Hi Guys,
It might seem an odd place to have such a request, but there is a reason you will find it here in the DBP forums. We want to extend DBP to allow import, export and conversion of COLLADA model files to suppliment our current support for DirectX files. You can find more information on this file format here: http://www.collada.org
There are two stages to the challenge, with the second stage being optional. The primary stage is to take a standard DirectX file which contains both geometry and animation data, and export a version of it as a COLLADA model file that is compatible with 3DSMAX, MAYA and XSI. The export must be importable into these three packages with geometry and animation data in tact.
The second stage is the reverse. To take a COLLADA model file that has been exported from 3DSMAX, MAYA and XSI and convert it to a standard DirectX file with geometry and animation in tact.
The code must be in C++ so that we can build this functionality directly into the DBP engine. Once both stages are complete, we can integrate the code in such a way as to support COLLADA directly within the engine allowing loading and saving of COLLADA files natively.
We felt that rather than attempt to support twenty different 3D formats, it made more sense to support one format that has established itself as a common format and was supported by the biggest modelling tools in the industry.
I open up this thread to discuss the pros and cons of COLLADA support, and also to find those special people who have some spare time to look into this challenge for us.
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