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Alembic_Export : ExporterPlugin

Exposes the Alembic Exporter plugin to MAXScript. Available in 3ds Max 2016 and higher.

Constructor

Class instances not creatable by MAXScript.

Aliases:

Alembic_Export
AlembicExport

Alembic_Export interfaces:

Interface: AlembicExport

Properties:

Several properties have been renamed, are new, or have been removed. Available in 3ds Max 2019 and higher.

Name in 2019 Name in 2018
AnimTimeRange CacheTimeRange
StartFrame StartFrameTime
EndFrame EndFrameTime
Removed StepFrameTime
SamplesPerFrame new in 2019
Hidden new in 2019
UVs new in 2019
Normals new in 2019
VertexColors new in 2019
ExtraChannels new in 2019
Velocity new in 2019
MaterialIDs new in 2019
Visibility new in 2019
LayerName new in 2019
MaterialName new in 2019
ObjectID new in 2019
CustomAttributes new in 2019
ParticleAsMesh same name
ShapeSuffix ShapeName
 AlembicExport.CoordinateSystem : enum : Read|Write
CoordinateSystem enums: {#Max|#Maya|#ZUp|#YUp}

Sets the coordinate system of the exported Alembic file.

Possible values are:

  • #Max (or #ZUp) (default) - Z-up, right-handed coordinate system used by Autodesk 3dsMax
  • #Maya (or #YUp) - Y-up, right-handed coordinate system used by Autodesk Maya
 AlembicExport.ArchiveType : enum : Read|Write
ArchiveType enums: {#HDF5|#Ogawa}

Sets the archive type of the exported Alembic file.

Possible values are:

  • #HDF5 (default) - the original storage format of Alembic version 1.0
  • #Ogawa - the improved storage format introduced in Alembic version 1.5
 AlembicExport.ParticleAsMesh : boolean : Read|Write

Sets whether particle shapes are exported as meshes.

 AlembicExport.AnimTimeRange : enum : Read|Write
   CacheTimeRange enums: {#CurrentFrame|#TimeSlider|#StartEnd}

Sets how the animation is saved.

Possible values are:

  • #CurrentFrame - saves the current frame.
  • #TimeSlider (default) - saves the active time segments on the time slider.
  • #StartEnd - saves a range specified by the Step
 AlembicExport.StartFrame : integer : Read|Write

Sets the start frame for an animation range, when CacheTimeRange is #StartEnd.

 AlembicExport.EndFrame : integer : Read|Write

Sets the end frame for an animation range, when CacheTimeRange is #StartEnd.

 AlembicExport.ShapeSuffix : boolean : Read|Write

When set to true, appends the string "Shape" to the name of each exported mesh. This property is set to false by default.

 AlembicExport.SamplesPerFrame : integer : Read|Write     

Sets the number of animation samples per frame for AnimTimeRange #TimeSlider and #StartEnd.

 AlembicExport.Hidden : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the hidden geometry.

 AlembicExport.UVs : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the mesh UV map channel.

 AlembicExport.Normals : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the mesh normals.

 AlembicExport.VertexColors : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the mesh vertex color map 0 and the current vertex color display data when it differs.

 AlembicExport.ExtraChannels : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the mesh extra map channels (map channels greater than channel 1).

 AlembicExport.Velocity : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the mesh vertex and particle velocity data.

 AlembicExport.MaterialIDs : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the mesh material IDs as Alembic face sets.

 AlembicExport.Visibility : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the node visibility data.

 AlembicExport.LayerName : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the node layer name as an Alembic object property.

 AlembicExport.MaterialName : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the geometry node material name as an Alembic object property.

 AlembicExport.ObjectID : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the geometry node g-buffer object ID as an Alembic object property.

 AlembicExport.CustomAttributes : boolean : Read|Write     

When true, export the node and its modifiers custom attributes into an Alembic object compound property.

Methods:

    <void>setDefaults()
       setDefaults - no automatic redraw after invoked

Reset all AlembicExport properties to their default values.

Actions:

No actions exposed.

EXAMPLE

resetMaxFile #noprompt --reset the scene
c = cone() --create a Cone primitive
b = bend() --create a Bend modifier
addModifier c b --add the Bend to the Cone
with animate on (--enable animation
  at time 100 ( --and set on frame 100
    b.angle = 90 --the Bend Angle to 90
    c.pos = [10,20,30] --and move the Cone
  )--end time context
)--end animate on context
AlembicExport.ArchiveType = #hdf5 --force the old file format
AlembicExport.CoordinateSystem = #max --force Z up coordinates
--Export the file without opening the dialog
--The explicit using: argument is not necessary as the export plugin 
--needed will be resolved automatically based on the file extension:
exportFile (GetDir #export +"\\alembictest_hdm5_max.abc") #noPrompt using:AlembicExport

AlembicExport.ArchiveType = #ogawa --force the new file format
AlembicExport.CoordinateSystem = #maya --force Y up coordinates
--Export the file without opening the dialog
--This time we will ommit the explicit using: argument:
exportFile (GetDir #export +"\\alembictest_ogawa_maya.abc") #noPrompt

--RESULT: We now have two files, one using Max Z up and HDF5 storage, 
--and one using Maya Y up and the newer Ogawa storage.

--See the AlembicImport:ImporterPlugin topic for an example
--of importing these files back into 3ds Max.

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