ISO 17506-2022 PDF

Full title and description

Industrial automation systems and integration — COLLADATM digital asset schema specification for 3D visualization of industrial data. This International Standard defines the COLLADA XML schema and provides a specification to enable developers to create tools that import, export and process COLLADA digital assets for 3D authoring, visualization and tool chains.

Abstract

ISO 17506:2022 specifies the COLLADA schema: an XML-based format for exchanging 3D digital assets without loss of information. The document details the schema design, core elements for geometry, animation, skinning, scenes, visual effects and basic physics models, and it includes a minimal set of requirements for COLLADA exporters. It does not define a run-time architecture for viewing or processing COLLADA data.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: 22 March 2022 (Edition 1, 2022).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 25.040.40 (Industrial process measurement and control / Industrial automation systems and integration).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2022).
• Number of pages: 477 pages (main publication).

Scope

Defines the COLLADA digital asset schema for 3D visualization of industrial data and specifies the elements, structures and minimal exporter requirements necessary for reliable interchange between digital content creation (DCC) applications, real-time visualization tools, CAD tools and other tool chains used in industries such as manufacturing, simulation, games and film production.

Key topics and requirements

• COLLADA XML schema definition covering assets, scenes, geometry, materials, animation, skinning and scene graphs.
• Specification of core elements for visual effects (FX) and a basic physics model for interchanged assets.
• Minimal requirements and conformance notes for COLLADA exporters to ensure interoperable data exchange.
• Guidance and explanations to help software developers implement COLLADA importers/exporters and processing tools.
• Statement that the standard does not define run-time rendering architectures — it is a pipeline/interchange specification.

Typical use and users

Authors, implementers and integrators of 3D toolchains: DCC (digital content creation) application developers, game and real-time visualization engine teams, film and VFX toolchain developers, CAD/PLM vendors implementing interchange, asset-pipeline engineers and systems integrators working with 3D industrial datasets.

Related standards

COLLADA has its origins in Khronos Group work and was recognized for standardization as an ISO specification; ISO/PAS 17506:2012 was the earlier (withdrawn) document replaced by ISO 17506:2022. Complementary and adjacent formats and standards in the 3D interchange ecosystem include Khronos glTF (run‑time transmission format) and ISO/IEC X3D family standards for declarative 3D graphics; for product and engineering data exchange, STEP (ISO 10303) series covers broader product-data representation topics. These related efforts together form typical toolchain workflows where COLLADA is used as a pipeline/interchange schema and glTF or other run‑time formats are used for efficient delivery and rendering.

Keywords

COLLADA, COLLADA schema, 3D interchange, XML, digital asset, DCC, exporter requirements, geometry, animation, skinning, FX, industrial visualization, ISO 17506, asset pipeline.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 17506:2022 is the international standard that specifies the COLLADA XML schema for exchanging 3D digital assets used in authoring and visualization toolchains.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the COLLADA schema design, core elements for geometry, scenes, animation, skinning, materials, visual effects and a basic physics model, plus minimal exporter requirements and implementation guidance for tool developers. It does not prescribe a run‑time viewing architecture.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Developers of DCC tools and exporters/importers, game and visualization engine developers, CAD and PLM integrators, VFX/toolchain engineers and asset‑pipeline specialists who need reliable, loss‑minimizing interchange of 3D assets.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The standard was published in March 2022 (Edition 1) and is the current ISO specification replacing ISO/PAS 17506:2012; an amendment (ISO 17506:2022/Amd 1) was issued in 2025.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: ISO 17506 sits within ISO/TC 184/SC 4 work on industrial automation and data integration (ICS 25.040.40) and is used alongside other 3D and product-data standards (for example glTF, X3D and STEP families) depending on the use case in a 3D asset pipeline.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: COLLADA, XML, 3D interchange, digital asset, exporter requirements, scene graph, geometry, animation, industrial visualization.