Simple 3D Animation File Format needed C++ import/export

Question

I need to export and import data with the following requirements: Hierarchical X,Y,Z euler rotation per keyframe around joints Overall Translation and rotation for each keyframe

I am looking to find as simple a format as I can (for example, .obj is very simple for models, but sadly no animation format, but on that scale). I'd like it to be editable in a modeller directly (although I'm ok with something that works in some modellers, and could in others if converted by a public tool). Preferably, have a simple public API, or be so simple I could write import/export myself. I thought about Collada, but the public open source APIs seem very very hard to deal with (I can't find one that really works). Anim8or files are suitable, except that no other modellers can really deal with it.

Answer 1

I've found that using FBX animations works pretty well. It's a bit more complicated than a .obj file, but it DOES come with its own free SDK. There's also always the good old MD5 format. However, FBX is (in my opinion, and apparently quite a bit of the animation community, as well) a bit of an easier format to build animations for, and tends to have a lot more bang for your buck, so to speak.