Thunk

COLLADA is an open XML 3d file format initially published by Sony for their PS3 development toolchain and eventually supported by the Khronos Group who is also responsible for the OpenGL and OpenVG API (details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COLLADA).

Follow up:

Anyway, the point is, COLLADA is an open file format for exchanging digital assets. True enough, many 3d modeling packages from Google SketchUp to Blender support it (through plug-ins if not natively supported) due to the fact that they (Khronos… or someone) released the full specification and C++ reader library (http://khronos.org/developers/resources/collada/) for COLLADA. Though, the official COLLADA site is one hell of a messy wiki (though a Wiki is a good way to present information for reference, it doesn’t provide a good way to abstract information as a traditional site does) and it’s hard to navigate through it if one is getting started.

Ignoring the “ugliness” of the site, all seems well except for one thing: there’s no free viewer which is available on major alternative platforms (Mac, Linux). On Windows, you have NVidia’s FXComposer, COLLADALoader and PineCoast Viewer. However, the latter two are not as “full-fledged” as I would like; PineCoast doesn’t have an option to view the object in wireframe mode, COLLADALoader lacks navigational controls and it even cut off one of my models. Meanwhile, NVidia FXComposer claims to have “complete COLLADA support". I haven’t fully tried it so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.

In any case, those on the Mac and Linux side aren’t as fortunate. Other than 3D modelers which offer importing models in COLLADA (Blender perhaps?). I don’t think there are any free COLLADA viewer on them.

Actually, a couple of months back, Feeling Software released a full-featured, multi-platform, COLLADA viewer called Feeling Viewer for free. Moreover, it was touted as the “offical COLLADA Viewer". Then eventually, the announced that it’s no longer free. The long explanation by their president is here.

Tough luck for us users and boo to Khronos for not doing something about it.