User Manual

Alembic Mesh 3D [ABC]
The Alembic Mesh 3D node
Alembic Mesh Node Introduction
At times, you may need to import 3D geometry from applications like Blender, Cinema4D, or
Maya. One of the formats you can use for importing 3D geometry is the Alembic file format.
This file type is a 3D scene interchange format that contains baked animation with its geometry.
In other words, it eliminates the animation calculation times by embedding fixed, uneditable
animation with 3D geometry. The animation is typically embedded using a point cache, which
saves the dynamic data such as velocity after it has been calculated. Alembic objects can
contain mesh geometry, cameras, points, UVs, normals, and baked animation.
You can import Alembic files (.abc) into Fusion in two ways:
 Choose File > Import > Alembic Scene in Fusion or Fusion > Import > Alembic Scene in
DaVinci Resolve’s Fusion page.
 Add an AlembicMesh3D node to the Node Editor.
The first method is the preferred method; both Alembic and FBX nodes by themselves import
the entire model as one object. However, the Import menu breaks down the model, lights,
camera, and animation into a string of individual nodes. This makes it easy to edit and modify
and use subsections of the imported Alembic mesh. Also, transforms in the file are read into
Fusion splines and into the Transform 3D nodes, which get saved with the comp. Later, when
reloading the comp, the transforms are loaded from the comp and not the Alembic file. Fusion
handles the meshes differently, always reloading them from the Alembic file.
Arbitrary user data varies depending on the software creating the Alembic file, and therefore
this type of metadata is mostly ignored.
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