Alembic Issues

[Jolbertoquini]

Hi Guys...

I have issues with the Standalone 3.08 T6, with Alembic files from Realflow, I attached the files here.

Basically Standalone read Alembic cache per Frame with no problems "Mesh" and "Particles" cache with motion blur the problem they are sequences of alembic files, realflow provide a tool to stitch then on one Alembic.
The problem is Standalone only read the stitch file for the "particles" but not for the "mesh".

I checked all Alembic files at Houdini/Maya and on all they are looking totally fine. Only standalone doesn't seems to compile well please have a look and tell me if is that possibility to have a fix.

ps. I know I could re-export from Houdini and then use houdini Alembic to be read at Standalone but I would like to avoid import/export processings.

Cheers,
JO

[gardeler]

Hello
The easiest and fastest way is to read in your alembic frames back into houdini and then re-export a new single file alembic. (no resim, just in and out)

But if you don't want to do that, (which is pretty much the same process as the Realflow one,) you can write a script that updates the frame number of the alembic so that it updates per frame, and reads in your frame based alembics.

I have no idea how to do that, but we have done that before in the past with obj's...

@OTOY, can't you just add the same "film strip" controls to the alembic reader as you have on the texture read node? It is the exact same principle...

Cheers

Martin

[Jolbertoquini]

Hello
The easiest and fastest way is to read in your alembic frames back into houdini and then re-export a new single file alembic. (no resim, just in and out)

But if you don't want to do that, (which is pretty much the same process as the Realflow one,) you can write a script that updates the frame number of the alembic so that it updates per frame, and reads in your frame based alembics.

I have no idea how to do that, but we have done that before in the past with obj's...

@OTOY, can't you just add the same "film strip" controls to the alembic reader as you have on the texture read node? It is the exact same principle...

Cheers

Martin

Hi Martin,

Thanks for your message, Yes, I know about houdini as I mentioned on my comment before' I got your point with scripting and etc. the reason I post there is to see if Standalone would support at some point alembic sequences a better solution from the developpement team to avoid "extra steps" on the workflow in general with Standalone.
Such option would not be difficult to resolve from Otoy sides, Yes I already did for my projects a quick solutions, but my point on this is for then to find production solution and avoid back forwards on other softs, maybe I didn't explain right, Thanks anyway for help with some Ideas.

Cheers,
JO

[calus]

Hi Guys...

I have issues with the Standalone 3.08 T6, with Alembic files from Realflow, I attached the files here.

Basically Standalone read Alembic cache per Frame with no problems "Mesh" and "Particles" cache with motion blur the problem they are sequences of alembic files, realflow provide a tool to stitch then on one Alembic.
The problem is Standalone only read the stitch file for the "particles" but not for the "mesh".

I checked all Alembic files at Houdini/Maya and on all they are looking totally fine. Only standalone doesn't seems to compile well please have a look and tell me if is that possibility to have a fix.

ps. I know I could re-export from Houdini and then use houdini Alembic to be read at Standalone but I would like to avoid import/export processings.

Cheers,
JO

While waiting for an Ottoy solution for this maybe you can look in LUA section, there is some script to expand/modify/regroup ABC imported files, because ABC scene objects in Standalone are just group nodes hiding all the conexions, so maybe there is a way to rewire the connexions in a way to ignore the mesh and only load particles.

[Jolbertoquini]

Hi Guys...

I have issues with the Standalone 3.08 T6, with Alembic files from Realflow, I attached the files here.

Basically Standalone read Alembic cache per Frame with no problems "Mesh" and "Particles" cache with motion blur the problem they are sequences of alembic files, realflow provide a tool to stitch then on one Alembic.
The problem is Standalone only read the stitch file for the "particles" but not for the "mesh".

I checked all Alembic files at Houdini/Maya and on all they are looking totally fine. Only standalone doesn't seems to compile well please have a look and tell me if is that possibility to have a fix.

ps. I know I could re-export from Houdini and then use houdini Alembic to be read at Standalone but I would like to avoid import/export processings.

Cheers,
JO

While waiting for an Ottoy solution for this maybe you can look in LUA section, there is some script to expand/modify/regroup ABC imported files, because ABC scene objects in Standalone are just group nodes hiding all the conexions, so maybe there is a way to rewire the connexions in a way to ignore the mesh and only load particles.

Hi Calus,

Actually realflow doesn't provide alembic with mesh and particle they are different alembics, so no problems on this, as I mentioned particles are loading fine as well the mesh is only the stitch alembic from realflow doesn't work on the standalone if you download the alembic you will see my point.

Cheers,
JO

[calus]

Hi Guys...

I have issues with the Standalone 3.08 T6, with Alembic files from Realflow, I attached the files here.

Basically Standalone read Alembic cache per Frame with no problems "Mesh" and "Particles" cache with motion blur the problem they are sequences of alembic files, realflow provide a tool to stitch then on one Alembic.
The problem is Standalone only read the stitch file for the "particles" but not for the "mesh".

I checked all Alembic files at Houdini/Maya and on all they are looking totally fine. Only standalone doesn't seems to compile well please have a look and tell me if is that possibility to have a fix.

ps. I know I could re-export from Houdini and then use houdini Alembic to be read at Standalone but I would like to avoid import/export processings.

Cheers,
JO

While waiting for an Ottoy solution for this maybe you can look in LUA section, there is some script to expand/modify/regroup ABC imported files, because ABC scene objects in Standalone are just group nodes hiding all the conexions, so maybe there is a way to rewire the connexions in a way to ignore the mesh and only load particles.

Hi Calus,

Actually realflow doesn't provide alembic with mesh and particle they are different alembics, so no problems on this, as I mentioned particles are loading fine as well the mesh is only the stitch alembic from realflow doesn't work on the standalone if you download the alembic you will see my point.

Cheers,
JO

oh sorry, didn't read carefully.
I remember stiched alembic mesh from realflow always had problems loading timeline in standalone but was still rendering... I will have a look at your files

[calus]

So I confirm this strange and annoying bug with the stiched ABC mesh (Standalone load correct timeline and first frame geometry but fail for other frame).
While we can easily workaround this issue by loading and re-exporting the alembic mesh from Maya, it should work directly in Standalone.
Standalone failing to load the geometry after the first frame must be fixed.

[Jolbertoquini]

So I confirm this strange and annoying bug with the stiched ABC mesh (Standalone load correct timeline and first frame geometry but fail for other frame).
While we can easily workaround this issue by loading and re-exporting the alembic mesh from Maya, it should work directly in Standalone.
Standalone failing to load the geometry after the first frame must be fixed.

Hi Pascal,

Yes exactly this...totally agree need be fix on Standalone this main issue with Alembic.

Any point on this, from Developers please??

Cheers,
JO

[mikinik]

I talked about this a year or two ago, the developers told me that this is a problem in realflow. Realflow export the allembic file incorrectly. It's hard to believe in it for me.

[Jolbertoquini]

I talked about this a year or two ago, the developers told me that this is a problem in realflow. Realflow export the allembic file incorrectly. It's hard to believe in it for me.

Do you have the post somewhere to show me please ? I'm curious to check what was said.

Cheers,
JO