Hi,

I am wondering if there is a way to procedurally import animation data from an FBX file into a chop network, similar to how you can import meshes with a file node in a Geometry network. In a geo network, you put this in the file input:

$HIP/../fbxs/yourfbxfile.fbx#meshName,convertoff

which procedurally brings in a mesh named ‘meshName’ into your scene, similar to how you would import an OBJ. The beauty here is that if a user updates the model in the FBX scene, your model will be updated in Houdini!

What I am looking for, is the ability to do this for animation into a CHOP network. (i.e. get the animation on the ‘meshname’ node channels into a CHOP network). Is that possible?

It's not elegant (or exactly what you're looking for) but what about pointing an Object CHOP to your imported animated geometry - assuming we're talking about non-deforming animation here.

uhmm.. this made me realize that I did not check on whether the geo that I imported via the file SOP had actual animated channels… if that is the case, your suggestion would work well!

I may have to wait till monday to test it out as I do not have currently access to an FBX from maya in the format I am testing out

If that does not work, my fallback was to create a python CHOP, however, it does not look like I can create python nodes on that context ):

Agh.. it does not look like the animation data is coming in. Bummer. That may be a nice addition to the file CHOP for the future. In the meantime I can look to see if I can conjure something using python

thanks!