Standalone Software Lets Users Easily Share and Review 3D Assets and Animation

Autodesk announced a new, free standalone software product, FBX Review, at SIGGRAPH this morning.

The lightweight software, developed for Windows 8 devices but also compatible with Windows 7, allows users to open FBX files outside of the native toolset for display and review purposes. For example, a Maya artist could send an animation file to a client or other collaborator, who could open and view the asset in a DirectX 11-enabled viewport without having Maya installed.

Formats supported by FBX Review include .fbx, .3ds, .obj, and .dxf. The viewer includes controls to cycle through animation takes and camera angles, with play, pause, and scrub functionality. Viewing options include static/dynamic tessellation, displacement and vector displacement maps, skin deformations and animation, real-time shadow maps, reflection maps, and more.

Autodesk said iOS and Android versions of FBX Review are being considered.

In other news, the company said it was adopting a Creative Commons license for its documentation, including 20,000 pages, 70 videos, and 140 3D assets. The license allows users to make noncommercial use of Autodesk's content — one such scenario would be an educational institution seeking to translate material to another language, or make a similar adaptations.

"We are adopting an easy-to-follow legal infrastructure for the worldwide user community to effectively share knowledge," Autodesk Senior VP Chris Bradshaw said in a prepared statement. "I can't wait to see what artists create: a Finnish translation of new Maya software features or an independent school in Bangladesh teaching 3D animation. The possibilities are limitless."