3DVIA®

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, May 16th through Friday, May 22nd are highlighted here. This is the 29th post with the purpose of bringing models to your attention that we all may have missed during the week.

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

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:

Natural forms that are believable are quite difficult and time consuming to create. Tree by Pascal75 is one of those models that the closer you look, the more you are amazed how much detail there is. Pascal75 used a VRML generator to create this beautiful example.

From the natural world of trees we move to demonstrating the value that 3D modeling brings to real world manufacturing. Welding Line 090228 by coffida was created using CATIA V5 and it shows the value of spending time and effort early on in the manufacturing engineering process to help the team visualize the set-up before commiting huge amounts of money to doing it for real. The human figures are important to give everything a sense of scale and also to be sure that the operators are safe and yet can still reach every thing that they need to.

A while back, I designed a piece of pharmaceutical test equipment for a European company, but as soon as I found out that the actual installations would be in Asia and that the operators were going to be almost all women, I changed my human models and had to make some other significant changes. It was far less costly to make the changes early on than to try to figure out later why the testing was so difficult for the operators.

I admit it – I included this model just because it makes me smile and laugh every time I see it! 3 Eyed Scrambled Egg by dragonlil is a breath of fresh air (I’m assuming that it didn’t eat anything bad recently) and bright colors with good, creative modeling using Google SketchUp. [dragonlil is from the US]

OK, no more smiling, unless you are also like me and are drawn to impeccably modeled and highly functional vehicles like the HLP-TRU041-331-KPL Pick by alfredix. Alfred models using Pro/E and then converts and uploads his models to 3DVIA using the STEP format. [alfredix is from Germany]

Time to smile again! erikkirkebo didn’t use a descriptive name, so I’ll call it Color Puzzle. It looks like he had a lot of fun making this using 3DVIA Shape 3.0 and it looks like a great place to play “King of the Hill“.

Back to reality with a well-done conveyor section model, 09-0051-System, made by ajlaska using SolidWorks 2009. We take  lot of things for granted in our daily life. How packages get handled and routed is one of them. We expect our stuff to arrive at the right place and at the right time. It’s the attention to detail, engineering and cost, like in this model, that help make it happen!

We can slip back off into the fantastical world of mastic as we explore his wonderful model Bedracow. Comments on his model Unpacking the first Neurons explain what a “Bedracow” is. CATIA V5 got another workout from mastic for this fun model. [mastic is from Spain]

Garage Scene by abu_roadking is a different fantasy! He combined a number of  3DVIA models and textures from http://www.jsalvador.net/portfolio.html using 3DVIA Shape 3.0 to build his own little world that we can share. [abu_roadking  is from India]

Elements by jackred is an imaginative sculpture combining air (white), water (blue), fire (red), earth (green) and quintessence (black). Quintessence is worth checking out if you want to stretch your mind a little. [jackred is from Morocco]

guillen25 modeled this very nice two story living space called Aquieslacasa using 3DVIA Shape 3.0. There are plenty of rooms to check out and, of course, the Pagani Zonda C12 to take for a ride! [guillen25 is from Mexico]

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:

New Forms 2222 by Datsh is a challeging model for viewers. Just when you thought you had found everything, you’ll find something new. Take some time to explore the many worlds inside of worlds that Datsh brought to life using 3DVIA Shape 3.0. [Datsh is from Sweden]

I like Basketball by coffida because it’s a fun model! He made it using CATIA V5.

Part 1 by Philippeminez is a beautiful sculpture open to many interpretations. He imagined and created it using CATIA V5. [Philippeminez is from France]

Weedle by JayPaRaDox is cute, colorful and helped with my continuing cultural education. I did not know what a Weedle is, but I do now.

Norma and the Good Things by abu_roadking helps remind us to always remember the positive events in the world too! abu-roadking created this wonderful story using 3DVIA Shape 3.0. [abu_roadking is from India]

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.