The ten best 3D models and one 3DVIA Scene uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, January 1st through Friday, January 7th, 2010 are highlighted here. From the incredibly rusty and beautiful to the incredibly smooth and beautiful, we’ve got a bunch of great models! Potential pain and pleasure are covered in several ways. You’ll find methods to get from A to B  and even one way to just stay in one place and still have blast! Take a look and have some fun!

(Easy links to all 101 previous Top 10 posts are right after the current week’s models and Scene.)

The Top 10:

If you hate the dentist then, you’re probably already screaming in your mind. Armchair Dental by APHP is so well-modeled that even the hoses and connections look great! APHP uploaded it in 3ds format.

The textures on WWII Light Tank by haueryou26 are simply amazing! I find myself coming back over and over just to enjoy the incredible variety of effects that were employed using 3ds Max.

Now THAT is a big Ferris wheel. Wheel Reviews by wolverine952 captures the beauty of the massive structure and makes me want to go for a ride or three right now. It was uploaded in 3ds format.

Architurn – Décloisonner Pour Illuminer! (Architurn – Decompartmentalise To Illuminate!) by Architurn looks like a fabulous environment to work and play in. This beauty was created using Google SketchUp. [Architurn is in France]

Alexandr (Sanya) modeled his gorgeous  SUV Cadillac Escalade using SolidWorks. Check out the very clean surface development and nice detailing. [Alexandr lives in Ukraine]

The subtle details throughout Nanosuit by sonic1995 are what caught my attention. Using Google SketchUp, he caught the flow of the fabric along with the rigid detail of the hard bits. Great job!

I love it! Truck Art!! by Abu (abu-roadking) combines art and trucks – both things that make me smile a lot. Check out Abu’s Gallery and web links on the model page to get a better appreciation of the effort required to make the real one. Abu used 3DVIA Shape to make his virtual version. [Abu lives in India]

A scorpion is scary even when it’s a Puzzle3d Scorpion by Ulthor. He created it using Dassault Systemes V6. Be careful putting on your boots when this is around!

The next time you need to move all your stuff, make sure that you have a least one M1075 PLS (Palletized Loading System) on hand. This great honking truck will get the job done in a jiffy! Alfred (alfredix) modeled it in Pro/E and then translated everything into STEP format for uploading. [Alfred lives in Germany]

Who wouldn’t love to have a Bell 206b JetRanger – Dragon Air Luxury Transport. Michael (smike) has made the ultimate head-turner using Google SketchUp. Look closely to see all the special touches that make it true Dragon Luxury. Be sure to visit his online presentation too. [Michael lives in Denmark]

BostonDave created CThe Tradeshow in a box using 3DVIA Scenes, which gives us all a chance to easily walk around and enjoy the fantastic goodies on display. [BostonDave lives in the US]

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 – 095 – 096 – 097 – 098 – 099 – 100 – 101

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.