Khronos Group Releases Collada 1.4

The Khronos Group has released version 1.4 of Collada, a formerly Sony-originated open source XML-based scheme to enable 3D authoring applications to exchange digital assets without loss of information, enabling interactive 3D industry content tools to be combined into tool chains. The v1.4 releases adds new core features, Collada FX, Collada Physics, and high level effects definition for the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) and OpenGL ES 1.1. Core feature additions to version 1.4 include mesh geometry, skinning, morphing, animation, assets, and data validation. The new Collada FX module allows users to implement next-generation lighting, shading and texturing, using high level effects and shaders, supports all shader models (1.x, 2.0, 3.0) under CG and GLSL profiles (including OpenGL ES 1.x profile). The Collada Physics module features rigid body dynamics, rag dolls, contraints, and collision Volumes, data interchange between Ageia (Novodex), Havok, Meqon, ODE and other game physics middleware. In addition, Collada FX is a high level effects definition for the OpenGL Shading Language. The profile for OpenGL ES 1.1 enables the creation of GLSL shaders and effects that utilize the OpenGL ES 1.1 fixed-function pipeline.