".obj format is only designed to describe a mesh.."

You forget that it also carry the matrials/texture, precisly what you need in 9 out of 10 cases.

Those who think that there ever will be a standard for everything, mesh, texture, morphs, rigging, animation, light, cameras, (parametric)shaders, etc etc have more fath in humanity than I have. As the orginator of the thread pointed out most of the poor vendors have not managed to get the relatively simple OBJ export/import right yet... :( So when did it became good practice to start a new project without being finished with the previous one?