Alembic Import: Visibility #69191

New Issue

Kevin C. Burke · 2019-08-26T23:51:12+02:00

Kevin C. Burke commented

2019-08-26 23:51:12 +02:00

System Information
Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, 10.0.18362 Build 18362
Installed Physical Memory: 64.0 GB
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan Black, Driver 26.21.14.3064

Blender Version
Broken: version: 2.80 (sub 75), branch: master, commit date: 2019-07-29 14:47, hash: f6cb5f5449, type: build date: 2019-07-29, 09:44 AM

Short description of error
When importing Alembic files, visibility is not recognized by Blender as it is in other 3D applications. This is important when using multiple proxy objects in another application that need to be invisible when imported.

Example Alembic with Visibility
Alembic_Visibility.abc

Exact steps for others to reproduce the error

Turn off the visibility of an object in the Outliner (I tried this with Cinema 4D and Blender)
Export Alembic
Import the file
Blender does not recognize the Visibility properties

Example Blend file with Example Alembic attachment above
Alembic_Visibility.blend

Implementation of other Alembic Properties may also be considered as in Cinema 4D's Alembic Import Dialog
{F7705176}

**System Information** Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, 10.0.18362 Build 18362 Installed Physical Memory: 64.0 GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan Black, Driver 26.21.14.3064 **Blender Version** Broken: version: 2.80 (sub 75), branch: master, commit date: 2019-07-29 14:47, hash: f6cb5f54494e, type: build date: 2019-07-29, 09:44 AM **Short description of error** When importing Alembic files, visibility is not recognized by Blender as it is in other 3D applications. This is important when using multiple proxy objects in another application that need to be invisible when imported. ![Alembic_Visibility.jpg](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F7705144/Alembic_Visibility.jpg) *Example Alembic with Visibility* [Alembic_Visibility.abc](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F7705151/Alembic_Visibility.abc) **Exact steps for others to reproduce the error** 1. Turn off the visibility of an object in the Outliner (I tried this with Cinema 4D and Blender) 2. Export Alembic 3. Import the file Blender does not recognize the Visibility properties *Example Blend file with Example Alembic attachment above* [Alembic_Visibility.blend](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F7705153/Alembic_Visibility.blend) *Implementation of other Alembic Properties may also be considered as in Cinema 4D's Alembic Import Dialog* {F7705176}

❤️ 3

Kevin C. Burke commented

2019-08-26 23:51:12 +02:00

Added subscriber: @KevinCBurke

Abid Maqbool commented

2019-08-27 10:45:54 +02:00

Added subscriber: @AbidMaqbool

Abid Maqbool commented

2019-08-27 10:45:55 +02:00

Latest Blender 2.81 ce2368cf69 same behavior...
IMO, not a bug/error yet a feature/improvement or so on..

Latest Blender 2.81 ce2368cf69 same behavior... IMO, not a bug/error yet a feature/improvement or so on..

Philipp Oeser commented

2019-08-27 10:54:33 +02:00

Added subscribers: @dr.sybren, @lichtwerk

Sybren A. Stüvel was assigned by Philipp Oeser

2019-08-27 10:54:33 +02:00

Philipp Oeser commented

2019-08-27 10:54:33 +02:00

In a way this is similar to the lack of importing e.g. Focal Length (#54050 (Alembic: Camera properties (focal length, focus distance, ...) animation not importing)), or Custom Properties (#50725 (Alembic export doesn't take 'Custom Properties', as alembic non-standard data.)).

Right now, Alembic in blender is based on modifiers and constraints, so that streaming will work and everything is updated when the .abc gets updated (well not entirely, but almost).
So (for me), this looks like a similar problem: If support for visibility is to come, it should work with something like D2324: Alembic: F-Curve cache modifier to lookup arbitrary property animations. (supporting animations and doing the disc read automatically without the need to reload an .abc manually if anything in there changed...).
@dr.sybren: what do you think? Of course reading visibility once could be an option [but I think the F-Curve cache modifier sounds like the way to go, no?]

That all being said, this is not really a bug, but a feature request, question is if we keep this as TODO for {#69058}?

Will let @dr.sybren decide...

In a way this is similar to the lack of importing e.g. Focal Length (#54050 (Alembic: Camera properties (focal length, focus distance, ...) animation not importing)), or Custom Properties (#50725 (Alembic export doesn't take 'Custom Properties', as alembic non-standard data.)). Right now, Alembic in blender is based on modifiers and constraints, so that streaming will work and everything is updated when the .abc gets updated (well not entirely, but almost). So (for me), this looks like a similar problem: If support for visibility is to come, it should work with something like [D2324: Alembic: F-Curve cache modifier to lookup arbitrary property animations.](https://archive.blender.org/developer/D2324) (supporting animations and doing the disc read automatically without the need to reload an .abc manually if anything in there changed...). @dr.sybren: what do you think? Of course reading visibility once could be an option [but I think the F-Curve cache modifier sounds like the way to go, no?] That all being said, this is not really a bug, but a feature request, question is if we keep this as TODO for {#69058}? Will let @dr.sybren decide...

Serj Maiorov commented

2019-09-02 10:10:42 +02:00

Added subscriber: @SerjMaiorov

Serj Maiorov commented

2019-09-02 10:10:42 +02:00

We have the same problem:
Rig Test_02-Comparison.mp4
As you can see, the rigger used "Write visibility" option to swap between face parts. In Blender - all planes are visible.

We have the same problem: [Rig Test_02-Comparison.mp4](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F7713916/Rig_Test_02-Comparison.mp4) As you can see, the rigger used "Write visibility" option to swap between face parts. In Blender - all planes are visible.

Serj Maiorov commented

2019-09-02 10:16:23 +02:00

Here are the Alembic file and the texture for the swapping face parts.
dad7.abc

Moreover, in the beginning, the rigger used moving UV's as a way to stay with the same plane and still swap between the faces texture grid, but it also didn't work in Blende...

Here are the Alembic file and the texture for the swapping face parts. [dad7.abc](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F7713925/dad7.abc) ![dad_grid_05.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F7713929/dad_grid_05.png) Moreover, in the beginning, the rigger used moving UV's as a way to stay with the same plane and still swap between the faces texture grid, but it also didn't work in Blende...

Sybren A. Stüvel commented

2019-09-17 13:57:55 +02:00

This is indeed not a bug, it's simply a property that's written to Alembic and that's not read by Blender. Alembic is quite bad in this respect, in that there is no well-documented open standard in which such properties are defined. I'd be very happy if you can prove me wrong on this one.

Features like this one and the others @lichtwerk mentioned should probably wait until #69046 (Cache loading via animation system) has been implemented. That will give us a much better way to load arbitrary properties from Alembic.

This is indeed not a bug, it's simply a property that's written to Alembic and that's not read by Blender. Alembic is quite bad in this respect, in that there is no well-documented open standard in which such properties are defined. I'd be very happy if you can prove me wrong on this one. Features like this one and the others @lichtwerk mentioned should probably wait until #69046 (Cache loading via animation system) has been implemented. That will give us a much better way to load arbitrary properties from Alembic.

Philip Luk commented

2019-09-25 01:37:19 +02:00

Added subscriber: @PixelTrader

Lukas Stockner commented

2020-02-19 19:10:28 +01:00

Added subscriber: @LukasStockner

Lukas Stockner commented

2020-02-19 19:10:28 +01:00

In case anyone's interested, here's a quick and dirty patch for importing static visibility: P1264

Does not support animated visibility or reloading when the file changes due to the mentioned design challenges.

In case anyone's interested, here's a quick and dirty patch for importing static visibility: [P1264](https://archive.blender.org/developer/P1264.txt) Does not support animated visibility or reloading when the file changes due to the mentioned design challenges.

Kevin C. Burke commented

2020-02-21 21:48:19 +01:00

In #69191#876351, @LukasStockner wrote:
In case anyone's interested, here's a quick and dirty patch for importing static visibility: P1264

Does not support animated visibility or reloading when the file changes due to the mentioned design challenges.

So exciting to see progress on this!!!!!

> In #69191#876351, @LukasStockner wrote: > In case anyone's interested, here's a quick and dirty patch for importing static visibility: [P1264](https://archive.blender.org/developer/P1264.txt) > > Does not support animated visibility or reloading when the file changes due to the mentioned design challenges. So exciting to see progress on this!!!!!

Sybren A. Stüvel removed their assignment 2021-01-14 18:00:55 +01:00

Kevin C. Burke commented

2021-07-14 17:26:17 +02:00

This comment was removed by @KevinCBurke

*This comment was removed by @KevinCBurke*

CRAZ commented

2021-07-28 14:47:40 +02:00

Added subscriber: @zrp

GM commented

2021-08-01 14:22:35 +02:00

Added subscriber: @Mentales

ChrisRem commented

2022-01-03 17:39:33 +01:00

Added subscriber: @ChrisR-2

Philipp Oeser removed the

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Alembic Import: Visibility #69191