[newbie] Loading 3d models with animation

[kthing]

Hello! At start sorry for my newbie question, i have spent my last 3 hours searching google for help but i haven't found answer i seek.

I need to load 3d model with skeletal struct into my project. I use LWJGL library only and i dont need to use some 3d game engines if its possible.

It can be any type of 3d model as long as it can be animated in java and opengl. I have found project called java collada (for dae files) and jabx-collada but they lack of any documentation and i can't get em work.

Also found some posts about model loaders - but most of those posts are from 2005 year and links are dead by now...


Can you tell me where can i find answers for my question?

Thanks a lot!

[quew8]

The COLLADA file format is a way of storing 3D scene data including models and skeletal animations for them. Those libraries you mentioned will be for importing COLLADA files so you can get at the data. Probably the reason you are having trouble is that you are unfamiliar with the terminology. I'm not sure there is much you can do about that. You can read through the specification: http://www.khronos.org/files/collada_spec_1_4.pdf or the quick reference card http://www.khronos.org/files/collada_reference_card_1_4.pdf but it will be quite dry. If you do then pay close attention to the "animation", "controller" and "geometry" sections as they are the important bits for you.

As for the rendering, that is something you're just going to have to write into your application. It can be quite complicated though and I don't know of any good tutorials. It's an oddly quiet topic online I have found. You didn't say how much experience you have with OpenGL but if it isn't much then I wouldn't recommend going straight into skeletal animation. It requires extensive knowledge of shaders and interleaving VBOs if it is to be done properly.