3DVIA Top 10 3D Models – 134

Elegant luxury is found everywhere in this Top 10. From super yachts to super cars and elegant dinners, there are many ways to indulge yourself. For the more adventurous amongst you, we have a hefty helping of urban settings to explore and several vehicles for the air, land and sea! Just watch out for the robot – who knows what it is up to.
The ten best 3D models and one 3DVIA Experience uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the weeks of Saturday, March 31st, 2012 through Friday, April 27th, 2012 are highlighted here.
(Easy links to all 133 previous Top 10 posts are right after the current week’s models and 3DVIA Experience.)
The Top 10:
Bat4 Limeil was painstakingly built by nikus using Google SketchUp. I keep seeing it as a cake with many layers of apartments and frosted on top with a thick, delicious mix of traditional homes and open spaces. Yummy!
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Yes, I would like to spend several months cruising the Mediterranean or the Caribbean on the MY45-2 – 3D modeled by wpegram. That should be just about long enough to enjoy all the luxury offered by this super yacht. I feel more relaxed just thinking about it. This beauty was uploaded in 3DS format.
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If you want details, grab the biggest box you have and start gathering them from RC Truck by tateowen! There may even be a miniature mechanic in there somewhere fine tuning the suspension. This fantastic model was created using SolidWorks.
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The table centerpiece is what drew me like a magnet to Tente Inox by Romain (romainazurevent). Using Google SketchUp, Romain has created a beautiful setting for a very elegant dinner. The tent itself also helps to provide an enchanting environment to relax and enjoy the company and delicacies.
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Oscar (mynameisoscarjo) has delivered another example of his formidable automotive modeling skills. His Atega GT was created and honed to perfection using Blender and the indigo renderer. No matter where you go in this super car, be prepared to be the center of attention! [Oscar lives in Sweden]
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Apache Helicopter – Gunner’s Weapon Control Instrument was created by smike using Google SketchUp and his own special blend of graphics magic. The details are as finely crafted as the skills the gunner would have to have to use this dangerous part of the Apache beast. [smike lives in Denmark]
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Abu (abu_roadking) really put 3DVIA Studio through the wringer to develop this stunning demonstration of a complex wartime scenario. Missile Defense System takes awhile to load, but the action is definitely worth the wait. [Abu lives in India]
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Robot Quadrupède looks like half of a spider that is twice as scary! It’s so intricately detailed that I’m afraid it’s going to walk right off the screen! Thierry (thierryc – ©M. Gravrand Paul) uploaded this beast, which was built using CATIA V5. [Thierry lives in France]
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If you want to make a smooth and elegant entrance, you’d have a hard time finding a ride better than this truly gorgeous Bugatti T 102 modeled by Marian using Google SketchUp. Marian based it on sketches by TwistedMethodDan on deviantART. [Marian lives in Romania]
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West Quayside represents quite a lot of work by mapplebeck to complete such a complex cityscape. You can zoom right in and check things out for yourself! It was uploaded in 3DS format.
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The Urania is a beautiful and well-detailed model of an Italian Torpedo Cruiser by Thierry (thierry_st_malo) using Google SketchUp. Take some time to explore this unique vessel.
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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 Best 2009 – 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 – 117 – 118 – 119 – 120 – 121 – 122 – 123 – 124 – 125 – 126 – 127 – 128 – 129 – 130 – 131 – 132 – 133
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!
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.
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I’ve been waiting for this. Thank you, it looks like a lot of hard work was put into this top ten.
You’re welcome tomy. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Each Top 10 is a lot of work, but I enjoy the opportunity to become more familiar with all of the models from the month and to learn more about each modeler too. Choosing between them is not easy though. My first pass at choices ended up with a list of 35 models, Scenes and Experiences. Great models from a great community!
Amazing, really amazing. An excellent presentation, no doubt. All models deserve mention. No words. A great effort by all modelers. Congratulations.
The modelers do all deserve congratulations! I’m happy that you like the presentation too. I try to make each model shine in its own special way. It’s great when the modelers add their own renderings for me to work with. They know their models more intimately than I ever will and their renders show it! This time, Oscar, Marian and Thierry added excellent images!
Glad to be a part of Top10 after long long time… along with these awesome models – Marian’s Bugatti is my all time favorite… another master with cars – Oscar also has done a splendid job…
If the flow of good models is going up, may be you should think of bringing back the ‘honorable mentions’ – just to increase the number of modelers being featured – since you already are having a ‘list’ :)
Enjoyed this post of Top10s as usual.
Thanks a lot, once again, to include me.
Warm regards,
Abu
PS: I hope this message is saved properly. I’m seeing myself logged-in as WilB(?)
Hi Abu,
Yes, you have been a victim of our elusive bug that messes up who is making a comment. We keep thinking that it is fixed and then it happens again. Sorry about the confusion.
Your Experience certainly deserved to be in the Top 10! That must have been a lot of work and the results show it.
Unfortunately, my time is becoming more limited rather than less (you know what that is like!), so adding the Honorable Mentions back in wouldn’t work. The harder it gets for me to make the decisions, the better it is for the modelers that are part of the post – consider yourself to be amongst the best – you are!
Warm regards,
Don
Excellent Choice Don, good job.
You raised the bar quite a bit with this TOP10 :)
I keep looking at the models to find my favorite. And the more I am looking the more I find them ALL exceptional. Each one a masterpiece, truly worth being in the TOP10.
Congratulations to the artists, very well done.
Best regards
Alfred
Thanks Alfred. I’m glad you enjoy the choices. You’re right – the number of new members who are uploading models is increasing and the quality of their models is going up too. The community as a whole is getting better and better.
You’re still in the top group though, so don’t worry. :)
Best regards
Don
What a great blog post. Not just the selection of models (which truly was exceptional), but also the interaction by long time members of the modeling community on 3DVIA.com.. Thank you for your comments and continued participation.
Glad that you like it! Great models to choose from and it is really satisfying to see that folks are taking a look and making comments! Feedback is important.