ISO 17506:2022

Industrial automation systems and integration - COLLADATM digital asset schema specification for 3D visualization of industrial data

This document describes the COLLADA™ schema. COLLADA is a Collaborative Design Activity that defines an XML-based schema to enable 3D authoring applications to freely exchange digital assets without loss of information, enabling multiple software packages to be combined into extremely powerful tool chains. The purpose of this document is to provide a specification for the COLLADA schema in sufficient detail to enable software developers to create tools to process COLLADA resources. In particular, it is relevant to those who import to or export from digital content creation (DCC) applications, 3D interactive applications and tool chains, prototyping tools, real-time visualization applications such as those used in the video game and movie industries, and CAD tools. This document covers the initial design and specifications of the COLLADA schema, as well as a minimal set of requirements for COLLADA exporters. This document covers the following information: initial design and specifications of the COLLADA schema; requirements of COLLADA tools and a minimal set of requirements for COLLADA exporters; detailed explanations for COLLADA programming; core elements that describe geometry, animation, skinning, assets, and scenes; physics model, visual effects (FX), boundary representation (B-rep) of animation, kinematics. The document does not specify the implementation of, or definition of a run-time architecture for viewing or processing of COLLADA data.

Systèmes d'automatisation industrielle et intégration — Spécifications du schéma des actifs numériques COLLADATM pour la visualisation 3D des données industrielles

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 21-Mar-2022
• ICS: 25.040.40 - Industrial process measurement and control
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 184/SC 4 - Industrial data
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 184/SC 4/JWG 16 - Joint ISO/TC 184/SC 4 - ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 24 - ISO/TC 171/SC 2 WG: Formats for visualization and other derived forms of product data
• Parallel Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 24 - Computer graphics, image processing and environmental data representation
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 22-Mar-2022
• Due Date: 19-Jun-2021
• Completion Date: 22-Mar-2022

Relations

• Amended By: ISO 17506:2022/Amd 1:2025 - Industrial automation systems and integration - COLLADATM digital asset schema specification for 3D visualization of industrial data - Amendment 1: Elements name and explanations
• Effective Date: 04-Nov-2023
• Revises: ISO/PAS 17506:2012 - Industrial automation systems and integration - COLLADA digital asset schema specification for 3D visualization of industrial data
• Effective Date: 23-Apr-2020

Overview

ISO 17506:2022 - Industrial automation systems and integration - COLLADA™ digital asset schema specification for 3D visualization of industrial data - specifies the COLLADA XML-based schema to enable lossless exchange of 3D digital assets across tools. The standard documents the COLLADA format design, schema concepts, programming guidance, and a minimal set of requirements for COLLADA exporters. It is intended to help software developers build importers/exporters and tool chains that combine Digital Content Creation (DCC) applications, CAD tools, real-time visualization and prototyping systems.

Key technical topics and requirements

ISO 17506:2022 covers both conceptual and practical aspects of the COLLADA schema, including:

• COLLADA format design and goals: design considerations, assumptions, goals and guidelines for interoperable 3D asset exchange.
• Tool requirements: expectations for exporters and importers, and options for archive packaging for COLLADA resources.
• Schema concepts and common profile: XML structure, address syntax, instantiation and external referencing, and a Common profile that groups shared elements.
• Programming guidelines: best practices for implementing COLLADA parameters, curve interpolation, skin deformation (skinning) and other processing techniques.
• Core elements reference: detailed element definitions for geometry, animation, skinning/controllers, assets, scenes, cameras/lights, materials/FX, physics models, kinematics, and B-rep (boundary representation).
• Minimal exporter requirements: the standard mandates a basic set of behaviors exporters should implement to ensure reliable interchange.
• Scope limits: ISO 17506 describes the schema and processing guidance but does not define a run-time architecture for viewing or processing COLLADA data.

Practical applications and intended users

ISO 17506 is valuable for professionals and teams who need reliable 3D data interchange:

• Software developers building COLLADA importers/exporters, DCC pipelines, or visualization tools.
• CAD and CAE tool vendors who want to export models for downstream visualization or simulation.
• Game and film production studios using real-time visualization and asset exchange across tools.
• Industrial automation and digital twin teams visualizing plant models, equipment and kinematics.
• Prototyping and AR/VR developers integrating assets from multiple authoring tools.

Benefits include improved interoperability, reduced data loss when moving between authoring tools, and clearer developer guidance for processing COLLADA assets.

Related standards

ISO 17506 complements other industrial automation and data-exchange standards that address systems integration and model interoperability. Implementers should consider their broader toolchain and any domain-specific data-exchange standards when adopting COLLADA-based workflows.

Keywords: ISO 17506, COLLADA schema, 3D visualization, industrial automation, XML-based schema, digital asset exchange, DCC, exporters, geometry, animation, skinning, FX, kinematics.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 17506
First edition
2022-03
Industrial automation systems and
TM
integration — COLLADA digital
asset schema specification for 3D
visualization of industrial data
Systèmes d'automatisation industrielle et intégration —
TM
Spécifications du schéma des actifs numériques COLLADA pour la
visualisation 3D des données industrielles
Reference number
© ISO 2022
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword . xi
Introduction . xii
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
3.1 Terms and definitions . 2
3.2 Abbreviated terms . 4
4 Notational conventions . 5
4.1 Typographic conventions and notation . 5
4.2 Notation and organization in the reference sections . 5
Child element conventions . 5
Child element order . 6
5 COLLADA format . 7
5.1 Design considerations . 7
Introduction . 7
Assumptions and dependencies . 7
Goals and guidelines . 7
5.2 Tool requirements and options . 11
Introduction . 11
Exporters . 11
Importers . 14
Archive packaging . 15
5.3 Schema concepts . 15
Introduction . 15
XML overview . 15
Address syntax . 16
Instantiation and external referencing . 19
The Common profile . 21
Common profile elements . 21
Example and discussion on techniques . 22
Common glossary . 22
5.4 Programming guideline . 24
General. 24
Parameters in COLLADA . 24
Curve interpolation . 25
Skin deformation (or skinning) in COLLADA . 31
5.5 Core elements reference . 33
General. 33
Elements by category . 34
accessor . 38
ambient . 44
animation . 45
animation_clip . 47
asset . 49
bool_array . 52
camera . 53
channel . 55
COLLADA . 56
color . 58
contributor . 58
controller . 59
control_vertices . 61
directional . 63
evaluate_scene . 64
extra . 65
float_array . 67
formula . 68
geographic_location . 70
geometry . 72
IDREF_array . 74
imager . 75
input (shared) . 77
input (unshared) . 79
instance_animation . 81
instance_camera . 82
instance_controller . 83
instance_formula . 85
instance_geometry . 87
instance_light . 88
instance_node . 90
instance_visual_scene . 92
int_array . 93
joints . 94
library_animation_clips . 95
library_animations . 96
library_cameras . 97
library_controllers . 98
library_formulas .100
library_geometries .101
library_lights .102
library_nodes .103
library_visual_scenes .104
light .105
lines .107
linestrips .108
iv © ISO 2022 – All rights reserved

lookat . 110
matrix . 112
mesh . 113
morph . 115
Name_array . 117
newparam . 119
node . 121
optics . 123
orthographic . 125
param (data flow) . 126
param (reference) . 127
perspective . 130
point . 131
polygons . 133
polylist . 136
rotate . 138
sampler . 139
scale . 146
scene . 147
setparam . 149
SIDREF_array . 150
skeleton . 151
skew . 153
skin . 154
source (Core) . 158
spline . 160
spot . 161
targets . 163
technique (Core) . 164
technique_common . 165
Token_array . 166
translate . 167
triangles . 168
trifans . 170
tristrips . 172
vertex_weights . 173
vertices . 175
visual_scene . 176
5.6 Physics Reference . 178
General. 178
Elements by category . 178
attachment . 181
box . 182
capsule . 183
convex_mesh .184
cylinder.186
force_field .187
instance_force_field .188
instance_physics_material .189
instance_physics_model .190
instance_physics_scene .192
instance_rigid_body .193
instance_rigid_constraint .196
library_force_fields .198
library_physics_materials .199
library_physics_models .200
library_physics_scenes .201
physics_material .202
physics_model .204
physics_scene .206
plane .209
rigid_body .211
rigid_constraint .215
shape .220
sphere .222
5.7 Getting started with COLLADA FX.223
General .223
Using profiles for platform-specific effects .223
About parameters in COLLADA FX .227
Shaders .228
Rendering .228
Texturing .230
5.8 FX reference .232
General .232
Elements by category .232
About COLLADA FX .235
alpha .235
annotate .236
argument .237
array .239
binary .241
bind (FX) .242
bind_attribute .243
bind_material .244
bind_uniform .246
bind_vertex_input .248
blinn .250
code .252
vi © ISO 2022 – All rights reserved

color_clear . 253
color_target . 254
compiler . 256
constant (FX) . 257
create_2d . 259
create_3d . 261
create_cube . 263
depth_clear . 265
depth_target . 266
draw . 268
effect . 269
evaluate . 271
format. 273
fx_common_color_or_texture_type . 275
fx_common_float_or_param_type . 277
fx_sampler_common . 278
image . 282
include . 284
init_from . 285
instance_effect . 287
instance_image . 288
instance_material (geometry) . 290
instance_material (rendering) . 292
lambert . 294
library_effects . 296
library_images . 297
library_materials . 298
linker . 299
material . 300
modifier . 302
pass . 303
phong. 305
profile_BRIDGE . 307
profile_CG . 309
profile_COMMON . 311
profile_GLES . 313
profile_GLES2 . 316
profile_GLSL. 320
program. 321
render . 323
RGB . 324
sampler1D . 325
sampler2D . 326
sampler3D . 327
samplerCUBE .327
samplerDEPTH .328
samplerRECT .329
sampler_image .330
sampler_states .331
semantic .332
shader .333
sources .335
states .336
stencil_clear .342
stencil_target .343
technique (FX) .344
technique_hint .346
texcombiner .347
texenv .350
texture_pipeline .352
usertype .354
5.9 B-Rep Reference .355
General .355
Elements by category .356
About B-rep in COLLADA .357
brep .362
circle .364
cone .365
curve .367
curves .368
cylinder (B-Rep) .369
edges .370
ellipse .372
faces .373
hyperbola .375
line .376
nurbs .
...