Problems when Importing FBX file from maya

Development Pipeline & Plugins
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1

Hi!, So i created a simple walk cycle animation in maya 2016, and then exported it to move it over to UE4. I imported the animation, mesh and skeleton (all in one fbx file, I exported everything together from maya) and then got a Big list of errors. I can only see part of the mesh, (the eyebrows) but the animation seems to be working fine. I tried exporting the mesh by itself and then importing it in Unreal but it didnt work, i can only see the eyebrows and nothing else. I did not create the mesh nor the rig. I just animated it.the error messages say that the mesh is not referenced by any hierarchy node and i am not sure what that means. Any help would be much appreciated. I spent many hours making this animation and i would really like to see it in unreal, Thanks in advance.

Here are the error messages. and the fbx file.(in zip because is larger than 5mb)
link text

Warning Mesh [Geometry have no name] in the fbx file is not reference by any hierarchy node. (<-this appears multiple times)
Warning The following bones are missing from the bind pose:
bn_spA01
bn_l_thigh01
bn_l_knee01
bn_l_shin01
bn_l_ankle01
jDrv_l_ball01
be_l_toeEnd_a01
bn_l_ball01
be_l_toeEnd_b01
bn_r_thigh01
bn_r_knee01
bn_r_shin01
bn_r_ankle01
jDrv_r_ball01
be_r_toeEnd_a01
bn_r_ball01
be_r_toeEnd_b01
bn_spB01
bn_spC01
bn_spD01
bn_spE01
bn_l_shld01
be_l_shldEnd01
bn_r_shld01
be_r_shldEnd01
jntDrv_l_autoClav01
jntDrv_l_autoClavEnd01
jntDrv_r_autoClav01
jntDrv_r_autoClavEnd01
rp_neck01
bn_neck01
be_neckEnd01
be_spF01
jDrv_spA01
jDrv_spB01
jDrv_spC01
jDrv_spD01
jDrv_spE01
jDrv_spF01
grp_locTwist_spine_vctE01
locTwist_spine_vctE01
grp_locTwist_spine_vctD01
locTwist_spine_vctD01
grp_locTwist_spine_vctC01
locTwist_spine_vctC01
grp_locTwist_spine_vctB01
locTwist_spine_vctB01
grp_locTwist_spine_vctA01
locTwist_spine_vctA01
bn_r_arm01
bn_r_elbow01
bn_r_wrist01
be_r_handEnd01
bn_r_pinky_a01
bn_r_pinky_b_a01
bn_r_pinky_b_b01
bn_r_pinky_c_a01
bn_r_pinky_c_b01
bn_r_pinky_d_a01
bn_r_pinky_d_b01
be_r_pinkyEnd01
bn_r_index_a_a01
bn_r_index_a_b01
bn_r_index_b_a01
bn_r_index_b_b01
bn_r_index_c_a01
bn_r_index_c_b01
be_r_indexEnd01
bn_r_thumb_a01
bn_r_thumb_b_a01
bn_r_thumb_b_b01
bn_r_thumb_c_a01
bn_r_thumb_c_b01
be_r_thumbEnd01
jInflu_r_forearmTwist_a01
jInflu_r_forearmTwist_b01
jInflu_r_forearmTwist_c01
cc_r_forearmTwist01
jInflu_r_armTwist_a01
jInflu_r_armTwist_b01
jInflu_r_armTwist_c01
cc_r_armTwist01
bn_l_arm01
bn_l_elbow01
bn_l_wrist01
be_l_handEnd01
bn_l_thumb_a01
bn_l_thumb_b_a01
bn_l_thumb_b_b01
bn_l_thumb_c_a01
bn_l_thumb_c_b01
be_l_thumbEnd01
bn_l_index_a_a01
bn_l_index_a_b01
bn_l_index_b_a01
bn_l_index_b_b01
bn_l_index_c_a01
bn_l_index_c_b01
be_l_indexEnd01
bn_l_pinky_a01
bn_l_pinky_b_a01
bn_l_pinky_b_b01
bn_l_pinky_c_a01
bn_l_pinky_c_b01
bn_l_pinky_d_a01
bn_l_pinky_d_b01
be_l_pinkyEnd01
jInflu_l_forearmTwist_a01
jInflu_l_forearmTwist_b01
jInflu_l_forearmTwist_c01
cc_l_forearmTwist01
jInflu_l_armTwist_a01
jInflu_l_armTwist_b01
jInflu_l_armTwist_c01
cc_l_armTwist01
be_headEnd01
grp_bn_mid_browSkin01
bn_mid_browSkin01
grp_bn_l_browSkin_a01
bn_l_browSkin_a01
grp_bn_l_browSkin_b01
bn_l_browSkin_b01
grp_bn_l_browSkin_c01
bn_l_browSkin_c01
grp_bn_r_browSkin_a01
bn_r_browSkin_a01
grp_bn_r_browSkin_b01
bn_r_browSkin_b01
grp_bn_r_browSkin_c01
bn_r_browSkin_c01
grp_cc_browSkin01
grp_cc_brow01
grp_locDrv_lat_l_eye01
locDrv_lat_l_eye01
locDrv_lat_r_eye01
jntDrv_l_eyeOri01
jntDrv_l_eyeOriEnd01
jntDrv_r_eyeOri01
jntDrv_r_eyeOriEnd01
iks01
rp_l_leg01
rp_r_leg01
spIK_spine01
rp_r_arm01
rp_l_arm01
controlObjects01
cc_l_knee01
cc_r_knee01
grp_ccs_l_armIK01
cc_l_elbowIK01
grp_ccs_r_armIK01
cc_r_elbowIK01
grp_cc_l_armFK01
grp_cc_r_armFK01
grp_cc_head01
grp_cc_eyes01
to_transform01
trns_toShow01
trns_toHide01
locMatch_l_wristIKFK01
locMatch_r_wristIKFK01
EyeGroup_lf
EyeGroup_lf_deform
eye_lf_main
ffd5Base
EyeGroup_rt
EyeGroup_rt_deform
eye_rt_main
ffd1Base
xtra_toShow01
grp_cl_knee01
cl_l_kneeCtrl01
cl_l_kneeJnt01
cl_r_kneeCtrl01
cl_r_kneeJnt01
grp_cl_elbow01
cl_r_elbowCtrl01
cl_r_elbowJnt01
cl_l_elbowCtrl01
cl_l_elbowJnt01
lat_l_eye01
lat_r_eye01

This can happen for bones that are not vert weighted. If they are not in the correct orientation after importing,
please set the “Use T0 as ref pose” option or add them to the bind pose and reimport the skeletal mesh.
Warning The bone size is too small to create Physics Asset ‘WalkCycle_WalkCycle_PhysicsAsset’ from Skeletal Mesh ‘WalkCycle_WalkCycle’. You will have to create physics asset manually.
-Warning Mesh [Geometry have no name] in the fbx file is not reference by any hierarchy node.

2

Looks like you’ve used some complicated character rig. With game engines, you have to make sure what you export is clean and that the mesh is skinned to the joints properly.

3

The Engine did throw a few suggestions for you, did you try them?

“This can happen for bones that are not vert weighted. If they are not in the correct orientation after importing, please set the “Use T0 as ref pose” option or add them to the bind pose and reimport the skeletal mesh. Warning The bone size is too small to create Physics Asset ‘WalkCycle_WalkCycle_PhysicsAsset’ from Skeletal Mesh ‘WalkCycle_WalkCycle’. You will have to create physics asset manually. -Warning Mesh [Geometry have no name] in the fbx file is not reference by any hierarchy node.”

The T0 as ref pose is in the import settings. Are all you verteces weighted?
Ad for the Hierchy thing, are all of your bones linked/parented to a parent bone, and that parent bones is linked to a grandparent bone etc… until you reach your main root bones?

4

check out the maya docs about bones hierarchy:

http://download.autodesk.com/us/maya/2009help/index.html?url=Inverse_kinematics_Creating_a_skeleton_hierarchy.htm,topicNumber=d0e17400

5

I imported my fbx file again with the T0 as ref pose option on, and I still get the same result (that part in the error message disappears though-the only error message now is about the mesh not being referenced by any hierarchy node). As for the rest, I am not sure how i can check if my verteces are weighted or if my bones are linked because I am quite new to all this and as i said, did not create the rig or mesh :. Could you please explain what that even means or how to fix it?

Thanks! :slight_smile:

6

I read the maya docs, and the rig that i used seems to follow that, I still don’t understand why I get that error when I import to unreal. I looked it up on youtube google etc, i couldnt find anything and it is getting really frustrating because this happens on multiple models. All the characters that i have used so far, I got from digitaltutors.com and animated them but I cant get any of them in unreal. I will attach a project that i was working on, if anybody could find a way to import it to unreal and tell me how, I would be very happy :slight_smile:
Thanks!
also sorry for the very late reply.
link text

7

I had a look at the Maya file you attached. Looks like you had your character referenced in to this scene, and there is nothing in the scene. As far as I can see, there’s just a ground plane and a sword. The character wont be in the maya file if you have referenced it in.

I also had a look at your fbx you provided in the 1st post. Looks like you still have all the rig controls. What you want to do is bake down the animation to the joints, then delete the control rig and export ONLY the joints with the baked animation. If you export it with all the rig controls, UE4 might read them as joints themselves and wig out. Hope that helps

8

Thanks for the quick reply. I have been trying what you suggested, some rigs that i have used are a bit all over the place in the outliner (the downside of working with rigs that arent my own i guess) and i have some trouble finding the joints alone or the mesh alone to export them, i will attach another file here, this one should work. I’ll keep trying but maybe you will know what to do? Really appreciate the help all you guys have given my so far

114900-animation_03_run_01.rar (398 KB)

9

Huge thanks, from now on i will find a rig that works with unreal and animate from there. Hope this helps everyone else that has the same issue in the future

10

I just had a look at the new file… that worked :slight_smile:

But I see your problem now. The character is rigged in a way that isn’t ideal for game engines. It’s got the spine, arms, legs, etc as separate joint hierarchies connected to each other using constraints and grouping. It’s a very complex rig but sadly, it wont work for UE4. You need a single joint hierarchy. For example, the root would be the hips and they just branch out to the spine, and feet, etc.