my camera is animated by expression,then i want to export as FBX to maya. but it seems don`t recognize the expressions.

so can i bake the expression animation to keyframes?

You can bake the channel with CHOPs.
Just use a Fetch CHOP, point it at the object and fetch the channels.

You can see them in a pane set to Motion View and you turn on the blue display flag.

To write the channels out to disk from the Fetch CHOP, RMB (Right Mouse Button) on the node's icon and choose Save Data Channels… Try the .chan format.

Don't you think there really needs to be a RMB menu option or a shelf tool to do this, IMHO. This is common operation for new users from other software, it seems.

Cheers,
Jason

yes please,

also would be handy to bake chop and path animation, too

I could see a whole set of Chops shelf tools.
Andrew? get off the court and get to work :twisted:

luoqiulin
my camera is animated by expression,then i want to export as FBX to maya. but it seems don`t recognize the expressions.

While FBX exporter currently does not recognize expressions when exporting animation, it is something that will be added in the future. Currently logged as RFE #31741.

Looking at the FBX export code a bit more carefully, you don't actually need to resample the channels yourself. All you need to do is put a second keyframe where you want your animation to end for each channel animated with an expression, and then the exporter will resample the channel for you.

This will not be necessary once RFE #31741 is fixed.

Thanks Oleg.


-jeff

Jason I agree with you. Having CHOPs integrated better with the animation work flow is on our list.


-jeff

jeff
Jason I agree with you. Having CHOPs integrated better with the animation work flow is on our list.


-jeff

Yep, it seems many common operations involve a bit of an intricate setup when sometimes all you want is to do the basics operations:
*) bake expressions into raw keyframes
*) perhaps quick filter raw keyframes/de-spike/gaussian, etc
*) curve-fit raw keyframes
*) save out animation, and load it back in.. for hierarchies and/or selected nodes.

I know this is a reiteration from years back, but I still think it's a common workflow out there.

thank you all !!!

save out animation, and load it back in.. for hierarchies and/or selected nodes.

Definitely a nice feature to have…something I do often in other apps.

Hi

It still not obvious:
I would like to bake an expression, to smooth the values and to reuse it on a channel.

I tried the channels and keyfrmaes -> Bake Keyframes

It bakes something but it was all zero (not good)

I tried create chop, fetch the channel, reshape with a spline.
Than I would like to bring it back. How can I do?

I looked at channel but it brings array of channel on points, but does not seem to enable import of one channel. (geo/sop level or dopnet/null level are the channels I would like to modify).

How can I do?

an oldie but goodie post. just needed to do this myself.

- once you add an expression to a parameter channel you get a keyframe on frame 1.
- looking at the parameter channel in the Animation editor will show a dotted line, indicating the parameter channel values are generated procedurally (via an expression).
- in this state, RMB(parameter channel) Keyframes > Bake Keyframes ... will do nothing.
- scrub the playbar and ALT + LMB on the parameter channel to set a key on a different frame.
- looking at the parameter channel in the Animation editor will show the dotted line has become solid between the two keyframes.
- two keyframes are required to bake the data to keyframes, so now an attempt to Bake Keyframes will work based on the sample rate and curve specified.
- this replaces the expression that was in the field with a channel function (bezier() or cubic())
- you can now edit the specific keyframes that were baked from the Animation Editor (after scoping the baked parameter channel)

sdugaro
- two keyframes are required to bake the data to keyframes, so now an attempt to Bake Keyframes will work based on the sample rate and curve specified.

No need for 2 key frames

Just make sure you check Override Range in the Bake Keyframes... And specify your range for baking

Semi-related. How could I bake keyframes in Python? I'd like to write a TOP to do this. (for cloud rendering) What's the equivalent of "Bake Keyframes" context menu item in Python?

raincole
What's the equivalent of "Bake Keyframes" context menu item in Python?

hou.Parm.keyframesRefit()