How do i officially replace a FBX file?

Unity Engine
1

I have a character with three animations. Now i wanted to replace the FBX file because i have added a few more animations. So my first way was to simply drag the new FBX into the folder in the Project tab. No luck. The new file does not overwrite the old file. It imports the second file, and renames it to myfile 1.

My next way leaded to the Explorer. Here i replaced the FBX file. Back in Unity my character stopped working: No jump animation found and the character has canJump enabled. Turning off animations.
UnityEngine.Debug:Log(Object) …

Seems that the formerly created clips are not longer fitting to the new FBX. Which is curious, because all i did was adding a few more animations at the end.

So what is the official way to replace a FBX file? Is it really necessary to build my character from scratch, and to adjust all the scripts to the new name then?

2

You could try right clicking the asset in the Project pane choosing reimport, pointing to the new version of the model.

3

Thanks Don Gray. But how do i point to the new version? I can just click the reimport button. And then the stuff simply gets reimportet. Which leaves me still trapped.

4

Seems that i`m doomed here. The manual says:

Thats me out. It does not work that way neither. And there is no description to find how to proper replace graphics. Seems that i really need to build my game from scratch every time i need to change something at the graphics. This cant be true :frowning:

5

Well, one way to do it would be, rename your present or older model with another name,
and put the new version into the same folder with the original name, so when you select re-import that should import the new version.

6

The problem with the animated model really shouldn’t be an “every time you edit” issue,
but might happen once in a while, otherwise, like the part you quoted from the manual, should normally work.
For graphics double-clicking on the graphic in the project window should launch your graphic editing program (i.e. Photoshop)
where you can edit, save (in same project folder) and it gets updated when returning to Unity.

7

Thanks Don Gray. I end in the same dilemma as with all other methods though. It does not accept the animations anymore. And they are not reapplyable.

I start to think that i have run into a bug here. Hmm.

8

After importing the new version can you manually add newly named animations?

590835--21000--$fbx_window.jpg
590835--21000--$fbx_window.jpg629×803 65.2 KB

9

Yes i can. The old character just had the first two animations. But they don`t arrive at my character in the level.

10

I have collected a stripped down file of my build. And i have created a little video to show the problem. Unfortunately without sound. Couldn`t get my mic to work. Realtek …

Download is here, 16 Mb: http://www.reinerstilesets.de/ext/import_problem.rar

And here the video:

11

Dude, just delete the old FBX in your project folder, and then copy/paste the FBX file from wherever you have it to the project folder, done.

12

So, the animations show up with the import in Unity but are not available to work on the model in Unity?

Does this work for you?

13

Yes, of course. I go over working with assets in mixed pipeline environments in this training product:

I also did it for Maya and 3dsMax, but the basic workflow is the same in any 3d package that works with an FBX data exchange pipline.

14

Sorry, I was actually talking to the OP, he is having so much trouble I was wondering if using your suggestion worked for him.
I have no trouble just importing FBX files from Max but his model isn’t updating correctly he says.

15

Correct. As told, this does not work here. I end in no animation. As shown in the video. I do exactly that in the video, i relace the FBX file as suggested, using the windows explorer. Unity updates the project then, and that was it with my animations.

The FBX file is intact from what i can say. You can have a look too, that`s why i have also attached the project :slight_smile:

Okay, seems that it is time to contact the chiefs here. I dont see that i do anything wrong, and we dont find a solution here. To simply replace the FBX in such a case seems to work for everybody else but me. Me thinks that qualifies this issue as a bug. Fingers crossed that it gets fixed :slight_smile:

Thanks for your help guys :slight_smile:

16

Well if you tried everything and still feel it’s a bug, then by all means let Unity Tech know and submit a bug report.

17

Done :slight_smile:

18

One more for a laugh. Ive gone back to a older build, and have just for fun tested again. And in this older build it works. Dont ask me what is different between the two builds. I have no clue.

So it`s definitely a bug.

19

So what you are doing works with an older version of Unity rather than the current one you’re using? what do you mean by “build”?
Also, which version of Unity are you using? I have been using the latest one with no problems when it comes to working with FBX. It would be interesting to figure out why this is happening to you.

20

Exactly. It works as thougth in the old build, and refuses to work with the actual build of my project.

The cause. Hmm, i had a closer look meanwhile. The difference to the actual build was the name of the fbx file. I remember that i have renamed it in Unity at one point. My guess is that Unity was not this successful to update this new name at every place, and still uses the old name somewhere. Which finally breaks the animation part of the prefab in the moment when i replace the fbx file. So my guess is the old name is still in the clips. But that is something for the devs.

A new build means a new version of my project. I make backups very regularly, by making a backup of the whole project folder. Every new version gets its Build number. A newer version has a higher Build number.

And i use of course the newest available Unity version. Standard. 3.3.0f4, 63135 :slight_smile: