Can I export a model with embedded textures?

Support Materials and Textures
1

Hello everyone, I need to export a model embedded with textures for a fast preview of the model in “FBX review” or any other 3D viewing program.

So far I tried:

  1. Exporting to .dae .3ds .fbx .obj and in every one I checked the “Selected objects” and “Copy” path mode, even tried the “embed textures” option for .fbx but I keep getting a flat model.

  2. Placing the textures in the same folder as the .blend file.

  3. Shortening the name of the textures to just few letters, no spaces, no special symbols.

  4. Naming the textures $meshname_diffuse/roughness etc.

  5. Baking the textures and adding them into a simple PrincipledBSDF

The UV map of the object is the same I used to create the baked textures (created with smart UV project).
I tried manually unwrapping but the .stl file I got has terrible topology so I gave up on it.

Any ideas, anyone? I need this for my first job on upwork.

2

Hi @Saranjivac ,

In Brief: You must be using in Blender Internal Render engine without nodes.

I asked the same question a week ago here: Can’t embed textures inside FBX. I didn’t get a proper reply but after i researched a bit further, i noticed this in the FBX addon page:

material_textures_are_not_supported

However in the same page it says embedding textures is not supported yet but it works properly when you import. So i don’t know whether the info on the page is up-to-date or not.

Also take a look at this developer Brecht’s response here -which clarifies everything- :

We’ll find a way to export textures from Cycles / Eevee node materials.

This will likely be based around the Principled BSDF, which may be different than before but more compatible with e.g. Unity / Unreal / Godot

Thereby, I suggest exporting glTF file format which is the next-gen 3D file format. It supports texture embedding with nodes when exporting and importing.

Here is the exporter: KhronosGroup/glTF-Blender-Exporter
Here is the importer: gltf-blender-importer

I’ll update my thread with these info as well.

3

Hi @filibis , thank you for your quick reply.

I know that blender internal would work, but thats not really applicable since I use cycles material nodes to generate the textures.

So if Cycles is incapable of exporting models with textures. If I bake the textures and then use some other software or engine, that would in theory work?

4

Yes.
Take a look at this response as well:

5

Thanks.

I found sort of a workaround for my problem (client wanting to be able to preview the textured 3D model).

I baked all the needed textures separately and then uploaded the .obj model to sketchfab and applied them.

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