3DVIA® - 3DVIA

You decide! Make a comment on this post with your votes for the top three funniest models on 3DVIA!

There is no prize, but we all win a big smile when we see some of the wacky humor that 3DVIA users show in their models. 3D modeling can be way too serious at times and I just love it when I come across a model that just cracks me up and makes me laugh out loud!

  

It’s kind of like when young kids show up where you work and you’re reminded that we all are part of a big family. Hearing a child’s voice makes a workplace feel like it’s part of the whole world. A funny model makes me feel the same way. Humor is a vital part of enjoying ourselves and it’s great to see models from all over the world that don’t need words to make us smile!

  

Shape 2.0 makes it even easier to create a funny moment in your models. Since you can add many existing models into your own Shape model and move them around and make them bigger and smaller - the possibilities for a laugh are endless. If you haven’t tried it, you’re missing a lot of fun.

  

I’ve gone through all 4400+ models on 3DVIA to come up with these ten choices (phew!). Check them out and if you can stop laughing long enough, add a comment to this post with your top three choices. If I missed one that makes you double up with laughter, put the model title or url in your comment and I’ll add it in.

  

I’m glad to say that we’re getting funnier as we go along. There are more funny models being added recently!

  

Comment and vote as often as you want, but try not to vote for the same models twice. We’ll keep track and after a couple weeks or so (no legal mumbo jumbo needed - it’s all free and just for fun) we’ll let you know which ones made the world of 3DVIA voters laugh the most.

By golly, if you can’t have fun doing this, then please check to make sure that you still have a pulse!

3D models make our world possible - and fun too! Whether our 3D models are the internal bulkhead of the next major airliner or the latest clothing mod for our hot avatar, 3D makes it better. 3DVIA.com is a gathering place for all kinds of models and modelers. Check out the latest architectural ideas or explore historical steam engines for some perspective. Learn some cool new things and have some fun.

In order to keep the fun factor up and the frustration factor down, this post provides some useful tips to export your CATIA models so that they can be easily uploaded and shared on 3DVIA.com.

 

Dassault Systemes’ CATIA is a creative tool that is highly respected throughout the world for its wide-ranging capabilities. Fortunately; Fabrice Pinot, member of the CATIA Solutions team in Suresnes, France, has kindly offered some valuable information to help make it as easy as possible to export your CATIA V5 models in a way that allows them to look their best on 3DVIA.com.

So, in his own words:

There are 2 options that are very important for the 3DXML exports from CATIA V5 to 3DVIA.com.

First is the type of 3D mesh which is used for the geometry. At the present time, the supported mesh in 3DVIA.com is specified in the following option, it is a mesh in ASCII code.

The second option deals with 3D Accuracy:

For products; where all the parts have roughly the same size, such as consumer goods or hi-tech products, we recommend setting a fixed accuracy from 0.1 to 0.2.

Fixed 3D Accuracy sets a fixed sag value (from 0.01 to 10), which is used for calculating tessellation on all objects and does not vary with object size. The sag value defines the chordal deviation for curves and surfaces. The “curve chordal deviation” represents the maximum distance between a polyline (”chord”) whose end points lie on a curve and a point on the curve:

For detailed models of cars, boats or planes, we recommend setting a proportional tessellation of 0.1 to 0.2 as you may have small parts and huge ones. In this case tessellation is calculated according to object size: the larger the object, the coarser the tessellation. For the same 3D accuracy setting, the tessellation on small objects is always finer than on large objects. Please note that the toggle does not represent a distance, but a parameter, as the actual sag will depend on the object’s size.

Of course, in both cases, the finer the parameter, the larger the 3DXML file. Uploaded files are limited to 10MB on 3DVIA.com. If your file is bigger, then toggle this 3D accuracy parameter in order to be below this value.

Other tips: 

Products originally created in CATIA V5 have the Z axis as the vertical axis, so there are no modifications to perform to have them appear in the proper orientation in 3DVIA.com. If this is not the case, it is always possible to insert this product into a newly created one and rotate the inserted model with the 3D Compass.

Textures created in CATIA V5 are supported, do not hesitate to use them. It gives a better aspect of your product at a minimum cost.

SPECIAL NOTE: These suggestions are valid for V5R18 and V5R19SP1. V6 compliance and tips are in the works. Stay tuned.

Thank you Fabrice, for making it easier for 3DVIA.com users to upload their CATIA models!

 

 

Rob Rodriguez has earned a place for himself as an expert in photo-realistic rendering in fields quite different from the gaming and entertainment worlds. Rob’s expertise is used to help people visualize and make decisions before they make real products. From the architecture we live with to the products that we hold in our hands, Rob’s skills make the things we use better from the beginning. Rob’s business, Axis CAD Solutions, delivers the value and power of rendered images primarily using PhotoWorks from SolidWorks. He also shares his knowledge with others through presentations at annual events like SolidWorks World and at numerous user group meetings throughout the US.    

 

Q1: How did you first become interested in 3D modeling, animation and rendering? 

Like everyone else I suppose I started designing in 2D with CAD tools like AutoCAD.  I can remember my professors from architectural school saying you have to learn how to visualize your design in 3D as you’re putting it on paper or the screen.  Sometimes this can be difficult when working on a complex design.  I can remember thinking if I can’t “see” the design in 3D then how is the customer going to see it?  2D CAD  was a step up from board drafting but it didn’t solve the problem of visualization for me.  I had worked in the architecture field for a while when I took a position designing decorative cast iron and sheet metal parts for a company that manufactures wood and gas heating appliances.  The decorative cast parts were very free form shapes with a more artistic feel and again I found it very difficult to communicate and visualize this type of design with 2D CAD.  This was the point I jumped into the 3D CAD world using SolidWorks.   I was amazed how much easier it was to “see” my design in 3D since I was working that way on screen.  There was no turning back at that point.  I was in the 3D CAD world to stay and 10 years later I’m still here.  Rendering and animation  just seemed to be a natural progression from modeling.  I used to see very life-like computer generated images while thumbing through trade magazines and they really caught my interest.  I wanted to learn how to create images like this and I’ve been learning ever since.

 

Q2: What types of 3D modeling, animation and rendering do you do?  

Having been in a number of different industries, I’ve modeled a variety of things.  Residential homes, cabinetry, furniture, sheet metal parts, castings, monuments, mausoleums, etc, etc, etc.  It’s an odd combination really, especially when  people find out I use SolidWorks as my primary design, modeling, and rendering package.  SolidWorks is primarily an MCAD design tool and I’ll be the first to admit some of the things I use SolidWorks to design and render don’t fit with its normal usage.

  

 

 

Q3: What role do your models, animations and renderings play in the product development process? 

That really depends on the context of the work.  If I’m working on consumer type products my renderings and animations typically come at the end of the design process and are used for more of a marketing or sales tool.  Most of my images and animations are used for print brochures, magazines and the web.  If I’m working on an architectural project renderings and animations are used to allow the clients to easily see the design and decide on revisions.

 

Q4: How much time do you spend, on average, on one particular rendering? 

Typically the modeling is already finished when I need to create a rendering.  I could have created the model at an earlier time myself or my client may have sent me their model to use for rendering purposes.  Since the work of modeling is already completed, the rendering process progresses rather quickly.  I’d say a typical consumer product rendering takes about a ½ day to a day depending on the complexity of the design and what exactly the client wants to show.  Architectural type renderings usually take longer just because the nature of them requires more work.

 

Q5: What additional software do you use to create your images? 

I like to do as much work as possible in the modeling / rendering package but there is always a bit of post processing required.  For this I use a photo editing program, Corel Draw / PhotoPaint.

 

 

 

Q6: What is your day like?

 I’ll let you know when this one is over J.  It varies greatly but there are some constants.  Having a full time job and operating my own business makes for some long hours.  During the day I would typically be working on design projects for a wide range of customers.  This could include creating models, fabrication drawings, renderings and animations.  I usually have multiple projects happening at once so things can become hectic.  Nights you can usually find me creating renderings for various clients through my own business Axis CAD Solutions LLC.  Again I’m usually working on multiple projects of varying degrees of difficulty  across a wide spectrum of products.  I’ve also branched out into the education side of the software, collaborating on a rendering book for SolidWorks and providing rendering training classes for clients.

 

Q7: What tips can you share for staying focused on a large project? 

Organization is really the key, especially when you’re working on multiple projects.  Document every detail of each rendering set up, you never know when you’ll need to go back to a particular point in time.  Time management is also very important.  It’s easy to become overwhelmed by  a large project but if you manage your time wisely and work in an organized fashion you’ll be amazed at how quickly it can all come together.

 

Q8: What part of 3D modeling and rendering do you find most rewarding? 

I really like it when I’m surfing the web or looking at a magazine and I see one of my images.  I can say, “I did that”.

 

Q9: Just for fun, what is you favorite game?  Movie?  Comic Book?

My all time favorite movie is Rocky I and II.  The whole “David vs. Goliath” theme appeals to me, probably because I’ve felt like the underdog most of my life.  Sci-fi action movies appeal to me the most, probably because of the special effects.  I’m always fascinated by how “real” it all looks in the movies. Star Wars, The Matrix, Alien, all great flicks.

  

Thanks, Rob, for taking time from your busy work and travel schedule to help 3DVIA visitors understand a little bit more about other areas of the world where 3D models are making a big difference.