FBX
FBX (Filmbox) is a proprietary 3D file format (.fbx) developed by Autodesk. It is widely used in the 3D modeling, animation, and game development industries for the interchange of 3D graphics data between various software applications.
History
The FBX format was originally developed by Kaydara in 1996 for their motion capture software, Filmbox. Kaydara was later acquired by Autodesk in 2004, which led to the format's widespread adoption and further development. Autodesk has since released several versions of the FBX SDK, enabling developers to read, write, and manipulate FBX files:
- Version 1.0 (1996) - Initial release by Kaydara.
- Version 5.0 (2006) - Significant update post-acquisition by Autodesk, introducing support for more complex data types.
- Version 2014.2 (2014) - Introduced new features like Alembic support, enhancing animation and simulation data transfer.
- Version 2020 (2020) - Improved performance and support for the latest features in Autodesk software.
Features
- Scene Hierarchy: FBX supports complex scene hierarchies including meshes, lights, cameras, and animations.
- Animation: It can store keyframe animations, skeletal animations, and other animation data.
- Materials and Textures: FBX files can include detailed material properties and texture maps.
- Compatibility: Designed for compatibility with multiple platforms and 3D applications like Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, and Unity.
- Binary and ASCII Formats: FBX can be stored in both a compact binary format or a more human-readable ASCII format.
Applications
FBX is extensively used in:
- 3D Animation - For transferring animation data between different software packages.
- Game Development - To import 3D models and animations into game engines.
- Visual Effects - Used in film and television for transferring 3D assets between various stages of production.
- Architecture Visualization - For importing 3D models into visualization software.
Limitations
- Proprietary Nature: Being a proprietary format, full functionality might require licensing from Autodesk.
- Compatibility Issues: While widely supported, not all software can handle all features of FBX, especially older versions.
- File Size: Binary FBX files can be quite large, although ASCII versions are smaller but less efficient.
External Links
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