Android opengl es 2.0 - what model format should i use and should i create my own Parser

Question

I have been trying to write an obj parser that i can use with VBOs, however there doesnt seem to be a clear answer to whether this is a good enough method. I have read that obj files are not very pretty and are also suited to older opengl versions.

• what model format would be best to use.
• should i write my own parser, if not what andriod parsers would be suitable (free)

Thanks

Answer 1

the file format of the 3D model does not matter much in this very initial phases. OBJ is not the best format ever, it is text based, does not support model information, rigs, animations etc. but to begin with is the easiest format you could use.

There is a truckload of documentation online and this is the way to go to start (IMHO).

There are then other formats, yes, but they all come with other challenges or efforts to be initially implemented.

An excellent alternative is collada (https://collada.org/) but for beginners it is not so straight forward as OBJ (again, IMHO).

I have friends that started from MD2/MD3 (quake2/quake3 file formats) and are happy. They offer more than OBJ but they are not bullet proof as well. For example, they support animations. (http://tfc.duke.free.fr/coding/md2-specs-en.html)

A friendly advice, start with OBJ. Once you got familiar with the format's strengths and limitations you you have matured enough experience to switch to a more sophisticated and powerful format.

I hope to have helped you in some way.

Ciao, Maurizio