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Alembic (computer graphics)

{{Short description|File format}}

{{Infobox file format

| name = Alembic

| icon = Alembic logo.svg

| caption =

| extension = .abc

| mime =

| type code =

| uniform type =

| conforms to =

| magic =

| owner = Sony Pictures Imageworks {{small|(Sony Pictures Entertainment)}}
Industrial Light & Magic {{small|(Lucasfilm)}}

| released = {{start date|2011|08|09}}{{cite news|title=Lucasfilm and Sony Pictures Imageworks Release Alembic 1.0|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lucasfilm-and-sony-pictures-imageworks-release-alembic-10-127316408.html|accessdate=September 22, 2012|newspaper=PR Newswire|date=August 9, 2011|author=Sony Pictures Imageworks, Lucasfilm}}

| latest release version = 1.8.4

| latest release date = {{release date and age|2022|11|11}}{{cite web|title=Releases - alembic/alembic |url=https://github.com/alembic/alembic/releases|via=GitHub|publisher=Alembic|accessdate=25 December 2022}}

| genre = Exchange format for computer graphics

| container for =

| contained by =

| extended from =

| extended to =

| standard =

| open = Yes

| url = {{official URL}}

}}

Alembic is an interchangeable computer graphics file format developed by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Industrial Light & Magic.{{cite web|url=http://opensource.imageworks.com|title=Sony Pictures Imageworks - Open Source|website=Opensource.imageworks.com|accessdate=27 May 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.lucasfilm.com|title=Lucasfilm - Film and Television Production|work=Lucasfilm|accessdate=27 May 2016}}{{cite news |title=ILM, Sony Imageworks release Alembic 1.0 |url=https://variety.com/2011/digital/news/ilm-sony-imageworks-release-alembic-1-0-1118041083/ |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |work=Variety |date=August 9, 2011 |language=en}} It was announced at SIGGRAPH 2011, and has been widely adopted across the industry by visual effects and animation professionals.

Its primary focus is the efficient interchange of animated geometry (models) between different groups working on the same shots or same assets, possibly using different applications. Often different departments in the same company or different studios are working on the same projects. Alembic supports the common geometric representations used in the industry, including polygon meshes, subdivision surface, parametric curves, NURBS patches and particles. Alembic also has support for transform hierarchies and cameras. With the latest version comes initial support for materials and lights as well. Alembic specifically is not focused on storing the complex dependency graphs of procedural tools but instead stores the "baked" results by sampling the model data at different points along an animated scene's timeline.{{cite web|url=http://alembic.io|title=Alembic|website=Alembic.io|accessdate=27 May 2016}}

Tools which support Alembic

=Tools with native support=

class="wikitable sortable"
ApplicationAs of versionVendor
Flame2016Autodesk{{cite web|url=http://usa.autodesk.com/flame|title=Flame - 2d/3d Compositing/Finishing/Editing - Autodesk|website=Usa.autodesk.com|accessdate=11 Feb 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403050304/http://usa.autodesk.com/flame/|archive-date=3 April 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
Adobe Substance

|

|Adobe Inc

Maya2012Autodesk{{cite web|url=http://usa.autodesk.com/maya|title=Maya - Computer Animation & Modeling Software - Autodesk|website=Usa.autodesk.com|accessdate=27 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325105223/http://usa.autodesk.com/maya/|archive-date=2013-03-25|url-status=dead}}
3ds Max2016Autodesk[http://usa.autodesk.com/3DMax]{{dead link|date=May 2016}}
KATANA1.1The Foundry{{cite web|url=http://www.thefoundry.co.uk/products/katana/|title=KATANA - Lighting & look development software - The Foundry|website=Thefoundry.co.uk|accessdate=27 May 2016}}
Houdini11.1Side Effects Software{{cite web|url=http://www.sidefx.com|title=Home - SideFX|website=Sidefix.com|accessdate=27 May 2016}}
iClone6.5Reallusion Inc.{{cite web|url=http://www.reallusion.com|title=3D Animation and 2D Cartoons Made Simple - Reallusion Animation Software|website=Reallusion.com|accessdate=27 May 2016}}
RenderMan?Pixar{{cite web|url=http://renderman.pixar.com|title=Pixar's RenderMan Products|website=Renderman.pixar.com|accessdate=27 May 2016}}
Arnold?Solid Angle{{cite web|url=http://www.solidangle.com|title=Solid Angle - Arnold Renderer|website=Solidangle.com|accessdate=27 May 2016}}
MARI10.2v1The Foundry{{cite web|url=https://www.thefoundry.co.uk/products/mari/features/#geometryhandling |title=MARI Features :: 3D Texture Painting :: The Foundry |website=thefoundry.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2017-01-06}}
MODO10.2v1The Foundry{{cite web|url=http://www.luxology.com/tv/training/view.aspx?id=619 |title=The Foundry Community :: TV :: Training :: View |website=Luxology.com |date= |accessdate=2016-05-27 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
NUKE7.0The Foundry{{cite web|url=http://www.thefoundry.co.uk/articles/2012/09/07/410/nuke-70-is-coming-soon/#feature_alembic |title=NUKE 7.0 is coming soon | the Foundry |accessdate=November 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105043831/http://www.thefoundry.co.uk/articles/2012/09/07/410/nuke-70-is-coming-soon/ |archivedate=November 5, 2012 }}
Cinema 4DR14Maxon{{cite web|url=http://www.maxon.net/products/new-in-cinema-4d-r14/overview.html |title=MAXON - 3D FOR THE REAL WORLD: Errorpage |website=Maxon.net |accessdate=27 May 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401071547/http://www.maxon.net/products/new-in-cinema-4d-r14/overview.html |archivedate=1 April 2013 }}
V-Ray2012Chaos Group{{cite web|url=http://chaosgroup.com/en/2/siggraph2012.html?os=0726|title=Chaos Group|website=Chaosgroup.com|accessdate=27 May 2016}}
Guerilla Render0.15.2Mercenaries Engineering{{cite web|url=http://www.guerillarender.com|title=Guerilla Render - Animation and VFX production rendering|website=Guerillarender.com|accessdate=27 May 2016}}
RealFlow2013Next Limit{{cite web|url=http://support.nextlimit.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=14319905 |title=EC - Alembic I/O |website=Support.nextlimit.com |accessdate=27 May 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610162240/http://support.nextlimit.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=14319905 |archivedate=10 June 2016 }}
Maxwell Render3[https://web.archive.org/web/20141018073136/http://www.nextlimit.com/ Next Limit]
Clarisse iFX2012[http://www.isotropix.com/ Isotropix]
LightWave 3D11.6NewTek{{cite web|url=https://www.lightwave3d.com/11-6_features_overview|title=LightWave - 11.6 Features Overview|website=Lightwave3d.com|accessdate=27 May 2016}}
Keyshot Pro4Luxion
Octane Render1.5Otoy
Blender2.78Blender Foundation{{cite web|url=https://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.78/Alembic|title=Dev:Ref/Release Notes/2.78/Alembic|website=wiki.blender.org|accessdate=26 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106151828/https://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Release_Notes/2.78/Alembic|archive-date=6 November 2016|url-status=dead}}
Fusion7.0Blackmagic Design
Unreal Engine4.13Epic Games
Unity Engine2018.1Unity Technologies
EmberGen0.7.5JangaFX
Marvelous Designer?CLO Virtual Fashion

=Plugins=

class="wikitable sortable"
PluginApplications supportedVendor
[http://exocortex.com/crate Crate Suite]3DS Max, Maya, Softimage, Arnold[http://exocortex.com Exocortex]
AtomKraftNuke, After EffectsJupiter Jazz{{cite web |author=Jupiter Jazz Limited |url=http://atomkraft.hk |title=AtomKraft, by Jupiter Jazz |website=Atomkraft.hk |accessdate=2016-05-27 }}
OrtholabMudboxOrtholab{{cite web|url=http://ortholab.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=AbcTranslator&referringTitle=Home|title=Ortholab|work=CodePlex|accessdate=27 May 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025807/http://ortholab.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=AbcTranslator&referringTitle=Home|url-status=dead}}
DF Plugin3DS MaxDigital Frontier{{cite web|url=http://www.dfx.co.jp/dftalk/?p=5916|title=デジタル・フロンティア-Digital Frontier - DF TALK - Alembic for 3dsmax|website=Dfx.co.jp|accessdate=27 May 2016}}
[http://www.daz3d.com/alembic-exporter-for-daz-studio Alembic Exporter]Daz StudioDaz 3D{{cite web|url=http://www.daz3d.com|title=Daz 3D - 3D Models and 3D Software by Daz 3D|website=Daz3d.com|accessdate=27 May 2016}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

  • {{Official}}
  • {{github|alembic|Alembic}}

Category:3D graphics file formats

Category:Lucasfilm