3DVIA®

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, April 11th through Friday, April 17th are highlighted here. 025 And 028 are in the works. They will be out of order, just like this one. That way you can all be as confused as I am. (Well, maybe, but that’s pretty hard to do.)

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 – 026 – 027

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!

Be sure to check out the models that received Honorable Mentions too!

Our users live all over the world, so I include in my comments where each modeler is from. It’s great that language and distance are not barriers when we’re all sharing in 3D! (Modelers may choose not to share where they are from, so some countries of origin will remain a mystery.)

The Top 10:

Because 3DVIA Shape 3.0 was released during this week (and we’re very proud of it), I’ve grouped the models done in 3DVIA Shape 3.0 that qualified for the Top 10 in one spot here at the beginning, just to show off some of the great possibilities of the new tools in this release.

Spheres With Photographic Textures is absolutely amazing when viewed with the Fresnel shader! 3DVIA Shape 3.0 now easily makes spheres and rhalstead has added some of his own photographic textures to spotlight how stunning the results can be. [rhalstead is from the US]

Sailing Boat was modeled by StephaneV and shows off 3DVIA Shape 3.0’s amazing new abilities to create complex curved surface and even draw new curves right on them. It makes me want to head for the dock right now! [StephaneV is from France]

Chess Board, created by romrom, makes extensive use of 3DVIA Shape 3.0’s ability to revolve shapes and to create more complex surfaces. The texturing is also very nicely done. [romrom is from France]

Viking Lover’s Wall by trigram_QWQ combines a bunch of 3DVIA Shape 3.0 models with other models to create this great hideaway for the person truly obsessed with Vikings! Check out the longship in a bottle and the books covers and spines. There are tons of details to keep you busy. (Just in case you missed it, trigram_QWQ is now using the username abu_roadking.) [trigram_QWQ/abu_roadking is from India]

It’s just called Body, but we all know to start running when we see it! In the lower left picture you’re doing OK. In the lower right picture you’re about to be a snack, so get a move on. Thanks isaacmiller1993 for this really terrific T Rex!

Smike just keeps getting better and better! This is his Sikorsky S-76 C(D) – Royal Thai Navy helicopter model that has me coming back over and over again and finding new details every time. Smike’s texturing skills in Google SketchUp have been progressing by leaps and bounds. Fabulous! [smike is from Denmark]

Two Tone BB U-Pack is beautifully designed and modeled by mahendra48 using CATIA V5. The complex forms and tricky details are just wonderful. Great job! [mahendra48 is from Indonesia]

The name is simple – Room – but the model is not. VikasGupta has added enough interesting details to discover here for everyone! Go ahead in and do some exploring. [VikasGupta is from India]

Jai Walker by jaid is a creation that I want a ride in! Forget the Segway, I’ll take one of these! Great imagination and modeling to match it.

The A7-D Corsair II is one of my all-time personal favorite aircraft, so seeing alfredix’s version and the images of how he modeled it made my day! Not only that, he added enough different armament packages to make any ops officer happy! You’ll find great detailing throughout.

Alfredix uses Pro/E to model with and then uploads to 3DVIA.com using the STEP format so those of us with CAD software can enjoy them even more. Can’t ask for more than that! [alfredix is from Germany]

Due to the continuous challenge of narrowing the number of great models uploaded each week down to just 10, I include five Honorable Mentions to spotlight even more modelers!

Honorable Mentions:

Water Glass is a deceptively simple model that is actually quite elegant. Sady2 made great use of the revolve feature in 3DVIA Shape 3.0 and a transparent texture. The whole model is made more interesting by the ripples from the first drops and the added tension in the scene as the next drop just hangs there. Well done! [sady2 is from Romania]

How can you not smile when you see Alien Bunny by altable? It’s great fun!

Army Rocket Boat by sebXUK makes giant waves in my humor ocean! His description: “A random army rocket boat with a big gun and lots of missiles” is fantastic! We need more descriptions and models just like this! altable used 3DVIA Shape 3.0.

Warbird by Pasaye Guitars is another beauty from sandman14 done in Google SketchUp. Pretty wild! [sandman14 is from the US]

Fountain by gienie333 is an elegant use of simple forms, enough detail to make it interesting and textures that were carefully sized to mach the model. Very well done in 3DVIA Shape 3.0. [gienie333 is from South Africa]

Here’s a brief recap of what I look for when I select the “Top 10″ and “Honorable Mentions”:

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 must be uploaded by the original modeler – Many times I find models that I think will add to the community and will upload them with credit given to the modeler. These and other models that I can’t be reasonably sure who modeled them (for example – commercial models) are a welcome addition to the 3DVIA community, but the goal of the “Top 10″ is to encourage individual modelers and reward their special creativity.

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.

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.