COLLADA Export/Import Plugin Request
by Scott Peal · in Constructor · 04/09/2007 (10:40 am) · 2 replies
Reposting this from another forum. This looks like the correct place for this:
Brian Peal
Posted: Apr 08, 2007 08:22
COLLADA is an initiative to create a true universal 3D object format. The plan is for the format to be native in all future 3D modeling tools and it is based upon XML. The specifications include considerations for skeletons, animations, physics, and more. All the major 3D modeling tools have COLLADA projects in the works. So the idea is that in the future there will no longer be the need for exporters and importers as long as the product supports the COLLADA format.
The standardization of this format is basically following the business world's information technology (IT) trend that happened many years ago with success.
The specification was initially created by Sony for their new gaming standards and they gave the specification to public via a group called Khronos. Khronos has since extended the specification to add new features. Here are the links:
http://www.khronos.org/files/collada_spec_1_4.pdf
http://www.collada.org/
Ah, also another note. The Google 3D warehouse uses SketchUp program which its save format is COLLADA. If we had an importer for COLLADA it would open up a huge world of object in the 3D Warehouse.
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/
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Bobby Leighton
Member Posted: Apr 09, 2007 01:37
Interesting
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David \"Fulcrum\" Wyand
Employee Posted: Apr 09, 2007 01:49
Greetings!
I just wanted to point out that with version 1.0 there is no plug-in interface for importers or exporters, only tools. This doesn't mean that some creative individual couldn't build one -- perhaps as a Dialog type tool. It just is more difficult than if the actual interface existed.
And a note on importers: unless the geometry is coming from another CSG-based tool there is a lot of work to be done to generate valid brushes. SketchUp isn't specifically a CSG-based modeler, is it?
For exporters this isn't an issue however, as seen with the included LWO exporter.
- LightWave Dave
Brian Peal
Posted: Apr 08, 2007 08:22
COLLADA is an initiative to create a true universal 3D object format. The plan is for the format to be native in all future 3D modeling tools and it is based upon XML. The specifications include considerations for skeletons, animations, physics, and more. All the major 3D modeling tools have COLLADA projects in the works. So the idea is that in the future there will no longer be the need for exporters and importers as long as the product supports the COLLADA format.
The standardization of this format is basically following the business world's information technology (IT) trend that happened many years ago with success.
The specification was initially created by Sony for their new gaming standards and they gave the specification to public via a group called Khronos. Khronos has since extended the specification to add new features. Here are the links:
http://www.khronos.org/files/collada_spec_1_4.pdf
http://www.collada.org/
Ah, also another note. The Google 3D warehouse uses SketchUp program which its save format is COLLADA. If we had an importer for COLLADA it would open up a huge world of object in the 3D Warehouse.
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/
======================================================
Bobby Leighton
Member Posted: Apr 09, 2007 01:37
Interesting
======================================================
David \"Fulcrum\" Wyand
Employee Posted: Apr 09, 2007 01:49
Greetings!
I just wanted to point out that with version 1.0 there is no plug-in interface for importers or exporters, only tools. This doesn't mean that some creative individual couldn't build one -- perhaps as a Dialog type tool. It just is more difficult than if the actual interface existed.
And a note on importers: unless the geometry is coming from another CSG-based tool there is a lot of work to be done to generate valid brushes. SketchUp isn't specifically a CSG-based modeler, is it?
For exporters this isn't an issue however, as seen with the included LWO exporter.
- LightWave Dave
About the author
Step 1) be the indie, step 2) make enough to buy a commercial license :)
#2
I have the exporter for Max and was using it at first to work on stuff a while back, but then switched over to XSI for other modeling stuff and kinda forgot about Collada so maybe open max back up and take another look at it from a different view and way of working with it, hummmm, when the plugin be ready???? smiles..just kidding.
DT
04/26/2007 (5:36 pm)
Hay guys,I have the exporter for Max and was using it at first to work on stuff a while back, but then switched over to XSI for other modeling stuff and kinda forgot about Collada so maybe open max back up and take another look at it from a different view and way of working with it, hummmm, when the plugin be ready???? smiles..just kidding.
DT
Anguel