Import camera from Blender

Is it possible to import a camera from Blender into Fusion? In Blender you can export a camera as a python file but is there a way to import that into fusion?

I don't think there is a blender import by default in Fusion.
However there is FBX export plugins, probably even alembic.
Fusion also supports collada - but I've never tried to import a camera with that.

If nothing works feel free to attach the python file. Is it a Fusion file - or a common file?
It should not be a big effort to write a script that imports that data into something that Fusion understands - at least if there is a key for each frame and you do not need to deal with animation curve interpolation.

blender cant handle .abc right now, its on the roadmap

FBX and .dae works

will take also a look at the py format

Py2 import tab does not work for me.
For .fbx read my post in "Fusion and
Blender" thread.

had a quick look at the "io_anim_camera.py" script in blender and it could quiet fast modified to export a fusion comp file with all the camera attributes and animation inside.
but we would have to deal with the different axis (y-up versus Z-up), look which value is animated and stuff.

Py2 import tab does not work for me.

do you have python2.7 (64bit) installed on your pc?

so, here is a first draft of the export script.

it exports the current selected Camera with baked keyframes as a fusion .comp file.

i tested it only very quickly with a very simple camera animation (2 keyframes on location and rotation in blender)

* it transfers the camera animation, rotation, focal length and sensor size to fusion
* it will currently only work with one selected camera
* it seems that i have some problems with file permission, i had to close blender to open it in fusion

Nice work Michael. I see no reason why blender should keep reference to the file.
Did you try debugging it to see if it reaches the fw.close() ?
I tend to prefer using (py 2.5+):

Code: Select all

with open(filepath, "w") as fw:
    ...


for this and other reasons.

Thank you so much Michael, this is exactly what I have been looking for! I'v tested your script now and it works really well. I only had to adjust the focal length of the camera in Fusion from 35mm to 35,4mm to make it align perfect. But that is no problem! And I didn't have to close Blender to open it in Fusion. It works really good for me. Thanks a lot!

do you have python2.7 (64bit) installed on your pc?

I have it now, thanks ,i had the 32bit. As for the script it does not seem to export
anything from Blender 2.7.2 ( rolling back to 2.5 is out of the question ).

I have it now, thanks ,i had the 32bit. As for the script it does not seem to export
anything from Blender 2.7.2 ( rolling back to 2.5 is out of the question ).

did you select the camera before hitting the export? this was a really quick work with the script and it only exports the a selected Camera right now

i tested and wrote this with blender 2.71

Thank you so much Michael, this is exactly what I have been looking for! I'v tested your script now and it works really well. I only had to adjust the focal length of the camera in Fusion from 35mm to 35,4mm to make it align perfect. But that is no problem! And I didn't have to close Blender to open it in Fusion. It works really good for me. Thanks a lot!

can you send me an example blend file where this different focal length appears? then i can try to find the error.

ahh, i think i got the error. the film back conversion isnt correct. blender uses metric mm, fusion uses imperial inches.

will try some other improvements before i share a new version

can you send me an example blend file where this different focal length appears? then i can try to find the error.

Here is an example file. I don't know if you need it anymore but here it is anyway. If you adjust the focal length in Fusion to 35.4 you will see that everything lines up perfect.

You can choose imperial metric system for Blender camera.
I am afraid i am running the script all wrong. I thought it
would automatically export a .comp file. Keep in mind i
do not know the first thing about modern programing languages,
as you might have noticed i am only a hobbyist.

You can choose imperial metric system for Blender camera.
I am afraid i am running the script all wrong. I thought it
would automatically export a .comp file. Keep in mind i
do not know the first thing about modern programing languages,
as you might have noticed i am only a hobbyist.

in blender you have to import the script as an addon. go to user preferences->addon->import from file
then activate it. now you find a new entry under file->export

if you hit this export it will point you to the file saver dialog, where you choose under which name you want to save it and you can select the frame range you want to export.

Danke Michael, you always are the
most helpful compositor. I will check
this as soon as i get home.

You can choose imperial metric system for Blender camera

I don't think that necessarily true - regardless of what measuring system you use, the camera settings are still based on focal length, which in this case would be a 35mm lens.

Ok, it works from Blender 2.7.2, i checked it with an FBX mesh from blender
(6.1 with -Zforward) but i see a very small drift
from Blender render, i had to compare one frame from each
software to see this, it is so little that it maybe has to do with
unit conversion ,i cannot tell.
I start to think that the problem is at the .fbx export not Michael's script
because the fbx camera itself introduces transparent borders around the
footage unless i raise the Aperture height or width.

i also exported an fbx form blender and i got some small differences between the fbx and my script (even with my new WIP version which fixes the unit conversion bug)

but i think there is a problem with the fbx, because the camera from my script matched the blender rendering

Hi Michael.

Can Blender also export .ma (Maya Ascii) files?
If you use that and import your camera explicitely from the .ma, does that fix the issue?

Cheers.

Eric.

Hi Michael.

Can Blender also export .ma (Maya Ascii) files?
If you use that and import your camera explicitely from the .ma, does that fix the issue?

Cheers.

Eric.

there was something wrong with the fbx (maybe i did forgot to change the fps at export or something)

did it again and it fits, only draw back: imported fbx animation always start at frame 0. dont know if its the export thats wrong or the import

so, my script is now here:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthr ... BMD-Fusion
(sorry, to crosspost to another forum but its more blender related then fusion)

I cannot find .ma export addon.
I see now that the .comp camera starts to move at frame 1
even when my clip and timeline in Blender (and fbx scene) were set to start
at frame 0.I moved the camera one frame to the left in
Fusion timeline and now it all matches perfectly( at least for
my specific simple shot).

okay, check i'll check that with the frame range

the script exports the frame range you specify in the export dialog and the comp it saves has that frame range as default in and out (also render in and out)

if have now an update version on the blender forum, that has onyl one little change:

you can now start your export from frame 0

did it again and it fits, only draw back: imported fbx animation always start at frame 0. dont know if its the export thats wrong or the import

Can you import fbx animations? How?

Okej I found it now. File - Import - FBX Scene. But the animations doesn't match. Did anyone get the animations from imported fbx scene to match?

They did, for my tests, match very well. You have to check for the fps conversion on the import and if they key frames start at the correct time

Thanks Michael, that solved it. Okej but then I can import the cameras from fbx as well. I didn't know that.

i made some progress with my export script

while you are at it, May I request a 3D locator convert to Fusion screen space 2D tracker node in one export?

https://vimeo.com/133226455

i made some progress with my export script

I really appreciate it. Thank you

while you are at it, May I request a 3D locator convert to Fusion screen space 2D tracker node in one export?

well, i guess you could use the locator node in fusion for this right now, but i can give it a look for my ongoing development.

i'm trying to transfer plane tracks to fusions corner pin and how i can transfer the undistortion data

while you are at it, May I request a 3D locator convert to Fusion screen space 2D tracker node in one export?

well, i guess you could use the locator node in fusion for this right now, but i can give it a look for my ongoing development.

i'm trying to transfer plane tracks to fusions corner pin and how i can transfer the undistortion data

That's wonderful of you.

right now i have done some more steps:
- the script right now creates a Loader with the footage from blender (i assume you have only 1 clip loaded)
- it sets the frame range and resolution of the fusion comp to the settings in Blender
- i try to force you to work in linear color space in fusion: i set the viewer LUT in Fusion to the view settings from Blender, i remove the gamma from the Loader clip via a Gamut node (assuming you loaded sRGB encoded files in Blender)
- it exports all or the selected cameras from blender
- it creates a PointCloud3D node in Fusion with points from all the trackers in Blender
- it creates a Tracker node in Fusion with all the 2D tracks from Blender
- it creates a LensDistortion node with the undistortion settings from Blender (this will not match pixel perfect but its quiet close)

SWEET

plane tracker is now transfered into fusion

i guess this means i'm feature complete and now its time for testing, bug hunting and make it user friendly

thank you so much! that is a great feature blander and fusion should work together

Thanks Michael, I really appreciate you script!

I just wonder if you could include the plane of focus distance for the camera export. Then I could use Blender to animate focus distance which gives me much better playback speed!

I have been using Blender for about a year now , and just started using Fusion. This addon would be amazing . Where is the latest build available for download?

No need to reply to my last comment , i got the answer from Vorberg s vimeo post .

now you can find it here:

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthr ... post279957

Really good work Michael! Thank you!

Thank you Michael!

after a long time a new version of the script is availible:

*NEW* plane track comes now also as Tracker node with the position of the plane corners as tracks *NEW*

download