DAE (.dae)

Background & Context

    • MIME type: model/vnd.collada+xml
    • COLLADA interchange file format for interactive 3D applications.
    • 3D geometry format.
    • Commonly used for representing solid models.
    • Developed in 2004 by the Khronos Group.
    • COLLADA is derived from "Collaborative Design Activity"; DAE file extension is derived from "Digital Asset Exchange".
    • ASCII format, XML schema.
    • Represents a 3D object or collection of objects as a surface formed by a collection of primitives, including triangles, polygons, and spline curves. Can also represent a full scene, including lighting, animation, and camera information.
    • Optionally stores vertex normals, colors, textures, and generalized shaders.

Import & Export

  • Import["file.dae"] imports a DAE file as a MeshRegion object representing the surface.
  • Import["file.dae",elem] imports the specified element from a DAE file.
  • The import format can be specified with Import["file","DAE"] or Import["file",{"DAE",elem,…}].
  • Export["file.dae",expr] exports a 3D mesh-based geometric region to a binary DAE file. The expr can be any region that is ConstantRegionQ or a Graphics3D object.
  • Export["file.dae",expr,{opt1->val1,…}] exports expr with the specified options for the file format.
  • The export format can be specified with Export["file",expr,"DAE"] or Export["file",expr,{"DAE,opt1->val1,…}].
  • See the following reference pages for full general information:
  • Import, Exportimport from or export to a file
    CloudImport, CloudExportimport from or export to a cloud object
    ImportString, ExportStringimport from or export to a string
    ImportByteArray, ExportByteArrayimport from or export to a byte array

Import Elements

  • General Import elements:
  • "Elements" list of elements and options available in this file
    "Rules"list of rules for all available elements
    "Summary"summary of the file
    "CoordinateTransform"transformation function from DAE format
  • Data format representation elements:
  • "VertexData"list of vertex coordinates
    "PolygonData"the polygon elements in indexed form
    "VertexNormals"normal vectors corresponding to the vertices
  • Geometry representation elements:
  • "BoundaryMeshRegion"boundary mesh representation of a solid
    "MeshRegion"mesh representation of a surface
  • Graphics representation elements:
  • "Graphics3D"DAE file represented as a Graphics3D object
    "GraphicsComplex"DAE file as a GraphicsComplex object
    "PolygonObjects"list of polygon primitives given in absolute coordinates
  • Import and Export use the "MeshRegion" element by default for DAE files.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (2)

Import a 3D model from DAE as a MeshRegion object:

Summary properties of the model:

Export a 3D model with transparent faces:

Print the raw textual contents of the file:

Scope  (11)

Import  (6)

Import works on an ASCII DAE file:

Any accessible URL:

Stream:

Import automatically detects DAE files:

Import provides access to elements in the DAE file:

Import works on large files:

Export  (5)

Export works on 3D graphics:

Special regions:

Formula regions:

Mesh regions:

ASCII DAE file:

Import Elements  (10)

"BoundaryMeshRegion"  (1)

Give a boundary mesh region:

"Graphics3D"  (1)

Give the Graphics3D object:

"GraphicsComplex"  (1)

Give the GraphicsComplex object:

"MeshRegion"  (1)

Give a mesh region:

"PolygonData"  (1)

Give the polygon elements in indexed form:

"PolygonObjects"  (1)

Give the list of Polygon primitives given in absolute coordinates:

"Summary"  (1)

Give the summary of properties:

File size:

"VertexData"  (1)

Give the vertex coordinates:

"VertexNormals"  (1)

Give the vertex normals:

"CoordinateTransform"  (1)

The coordinate system used by the DAE format is identical to the Wolfram Language: