Distorted exported .fbx model when objects are under parent

Question

This is the model I am trying to export to FBX:

I consists of leaves (named "Leaf.001" - "Leaf.006") that are linked duplicates of an original leaf (named "Leaf") created from a plane mesh, and a twig created from a cube mesh.

The problem is if I make the Twig the parent of any of the leaves (in the following case, "Leaf.001" - "Leaf.006") and export the model as a .fbx file, re-importing the file gives me a distorted model:

This problem doesn't occur for leaf models left in the root hierarchy.

The same distortion occurs if I import my .blend file into Unity.

I think it has to do with the leaf meshes, because the distortion doesn't happen for Twig objects children to a Sprig (subdivided cylinder), and Sprigs children to a branch (beveled bezier curve), and so on.

Answer 1

I'm not sure if this problem has been resolved or not, but for future reference, I also frequently work with Unity and when FBX exports are distorting for me, it usually involves one of two things:

1) As mentioned in comments, I have a mesh that has an unapplied transform to it, and the FBX exporter is getting confused.

2) I have an animation doing something wonky on its first keyframe, which needs to be replaced or removed. This can result in distortions which look nothing like the animation itself, particularly if there was unapplied scaling or rotation involved at some point.

This may or may not solve the issue, but I'd bet that it's an animation. Perhaps the model has an entry for the leaves rustling or blowing with the wind?