Converting ABC file to AEC using c4dpy?

sophiapreymaker

Hello, I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out how to convert my ABC file to an AEC file using c4dpy. I wrote a script that works to convert it to a C4D file:

import c4d

def import_alembic_and_export_c4d(alembic_path):
    # Create a new document
    doc = c4d.documents.BaseDocument()

    # Load the Alembic file
    print(alembic_path)
    alembic_file = c4d.documents.LoadDocument(alembic_path, c4d.SCENEFILTER_MERGESCENE)
    if alembic_file is None:
        print("Failed to load Alembic file.")
        return

    c4d.documents.LoadFile(alembic_path)
    # Iterate through the objects in the Alembic file and add them to the target document
    for obj in alembic_file.GetObjects():
        doc.InsertObject(obj.Clone(), None, None)

     # Set the output path for the AEC file
    c4d_path = alembic_path.replace(".abc", ".c4d")

    c4d.documents.SaveDocument(doc, c4d_path, c4d.SAVEDOCUMENTFLAGS_NONE, c4d.FORMAT_C4DEXPORT)
    print(f"Exported C4D file: {c4d_path}")



if __name__ == "__main__":
    import sys
    import os
    if len(sys.argv) != 2:
        print("Usage: python import_export.py /path/to/alembic.abc")
        sys.exit(1)

    alembic_path = sys.argv[1]
    import_alembic_and_export_c4d(alembic_path)

Obviously, this creates a different type than I would like - is it possible to script something similar for creating an AEC file instead? I noticed there's no format option for AEC under saving the document, so I assume it would need to involve rendering instead?

This would be for Cinema4D 2023 for Windows.

Thank you!

m_adam

Hi unfortually the possible way is to render the scene.
Within Cinema 4D you can call

rd = doc.GetActiveRenderData()
rd.Message(c4d.MSG_DESCRIPTION_COMMAND, {"id": c4d.RDATA_PROJECTFILESAVE})

Which will simulate the click on the Save Project File... but this will open a File Selector dialog that you can't script.
So the only way is to render the scene via c4d.documents.RenderDocument.

Cheers,
Maxime.

sophiapreymaker

Hi Maxime, thanks for the information - so just to clarify, I need to use RDATA_PROJECTFILESAVE in order to export as an AEC?