COLLADA Files Viewer [closed]

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UPDATE: looks like it's my own fault for not studying enough SketchUp's GUI. See my own answer.

Hi,

I'm planning to implement an "export to COLLADA" functionality in my mapping software, but I'm hampered by a lack of a good COLLADA files viewer. I've tried several applications:

1. Google SketchUp provides the best viewing experience I've come across so far, but importing COLLADA files is very slow. I tried this sample I found, but it takes 2-3 minutes to load it into SketchUp, and I'm running this on a decent machine. Since developing an export code involves a lot of trials and errors, SketchUp is just too slow for experimental work.
2. I've tried Blender, but the user interface is pretty alien for someone not doing day-to-day 3D games development. But I have to praise it for being able to load the sample file almost instantly, which makes me think SketchUp guys either do some deliberate slowing down of the import in the free version or they need to freshen up on their programming skills. (UPDATE: it turns out you can load it fast, see my answer, Sorry guys.)
3. I also tried some other free viewers, but they are either not showing the sample properly or they have very limited viewing capabilities (no panning or orbiting, for example).

I'd be grateful for any hints, but I'm looking for first-hand experience, not just googling (I've tried that myself). I realize this is not a typical programming question, but I see no better place on StackExchange to ask this.

Answer 1

I've been working on a program called meshtool. You can load and view a collada file like this:

meshtool --load_collada file.dae --viewer

The pycollada library has gotten pretty good. Almost all collada files I've come across in the wild are supported properly.

Admittedly, the meshtool program is in its infancy, so I haven't written good installation instructions yet. You will need to have python 2.5+, numpy, panda3d, PIL, and lxml installed. If you let me know your platform, I can give some more detailed instructions.

Answer 2

There is also MeshLab which is free and open-source, cross-platform (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux), it supports several formats (COLLADA, VRML 2.0, 3DS etc.) and has extensive viewing capabilities (e.g. panning/orbiting).

Answer 3

Well it turns out SketchUp is slow because it validates the COLLADA file when importing. You can turn it off:

1. Select File | Import... menu.
2. Click on the Options button in the Open dialog.
3. Uncheck Validate COLLADA file checkbox.

Maybe a suggestion to SketchUp developers: either make this option more visible or turn it off by default.

Answer 4

GLC_Player is definitely also worth mentioning. Multi-platform, pretty fast and with a handy album function for viewing lots of files (you can open an entire folder hierarchy) with it.

Answer 5

Photoshop (at least since CS4) can open and view COLLADA files.

Answer 6

The open asset import library has a standalone viewer, AssimpView, which I've been using to test an exporter I'm working on. It's fast and has some useful options for debugging. It also gives decent error messages when you screw something up, which has been a huge help.

Answer 7

I have created collada-viewer, an HTML5 app that brings together ColladaLoader.js, three.js, and HTML5 File API to allow easy persistent storage and loading of 3D models in the COLLADA file format.

http://www.ravenrend.com/2012/11/26/collada-viewer/

Should make viewing of multiple files pretty easy, that was the idea.

Answer 8

You can use Vanda Engine to load your scenes in COLLADA format and convert them to real time scenes. This is their website.

Answer 9

I downloaded it from autodesk:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/item?siteID=123112&id=20481519

(if link is not working: http://www.autodesk.com/products/fbx/overview)

fbx converter include dae collada viewer

Answer 10

If you accept commercial tools, the best solution to view a COLLADA file is using Autodesk 3ds Max or Maya with OpenCollada plugin. It has support for COLLADA version 1.4.1 and 1.5, and gives better results then all free viewers in my experience.

Another possibility might be the Unity. Actually, it is not viewer, but a game engine. Nevertheless, it can import COLLADA files really succesfully.

Answer 11

COLLADA had now been replaced by glTF format.

F3D can open glTF and many other file format. F3D is a free, opensource VTK based software.

f3d file.gltf

Answer 12

There is also MeshLab which is free and open-source, cross-platform (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux), it supports several formats (COLLADA, VRML 2.0, 3DS etc.) and has extensive viewing capabilities (e.g. panning/orbiting).