Collada Importer

This is the WIP page to document the design and implemenation of a Collada to POF model converter. This article was created in response to Cash prize for Collada - POF support!

Background

The goal of this project is to create a stable import system with which to convert the open-standard Collada (DAE) XML-based model format to the Freespace POF binary model format. Many other export options exist, but each has its flaws and none seem to work flawlessly. Using a cross-application format such as Collada and a community-developed converter should help address many of the existing issues. The conversion application PCS2 already has COB->PMF, PMF->POF, and the reverse of both. We have access to the specifications for POF through Volition's documentation but the format is difficult to work with directly. We have access to the PMF specification through the source code to PCS2, but better documentation (in a more human-readable format) for this could be useful. However, PMF is designed to be an easily-accessed format to be used in between other formats and the PMF->POF conversion routines in PCS2. Currently the plan is (barring serious objection by the community) to create a library of routines to convert a DAE file to a PMF file. This library could then be utilized in PCS2 using its existing PMF->POF support, or that functionality could be utilized in another standalone converter. With that in mind, the following are the requirements and specifications a converter and the models must adhere to. As for working with the Collada format, one such possibility is the FCollada library, a free set of routines to interface with Collada.