K-3D 3D modeling and animation software offers COLLADA support
K-3D is free-as-in-freedom 3D modeling and animation software. It features a plugin-oriented procedural engine for all of its content, making K-3D a very versatile and powerful package. K-3D excels at polygonal modeling, and includes basic tools for NURBS, patches, curves and animation.
WebGL and COLLADA feedback from around the web
Our announcements yesterday about WebGL and COLLADA, were at the very least, significant. Feedback from around the web has been really great, just to name a few:
- cnet discuss' Microsoft and Adobe molehill in WebGL 1.0 is done. Where's Microsoft?
- On the facebook developer blog, you can see WebGL benchmark results from their JSGameBench
- See past and present of 3D on the web with PC Magazine, from VRML to WebGL
- Khronos didn't stop to celebrate WebGL, and pushed on to WebCL says TechConnect Magazine
- ...last but certainly far from least, Learning WebGL does a short take on all the news WebGL specification 1.0 is final — and also, WebCL?
WebCL speculations around the net
ConceivablyTech posted a good review of the WebGL 1.0 Spec release news and followed it up with their own speculation on WebCL. "Enabled in a browser, WebCL could open an entirely new world for cloud applications at much higher performance levels. Khronos mentioned image and video processing as well as advanced physics for web games that could come alive through WebCL."
Khronos Group Releases Free COLLADA Conformance Test Suite
The Khronos™ Group today announced that it is making the COLLADA™ 1.4 Conformance Test Suite available free of charge to all developers. COLLADA is an open, XML-based industry standard that enables assets to be freely interchanged between 3D authoring applications which can then be mixed and matched in powerful combinations. The COLLADA test suite is a comprehensive set of over 500 detailed tests and a scripted framework that rigorously exercises applications that import and export COLLADA assets to ensure that they can reliably participate in a COLLADA-based toolchain.
Khronos Releases WebGL 1.0 Specification to Bring Accelerated 3D Graphics to the Web without Plugins
The Khronos™ Group today released the final WebGL™ 1.0 specification to enable hardware-accelerated 3D graphics in HTML5 Web browsers without the need for plug-ins. WebGL defines a JavaScript binding to OpenGL® ES 2.0 to allow rich 3D graphics within a browser on any platform supporting the industry-standard OpenGL or OpenGL ES graphics APIs. WebGL has the support of major silicon and browser vendors including Apple, Google, Mozilla and Opera with multiple browsers already shipping with WebGL implementations including the beta releases for Mozilla Firefox 4.0, all channels of Google Chrome 9.0, an Opera preview build, and Apple Mac OS Safari nightly builds.
Opera brings the WebGL experience to Windows
Opera just announced that its latest Opera 11 beta has WebGL support for Windows. Currently only Windows is support, but a promise of WebGL on Opera for other platforms has been made. As well, Opera claims they are working on WebGL for Windows using DirectX. This should be interesting, as WebGL is built on top of OpenGL. Opera 11 for Windows is available for download today.
Imagination submits POWERVR SGX cores for OpenCL conformance
Imagination Technologies has announced that it has submitted POWERVR SGX drivers for OpenCL 1.0 Embedded Profile conformance with Khronos. OpenCL capability will be available to POWERVR SGX licensees with the latest release of production drivers.
NVIDIA announces dates for GPU Technology Conference (GTC) 2011
NVIDIA is excited to announce another unrivaled week of innovation, learning and networking. GTC 2011 will take place October 11-14, 2011 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. Whether you're a returning alumni or planning to come for the very first time, you'll find the best and the brightest from all over the world demonstrating cutting-edge work across a wide variety of fields. Call for Submissions will open in March 2011.
WebGL modelling tool for 3D printing
Benjamin Nortier from 1011ltd.com is now in possession of a MakerBot Thing-O-Matic 3D Printer. After surveying the 3D modelling software, disappointment settled in, and Benjamin has decided to build a WebGL 3D modelling tool. The tool must be accessible--Open Source, Powerful--using boundary representation (BRep), and Modern--internet-ready with a solid RESTful API. Complete with a sneak peak, and proof of concept, this project is worth following.
COLLADA is now registered as a model type with IANA
The Khronos Group has registered the mimetype "model/vnd.collada+xml" with IANA for the COLLADA extension .dae. Mark Barnes, COLLADA Work Group Chair said "the important thing about having a MIME type for COLLADA is that it enables applications and operating systems to recognize ".dae" documents and provide a much richer and secure experience to users, especially for Web applications and browsers."