[HOW TO] Convert FBX to Blender with animations

Documentation
1

So I have successfully converted a multi file animated FBX file to Blender the process is a little insensitive but it works.

YouTube jMonkeyEngine3 Android FBX Animation Test

Requirements:
Autodesk FBX Converter
Blender
Autodesk_FBX plugin

You can skip this step for the main FBX but I would advise it for all animation FBX files.

Step 1 - Convert all models to FBX 2013 format

  1. Open the “Autodesk FBX® 2013.3 Converter”
  2. Chose “add FBX Converter” if it is not already open"
  3. On the left side of the “FBX Converter” window under “Source files”
  4. Click the “Add…” button, this will allow you to browse to your source FBX files
  5. Select base model and all animation models
  6. On the right side of the “FBX Converter” window under “Destination files”
  7. Click the “Change destination folder…” button, this will allow you to browse and select a location for the new FBX files
  8. Select a new location for your files
  9. Now click the “Destination format” drop down menu and select the FBX 2013 list item
  10. Finally click the “Convert” button in the lower right hand corner of the “FBX Converter” window

Look at that a bunch of new files that look exactly the same as the old ones!

While doing this next step refrain from adjusting anything untill after step 3.

Step 2 - Convert all models to Blender

  1. You should have the Autodesk_FBX plugin installed already if not do that now
  2. Create a new scene this is very important do
  3. Clear everything from your main scene [Ctrl+A] then [Ctrl+X]
  4. From the File menu select the Import menu and chose FBX
  5. Browse to the location of your new FBX files and select one and click import
  6. Save your blender scene
  7. Repeat the process until all your models are in blender format

You feel that feeling of accomplishment? YAH go ahead and test each animation in blender. I know I did!

Step 3 - Merge animations into one file

  1. Open the main mesh in blender
  2. Switch to animation view
  3. On the Dope Sheet change the mode to Action Editor
  4. From the file menu select Append
  5. Browse to the animation blender file you created
  6. Chose Action and select the action you wish to append
  7. Rename the action and and do it again for all actions

More to come I still need to find out how to convert this to Ogre :stuck_out_tongue:

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2

Thank you very much!

Though I sort of got sick as I read about that Autodesk “Windows+Mac” crap software. (No linux -.-)
Learn to code, Autodesk… cross-platform ain’t hard!

Will try it out in Wine.

Concerning Ogre, the direct conversion from .blend to .j3o works perfectly for me (jme 3.0, blender 2.72b)

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A while back I got the FBX converter working on Ubuntu so you shouldn’t have an issue there.

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