Hmm, some clarification needed...

What is FBX? Some short explanation from the Lightwave-Page:
"FBX is a platform-independent 3D authoring and interchange format, designed to provide access to 3D content from all major 3D vendors and platforms. FBX is a binary file format that supports all the major 3D data elements, as well as 2D, audio, and video media elements. FBX can be used as an interchange format between 3D modeling/animation/rendering packages, 3D scanners (hardware), 3D content providers, motion capture systems, camera tracking systems, and other applications. Used for over five years in production studios worldwide, FBX has proven itself a versatile, accurate, and dependable authoring and data transfer format."

Some applications with FBX support:

• Wings 3D free (see http://www.wings3d.com/ mainpage "Export formats")
• Cinema 4D $595
• Lightwave $1595
• Maya $1999 (Maya PLE license prevents the FBX plug-in to work)
• 3DS Max $3495
• Softimage/XSI
• Autocad
• Kaydara Motionbuilder

• So all major players are supporting this "unknown/uncommon" format... ;-)
• You can get it for much less than $4000
• Carrara/Amapi - according to information from Eovia (Forum-3DExtract, 24.05.04): Eovia "FBX support is definitely something we are looking into"
• "obj" is indeed a very fine format (using it every day), but ever tried to move an arm or an leg in an imported "obj."-Figure?
• Also the texture/material information in "obj." is not very complete (depending on the application)

What I see as big advantage:
You do not need any special plugins for each application, you are simply using the same export/import format.

Please do not forget: The discussion is not if you need/want this format or not, it is about developing an own special Horus-format or using some predefined "standards"...