[Robotics] OpenGRASP, COLLADA and Blender

[Herman Bruyninckx]

On Thu, 21 Apr 2011, Séverin Lemaignan wrote:

[...]
>> In OpenGRASP we  use COLLADA 1.5 as the file format to store robot models and scenarios. We have addressed several COLLADA related aspects.
>
>> * Specification of robotic specific tags for COLLADA 1.5 ->  importer/exporter on OpenRAVE
>>
>> One feature of the OpenGRASP project is the extension of the COLLADA v1.5 format using the available mechanism to add user-defined content to the files. In cooperation with the developers of OpenRAVE, this idea evolved to provide definitions for sensors, more complex definitions of manipulators and grippers, and actuator models in the future. Some of these extensions can be found on the OpenRAVE homepage, and a more detailed description as well as the opportunity to discuss the extensions will be installed on our OpenGRASP project page.
>
> I slightly differ with Herman here: I think it's a good idea
> 1/ to rely on Collada 1.5
> 2/ To use the built-in extension mechanisms (especially since the
> 'technique' keyword allows several profiles to co-exist)

Who will maintain such an extension? How can it be reused in other
contexts? Why would it be already a good, agreed-upon extension?

All arguments _not_ to go the suggested way, but to follow the way of
_aggregation_ of standards: the "extension" _refers_ to Collada, but does
not extend it inside the Collada specification.

Herman