OpenGL Insights

An OpenGL-Friendly

Geometry File Format and

Its Maya Exporter

Adrien Herubel and Venceslas Biri

32.1 Introduction

Geometry is at the heart of most computer graphics, whether film, video games, or

tools. The vast majority of props, sets, and characters rendered to the screen come

from geometry files stored in the computer hard drive.

Despite being the lowest common denominator of CG applications, there is no

de facto standard for geometry files. On the contrary, there is a plethora of both

proprietary and open formats. One of the many reasons for this state of affairs is

that each application has different requirements that are not efficiently compatible.