Is it possible to Export alembic with textures?

Question

Hi all

I see in the tutorial section about exporting models in abc file format, that alembic files imported into Maya seems to be retaining their textures (at least the pictures show textured assets).

How can I do it?

I thought abc files did not have texture information, just the uvs, and all the test I made so far produced geometry without shaders or textures (although the textures themselves were exported in the same folder) just the one initial shader Lambert 1.

The abc format is much lighter and manageable than FBX but without tetextur is not very useful, so if there is a procedure I am missing please let me know! I'd love to learn it

Thanks

A.

AbeleGiandoso · Answer

I was seriously thinking about learning Houdini

This might really be the right motivator. Thanks!

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SimonHaegler · Answer

Thanks for the feedback.

We have PBR support on our roadmap and did already a number of investigations - support for it will definitely come in one of the next releases, no promises though when exactly

We also have good contacts with the Arnold guys within Autodesk and will definitely look into supporting it more directly.

Best,

Simon

PS: Maybe Houdini (free learning edition) could be an alternative in the mean time? Alembic import is great and there is a small spare-time project I do with a friend: GitHub - Esri/palladio: Palladio enables the execution of Esri CityEngine CGA rules inside of SideFX Houdini.

AbeleGiandoso · Answer

Hi Simon.

Thanks for the information

I don't know how to script sadly, my technical knowledge starts and ends with CGA. I might have hit a wall here 😕 It is a pity because FBX is just terrible as a format.

Since now Arnold is Maya default render it would be extremely useful for the future iterations to consider a tutorial and a script like the vray one provided in the help files.

It would go together with my suggestion for a general PBR upgrade (new uvsets for rougness and metallic and height maps)

Thanks for all the help

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