New 3D model format and single header SDK
Dear All, I'd like to introduce you a new model format. It is simple, well-defined and well-documented, and has the best data density of all formats. Suzanne with normals, UVs and materials require less than 12K using this format. I'm not good with names, so it's just simply called Model 3D and has the extension ".m3d". I'd like to get some feedback and hear your opinion about it. Provided implementations For compatibility, it is implemented with Assimp. Unfortunately according to my findings Assimp fails to live up to it's promise "Loads 40+ 3D file formats into one unified and clean data structure.", as its data structure is neither unified nor clean. But I managed it, so here it is, libassimp can load M3D files with vertex colors, materials, textures, and skeletal animations. A new model format is no good if you can't use it with your favorite modeler software, so I have provided Blender plugin to export objects and their animations into M3D. The exporter is fully functional and supports all features of the M3D format, however the importer is WIP. You can export vertex lists with colors, normals, UVs, PBR materials (PrincipledBSDF), textures, armature, and several model actions too using the Blender Animation's timeline markers feature. And finally, it's native SDK is an stb-style, totally dependency-free, single header file ANSI C89/C++11 SDK. It can load and save files, supports the binary M3D format (and if included with the M3D_ASCII define then it's ASCII counterpart, A3D too). It is MIT licensed, written in ANSI C and with the provided C++ wrapper class it should be straightforward to integrate into any new or existing projects. It compiles to about 70K, which includes the built-in PNG texture decompressor. Features of the format A few words on why does it worth it to use this format: it is Open Source and free. Not only its SDK, but the format itself is MIT licensed and expandable. it can store big models in very little files. Blender's cube can be saved in about 100 bytes. An usual Blitz3D animated model (.b3d) in .m3d saves 70%-80% storage space. exactly one model per file, but with all properties: materials, skeleton, textures, skeletal animations. No complex scene parsing involved. (Lightning and camera setups are NOT properties of the model!) but if needed, engine specific data can be embedded in a way that it won't break the model compatibility with other software. the same model can be read by different software with different levels. The same file is compatible with more applications, for example: one can only load the static mesh from it, while another can also utilize the bone information and the animations. it has a human readable ASCII variant, which can be easily loaded with a slightly modified Wavefront OBJ loader (however the SDK can handle). it's SDK is simple, fast and painless to use (according to the K.I.S.S. has only 5 functions altogether). it's in-memory format is efficient and fast (uses indices in contrast to recursive node parsing matching strings), and well-specified (for example it makes it clear that right-handed coordinate system is used with the coordinates, and how the coordinate system is oriented. No surprises when you load a model from M3D). I've provided a command line utility (m3dconv) which loads any Assimp-supported format and converts it into Model 3D. A simple, portable GL-based viewer (m3dview) is also included in the repository to demonstrate how to display the animated models once you loaded them (whole thing less than 500 SLoC :-) ). You can compile the latter with GLFW, GLUT and SDL2 (the interface is autodetected, just run "make"). Please let me know what you think about this project and the file format, Cheers, bzt