The ten best 3D models and three exceptional 3DVIA Experiences uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, October 16th through Friday, October 22nd, 2010 are highlighted here. No one will be crabby after taking a cruise on each of the yachts, going for a flight in the Mirage, going on the home office tour (or the tiny town tour) or just plain relaxing in the courtyard. For the more constructive folks we’ve got a beautiful TRX 850 subframe, a mobile lab and a two animation models to explore.

I’m going to be away for a few weeks and you’ll be seeing what brianmc has to show you until I return. Be kind to each other (and to Brian) and have fun!

(Easy links to all 94 previous Top 10 posts are right after the current week’s models and Experiences.)

The Top 10:

For some virtual frivolous fun go visit Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous !!! by Abu (abu_roadking). You’ve got a huge home, a couple of  motor yachts and your choice of cars including James Dean’s Porsche 550 (hiding in the garage) for you and your friend to have all the fun that you can stand! Abu used 3DVIA Scenes for this wonderful fantasy setup. [Abu lives in India]

I really like Courtyard by Tpj1 because it shows is how even when  very complex landscaping is reduced to flat planes it can help create a compelling scene. Just imagine this warm and inviting space without the trees and flowers. Tpj1 used Google SketchUp.

Yamaha TRX 850 Aluminum Swing Arm Bracket Subframe by  DrSlumper is a fabulous example of all the hard work and exacting detail that it takes to create just one complex part in a complete assembly. I love the fact that he has included his original hand-made drawings and the other steps needed to bring this subframe to 3D life using SolidWorks. [DrSlumper lives in Spain]

It’s hard to give anyone a good idea of the size and layout of something as large as Machine Room, but gnorrie99 has done a great job using 3DVIA Scenes. Now the viewer can walk the talk!

From the large to the small. I included Saske by Parn1024 because so much was packed into such a small, low poly file. Each polygon and texture does a monster job to create such a believable character. The model was created using an OBJ generator.

jingalay put a lot of time and careful work into creating Small Town (my title) using 3DVIA Shape. Be sure to check all the nooks and crannies and you’ll find more than you expect.

Fairing the hull of watercraft is an ancient and exacting art. Isonaval38 Classic by wpegram is a beautiful example of doing it well. It was uploaded in 3ds format.

Not only is  Home Office Tour a great 3D model by wipops that was created using Google SketchUp, but you can also go on the tour for yourself in the Home Office Tour 3DVIA Scene. It’s fun to tour the building, go up the stairs and enjoy the views !

OK; yes it’s a truck, so that’s a big plus – but NAL Truck by livedevelop is included for all the fascinating detail included in the onboard mobile laboratory. Great job using Google SketchUp.

Exacting aero surfacing using SolidWorks drew my attention to Mirage 2000 by ice85. It’s not easy to model those complex surfaces and blends!

Caranguejinho Uçá by dreatern is another great example of getting the most out of just a relatively few polygons, in this case using 3dsMax. Take a look at the wireframe to see how the very complex body parts have been simplified. Of course, being a cute crab also helps. :) [dreatern lives in Brazil]

Trimaran by BusWorks is included both here and in Abu’s Scene at the start of the post and deservedly so. I’d love to spend a few hours, days, weeks cruising around on this beauty! BusWorks used SolidWorks for his modeling. [BusWorks lives in Russia]

GDC Countdown by Roro is included just for fun! It was created using 3DVIA Studio and you’ll have fun watching the action. Give it a try.

Just so everyone knows, the order that the Top 10 are displayed is based on color, type of model and how I’m feeling, not any particular ranking. I just rearrange them until I like the way it looks. It’s as simple as that!

Easy links to the previous Top 10 lists: 001 – 002 – 003 – 004 – 005 – 006 – 007 – 008 – 009 – 010 – 011 - 012 – 013 – 014 – 015 – 016 – 017 -018- 019 – 020 – 021 – 022 – 023 – 024 – 025 – 026 – 027 – 028 – 029 – 030 – 031 – 032 – 033 – 034 – 035 – 036 – 037 – 038 – 039 – 040 – 041 – 042 – 043 – 044 – 045 – 046 – 047 – 048 – 049 – 050 – 051 – 052 – 053 – 054 (seven weeks in one) – 055 – 056 – 057 – 058 – 059 – 060 – Best of the Best2009 – 061 – 062 – 063 - 064 – 065 – 066 – 067 – 068 – 069 – 070 – 071 – 072 – 073 – 074 – 075 – 076 – 077 – 078 – 079 – 080 – 081 – 082 – 083 – 084 – 085 – 086 – 087 – 088 – 089 – 090 – 091 – 092 – 093 – 094

Here’s a brief recap of what I look for when I select the Top 10:

Variety – One of the most important factors. I try to show models created using lots of different software products and showing lots of different ways of using 3D. I include brief comments on why I chose each model.

Creativity, unusual subject matter and humor – These are big factors. We should all be having fun and feel free to model our passions!

Models entered in the 3DVIA Challenge contests will not be considered – They’re already getting plenty of attention and I want to spotlight models we may have missed.

There is no reward given – Other than the satisfaction of being noticed, spotlighted and being brought to the attention of more modelers. In my personal experience, the pleasure of having my work appreciated is the ultimate reward anyway.

From time to time I will make mistakes and not follow my own rules – I will review these mistakes on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes I will change the post and sometimes I won’t. I will be consistently inconsistent. I am human.

Your comments are always welcomed and encouraged! Your responses will help the modelers and the 3DVIA community as a whole. Feel free to bring other models to my attention and let me know why they attracted you.

(PLEASE NOTE: In order to make it easier to explore, all photos are linked directly to the model’s page.)

One final note of caution: these are my choices (dswavely) and my choices alone. So, aim the tomatoes appropriately.