FBX Export — 1-Node vs 2-Node vs 3-Node Explained¶
CGI Motion Resolved All rigs BOTH
Summary¶
Flair offers three FBX camera export modes (1-node, 2-node, 3-node). The correct choice depends entirely on which roll mode the move was programmed in. Using the wrong node type causes the camera to appear incorrectly oriented in the receiving 3D application. 2-node is the standard for most moves; 3-node is required for Roll Up; 1-node is unreliable and rarely used.
Symptoms¶
- You are exporting an FBX from Flair and need to choose between 1-node, 2-node, and 3-node format.
- The imported camera appears incorrectly oriented or rotated in Maya, Blender, or another 3D application after FBX export.
- You programmed the move in Roll Up mode but the camera roll is not translating correctly into the 3D scene.
- You want to understand whether 1-node FBX is safe to use, or why it is unreliable across different applications.
- You need to set up a 3-node camera rig in 3ds Max, which has no native 3-node camera type.
Which Node Type to Use¶
| Roll mode in Flair | FBX node type |
|---|---|
| Roll Level | 2-node |
| Roll Relative | 2-node |
| Roll Up | 3-node |
| Pan/Tilt Target Tracking only (no roll) | 1-node (unreliable — prefer 2-node) |
Default to 2-node unless you specifically used Roll Up
2-node is Flair's native camera representation (camera position + target position). It is the most reliable format across Maya, Blender, Nuke, Houdini, C4D, and 3ds Max.
What Each Node Exports¶
1-Node FBX¶
Exports camera position and orientation (Cartesian Pan, Tilt, Roll angles). This would be analogous to Pan/Tilt target tracking.
Problems with 1-node: - Every 3D application uses different axis orders and directions - Maya, Blender, UE, and C4D all interpret the rotation axes differently - Results can appear correct but be subtly wrong — small errors accumulate - Simon Wakley confirmed a known Maya-specific issue with 1-node that was under fix as of 2024-09
"FBX Export using 1 node sends out the CPan, CTilt and CRoll angles. However every CG platform seems to use different axes in different direction. The result is that FBX Export and Import of 1 Node camera is NOT something to be assumed will work." — Simon Wakley (2024-09-23)
2-Node FBX¶
Exports camera position (node 1) and target position (node 2) as separate animated objects. The 3D app then constrains the camera to look at the target.
- Most reliable format
- Works correctly across Maya, Blender, Nuke, Houdini, and C4D
- For Roll Level and Roll Relative moves: the roll angle in degrees is embedded frame-by-frame
- Does not handle Roll Up correctly — use 3-node for Roll Up
Recommended export settings (2-node): Open File -> CGI Export / Move Export, then set:
Format: FBX
Node type: 2 Node
Coordinates: Maya Y-Up (for Maya); Z-Up (for Blender/UE)
Units: Centimeters
Time: Frames
3-Node FBX¶
Exports camera position (node 1), target position (node 2), and an up-vector target (node 3). Required when the move uses Roll Up mode because the up-vector defines which direction is "up" for the camera at every frame.
- Required for Roll Up moves
- In Maya: use "Damped Track" + "Locked Track" constraints
- In Blender: use copy location + damped track + locked track (see community examples)
"2-node export is for moves in 'roll level' or 'roll relative'. 3-node export is for moves in 'Roll Up' where the roll is controlled by an additional target path." — Jeremy Andrews (2024-09-26)
"In roll up mode, export your FBX as FBX 3 as opposed to FBX 2." — Tom D (2024-08-27)
Receiving 3-Node FBX in 3D Applications¶
Maya¶
A 3-node camera in Maya is a built-in type — Maya handles it natively. Apply the up-vector as the camera's up axis.
"There is a 3-node camera type/class in Maya used to create the camera." — Julian Hermannsen (2024-09-04)
3ds Max¶
3ds Max has no native 3-node camera type. You must rig it manually: 1. Import the 3 nodes as objects 2. Apply a Look At constraint from node 1 (camera) to node 2 (target) 3. Pick node 3 (up-vector) as the upnode in the constraint settings
"Coming from 3dsmax: There is no 3-node camera type in 3dsmax. I'm 'rigging' it myself... 1 node camera with a look-at constraint to node 2 and an upnode picked in the constraint to node 3." — Julian Hermannsen (2024-09-04)
Blender¶
For 2-node FBX in Blender: 1. Import camera and target as objects 2. Add Damped Track constraint on camera pointing at target (track axis: Z-) 3. For 3-node: add Locked Track constraint pointing at the up-vector target
"FBX 3 node so that roll is handled by Flair. Give the camera 2 constraints — 'Damped Track' to make it look at the target and 'Locked Track' to make the top of the camera always face towards the up-vector target." — Ben Myers (2024-03-01)
Additional Axes (Turntable, Focus, Zoom)¶
Turntable rotation and additional axis data do not automatically appear in FBX. To include them:
In File -> CGI Export / Move Export, add entries under Additional Data / Additional Axes before exporting. Each additional axis appears as a separate animated object in the FBX scene.
Turntable limitation
Turntable axis data has limited support in FBX, especially in Flair 7. Export from Flair Classic if turntable data is critical. Niko confirmed turntable data was absent even from the raw ASCII FBX in some versions.
Checking Your FBX Without a 3D Application¶
Use the free FBX Review app (Autodesk, available on Mac App Store) to verify the export. Load the FBX, select the Flair camera node (not the default perspective view), and scrub through the timeline to check the camera path and target position.
"In the app load the FBX and select the Flair camera (as opposed to perspective view) and you can scroll through your move looking at the target position. Good way to confirm your roll up move is being translated properly." — Tom D (2024-08-27)
Evidence from Community Chat¶
"FBX 2 node, Maya Y-Up, cm units and frames as time is standard for Maya." — Ben Myers (2024-05-14)
"Blender and Unreal I usually use Z-Up." — Ben Myers (2024-05-14)
"With FBX 3-node Export a Roll orbital move is working smooth and nicely in Maya." — Heiko Matting (2024-08-27)
"The 2 Node Camera is MUCH more reliable and is the native Flair camera as well so much more likely to work and removes all the confusion with the order and identification of the rotation axes." — Simon Wakley (2024-09-23)
WhatsApp Excerpts¶
- 2021-07-11 02:04 - ~ Marcin Biegunajtys: Does anyone know how the bleep gets recorded on fbx files (cgi export) for matching with footage? I’ve gotten mixed results between clips and always match the footage to vfx export, and don’t see any bleep data after importing the fbx. I tried in Nuke, Modo, and Houdini.
- 2021-07-11 08:33 - Timothy Heys Cerchio: And there actually is an option in the CGI Export to add the Bloop data to the file. Not sure if this is available in 7 New GUI or if it 'appears' on an FBX transfer 😬
- 2021-07-11 09:27 - ~ Simon Wakley: Appears in the MRMC export forMay as a comment. Not exported with FBX need to tell the script sup or VFX sup
- 2021-07-11 09:59 - ~ Marcin Biegunajtys: When you mean added to data do you mean when I open it in an app like Houdini, or is there some appended metadata? I tested v7 and it doesn’t export correctly, but classic does it beautifully.
Related Issues¶
- See also: FBX Export — Licence, flair.ini Flag, and Transfer Speed Setup — Prerequisites for FBX export
- See also: FBX Export Crashes or Hangs Flair Classic — Flair crash on FBX export
- See also: FBX Export — \"Invalid Job\" Error (Roll Mode Mismatch) — Invalid Job error from roll mode mismatch
Related Tutorials¶
▶ 01:02 — 3-node exports camera position + target position + roll angle
▶ 02:08 — FBX 1, 2, and 3 node formats create FBX with positions for 1, 2, or 3 camera nodes
▶ 00:03 — Importing a 3-node FBX file into Flair for a Bolt on Pedestal
▶ 00:36 — Must set Roll Up mode before importing 3-node camera so the up-node is imported correctly
▶ 00:17 — FBX file format export from Flair; resulting camera group structure in Maya
▶ 00:07 — Overview of exporting reference points alongside 3D camera data from Flair via FBX
▶ 01:12 — Importing FBX into Maya: camera node + aim node structure appears in scene
▶ 02:18 — CGI Export dialog: selecting FBX in the format list, coordinate systems, units
Revision History¶
| Date | Change | Editor |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-24 | Initial extraction | Tom D / Claude Code |