COLLADA (Collaborative Design Activity), a common data format for content developers and one heavily promoted by Sony Computer Entertainment, has been approved as an open standard by the Khronos Group. <
><
>The toolset has been promoted by Sony as one that will make programming for the PlayStation 3 less costly and more efficient. <
><
>COLLADA is an XML-based file format for the quick exchange of digital assets within the interactive 3D graphics industry. It was created by SCEI to address a need for content creators to work freely with their data, across more than one platform. <
><
>At last week's PlayStation Meeting 2005, SCE chief technical officer Masami Chatani said that the PS3's development environment will support COLLADA. <
><
>"Approved by the Khronos Group as a complementary and necessary addition to their existing family of open standards, COLLADA will be recognized as common data format not only for games, but also for a wider field of cutting-edge graphics creation, such as movies and computer graphics," Chatani said. <
><
>The Khronos Group is an industry consortium focused on the creation of open standard APIs to enable the authoring of media on a wide variety of platforms and devices. The consortium consists of more than 80 companies, including 3D Labs, ATI, Nokia, Nvidia, Sun Technologies, Texas Instruments, and Sony Computer Entertainment. <
><
>-GS- <i></i>