Planning, training, making, and just plain having fun are on tap this week. From a single exhibit, store or building to a big section of a city – we’ve got ‘em covered. How about an entire hydro-electric dam too just for good measure? We also have hydraulic power covered, a conceptual tractor-trailer combo and a mysterious spike to figure out. For contemplation and fun, check out the gorgeous spiral and the hilarious space world filled with delights.

The ten best 3D models and one 3DVIA Experience uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the weeks of Saturday, July 2nd through Friday, July 15th, 2011 are highlighted here.

(Easy links to all 116 previous Top 10 posts are right after the current week’s models and 3DVIA Experience .)

The Top 10:

It’s time to break out the big smiles and belly laughs when you view Meeting of the Council of Aliens by theelectricwildcat . What a great sense of humor! It was modeled using 3DVIA Shape.

Barrage la Sarcelle (Dam Sarcelle) by catiaEXP just blows my mind! The detail is phenomenal, which makes it a treat to explore the nooks and crannies. A hydro-electric generating plant has plenty of those. It was modeled using CATIA V5.  [catiaEXP lives in Canada]

ChiliG used Google SketchUp to explore, model, and ensure that Tina Izmir would fit in its space at the show. It also gives a much better feel for what the actual exhibit will be like to visit. A great use of 3D modeling.

5×4+3×2+2 Spiraloid by Norbertpro is beautiful in both the sculptural and the mathematical senses. Take some time to rotate this one around and appreciate it from many angles. SolidWorks helped make it possible.

Alfred (alfredix) has added a wild trailer to his equally imaginative tractor to complete Funtruck02 With Trailer. It looks like he’s having a great time exploring using AutoDESK Product Design Suite ! After the modeling was done, Alfred then translated and uploaded everything using the STEP format. [Alfred lives in Germany]

Visit House by Nicky (nicky_nguyen_91) and you too will appreciate the level of detail both inside and out. Nicky used Google SketchUp to create this fine model.

ACPB Patrol Boat by Invenio shows the amazing level of detail that can be included in a serious gaming application. Before you even set foot on board, you’ll be ready to take care of that fire! Inveniodavid used 3DVIA Studio to help create this  demonstration concept for training. Be sure to visit the Invenio web site to get a more thorough understanding of how it all ties together. [Invenio is in Australia]

Urban planners use many tools to help shape and reshape our cities. With the 3D model Keskusta3,  jyrki44 employs Google SketchUp as a valuable asset to help the entire team get a better feel for what already exists and what is being proposed.

I have no idea what 1TS208-116 Rev.01 PB Spike 2011 is, or even how big it is, but Serpie did a great job getting all the details right! It would even look good as a sculpture. It was uploaded in IGES format.

KTC Intertraffic Stand V1 is one of a series of concepts by wubwien that will help the designer, builders and owners make the tough decisions about what to finally make real. For the 3D model, wubwien used Google SketchUp.

Hydraulic Power Unit by mm1doron is a beautifully detailed hunk of industrial equipment that was created using SolidWorks. When the pressure is on to make sure it will get built right, 3D modeling is a valuable tool as mm1doron shows.

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 – 102 – 103 – 104 – 105 – 106 – 107 – 108 – 109 – Best of the Best 2010 – 110 – 111 – 112 – 113 – 114 – 115 – 116

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.