ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses COLLADA scene composition and object instantiation, including the concepts of materials, lights, cameras, and geometry within the visual scene.
Every computer graphics system has a concept of rendering and a methodology on how to represent that information in the object to be drawn or rendered on the display device. In the real world, we also have a notion of an object’s visual appearance or what it looks like to us. When asked what a fl oor looks like, we answer, “It looks like concrete” or “It looks like redwood.” Our response is to describe the material of the fl oor. This is a fairly abstract answer that relies on the questioner’s own knowledge of “concrete” or “redwood” to visualize the fl oor’s appearance. By identifying the material of the fl oor, we have given a high-level description of its appearance.
