Discussion Replacing assetbundles and addressables for models, with simple platform-agnostic model import

Asset bundles have been problematic on a non-games project (have not actually touched addressables). Formats change between Unity versions, they are messy to export (you have to script it?!), you need one per platform. Getting from an artist's 3d model to a downloadable asset bundle per platform and keeping it updated is not as simple as it should be.

So how about a non-unity alternative, such as using a modern, common, optimised 3d format like GLB (binary gltf). These can be loaded very fast by open source code like glTFast, only 1 model is required to cover all formats.
The downsides: you have to generate materials and apply relevant shaders yourself (a library like above can also do it for you), as only a description is present, and any textures will not be in an optimised format for your platform so will be imported uncompressed (you could compress on desktop post-load at a cost).
You can get around the downsides with a shared material and/or texture library (if limited material set used), optimised per platform.

asset bundles (& addressables?) may represent the optimal solution for speed, but should there not be another easier way - maintained and pushed by Unity?
This is particularly relevant for non-games projects or highly moddable games where models are easiest to provide via a common format.

Note that Unity have worked on a runtime fbx import/export package, but that is a closed format and more complex than glb which is surely better?