scene Exporter Editor - FBX, showing options for terrain resolution, bounds, coordinate system, tile settings, and fractal depth with various input fields and adjustable parameters.

    8. We have no LOD options for the FBX format.

    A software window titled "Scene Exporter Editor - FBX" displaying various tabs and settings for Level of Detail (LOD) including options for distance and detail levels for different terrain and objects.

    9. Turn to the Texture page. This controls the texture draped on the terrain. The Image Format field also applies to the sky texture. Change the Columns and Rows fields to 1024. This will give us a terrain texture resolution of about 1 meter per image pixel.

    Screenshot of a Scene Exporter Editor window displaying various settings for texture map, image format, columns, rows, tile size, and shading options. The interface includes multiple tabs and input fields.

    10. The Foliage, Sky, and Misc page defaults will work fine for this tutorial.

    Screenshot of a Scene Exporter Editor showing Foliage settings, with options to export foliage, set image format, specify max image size, select alpha transparency, and export labels.
    A screenshot of the "Scene Exporter Editor - FBX" application window showcasing the "Sky" settings under "Sky Features." Several options are checked, including Export Sky Gradient, Clouds, and Celestial Objects.
    A screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor - FBX interface, showing options tabs including General, Texture, Foliage, and Misc. Various settings for 3D objects, walls, and vectors are displayed.

    11. Go to the Misc2 page Cameras section and select the Theater Camera and Afternoon Light.

    Screenshot of the Scene Exporter Editor - FBX window, with checkboxes for exporting cameras, lights, and haze. "Theater" is selected under Cameras, and "Afternoon" is selected under Lights.

    12. Return to the General page and Export Scene Now.

    Scene Exporter Editor window for exporting scenes in FBX format. Includes options for name, output folder, and scenario list with buttons for advanced options and scene export.

    13. This will open the VNS Export Control window. Go to start exporting.

    Screenshot of VNS Export Control settings with options to export FBX format including textures, foliage, and labels, with medium CPU priority, output resolution, and additional export options.

    14. VNS will ask you to confirm the creation of new directories in the SX project folder. You won’t get the WCSProjects:SX\Exports window if you’ve already done other Scene Express tutorials.

    A dialog box with the message, "Path does not exist. Create a new directory?" and two buttons labeled "OK" and "Cancel." A cursor points to the "OK" button.

    15. VNS Export Control will let you know when export is complete.

    Screenshot of a VNS Export Control software interface showing export settings for FBX format, including resolution, operations, labels, and a progress bar indicating the procedure is complete.

    16. Exported files from this tutorial are in the WCSProjects\SX\Tutorial Output\VNS folder on the VNS 3 DVD. The completed project file is in the WCSProjects\SX\Tutorial Projects folder on your hard drive.

    16. Your WCSProjects\SX\FBX folder contains all the exported data files.

    File explorer window showing a list of files with names, sizes, types, and date modified columns. Files include FBX, MEL, and PNG formats, with varying sizes and modification dates of 7/9/2022.

    17. The exported files are in the WCSProjects\SX\Tutorial Projects\FBX folder on the VNS 3 DVD. The completed project file is in the WCSProjects\SX\Tutorial Projects folder on your hard drive.

    Produced by Scott Cherba for 3DNature

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