Imported 3D Scene
Method #
This node instances a 3D scene which has been imported from one of the valid scene file formats. A scene must be set via the “3D Scene” parameter for the node to be active.
The supported formats are:
- LightWave (.LWO)
- Wavefront (.OBJ)
- Cinema4D (.C4D)
- FBX (.FBX)
- Alembic (.ABC)
When a valid scene resource is set, sub-nodes are created for each node imported from the original scene - such as objects, lights, cameras, bones or transform nodes - and linked together as they appear in the original scene’s hierarchy. This allows complex scenes with skins, skeletons and hierarchical animation to work properly. These sub-nodes may not be deleted, their linkages may not be changed and some of their parameters, such as transforms, can not be edited - they are representations of elements loaded from the imported scene file. However other nodes from outside of the imported scene may be connected to them.
In Notch, animation playback is framerate independent:: there is no “frame rate”, and animations are interpolated accurately at any given time point. In some 3D packages, however, time is locked to a certain frame rate and there is no sub-frame interpolation of animations: the playback time is always quantised to a division based on the frame rate. This difference in behaviours can lead to errors in animation playback, when interpolations occur that were not intended - e.g. rotation going full circle when interpolating between values at two discrete frames. To resolve this issue the Lock to Frame Rate parameter may be used to force playback times to be quantised to divisions of a given frame rate as in the 3D package that authored the animation.
The outputs from this node are primarily transformation, but in the case of the Freeze Geometry node, all the geometry within the scene will be frozen.
Parameters
These properties control the 3D transforms of the node. Transforms will generally be inherited by child nodes, although they can be ignored through the Inherit Transform Channels attributes.
Parameter Details
Position X Move along the local x-axis.
Position Y Move along the local y-axis.
Position Z Move along the local z-axis.
Rotation Heading Rotate around the local y-axis.
Rotation Pitch Rotate around the local x-axis.
Rotation Bank Rotate around the local z-axis.
Scale X Scale along the local x-axis.
Scale Y Scale along the local y-axis.
Scale Z Scale along the local z-axis.
Toggle which transform channels should be inherited from the parent node. By default, all transforms will be inherited.
Parameter Details
Position X Toggle inheritance of the X Position from the parent.
Position Y Toggle inheritance of the Y Position from the parent.
Position Z Toggle inheritance of the Z Position from the parent.
Rotation Heading Toggle inheritance of the Rotation Heading from the parent.
Rotation Pitch Toggle inheritance of the Rotation Pitch from the parent.
Rotation Bank Toggle inheritance of the Rotation Bank from the parent.
Scale X Toggle inheritance of the X Scale from the parent.
Scale Y Toggle inheritance of the Y Scale from the parent.
Scale Z Toggle inheritance of the Z Scale from the parent.
World Position Only Inherit the world position from the parent only, rotation and scale will be ignored. Overrides above properties.
Inherit Time Toggle inheritance of time from the parent.
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
Parameter Details
Store Node Properties on Root Stores the properties of the child nodes hidden on the root. Helps with backwards compatibility for older projects, otherwise shouldn’t be touched.
3D Scene Select the 3D scene to import (FBX, Alembic, LightWave, Cinema 4D).
Loop Start The start time of the section of the scene which is played.
Loop End The end time of the section of the scene which is played.
Playback Speed Change the speed at which the scene is played.
Visible Control whether the node is visible or not to the scene.
Loop Mode Change the way in which the time loops when the end of the loop is reached.
- Repeat : The time returns to that specified by the Loop Start parameter.
- One Shot : The time continues indefinitely and does not loop.
Reload Materials From LWS Reload the material used from the original 3D object file.
Lock to Frame Rate Quantise the times used in scene playback to exact divisions of the specified Locked Frame Rate.
Locked Frame Rate The frame rate at which the playback rate is quantised to.
Use Cameras Use the cameras imported within the scene node as camera nodes in the scene.
Use Lights Use the Lights imported within the scene node as light nodes in the scene.
Ignore Empty Nodes Ignores and hides empty transform nodes which don’t eventually branch to geometry, cameras, or lights.
Instance Duplicate Objects Finds identical geometry and replaces them with instances instead, greatly increasing performance. This does mean that the geometry is no longer unique, so deformers will be applied to every instance of the geometry, and not localised per node.
Animation Set Select an animation set from the imported scene.
Deformer Shader Override the shader for deformer processing.
Inputs
These properties control the 3D transforms of the node. Transforms will generally be inherited by child nodes, although they can be ignored through the Inherit Transform Channels attributes.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Position X | Move along the local x-axis. |
| Position Y | Move along the local y-axis. |
| Position Z | Move along the local z-axis. |
| Rotation Heading | Rotate around the local y-axis. |
| Rotation Pitch | Rotate around the local x-axis. |
| Rotation Bank | Rotate around the local z-axis. |
| Scale X | Scale along the local x-axis. |
| Scale Y | Scale along the local y-axis. |
| Scale Z | Scale along the local z-axis. |
Toggle which transform channels should be inherited from the parent node. By default, all transforms will be inherited.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Position X | Toggle inheritance of the X Position from the parent. |
| Position Y | Toggle inheritance of the Y Position from the parent. |
| Position Z | Toggle inheritance of the Z Position from the parent. |
| Rotation Heading | Toggle inheritance of the Rotation Heading from the parent. |
| Rotation Pitch | Toggle inheritance of the Rotation Pitch from the parent. |
| Rotation Bank | Toggle inheritance of the Rotation Bank from the parent. |
| Scale X | Toggle inheritance of the X Scale from the parent. |
| Scale Y | Toggle inheritance of the Y Scale from the parent. |
| Scale Z | Toggle inheritance of the Z Scale from the parent. |
| World Position Only | Inherit the world position from the parent only, rotation and scale will be ignored. Overrides above properties. |
| Inherit Time | Toggle inheritance of time from the parent. |
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Store Node Properties on Root | Stores the properties of the child nodes hidden on the root. Helps with backwards compatibility for older projects, otherwise shouldn’t be touched. |
| 3D Scene | Select the 3D scene to import (FBX, Alembic, LightWave, Cinema 4D). |
| Loop Start | The start time of the section of the scene which is played. |
| Loop End | The end time of the section of the scene which is played. |
| Playback Speed | Change the speed at which the scene is played. |
| Visible | Control whether the node is visible or not to the scene. |
| Loop Mode | Change the way in which the time loops when the end of the loop is reached.
|
| Reload Materials From LWS | Reload the material used from the original 3D object file. |
| Lock to Frame Rate | Quantise the times used in scene playback to exact divisions of the specified Locked Frame Rate. |
| Locked Frame Rate | The frame rate at which the playback rate is quantised to. |
| Use Cameras | Use the cameras imported within the scene node as camera nodes in the scene. |
| Use Lights | Use the Lights imported within the scene node as light nodes in the scene. |
| Ignore Empty Nodes | Ignores and hides empty transform nodes which don’t eventually branch to geometry, cameras, or lights. |
| Instance Duplicate Objects | Finds identical geometry and replaces them with instances instead, greatly increasing performance. This does mean that the geometry is no longer unique, so deformers will be applied to every instance of the geometry, and not localised per node. |
| Animation Set | Select an animation set from the imported scene. |
| Deformer Shader | Override the shader for deformer processing. |
| Name | Description | Typical Input |
|---|---|---|
| Transform Modifiers | Apply the transforms of another node to this node. | Null |
| Target Node | Modifiy the rotations of the node to always direct the z axis towards the input. | Null |
| Local Transform Override | Apply the transforms of another node to this node, relative to its parent. | Null |