Pointcache (pc2)

Reference

Category

Import-Export

Menu

File ‣ Export ‣ Pointcache (.pc2)

This exporter produces pointcache files. These can be used to transfer animated meshes to external applications. Only the vertex positions at the samples are saved.

The exporter can export meshes, surfaced curves, surfaces and font objects. They are all treated as meshes. The base object has to be converted into a mesh before exporting it also.

Properties

Convert to Y-Up

Rotates the mesh data -90 degrees around X.

Export into World Space

Transform the mesh data into world space.

Apply Modifiers

Export objects using the evaluated mesh, meaning the resulting mesh after all Modifiers have been calculated.

Start Frame

First frame to export.

End Frame

Export up to this frame.

Sampling

The sample rate. 1 means one sample per frame. 0.1 means 10 samples per frame, and 10 means one sample every 10 frames.

Importing

The use of these files depends on the importing application. In general the object has to be first exported normally (OBJ export or the like) and then the pointcache data can be attached to the object.

  • In 3ds Max there is a modifier which can directly read pc2 files.

  • In Maya the pc2 cache has to be converted into Maya's geometry cache format first. The MEL command for that is this:

    cacheFile -pc2 1 -pcf "<insert filepath of source>" -f "<insert target filename w/o extension>"
    -dir "<insert directory path for target>" -format "OneFile";