SceneryDesign.org For the new model conversion tool I am working on at the moment, I took a closer look at the COLLADA format this weekend. COLLADA is an open standard Digital Asset
schema for interactive 3D applications. It can for example be used as an exchange format to share models between different tools. That is also the role in which I want to use it in my tool. There are for example COLLADA plugins for tools like 3DSMax and Maya, but also Blender can work with it.
I think that it would be useful to have the ability to convert COLLADA files to FsX MDL files, so that more models can be used with FsX. And also the reverse conversion might be useful if that allows you to edit your models easier (but I have not looked deep into that yet).
So a COLLADA importer/exporter is certainly on the todo list for my new tool. But it does not have the highest priority at the moment. The first features I want to have working is importing old API macros and being able to save them again as MDL obect. As that is the main purpose of this tool. After that I’ll see what other cool features can be added to it.
It would be very nice indeed to have the full specs on the MakeMDL extensions to the .X input format to write a converter.
It’s nice to have access to 3DS, however GMAX is quite constraining compared to the other features available the open source arena, and cost is a huge factor to freeware, and even payware publishers looking to get started in making FS the amazing sim it is.
Have you heard anything about ways to import Collada/KML encoded models (lie the ones in Google’s 3D Warehouse) into FSX?
No, until now I have not seen any tools that can import Collada or KML directly into FsX. I know some people can import it into GMax and work from there (probably with an additional conversion step in between).
It is still on my wishlist to add COLLADA support to my ModelConverterX tool. But there are other more important features I am working on first.
Arno