Having file specs only gets you part of the way. You still need to write an
importer/exporter to move the data around. The only thing that could be
gained at this point is exposure to critical data that isn't accessible in
the SDK. There isn't much you can't touch in the SDK. If memory serves
from my experience trying the compound file viewer, the .emdl and .scn file
formats didn't look very different from what you see in the scene explorer.
Mostly just data packed in encrypted ways to be be more efficient on disc.
I have been working on an exporter to export from Softimage|3D and import
into Softimage|XSI using my own file format as the medium to exchange
information. I have used a similar file format for many years to move
between newer/older versions of XSI so data is version independent. Most of
the file format is structured as you see it in the scene explorer, with some
exceptions. Works for most applications.
The real question is - what exactly needs to be exported, and where does the
data need to go?
Matt
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2015 20:11:39 +0000
From: Angus Davidson <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: Writing custom loaders for .emdl and .scn files in other
apps
To: "[email protected]"
<[email protected]>
Maybe now that Soft is EOL, the best goodwill gesture from Autodesk would be
to actually release the file specs. It serves the purpose for them of
allowing people a way forward without having to try and convert decades of
stored assets. The digital version of closure.
