"Model has no faces"

[Ariel Liveoak]

OK, I'm lost.

I made a chair. Sculpted in ZBrush, export OBJ, import to Maya. Did the UV map, added texture and AO. Export FBX. Convert to DAE. Upload to SL, no problem, looks ok.

Then I decided I wanted to accentuate some of the sculpted detail. So, re-open ZBrush, do a little tweaking. Export OBJ. Import to Maya. Re-do the UVs, textures and AO. Try to upload to SL...

WARNING: validate_model: Model has no faces!
WARNING: doLoadModel: document has no visual_scene

The first (successful) model was done in Maya 2014 and used FBX Converter 2013.2. Same thing for the first failed attempt with the new model.

I brought the model into Maya 2013 and re-exported, used FBX Converter 2013.2. Failed upload.

Updated to FBX Converter 2013.3. Still failed.

Reversed all normals. Still failed. Reversed normals back again. Still failed. Reduced the poly count. Still failed.

Removed all textures from the model. Still failed. Added the textures back again. Still failed.

I have no idea what the problem is or how to fix it. No idea why it worked once but not the rest of the times. Any suggestions?

[IvanBenjammin]

What are you using to convert from FBX to DAE? Its seems strange that your process would work the first time but not subsequently.

Can you import your DAE file back into Maya or another 3d app? This should at least tell you if there's corruption in your file. Try it with Blender, as this has one of the better DAE exporters. (If you're a maya user, you probably don't like Blender much...give it a shot, if only for the import/export process).

I found this thread when googling your error message - it might have some relevant suggestions for you to look at: http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Mesh/Mesh-Uploader-Dae-Parssing-Issue-why-does-it-not-read-my-DAE/td-p/1181637

[Ariel Liveoak]

Yeah, it's very strange (and maddening) that the process worked once and then never again.

I'm using "FBX Converter" from Autodesk. It's worked fine on all the meshes I've done prior to this.

OK, good suggestion. I've just tried to convert the DAE back to FBX and failed due to parsing error. Still no idea what or why, but it's another clue, anyway.

I've also just downloaded Blender. I was able to figure it out enough to import my OBJ and export to DAE, but the upload to SL still failed.

Yeah, I found that thread also. I did spend some time searching before posting... seemed like all I could find was threads where people were asking "what does this mean?" and people saying "I don't know".

[IvanBenjammin]

This sort of issue is usually solved through a process of elimination. Be a detective and isolate what's different. From the sounds of it is the obj itself that's a problem as you've tried different ways of converting it to DAE.

So, something to do with the most recent changes you made in Zbrush. Do you have multiple subtools, layers or polygroups? Did the vertex/triangle count increase?

Regarding Blender: I don't use it much myself, except as an import/export tool. I was having DAE  issues with my workflow, and using Blender to export  solved my problem (entirely different issue involving soft/hard normals, but goes to show that DAE exporters are not made equal). In Blender's export DAE window, there are two checkboxes - 'export only selected' and 'export for second life' - No idea what the second one does, but I check it.

[Medhue Simoni]

I've briefly skimmed thru your issue here, and I just want to point out that if you change the UV map, it will likely screw up your faces, or material IDs. I would think reapplying them would correct the issue. Kind of just guessing but I've seen issues like this before in 3ds Max. I have little to no experience in Maya.

[Cathy Foil]

It may not be you at all Ariel.

I just tried making a very simple box chair in Maya exported it as an FBX file and used three different versions of the AutoDesk FBX Converter program.  2013 not 2013.2.  I also tried 2012.2 and 2011.  

2013 and 2012.2 actually made my viewer crash when trying to upload the mesh.  2011 simply didn't load into the upload window no matter how long I waited.

I then tried uploading another FBX converted to DAE file I made just a week or two ago that uploaded just fine and almost same thing.  It was converted with 2012.2 but it didn't crash my viewer but it did the same thing as 2011 converted FBX which was it just wouldn't load into the mesh upload window.

Now I am doing my testing on an Open sim which will remain nameless so my post doesn't get deleted.  But it rhymes with WinWorlds.  I do my testing there because mesh uploads are free.

Try uploading again the original DAE file that uploaded successfully but copy it and rename it so the SL upload window doesn't just use the SLM file that was created and saved onto your hard drive when you originally uploaded it.

If that file doesn't upload then you know LL changed something with the upload process which I think there is a good chance they did.

On a side note.  Why aren't you exporting out of Maya directly as a DAE file?  You shouldn't have to use the Autodesk FBX Converter program.  Here's a link to the Autodesk Plug-in and Converter archive if for some reason you need a different plug-in or want to use an older FBX Converter their free.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/item?siteID=123112&id=10775920

Hope that helps.

Cathy

PS I did try exporting directly out of Maya as a DAE file and it uploaded with no problems at all.

[Ariel Liveoak]

The problem seems to be the relationship between ZBrush and Maya. I finally just dropped Maya from the pipeline and exported DAE from ZBrush. That worked fine.

It also had the added benefit of being able to upload the model with the textures already attached.

I just had to make sure the polycount was as low as I could get it without sacrificing detail, but ZBrush's decimate function took care of that nicely.