How to create viewer for JT 3D file format

Question

I want to create a viewer which can view/render JT file format. I know there is 1 viewer available JT2Go but i want to create 1 for my own, as JT2GO is not open source.

My requirement is not so high and i don't require features which JT2GO has, I just want to render the 3D file, no layering or selecting of individual components is required. Just a plane viewer.

Solution 1

Start by getting the spec at:

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/Images/JT_v95_File_Format_Reference_Rev-A_tcm1023-111987.pdf

and write a library to read the file. The spec looks big but straight forward to implement. I think it should be possible to access elements of the file without keeping the whole datastructure in memory.

When programming the viewer part, don't use OpenGL directly, but use a scene graph library. (OpenSceneGraph is the first one that pops into my mind)

Solution 2

You can use the Java library from here: http://www.johannes-raida.de/jnetcad. As far as I can see, it should support JT version 8 files. I used the DXF import library and was quite happy. The API is the same, so you have access to all triangles with their coordinates, normals, color and layer.

Solution 3

It is also possible to use the Open Cascade library. It is an open source C++ library (LGPL), and is primarily designed for CAD. Currently it also supports to read the facets (triangles) of JT documents: http://www.opencascade.org/support/applications/jt_assistant/ and the Jt assistant can also visualize the JT documents. The C++ code is of this application is open source (GPL). One advantage of the Jt assistant compare to Jt2Go is that it is possible to show different layers (groups) of the JT document.

Solution 4

You might try adding support for this file format to the Open Asset Import Library:

http://assimp.sourceforge.net/

Also know by the unfortunate abbreviation ASSIMP. They already have a viewer, so once you add the format to the import library you'll be done. In addition you will have added support for another format to an existing open source library.

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Comments

[Pranay Airan]

i have that specification can you throw some more details on the viewer part?? I am confused on that part i want to know how will i show the thing once i read from JT on screen??

[Pranay Airan]

thanks can you give some more solutions on the viewer part the one which you give works only on windows?? How exactly a viewer works and what in 3D graphics area it is referred as??