Hello, does anyone know much about what file formats the 3D widget for iBooks Author uses? I am not a graphic designer but want to add some 3D images to a book I am working on for my chiropractic college. I am currently looking at using Strata Foto 3D SE & Strata Design 3D SE. Would these apps do the job?
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3)
COLLADA files with the extension .dae .
- Fabe
Fabe, thanks for the answer. Do you know if the apps that I am planning on using will allow me to take pictures of objects and get them into the Collada file format to work with iBooks?
You can use standard molecular modelling apps like UCSF Chimera (http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/) or pymol to open the structure and export it as VRML, X3D, or OBJ. Then open that file in the free Meshlab (http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/) and export as Collada.
iBooks author seems to prefer Collada version 1.4 over 1.5 files, and likes the mesh to be triangulated.
Be aware that your representation options in the molecular modelling app (ribbon, space-filling, surface etc.) will determine what geometry is exported.
For a much more flexible experience, look into Molecular Maya, ePMV, or Bioblender, which are plugins for Maya, Cinema4D, and (the free and open source) Blender to add molecular modelling functionality directly within those environments.
You are welcome. I dod not know the answer to your software question. Perhaps KT does. Good luck. - Fabe
what file formats does ibooks 3d widget use?
