3DVIA®

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, August 1st through Friday, August 7th are highlighted here. There is quite a bit of variety this week with a lot of great subjects! Enjoy the remaining summer days and weeks!

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

The Top 10:

ALVIN – Deep Submergence Vehicle by smike shows the depths (sorry) that smike will go to in researching his subjects. Check out his presentation for way more detail! You can also view the same model without the ocean bottom, which makes it a little easier to navigate around the model. smike does his modeling using Google SketchUp. [smike is from Denmark]

Royal Clock – Showpiece by XQH_XXX is a beautiful example of using textures in 3DVIA Shape to create an ornate model without a lot of difficult modeling. [XQH_XXX is from India]

HH-20070 by chawkenson is actually a hose humper (scroll almost to the bottom of the page to see the assembly in action in the field) bearing assembly that he created along with the hose wheel using SolidWorks 2009.

This is a commercial agricultural tool, but people use the same concept to control hoses in their yards and gardens to make moving hoses easier. What I like is the excellent section view that makes it easy to understand the concept and construction. Very nice.

XQH_XXX takes us from the ornate to the conceptual with his Sound of Purity V2 – Expression of Freedom model. Read the model description to more fully understand the motivation and encouragement offered here. XQH_XXX has used 3DVIA Shape in this model to express very different thoughts. [XQH_XXX is from India]

Sam by toymaker makes me laugh out loud! Anyone familiar with Yosemite Sam in the cartoons will appreciate how well toymaker has captured Sam in 3D using Google SketchUp. [toymaker is from the US]

JaViXP has captured the essence of the Audi R8 with this exceptionally well done model created using Google SketchUp. [JaViXP is from Spain]

His Glasses? by abu_roadking has sparked some great discussions about subjects far from 3D modeling and yet also still at the core of why we  do the things we do. abu_roadking has once again proven his amazing story-telling skills using 3DVIA Shape. [abu_roadking is from India]

Nautica is an absolutely impeccably well-detailed model created by marshy using CATIA V5. Check out the model to truly appreciate how much he has put into this creation! [marshy is from Israel]

Extraordinary textures make Golden Temple by OYK_XXX an exquisite model and it was created using 3DVIA Shape. [OYK_XXX is from India]

M198 Medium Towed 155mm Howitzer by alfredix again shows his phenomenal attention to functional details that we may have never seen or even thought about before. Beautiful work. Alfred models using Pro/E and then translates his models into STEP format for upload to 3DVIA. [alfredix is from Germany]

Honorable Mentions:

What Is It????? by Omind may have re-kindled the Squirrel Wars here on 3DVIA. What a great imagination! [Omind is from the US]

This is another part in the TRX Project -  The TRX Project Footrest Left by DrSlumper created using SolidWorks 2008. Without the photos on his blog I never would have been able to guess what position this should be in. [DrSlumper is from Spain]

The Cube by shodiq38 was made using 3DVIA Shape and it just looks like he had a lot of fun making it! [shodiq38 is from Indonesia]

This Is The Life by sady2 is a very sobering model that may be closer to the truth than we are comfortable with. sady2 used 3DVIA Shape. [sady2 is from Romania]

This model of a Flag by shodiq38 and his accompanying video are fantastic examples of what can be modeled using 3DVIA Shape. [shodiq38 is from Indonesia]

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!

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 modelour 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.