Is there a file format that supports all openSubdiv data?

[Daniel Lindsey]

i.e. obj supports poly meshes.  Is there something similar for openSubdiv? 

[Dirk Van Gelder]

Hi Daniel,

Many file formats can support subdivision surfaces.  Full support for subdivision surfaces would mean the following features are supported.

http://graphics.pixar.com/opensubdiv/docs/subdivision_surfaces.html

We have an extended .obj file format used inside of OpenSubdiv for testing purposes that supports these features, and packages like Maya support creases and other features with their OpenSubdiv implementation:

http://area.autodesk.com/maya2015#!a-solid-foundation

Here is an example of writing crease information from Maya into Alembic:

http://derangedartisan.blogspot.com/2014/02/alembic-maya-edge-crease-export.html

OpenSubdiv is more the math under the hood to make subdivision surfaces go, rather than something specific to a file format.  

-Dirk

[Daniel Lindsey]

Thanks.  I'm just wondering, is there a reason there isn't a given format, that would support everything, so that each software only has to write a translator?

On Thursday, April 10, 2014 8:05:01 PM UTC-7, Dirk Van Gelder wrote:

Hi Daniel,

Many file formats can support subdivision surfaces.  Full support for subdivision surfaces would mean the following features are supported.

http://graphics.pixar.com/opensubdiv/docs/subdivisio(626) 298-5211n_surfaces.html

[manuelk]

Small addendum: the only files that support the full feature set of OpenSubdiv currently are Renderman's Interface Bytestream 3.0 spec. The RIB file specification is supported by many commercial renderers (PRman, Mantra...) but is not very suitable for DCC applications. 

Alembic and FBX each support a subset of the full feature set, and they can be used to transfer information across various DCC packages (so long as your assets do not rely on some of the missing features). Time allowing, we will probably submit contributions to Alembic to make it fully compatible.

M.