[OT] Best 3D format for Cocoa apps
[OT] Best 3D format for Cocoa apps
- Subject: [OT] Best 3D format for Cocoa apps
- From: Ken Tabb <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 19:49:38 +0100
Hi,
I'm developing a Cocoa app for viewing 3D (computer generated) models of
anatomical bits and pieces, some of which are animated (eg. beating
hearts). I was previously intending to use QuickTimeVR Objects as a means
of displaying the objects (i.e. outputting the object as a QTVR Object
movie from Cinema 4D), but it's looking like the sheer file sizes
generated (even tinkering with the various QuickTime codecs) may make
this an impractical solution. It will run over a switched 100BaseT
network, but even so, 30 people all downloading a 30Mb QTVR Object movie
= 900Mb, and that's just for a static spinnable eyeball!
So I'm looking at, rather than the pre-rendered QTVR format, some form of
3D file format, with rendering on the fly (all the clients are Summer
2000 450MHz iMacs w/192Mb RAM). However I have next to no experience of
3D rendering programming (with a slight exception of brief OpenGL
programming on Solaris (under X Windows)).
What would be the preferred 3D method for Cocoa developers? I'm guessing
OpenGL (not that that's a file format), or possibly VRML?
The criteria are:
[1] Image quality (in terms of colours / resolution)
[2] File sizes
[3] Needs to support animation (eg. the heart beating)
[4] Technology directly supported by both Cinema4D and Cocoa APIs gets
double points!
Sorry for the OT post, but I'm guessing there are OpenGL / Cocoa gurus in
here who know what the best method / file format would be.
Thanks in advance for any feeders,
the boy Ken
---------
Ken Tabb.
Mac & UNIX C/C++/Java developer (Health & Human Sciences),
Machine Vision researcher/programmer (Computer Science),
University of Hertfordshire, England
http://www.health.herts.ac.uk/ken/
Certified non-Microsoft Solution Provider