The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, March 6th through Friday, March 12th, 2010 are highlighted here. Vivid color and imagination rule the Top 10 models this week! From the fruit on the table to the fantastic architecture and sculptural forms, it is a feast for your eyes!

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

The Top 10:

The fact that functional objects can also be sculpture is proven by A571-40236 by Dave (dave_summ). I’d love to see this made about 100x bigger and proudly gracing a city plaza for all to enjoy! Dave created it using CATIA V5. [Dave lives in Australia]

Translucent Torus is another fantastic visual treat created by Rodd (rhalstead) using Structure Synth. Go to the model, zoom and get lost in the overlapping colors and shapes – it’s amazing. [Rodd lives in the US]

This mean and capable AAVP-7A1-EAAK by Alfred (alfredix) will blow you away (pun intended) with details and accuracy. Be sure to visit his web album to see the amazing construction process and all the variants possible.

Alfred models everything in Pro/E and then translates them using the STEP format before uploading. [Alfred lives in Germany]

Just about any kid (or adult) would smile when they see Happy Meal by Parth (XQH_XXX). It took a lot of work and many separate models using 3DVIA Shape to create this yummy lunch. [Parth lives in India]

When you go to visit In Construction, by Perecat (perecat1), it won’t look the same as he continues construction on a regular basis using 3DVIA Shape. His imagination keeps growing too! You’ll always find something new and interesting in his models. [Perecat lives in Spain]

BMW M6 Tuned says it all. Sam (sketchosaurus) used Google SketchUp to create this hot driver. [Sam lives in New Zealand]

Abu (abu_roadking) created Valley… Mountain… using 3DVIA Shape. There’s only one problem – now I want to go stay in this great little house (inspired by the real NANOstudio S) and enjoy the scenery! [Abu lives in India]

Wheelchair by nvm123 was modeled using CATIA V5 and it looks like it could be manufactured fairly easily.

And now for something completely different! These images are from a very funny 3DVIA Scene – Honey I Shrunk the Kids & Me created by gsmith. Go exploring in a full sized house when you are the tiny one! Yes, those cockroaches do run around and the mousetraps work too!

3DVIA Scenes was just introduced (along with 3DVIA Studio) to the public as a free way to create environments where you can walk (and run) around whatever models you add to your Scene. You can choose your own avatar, choose an existing environment (or create your own) and then add your own models or choose from the models on 3DVIA. Once you’re done, you can walk around, invite your friends to chat and even embed your Scene in your own blog or web site.

Enjoy the Dinner is a very well-set table for eight guests created by abhishek using 3DVIA Shape. Whiskey, turkey and fruit should lead to some interesting conversations! [abhishek lives in India]

Yudhi (yudhidayak) has returned with a new, sportier version of the original multi-purpose platform – the Dragcula. It looks like it would be a blast to zoom around the room and make loud motor noises! SolidWorks 2010 was used to do the modeling. [Yudhi lives in the UK]

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:

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.

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.

Take 30 minutes on Thursday, March 18 to learn new skills with 3DVIA Virtools and have the chance to WIN a $100 Apple® Gift Card*

Lazy Raiders: Using 3DVIA Virtools for XBLA
Thursday, March 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. EDT

Learn how Sarbakan Game Company used 3DVIA Virtools to bring its latest title, Lazy Raiders, to Xbox LIVE Arcade. From concept to design and prototyping to publishing, Rejean Rioux, Sarbakan’s senior 3DVIA Virtools programmer, will go over it all. Follow along and have the opportunity to ask questions while discovering what it takes to bring a creative and successful title to XBLA.

*One participant from each webinar will receive one $100 Apple Gift Card. The winner’s name will be drawn and announced at the end of the webinar. Apple Gift Cards will be mailed directly to winning participants. To qualify as a potential winner, participants must be present for the duration of the webinar. Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.

Sorry for the delay on Day 4’s post everyone. There were strong wind storms in Boston all weekend so my flight was re-routed to Chicago (which I will now refer to as “the second most windy city”), where I had to stay overnight. The airline kept all the baggage on the plane while its passengers were bused to the hotel. This baggage included my laptop’s power cord: my laptop’s life force. (I killed my laptop’s battery watching bad Sci-Fi DVD movies on the plane, thinking I would be landing in Boston to re-power my laptop and write my post–clearly I thought wrong.).

Anyway, enough about my annoying travel inconveniences. Let’s get back to the matter at hand: Day 4 of GDC, the final write-up.

The last day of show was a much shorter day than the first two days to allow time to break down the booth. Many show attendees usually leave on the last day, leaving the show floor quieter. The 3DVIA booth, however, was still busy during the last day.

3DVIA Studio

Our new development environment, 3DVIA Studio, continued to steal the show. As word spread around GDC that 3DVIA was offering a downloadable game development tool for FREE with FREE game sourcecode, foot traffic picked up.

So excited about 3DVIA Studio they are.

Romain Sididris’ technical demonstration on 3DVIA Studio was packed on the last day! Which tells me that people not only wanted to see the end results of what 3DVIA Studio can do (a.k.a. Billions, Save Them All Facebook game), but what’s under the hood. Audience members were engaged and the questions were flowing at the end. In many ways the demo felt more like a press conference than a presentation.

Romain Sididris giving a tech demo of 3DVIA Studio to a full house.

Partner Presentations

The partner presentations continued on the final day of the show with great attendance. I’ve covered all of the partner presentations in previous blog posts, but was unable to capture one so I have written about it below.

3DVIA: The Total Package

I was finally able to get some photos of Marc and Cliff presenting 3DVIA: The Total Package. It was a great demonstration of how 3DVIA’s products work together to help users build a concept in 3D, bring it to life by programming it with movement and then publishing it online as an interactive application to share it with others. Very cool guys!

Cliff and Marc demonstrate how 3DVIA products all work in perfect harmony.

Packing Up

At 3 p.m. sharp GDC ended and trade show workers began packing up the convention hall, including the 3DVIA booth. We were very tired by the end of the show, but again managed to take some formal and…not so formal…photos of the booth breakdown.

Back Row (left to right): Eric Miffre, Cliff Medling, Romain Sididris, Martin St-Germain, Juan del Rio, Virgile Delporte, Stephane Mader, Marc DiGregorio and Iain Bissett. Front Row (left to right): Christine Moses and me (a.k.a., the girls).

We begin to break down the booth.

Marc takes down some of the monitors. Hey you!

Cliff takes down some of the monitors. Snarl!

Dr. Polycount and Eric Miffre take a quick break from breaking down the booth.

Juan del Rio and Christine Moses pack up some equipment. See Juan, you can’t always hide from the camera…MUHAHAHA!

Iain takes another break and sits on a box. Hey there Dr. Polycount!

Romain takes a 3DVIA sheet from our tabletop 6-monitor display, pretends he’s a 3DVIA superhero and runs around the exhibition hall.

Romain takes a nap after running around. Being a superhero is tough work.

Romain decides Juan needs to be shrink wrapped.

Juan gets shrink wrapped. Juan, how will you escape?!

The Pigeon Returns WITH a Friend

As we were finishing packing up the booth, our friend the pigeon came for another visit. This time he brought a friend which made us all very happy for him. What better way could GDC have ended?

Here we have the pigeon and his friend. I hope they return next year!

Thank You

This concludes the Daily GDC. Thank you everyone who came to visit us at the show and those of you who followed along virtually. You all helped make our show a complete success!

Don’t forget to download and try out 3DVIA Studio and let us know what you think.

Till next year!

Today was another BUSY day at GDC. We are all very tired from standing on our feet and from the excitement of the show, but we continue to have lots of fun with booth visitors AND we continue to make time to take pictures.

Formal pictures…

Here you see some of us acting very professional in our 3DVIA uniforms…group shot to come in today’s post. Back Row (left to right): Romain Sididris and Cliff Medling. Front Row (left to right): Christine Moses, Virgile Delporte, me and Iain Bisset (a.k.a. Dr. Polycount).

…and not so formal pictures…

We get creative with the camera. Virgile Delporte, Christine Moses, Cliff Medling, Iain Bissett’s beard and me.

Iain Bissett and Eric Miffre pretend to be tired.

Marc DiGregorio and Iain Bissett give the “what’s up” wave.

OK, enough of that. Back to business!

There were several exciting events and product discussions in the booth today (which I’ll highlight below), but 3DVIA Studio really stole the show.

3DVIA Studio

Today there was great interest in 3DVIA Studio. We gave several tech demos to students, professionals and press alike and all were very impressed by how such a powerful tool could be given away for FREE. The most common question yesterday was, “so, what’s the catch?” To which we answered, “there is NO catch,” then promptly directed people to where they could download the software.

The Fog Lifts and Klaus Returns

Klaus, the lead artist on “Billions, Save Them All,” was able to escape the fog of Frankfurt. He arrived in San Francisco yesterday afternoon and was able to present the making of Billions.

Klaus, we’re happy to see you here clearly sin fog.

Partner Presentations

We had several editions to our partner presentation lineup yesterday, which I’ll go over below. In addition, I made sure to charge my camera battery all night so I was able to capture footage of some of the presentations I missed out on yesterday.

Little Chicken

Thomas from Little Chicken gave an excellent presentation on LC’s philosophy and techniques for quickly creating and delivering fast and fun games for clients using 3DVIA Virtools.

Sequoia Studios

Jim Kiggens from Sequoia Studios made a great presentation on the making of Survival Master, a serious game that teaches players to use math and analytical skills to escape and survive various situations.

Veil Entertainment

Joe Wagner of Veil Entertainment showed off Rise and Ruin, the company’s other multiplayer card game and talked about future plans to a full crowd today. Veil is constantly running Rise and Ruin matches and improving the game, which was created in 3DVIA Virtools.

3DVIA Studio Tech Demo

Romain Sididris did an excellent job presenting our newest member to the 3DVIA product suite, 3DVIA Studio. All the key features of 3DVIA Studio were covered in Romain’s tech demo, including the 3DVIA.com integration, fast debugging tools, visual scripting and more.

The Return of the Pigeon

We hadn’t seen the pigeon all day. Just when we thought all hope was lost, he appeared. He swooped down from the rafters and landed in the food court.

Team Dinner

After another very long day, the team went out for a dinner before going to bed.

From left around the table to right: Martin St-Germain, Stephane Mader, Romain Sididris, Eric Miffre, Cliff Medling, Iain Bissett, me, Virgile Delporte, Marc DiGregorio and Klaus!

Till tomorrow!

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, February 27th through Friday, March 5th, 2010 are highlighted here. Two new ways to use your 3D models  have just been introduced -  “Continuing in the series of updates for the 3DVIA community this week, we are pleased to announce the public beta for both 3DVIA Studio and 3DVIA Scenes – 2 new 3D development applications that open powerful online 3D publishing to anyone.  To put it simply: if you need to create a 3D online game or application, 3DVIA now has the easiest way to create and distribute your work online—whether you are a novice consumer or even the most experienced 3D programmer.  3DVIA now makes online 3D content creation simple, social and powerful.  In addition, there is one more detail you should know…we’ve made it free!

You can find all the details in this post: Announcing 2 FREE Social 3D Development Apps at GDC: 3DVIA Studio and 3DVIA Scenes.

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

The Top 10:

BHX-Ganesh Temple by adityak123 is a wonderful example of how a fairly simple model can become as inviting as the real thing using texturing in 3DVIA Shape.

perecat1 continues to break new ground, both with his imaginiation and with 3DVIA Shape! Anyone Want to Continue? is a fabulous new world where you can find something new around every bend. [perecat1 lives in Spain]

Ice-Cream In Bowl, modeled by abhijeetr using 3DVIA Shape makes me hungry and eager for spring and summer so that we can enjoy these treats more often. Great use of textures!

Calin (l5o2k1s) has imagined another new concept – Con 33 – that impresses with its surfacing and interior details as it challenges us to consider new proportions and forms. It was uploaded in 3DS format. [Calin lives in Romania]

The best part of Schrek by Pascal (squale) is that you just can’t look at him without smiling! I hope he doesn’t crush me when he gives me a hug! Great job on the face! To find out more about this lovable ogre, visit his web site.  Pascal used an OBJ generator to create the model to upload this handsome rascal. [Pascal lives in France]

DPV1 has created a beautiful Rose using 3DVIA Shape! He has taken full advantage of the available tools and used his human touch to make it random just enough to be wonderful! [DPV1 lives in India]

You don’t want to make this Leprechaun mad! Michael (toymaker) has created a very feisty looking traditional Irish fairy using Google SketchUp. Be nice and maybe some of the gold can be yours! [Michael lives in the US]

Enzo Ferraivia was modeled by Nikola (zenox) using Blender and is absolutely gorgeous. Spend some time checking out the forms of this amazing car. [Nikola lives in Serbia & Montenegro]

This very modern chalet comes equipped with it’s own satellite dish so that you’ll have access wherever you build your LEGO 4996-1. Sébastien (sebwouaib) built this enchanting get-away home using CATIA V5.

Role-Reversal Re-Visited by Parth (XQH_XXX) is a fabulous turning of the tables on humans. Parth has done a great job using 3DVIA Shape to tell a story that is very much worth thinking about. He has divided the characters on 3DVIA into some imaginative groups for the animals to enjoy! [Parth lives in India]

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:

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.

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.

Hello again from GDC!

Today was the first day of the exhibition (the second day of work for us) and it couldn’t have gone better. We had a constant flow of foot traffic in the booth: visitors inquiring about our products, asking for one-on-one demos, watching partner presentations and more. But we all quickly learned that as much as everyone loved our products, partner presentations, etc., our booth visitors were “All About the Billions.”

Billions, Save Them All

“Billions, Save Them All” is of course the first game built on 3DVIA Studio and scheduled for release on Facebook later this year. It stars the Mogaloos, a race of cute little cube critters, that you must capture and save from the brink of extinction. We ran Billions as an interactive game contest every hour during the show. The hi-scorer in each hour won a T-shirt and their name was put into a drawing for an Xbox 360 at the end of the day. Everyone loved it, including Juan and Cliff who did a great job MCing! Keep up the good work men.

In addition to the interactive game contest on the center stage, we had Billions running on both sides of the booth, the AMD 6 monitor screen and online at Billions.3DVIA.com.

Here’s Cliff being interviewed by AMD about its 6-monitor display we ran Billions on in the back of the booth.

In other Billions-related news, Klaus Lyngeled, the lead artist of Billions and founder of ZOINK Games, who was scheduled to give a presentation yesterday on the creation of Billions, got stuck in Frankfurt, Germany on the way over from Sweden due to fog (I thought that only happened bad Sci-Fi movies). Don’t miss his presentation today at 10:30 a.m.–it should be a good one.

3DVIA Studio

Moving from Billions to 3DVIA Studio, we had a great response at GDC to 3DVIA Studio: our new, FREE, powerful and open game development environment for creating online games, simulations and visualizations fast. People were blown away by what the software could do, the ability to help shape future releases of it with feedback and the fact that it’s FREE.

We had 3DVIA Studio running on several stations so that people had plenty of chances to play games and technology demos built in it, as well as get a look at all the techy stuff behind the dev environment (schematic editor, tabbed UI, etc.).

Here’s Dr. Polycount showing off the 3DVIA Studio dev environment. Dr. Polycount is giving the “I like what I see double thumbs.” look.

By the way, if you want to download 3DVIA Studio for free, click here.

Partner Presentations

This year’s partner presentations were excellent! I’m always amazed by the creative ideas our partners are able to bring to life with our software. They’re so creative and talented.

Sarbakan

Most of you have probably seen the promotions/blog on our site announcing Lazy Raiders, the first Xbox LIVE Arcade game developed in 3DVIA Virtools by partner Sarbakan. Well, Max Carrier from Sarbakan presented the making of Lazy Raiders at 11:30 p.m. today and it was awesome. Our booth was absolutely packed for this show.

You can barely see Max presenting Lazy Raiders because of all the people trying to watch.

If you want to play Lazy Raiders, you can do so at our booth (#1432), or you can download it from XBLA.

Firsthand

Firsthand had an excellent presentation today on their new endeavor “Attack of the S. Mutants.” If you know what the S. stands for, you’ll get an extra bonus prize! These guys are always creating some great amalgams of education and fun! This time it’s all about cavities, learning about them and fighting them.

Little Chicken

Little Chicken’s presentation was awesome! I’m always impressed with how much they can get done with 3DVIA Virtools in short time schedules. They brought with them an entire selection of new projects currently in production, running on the Wii and PC platforms.

NOTE: my camera battery had died at this point so I didn’t get any photos ;( I will take some today though.

3DVIA

We also showcased a new presentation demonstrating the 3DVIA Suite, a collection of readily available and free tools that can be used collaboratively to create interactive and immersive environments and applications. The Suite is currently composed of 3DVIA.com, 3DVIA Shape, 3DVIA Scenes, 3DVIA Studio and our various plugins and solutions, including 3DVIA Mobile. Be sure to check all these out on 3DVIA.com!

NOTE: camera was STILL dead, but Marc you did a great job. I’ll get a photo of it today!

The Pigeon

In a totally non-technology-related event, a pigeon got into the Moscone Center and was strolling through the food court behind the 3DVIA booth. He may have wanted to play Billions, but I couldn’t quite tell. We’ll see if he comes back tomorrow.

Till tomorrow!

.

This post should help you decide which of these applications is right for you.  If you are an experienced 3D programmer or 3D artist (yes, this app is also for you), you should check out 3DVIA Studio below.  If you are a creative professional or consumer looking to venture into the world of online 3D authoring but lack the pre-requisite skills, scroll down and check out 3DVIA Scenes.  For everyone, stay tuned to this blog as we will show how to use either application to quickly generate amazing online 3D experiences.

Impatient?  Download 3DVIA Studio Free Now or Create Your First 3DVIA Scene

3DVIA STUDIO BETA – POWERFUL 3D AUTHORING PLATFORM FOR ONLINE PUBLISHING

3DVIA Studio is a new 3D development environment for programmers and artists looking to create complex, interactive games or simulations and publish them online quickly with ease.  It shares many of the same concepts with its popular cousin, 3DVIA Virtools, but this beta software is being released specifically to address the online publishing needs of individuals and small teams (ie. the cash-strapped masses).

So what is really different?  Of course 3DVIA studio has amazing 3D rendering capability, real-time editing and a full set of 3D editing tools, however the real difference of 3DVIA Studio over other options is the connection to the social network, 3D hosting and content warehouse here at 3DVIA.com.  3DVIA Studio combines a high-end authoring app with a repository of 3D assets and deep network of 150K other users to help you collect feedback and deploy work online fast.  3DVIA Studio allows users to package interactivity, behavior and repetitive tasks into “building blocks” (Particle Explosion for example) and reuse them in their own projects or share them online with other users through the warehouse on 3DVIA.com.

What about publishing online?  Simple.  If you can publish a video from YouTube to your website using the embed code, you can publish a 3D application online using 3DVIA Studio.  We also provide an embed code for each application that is published to 3DVIA.com to make just as…simple.

How easy is it to use?  We offer a wide variety of programming interfaces to suit your background.  For the 3D artist, we have brought over the schematic view concept from 3DVIA Virtools to enable visual programming.  For the 3D programmer, we offer our VSL Editor which is a C++ style scripting language that will have any programmer (3D or not) quickly writing many lines of beautiful, glorious code.

Check out the first social game built with 3DVIA Studio, Download the Source and Make it Your Own!

To show you what a small team can accomplish in a short period of time, you should check out the Billions, Save them All game project.  It is an ambitious social experiment that will enable the 3DVIA community to help complete and develop future versions of the game.  We’re going to open the source code for you to publish your own version of the game and contribute ideas. 

To participate, first travel on over to the Billions website and read the tutorials and articles on how the project was developed to date.

"Six weeks of learning the product while coding the game at the same time! Honestly, I do not believe that I have had so much fun in quite a while. I am impressed with what 3DVIA Studio delivers, and the most exciting part is that we’ve only scratched the surface of its potential," said François Dujardin, founder of JUDVIA.

We also have a great set of tutorials and several other demo projects to help you get started over on the 3DVIA Studio website.

3DVIA SCENES BETA – WYSIWYG ONLINE 3D AUTHORING 

Many of the more frequent 3DVIA users should already know and love this application.  It has been in a closed invite-only beta since December of last year and the reaction from user involved has been spectacular!  We opened the doors this week to let everyone give it a try.  The concept for 3DVIA Scenes is simple: provide a way for anyone to create online 3D applications, games and worlds through a browser with no programming or software required. 

3DVIA Scenes provides users with a simple drag-and-drop interface to pull 3D models and pre-programmed smart objects into a pre-configured scene.  Need to create a 3D version of an office?  Simple.  Search our warehouse, find 3D models of your office furniture and drag-and-drop them into any of the pre-configured contexts (rooms, scenes, building, etc.) that we provide for you when you start the app.  Need to have the lights turn on and off, doors open and the TV turn on?  Simple.  Look for the models marked with the light bulb icon. These smart objects come pre-programmed with behaviors and animations that work inside of scenes, and range from simple animations to complex data integration apps.

Where do the models, smart objects and contexts for 3DVIA Scenes come from?  3DVIA.com! – They’re all here.  The 3D models come from the extensive 3D warehouse and the smart objects and contexts come from 3DVIA Studio.  In addition to allowing experienced developers and artists to create full applications, 3DVIA.com will also host a market for 3DVIA Studio users to create and distribute smart objects to the 3DVIA Scenes community.   

ARE THEY REALLY FREE?

Yes!  Keeping with the “social” theme, we are releasing these products early in beta for non-commercial use in order for you, the user, to help us shape future versions.  Both products are expected to emerge from their beta phases with a “Freemium” business model, allowing a basic edition of each program to remain free while offering a premium version for commercial use. Interested parties may contact 3DVIA to discuss the details of the premium version  (that sounded very corporate didn’t it?).

GET INVOLVED – JOIN THE DISCUSSION

If you love 3D and want to help shape the future of The 3DVIA Platform, try the apps and join the discussions on both the 3DVIA Studio and 3DVIA Scenes forums.

 Download the 3DVIA Studio and 3DVIA Scenes Press Release

Enjoy!

Hello 3DVIA Community!

Welcome to the first of the GDC Daily: a daily blog post I’ll be writing live (well…after the day is over) from the Game Developer’s Conference 2010 in San Francisco, California. As I’m sure you all know from the latest Cliff’s Clips, 3DVIA is exhibiting here and has some exciting things planned, including a couple of killer announcements, that we want to keep everyone abreast of.

Even though the exhibit portion of GDC does not start till tomorrow, today was a VERY full day.

Today consisted of three things:

• Booth Setup
• Making Announcements
• Team Dinner

Booth Setup

Booth setup entails exactly what it sounds like: setting up the booth. This may sound like a simple task, but trust me, it is not. Our booth is shipped in several boxes that must have their contents pulled out and assembled from the floor up. It’s amazing to watch this process and see the Moscone Center–a massive empty convention hall, similar to a giant warehouse–go from completely empty to filled with booths, lights, computers, carpet and tons and TONS of people.

Big shout out to Christine Moses, our trade show manager, for coordinating this effort.

Here are some pictures of the 3DVIA booth being constructed and the Moscone Center.

Here we have the outside of the South Hall, where the exhibit portion of the trade show will take place. 3DVIA has booth #1432.

Hard at work setting up the booth.

The hard work continues

The Doctor has given his approval. “The show is a go!”

Making Announcements

In addition to letting everyone know that we were going to be at GDC, Cliff mentions, ever so inconspicuously, in his lates Cliff’s Clips that we have several big announcements planned. Yesterday/today, we officially spread the word.

Click on the below links to check out the official press releases.

3DVIA Studio Beta: FREE, powerful and open game development tool that publishes online
Billions, Save Them All: Facebook game being developed on 3DVIA Studio with the help of the community

Team Dinner

After a long day of work, Team 3DVIA went out to nourish ourselves and game plan for the show’s opening tomorrow. The trade show floor opens at 10 a.m. and we can’t wait!

From the left side of the table around to the right: Christine Moses (trade show manager W00T), Eric Miffre, Me, Marc DiGregorio, Romain Sididris, Stephane Mader, Juan del Rio, Iain Bissett, Lynne Wilson, Virgile Delporte, Cliff Medling and Martin St-Germain (not pictured because he IS taking the picture).

That’s all for now. I’m off to bed, looking forward to a great first day tomorrow.

Our new site, with the addition of 3DVIA Studio and 3DVIA Scenes, offers an amazing opportunity for anyone looking to express their ideas in 3D to jump right in and get started regardless of their skill level and financial resources.  We’ve just made 3D content creation simple, powerful and even fun for anyone by combining high-end 3D authoring with the 3D network, stock content warehouse and 3D hosting business already in place at 3DVIA.com.  It really is a one-stop-shop for all things 3D.

With so many changes to the site happening at once, it will be easier to break each of these into more detailed posts but this should get you started.  Here is just a summary of the updates we have made to 3DVIA.com today. 

SAY HELLO TO NOT ONE, BUT TWO NEW & FREE 3D DEVELOPMENT APPS!

We pulled the covers off of 2 new social content creation applications today.  One of which, 3DVIA Scenes, has been available via invite since December and the other, 3DVIA Studio, should be new to everyone but a small group of beta testers.  I’ll cover each of these in more detail in my next post but, in short, 3DVIA Studio is a high-end 3D development platform for serious 3D programmers and artists looking to publish online and 3DVIA Scenes is a 100% online 3D authoring application for everyone else – no programming required.  Both applications will connect creators and consumers alike through the content warehouse here at 3DVIA and right now both applications are free while in beta! 

Why not check out some of the Studio & Scenes creations published by our beta testers.  You should also check out our first game title produced with 3DVIA Studio; Billions, Save Them All.

UPDATE: Download the 3DVIA Studio and 3DVIA Scenes Press Release

NEW 3D SEARCH AND CONTENT TYPES ADDED TO THE 3DVIA WAREHOUSE

Since we have 2 new social publishing apps, we are going to need to have a way for 3DVIA Scenes and 3DVIA Studio users to show off their work, right?  We have extended the 3DVIA warehouse to include the output of the 2 new products under the appropriately named 3D Apps search.  In addition, you can find textures, shaders and smart objects (for 3DVIA Scenes) added to the existing 3D Modeling search and a nice new addition located under 3D Components for 3DVIA Studio users to exchange 3D Templates, Building  Blocks and scripted Behaviors through the site as well.

A SPIFFY NEW DESIGN, NAVIGATION & INTERFACE

It’s not often that you can promote a new design as a big news item but the new design is truly stepping up our service to a new level.   In addition to the new 3D content and search, we have redesigned the sites functionality to focus on helping you complete 3D projects, connect with the community and discover more of the site than you would find in the previous design.  I’m sure that Cliff has a clip or 2 coming up to run you through what to find on the new site but I think the site is looking pretty good. Although…I could be biased.

We are glad with the response we have seen from the community and if you have any feedback, feel free to take part in the discussion on the new 3DVIA.com over in our forums.

Heading to the Game Developers Conference?  Check out the 3 things to see at this years show on 3DVIA.TV.

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, February 20th through Friday, February 26th, 2010 are highlighted here. The Top 10 Team is on multiple assignments this week. Spring is on the way, so love is bound to break out all over and we leave them alone. Another part of the team is exploring both history and possible worlds of the future. New vehicles (winged, two- and four-wheel are being worked on and tested for future missions. There’s the inevitable paperwork to get done and our new pen stand makes that easier – especially since they can hear other team members swinging in the breeze and playing video games. Everyone is getting ready for next chance to help, wherever or whatever the challenge is!

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

The Top 10:

perecat1 has once again let his imagination go wild to create The World In A Bubble. His awesome use of 3DVIA Shape inspires the rest of us to keep pushing the tool and ourselves! [perecat1 lives in Spain]

If I saw an Airtruck1 flying by I’d probably fall out of my chair and then jump up and try to follow it to get a ride. Brian (prolithic) has done a fantastic job modeling this great little plane and uploaded it in 3DS format. [Brian lives in Australia]

Mask by Parth (XQH_XXX) is a great example of how fast textures can bring a form to life. Parth used 3DVIA Shape. [Parth lives in India]

Love it or hate it, the Lamborghini Reventon, modeled here by Oscar (mynameisoscarjo) using Blender, will get your blood moving. Its brutal form was inspired by fighter jets.  [Oscar lives in Sweden]

If you read some of the history of Konark, then the Wheel of Konark Sun Temple by Abu (abu_roadking) can be properly placed in history and legend. Abu shows great use of texturing using 3DVIA Shape. [Abu lives in India]

Bras Oscillant (Swingarm) is meticulously modeled by disouj using CATIA V5. His models help the Locjoly Racing Team stay ahead of the pack.

Bamboo Swing by fnj_123 was created using 3DVIA Shape. It makes me want to stop for a relaxing break. Great job on the construction and texturing of the basket and chain. [fnj_123 lives in India]

04 by Inicolas definitely looks strong enough to wield his gigantic weapon with devastating effectiveness! He was uploaded in 3DS format.

It’s not often that I see a fish with a human head , but Just a Normal Day by erikkirkebo is right that any day we will find people in love and others enjoying the day! Good job using 3DVIA Shape.

OJR Penstand by meghana is so funny! The little fellow is working so hard to hold up the heavy cup of pens. 3DVIA Shape was put to good use to give us all a smile.

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:

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.

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.

If you are not attending, we will be recording our presentations for you to see in the weeks after GDC on 3dvia.tv.

Check out the GDC Preview Video:

These three reasons to visit Booth #1432 are:

1. Awesome new online game:  Billions: Billions, Save them All is our new online social game developed by Zoink Games and JUDIVA.  We will be playing Billions at the booth (oh, did I mention it’s Booth #1432)

2. Our Partner Presentations: We have an excellent line-up of presentations from our partners, including:

• ZOINK Games
• Little Chicken Game Company
• Veil Entertainment
• Sarbakan Game Studio
• Firsthand
• Sequoia Studios
• Art Numeris

For a full list of presentations, visit the 3DVIA GDC 2010 page here.  Did I mention this is all at Booth #1432, in the South Hall?

3. The Worst kept 3DVIA Secrets/Announcements: We will have two HUGE announcements at GDC this year, which we cannot tell you until the show starts.  However, if you research for about 30 seconds online, I’m sure you can find them, as we are not that good at keeping secrets.  We will be demonstrating these two new apps live at our booth.  I will say that these are the two biggest announcements from 3DVIA.

Come meet our great partners and the 3DVIA Team:  Booth #1432, South Hall!

The ‘Furnish Your Photo’ app, powered by 3DVIA, enables users take a picture with their iPhone and choose from hundreds of mydeco 3D models to position on top of that photo. This will help them to visualize how a new sofa, table or even chandelier might look in their own room.  The mydeco app allows anyone with an iPhone to become their own interior designer by making it quick and easy to visualize a specific item in your own room – to scale, and positioned where you want it.   We think it is one of the coolest apps but we might be a bit biased.

Do you like contests? Well mydeco has plenty of them! 

At the same time the Furnish Your Photo iPhone application launches, mydeco.com is also celebrating the launch of the the eagerly anticipated Tim Burton film ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with 3D content, designs and contests for users of the mydeco.com site and the Furnish Your Photo app. 

Prizes include movie inspired home furnishings and even tickets to the London premier of the movie.  The details for the contents can be found on the mydeco.com website or the mydeco Facebook page.

You may have noticed some of the movie inspired 3D models appear on the site recently. Do you think this chair might look good in the office?

Cheers!

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, February 13th through Friday, February 19th, 2010 are highlighted here. Someone has rolled the elephant’s favorite toy outside the enclosure. The elephant forgot about the rope and just walked off to get the toy! Then she continued having fun over hill and dale until no one had a clue where she was.

Time to call the Top 10 team! Protection of the entire area was handled by the huge gun while different team members set out in a variety of vehicles with the hottest new coolers ever to follow possible clues. The Team tech wizards  got busy making tiny airborne optical trackers that could swarm away in all directions to find our friend. Once she was located, off went the Franziska with Trailer to bring her safely home (with her toy).

Since she knows now that the rope is really just a string, she has joined the Top 10 Team and will be staying with us so she can go on our adventures with us and have fun with her toy the rest of the time. She also helped us hang our beautiful new chandeliers at HQ so we can all kick back in style after another successful mission!

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

The Top 10:

Alfred’s (alfredix) model Franziska with Trailer is so big that I could barely get the whole thing in the images. You’ll have to go explore his tank transporter by yourself to be as stunned as I was by the level of detail that goes beyond even Alfred’s own high standards. Fantastic! Alfred models using Pro/E and then translates into STEP format before uploading. [Alfred is from Germany]

It’s Called Mindset by Parth (XQH_XXX) is a wonderful 3D model that tells us a story and reminds us of a basic guiding human principle. Using 3DVIA Shape, Parth has brought this story to life. [Parth is living in India]

Phenomenal details and impeccable modeling make Gun and Carriage by ArthurWilson (and his team, which he was kind enough to share credit with) a true Top 10′er! Arthur uses CATIA V5.

I like the flowing lines and mix of contemporary details with classic metalworking that Bensonrotate by tweedishpete demonstrates. It was beautifully modeled using SolidWorks 2010.

I’m not sure I know how Beach Cooler by roblunadesign actually works, but I want one! It looks like it would be fun just to carry it around and pretend I’m going to the beach. SolidWorks 2010 was used to create it.

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:

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.

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.

33 Extraordinary 3DVIA modelers are recognized here as the Best of the Best Top 10 modelers in 2009! CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU! The Best of the Best 2009 is a celebration of the depth and quality of modelers here at 3DVIA.

It is a also time to recognize all of the other 240 folks and their outstanding models that were included in the 45 Top 10 posts for the year 2009! The quality of the models has continued to get better and the range of subjects modeled continues to expand.

Our goal of being neutral territory for models created in any 3D modeling software is working.  If we break down the total 460 Top 10 models (Honorable Mentions are not included in this review) by the software tool used to create them; it works out to 120 3DVIA Shape models, 108 Google SketchUp, 69 uploaded in 3DS format, 55 CATIA, 29 Pro/E, 23 Blender, 21 SolidWorks, 8 3ds Max, 7 VRML, 5 OBJ, 3 each in DAZ, STL and Structure Synth, 1 each in 3DVIA Composer, Lego Digital Designer, Lightwave 3D, Mechanical Desktop, MeshLab and Wings 3D. That’s 20 different 3D modeling tools in just the Top 10 posts. The entire model pool contains many more!

On January 1, 2009 3DVIA had 6,597 models on display. By January 1, 2010 that number had swollen to 20,601 – more than a 300% increase!

Enough babbling – on to declaring the Best of the Best 2009. The year started with Top – 010 (01/03/2009 to 01/09/2009) and ended with Top 20 – 054 (11/07/2009 to 01/01/2010), which included 7 weeks of models to cover an extended period when I was out of the office. For each winner below I chose my personal favorite from their Top 10 models to represent them here and which Top 10 you can find it in.

Now might be a good time to repeat the caution in each Top 10 post: One final note: these are my choices (dswavely) and my choices alone. So, aim the tomatoes appropriately.

In first place is Alfred Schallert (alfredix) with 30 Top 10 models (including 3 doubles) in the possible total of 45 Top 10 posts in 2009. That’s an amazing .667 average!

_______________________________________________________________________________

2nd is Michael Petersen (smike) with 27 models (including 4 doubles) and a .600 average.

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3rd is Partha Das (XQH_XXX) with 25 models (including 6 doubles) and a .556 average

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Tied for 4th with 23 models each and a .511 average are 3 modelers (in alphabetical order by user name):

Abdullah Shaikh (abu_roadking)

_______________________________________________________________________________

Shannon Sands (sandman14)

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Michael White (toymaker)

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5th is Jesse C. (mastic) with 10 models and a .222 average

6th is perecat1 with 7 models and a .156 average

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Tied for 7th with 6 models each and a .133 average are 2 modelers (in alphabetical order by user name):

Michael Viets (mvcomputers) (Michael no longer has an account with 3DVIA.)

_______________________________________________________________________________

Oscar Johansson (mynameisoscarjo)

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Tied for 8th with 5 models each and a .111 average are 4 modelers:  (in alphabetical order by user name):

Jack Red (jackred)

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Robert Martin (langnickel)

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Mahendra Putra (mahendra48)

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Rodd Halstead (rhalstead)

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Tied for 9th with 4 models each and a .089 average are 8 modelers: (in alphabetical order by user name):

epcinnova

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Isaac Miller (isaacmiller1993)

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Calin Lihet (l5o2k1s)

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Marian Rodu (marian)

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Krzysztof Jarlachowicz (maxofp2p)

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Brian Westin (Prolithic)

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sady2

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Taner Gülrodop (TASARIMCI)

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Tied for 10th with 3 models each and a .067 average are 11 modelers (in alphabetical order by user name):

Jaime Bárcena (actraiser)

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Enrico Dalbosco (Arrigo_Silva)

Datsh

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Marcos Armero (DrSlumper)

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Maurits Kroese (ixion)

_______________________________________________________________________________

Jester Vrijmoeth (jesterv2)

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Richard ODonavan (kiml)

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Lingling

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Shreeyam Kacker (Mr_planet)

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Bruce Lehmann (Omind)

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Prip

_______________________________________________________________________________

Now you see what I mean by depth of quality! That is a lot of great modeling. CONGRATULATIONS to EVERYONE on the list and to the rest of the community for keeping them honest and nipping at their heels with your own fantastic models!!

3DVIA is proud to announce the upcoming release of Sarbakan Game Studio’s Lazy Raiders game to Xbox LIVE Arcade. Lazy Raiders is the first XBLA game built and published with 3DVIA Virtools, 3DVIA’s game engine for rapid prototyping and production.

We here at 3DVIA are stoked for Lazy Raiders, not just because it’s a first for us, but also because it’s Sarbakan’s first XBLA game. So, CONGRATULATIONS Sarbakan!

A Little About the Game: Lazy Raiders

Lazy Raiders is an action/adventure game where players assume the role of an explorer hunting for relics in tombs, ships and other ancient structures. Gameplay is unique in that players must move the world, not the character, to avoid danger, collect gold and complete 80 levels.

To learn more about Lazy Raiders, visit the game’s official Web site at www.LazyRaiders.com, or download it on XBLA starting Feb. 24.

Lazy Raiders will also be showcased at the 2010 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, Mar. 11-13 in 3DVIA’s booth (#1432).

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, February 6th through Friday, February 12th, 2010 are highlighted here. The Top 10 Team was right in the middle of studying how to make a car using 3DVIA Shape when news came in that a priceless antique was about to be destroyed by fire AND that someone had stolen all the water out of the river! How dastardly!!

We fired up trusty Bigfoot and hot-footed it over to the scene along with several thousand gallons of pond water. The evidence was easy to find – some cuckoo had left the matchbox at the scene. It was too hot to get in close, so we replaced both of Robot1’s arms with hose nozzles and he squelched that blaze in no time! Now we can all go back to HQ for fresh tomatoes from the garden and some well-deserved relaxation in our comfy armchairs!

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

The Top 10:

I just love the vintage graphics and colors on Matchbox by anookr . It makes me smile to see it and makes me wish I was there to enjoy the atmosphere! anookr did a great job using 3DVIA Shape. [anookr lives in India]

1000 Chariot Autopropulse by x3n4 is a exceptionally well done model of Leonardo da Vinci’s concept for a self-propelled car – developed in 1478!! It seems that every possible detail is there. x3n4 used CATIA V5.

Juicy Red Tomatoes by Parth (XQH_XXX) puts a huge smile on my face and makes my mouth water at the same time, just thinking about the taste of fresh home-grown tomatoes. Parth used 3DVIA Shape, great composition, exuberant colors and a mastery of textures!  [Parth lives in India]

This M923 A1 Bigfoot by Alfred (alfredix) is an exquisitely detailed model of the 5 ton truck used in many variants by the US Army. As always, it’s the drive train details (which most folks ignore) that impress me the most! Alfred models using Pro/E and then translates using a STEP translator for upload to 3DVIA. [Alfred lives in Germany]

Fire is impossible to “capture”, but Camp Fire by Michael (toymaker) is doggone close. Michael used Google SketchUp and a fertile imagination to create a very believable model of a well-constructed, snapping, popping and warming campfire ready for some scary stories and marshmallows! [Michael lives in the US]

Good detailing, great texturing and appropriate colors can add up to a really nice model like Cuckoo Wall Clock by fnj_123. 3DVIA Shape was the modeling tool. [fnj_123 lives in India]

How To Make a Car – Tutorial – Lancia Delta S4 -1 by Abu (abu_roadking) is quite a project. Using 3DVIA Shape and a good progression of visuals, he leads us step by step to understand his construction method. Check out the finished Lancia Delta S4 to see how well the method works.  [Abu lives in India]

I can’t wait to plop my tired self into this  Quasar – Chester Armchair by Daniele (Novalgina). He used 3ds Max to do a great job modeling a comfy-looking inflatable armchair. [Daniele lives in Italy]

Excellent attention detail and an unusual subject were what attracted me to Ville by eubb. The concept of showing the bridge with its foundations and using a “floating” ship works well to give us an idea of all the work below what we see every day. CATIA V5 was used.

Somehow, Little Robot1, by Kevin (Kreator01), just doesn’t look all that dangerous even though both hands are loaded and nasty-looking. I guess it’s the lampshade on his head and the slightly portly proportions that make me think he may be into partying more than being mean. :) Evil or not, Kevin uploaded his robot in 3DS Format.

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:

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.

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.

3DVIA Shape and 3DVIA Scenes are simple tools which allow anyone, even school-aged children to build and express their ideas with just a computer and the internet…no glue necessary.

Like my disguise?

]]> http://www.3dvia.com/blog/the-classroom-of-the-future-is-now/feed/ 5 http://www.3dvia.com/blog/3dvia-top-10-models-059/ http://www.3dvia.com/blog/3dvia-top-10-models-059/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:00:44 +0000 dswavely http://www.3dvia.com/blog/?p=13701

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, January 30th through Friday, February 8th are highlighted here. Someone has stolen the ancient Egyptian artifact and is holding it ransom at the university. The 3DVIA Top 10 Team roars into action; gathering from their workouts, their technical rebuild training and even from their quiet time on the team yacht. With a combination of soft reason and hard persuasion the team exercises the Ascari and the hot rod to keep the explosions at bay and return the priceless artifact to its rightful owner. Another successful 3DVIA Top 10 Team mission!

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

The Top 10:

Ancient Egyptian beliefs in Anubis are brought to life (pun intended) in this simple, but very well done Anubisbis model that Meribastet created using a VRML Generator. [Meribastet is from France]

Exploded views are always fun and informative to check out. Power Steering Pump by Matthieu149 is no exception! Whatever you want to know – it’s in there. Matthieu149 used CATIA V5.

What better way to follow up an exploded view than with Boom by Michael (toymaker)! He used his great imagination to model the seemingly impossible concept of an explosion using Google SketchUp. Great job! [toymaker is from the US]

Go and check out this model of the Ascari KZ1 Spyder by Scott (mtgtopdeck) for sure. My still images just can’t do justice to all of the detail and beautiful surfacing that Scott has packed into this one model uploaded in 3DS Format.

Herzen University by BEEF34T3R was also modeled using Google SketchUp and also shows great attention to details by using textures to make the model come to life. You should certainly be able to find your way around the campus with this model as a guide.

Milk & Cookies by Parth (XQH_XXX) is a fantastic example of Parth’s mastery of applying textures using 3DVIA Shape. It is also a great indication of his love of bright colors and always providing an inviting presentation. On top of that, Parth doesn’t even like milk!! Beautiful work. [Parth is from india]

I was totally surprised that Treadmill by Abhishek was modeled using 3DVIA Shape. He did a fantastic job of simplifying the geometry and then using textures to his great advantage in an exceptionally believable model. [Abhishek is from India]

Both the yacht and the club in Yacht Club (my name) by esan are wonderful examples of getting the most out of 3DVIA Shape’s Freeform and Deform tools. The subtle curves and well-applied textures all add up to a very appealing model.

SolidWorks Hot Rod – Grey by Jeremy (swhotrod) is actually an all-electric hot rod that easily rivals the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) versions! Watch Cliff’s video and see/hear more about it. Jeremy did his difficult and subtle modeling using SolidWorks and then used 3DVIA Composer to reduce the overall file size before uploading to 3DVIA.

Lunch With God by Parth (XQH_XXX) does a tender and beautiful job of reminding us of one of life’s truths using 3DVIA Shape. It is a great example of a story-telling model. Parth is our 3DVIA Featured Artist right now, so be sure to read the post to learn more. [Parth is from India]

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″:

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.

This was my first SWW ever, and I was extremely impressed with the presentations, the strong community of users, and how well organized the event was.  It was great to speak to so many users, and meet other SolidWorks and Dassault Systèmes employees.  From my perspective, there were four hot topics that came out of the show, which I share in this quick video.

Thanks to the SolidWorks team for their input in this video.  Jeremy Luchini designed the Hot Rod electric car model in SolidWorks, which you can see here on 3dvia.com.

If you want to see more videos from SWW 2010, go here to the SolidWorks YouTube page.

For more information of the benefits of 3DVIA Composer for SolidWorks users, check out the 3dmojo blog or these Cliff’s Clips I created for SolidWorks users:

• 3DVIA People:  Interview with John Hirschtick
• The Best Way to Share Your CAD Designs
• Putting 3DVIA Products to Good Use

I’m already looking forward to SolidWorks World 2011!

Parth (XQH_XXX) is one of the most well-known users on 3DVIA as a leader in the community both in modeling and in exemplifying the 3DVIA spirit of friendliness and helpfulness. Rarely does a day go by that doesn’t include an exciting new model from Parth along with a slew of comments filled with suggestions!

Parth is also the leader of the 3DPLM Initiatives that help 3DVIA Shape evolve as a free 3D modeling tool and help the 3DVIA community thrive and grow. You’ll often see the 3DPLM tags that show Parth and his group are busy again.

Parth has well over 200 models here on 3DVIA and that has led to some remarkable results in the Top 10 posts as well. He has had 27 models in 21(!) separate Top 10 posts, which makes him #3 on the all-time list out of 254 recipients. This includes having two of his models in the same Top 10 six times. You can see his excellent models in the following posts: 022 (double) – 033 – 034 – 035 – 038 – 039 (double) – 040 (double) – 041 (double) – 042 – 043 (double) – 044 – 045 – 046 (double) – 047 – 049 – 050 – 052 – 053 – 055 – 056 & – 058!

Parth is King of the Honorable Mentions list as #1 out of 170 all-time recipients after having models in 11 Honorable Mention groups – including two times with two models out of five. Check out the following Top 10 Honorable Mention sections to see Parth’s models: 021 – 022 – 033 (double) – 037 (double)  – 045 – 046 – 047 – 048 – 049 – 050 – 053. Parth’s model Punisher Battleship (shown below) is one of the few 3DVIA Shape models to be among the winners in a 3DVIA Challenge as well, when he won second place in the Spacecraft Battleship Challenge.

Fortunately, Parth is also able to put more than a few words together to help us understand who he is, how he got there and what keeps him going.

It’s all yours Parth…

At the outset, I would like to convey thanks to 3DVIA for approaching me to be their Featured Artist. It’s a great honor for me to share something more than just models.

Hello every one. I am Partha Pratim Das, in short Parth, 25 years old. I am from INDIA and was born and brought up in Kolkata in the state of West Bengal. The city served as the capital of India during British Rule until 1911. Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the leftist and trade union movements. The city is referred to as the “Cultural Capital of India”, “The City of Processions” and the “City of Joy”.

I completed my schooling in Kolkata. Upon transfer of my father to Mumbai I also moved there for higher education. Mumbai, The Business Capital of India, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and a group of seven islands in the Arabian Sea. It is the country’s principal financial and communications centre. India’s largest Stock Exchange which ranks as the third largest in the world is situated in Mumbai. Descriptions of Mumbai can not be completed without the mention of Bollywood, the biggest Indian film industry which churns out hundreds of Hindi block-busters every year. The city is referred to as “The city which never sleeps” and the “City of Dreams”.

I completed my Mechanical Engineering degree with first class – distinction from Mumbai University in 2007. Since I have an interest in animation, I have undergone training on software like CATIA and Pro-E which helped me to get a job in 3DPLM Software Solutions, my present company, which is a joint venture of Geometric and Dassault Systemes. I’m presently working as a Technical support / Mnt. engineer supporting world wide customers on DMU (Digital Mock Up). It’s a challenging job to me as it involves regular interaction with customers from different parts of the world.

I am the only son of my parents who have encouraged me and guided me in every second of my life. Their affection and blessings help me to overcome the hurdles of life. My father is working in The Reserve Bank of India, which is the central bank of India and my mother is a housewife, who always takes care of my likes and dislikes. I am proud of my parents.

My first and foremost hobby is making sketches. I started drawing at the age of six. Initially, I liked to draw nature; thereafter I started making human figures. I made drawings for my college magazines. My college friends used to call me as “Rahool” and I use this name for signature :). I am interested in literature and participated in recitation, drama during my school days. Photography is my passion. I stay with my parents and am still a bachelor.

Q1: How did you first become interested in 3D modeling?
During my college days, I was an active member of Cultural Committee. I took part in interior decoration. It helped me a lot to become popular, getting introduced to many people and thus being favored by teachers and friends :). It was during my second year in college that my teacher introduced me to AutoCAD. It’s the first 2D modeling software I learned. I used Autocad to make plans for stage preparations. I had two subjects, namely engineering drawing and machine drawing, which helped me to understand the basic knowledge of how to prepare 3D models.

I always intended to be in the field of animation which kept me interested towards learning 3D modeling software. Once I finished my college days, my dad asked me to learn 3D modeling software. I checked some demo presentations and tutorials and found it is amazing. So I decided and learned CATIA and Pro-E from a training institute. This interest towards learning new 3D modeling software has never stopped and keeps me encouraged even today.

Q2: What types of 3D modeling do you do?
Before I answer to this question, 3D modeling according to me can be divided into different categories as follows:
- Theme-based Modeling
- Story-based Modeling
- Sports & Music-based Modeling
- Engineering-based Modeling
- Abstract-based Modeling
- Humor-based Modeling
- Character (anime, human, alien etc)-based Modeling
I like every kind of modeling because every category has its own charm and while viewing each kind you need to think from a creator’s point of view. But I mostly do theme, story-based, humor, sports and musical modeling.

Q3: Do you have plans before creating 3D models? Where do you go (web sites, museums, race tracks, anywhere) for help, tips and inspiration?
I often make a plan, but in reality it ends up with something else. As the model progresses I change it according to the character to give more attractive shape than what I thought earlier.

Google is always a great friend to help me. Many ideas have popped up into my mind while searching in Google. Also my friends around me give good tips, ideas and send many colorful and attractive emails with interesting stories which help in triggering new ideas of creation.

Q4: What is the primary purpose of your 3D modeling?
I do modeling for passion, developing imagination, fun and above all creativity. While modeling, I like to explore various possibilities that the software offers and I try to push it as per the need. One of the amazing things that I discovered with 3DVIA Player is the “sparkling effect”. To fully understand this you have to open the model and click the button to play 3D. The model will start sparkling like a real jewel as the Player rotates it. Some of these models are Diwali Sparkling Lantern, Let the Music Play V6 – Hi-Fi Surround Speaker, My Love V3 – Golden Bangles, and My Love V3.1 – Ring.

Q5: Does 3D modeling play a role in the work you do?

Yes, it does play a peripheral role. In my daily activity, I need to generate different 3D models which are basically used for simulation. I analyze them which helps with the design concept.

Q6: Which part of 3D modeling do you find most rewarding?
There is nothing more satisfying or rewarding than viewing your own imagination in the reality of 3D. It’s well said that “3D is a Life-like Experience”. It’s really great to have responses from other modelers discussing various aspects of the subject. Remember “A good model is incomplete without a good observer.”

Q7: Does story telling play a role in your 3D modeling?
Yes it certainly does. The story is the soul of any model and without which it is not complete. Every model has some interesting story. People share stories to describe the model. But there is another interesting aspect of a story about what inspires people to make a model. Sometimes what inspires you can also inspire others too. Reading a story along with viewing a model adds a great feeling of realism. More importantly, every story has some important message hidden with it.

People may ignore the message if you directly approach it, but they will listen carefully if you
present it as a story. I have also made some models with stories (Great Love Story of Bottle, T-Rex In Town (shown above), Love is Life, May I Know the Time Please?) and each one of them gives an important message to everyone. “To make a beautiful model you need an equally beautiful subject to choose and knowledge of the subject for perfection”.

Q8: What additional software do you use to create your 3D models/images?
CATIA V5

Q9: How much 3D modeling time do you have in a week?
There is no fixed time for modeling. Whenever I get free time I start modeling. I spend most of my weekend time planning the next week’s models that I am going to make for which I gather the required textures (images). Better planning means a great finish. Once I finish my planning I jump into modeling to see my imagination in reality.
Some of my models took 4-5 days to complete but normally I involve myself less in big subjects because of time constraints. I spend more time on the finishing touches, which according to me is the most important part of any modeling.

Q10: What are your tips for staying focused on a large project?
Patience is the most essential key to success. A large project means lots of detailing will be included and without patience it’s very difficult to go along with it. But I would also suggest not pushing your limit to the extreme. It will make things worse. Small breaks always work as miracles.

I usually prefer listening to music during my break. It refreshes my mind. Sometimes I stop working on a project just to think of a better solution. Taking a break never means you have stopped working, it actually means you are working harder for a better result. A little inspiration, encouragement or appreciation helps a lot. Sometimes these are all you need to work hard and stay focused. Take pleasure in what you are doing. If you can enjoy your work it’s very easy for you to stay focused.

Q11: Do you do 3D modeling at home on personal projects?
With my previous job I used to do 3D modeling on personal projects at my home, but now I don’t.

Q12: Do you have any thoughts on how 3D modeling can help young people as they learn about the world?
I think there is no better language than 3D to make things easier and more understandable for young people. For example: kids are given small cube, cylindrical box or sphere-shaped toys to play with so that they can feel it, touch it and realize the actual shape. It also helps a lot to remember things if we can project the image of whatever we say in front of us in 3D. I believe 3D is a doorway which helps people to imagine or develop new concepts. Remember “everything has been developed from someone’s imagination”.

Q13: Do you have any thoughts on the value of 3D modeling to help us all learn about the world?
The 3DVIA community gives us a great opportunity to upload and share our models and views. We represent different parts of the world having different cultures, activities, music, festivals and monuments. Through 3D models we can share all of these with each-other and help each other to know more about the different parts of the world. For example: I came to know about the “Orange festival” through 3D models and also wished “Diwali” from India.

The more you share the more you learn. I was quite impressed by the way perecat1 (from Spain) described my model Fantasy Exotic Guitar (shown above) or mgbaron (from USA) explained See What You Mean. I could have never imagined or seen the way they perceived my models. By sharing ideas it helps a lot to increase own knowledge and to know a different perspective. “An idea can be helpful to create many ideas”.

Q14: Do you think 3D modeling is different in different parts of the world? How?
I don’t think 3D modeling can be different for different parts of the world, but I would say 3D modeling varies from person to person irrespective of the person’s own identity. This is because of the person’s individual likes, talents, choice of subjects, working exposures and many others. But finally we all understand the language of 3D. That is why we all are same.

Q15: Just for fun, what is your favorite game?  movie?  comic book?
Favorite games: Need For Speed racing, DOOM 3, Halo, Tomb Raider, Half Life 2, Hitman
Favorite movies: Final Fantasy, Ants, 9, Terminator2, Transformers, Next, Batman Forever, Lord of the Rings
Favorite Comic Book: Tintin, Spiderman, Hulk

Q16: What are your favorite hobbies other than 3D modeling?
I have many hobbies that I try to explore all the time. I love to make drawings. I started drawing in my childhood and even today it’s my favorite hobby. I would like to share few of my sketches. As I grow and meet different people, I come to know about many interesting things about others. Every one has different ways of thinking and different likes. As a result my interests in different hobbies grow as well. I also love photography and my interest lies in scenes of nature. In my school days I used to write stories for magazine and had won many prizes. I love music and watching animation movies.

Thanks from My Heart
This Featured Artist article can’t end without thanking those who have encouraged and helped me all the time:
- I thank my parents who acknowledged my interest and introduced me to the world of 3D.
- Thanks to Gaurav Joshi and Shuvradweep Gupta who helped me to learn 3D modeling software.
- Thanks to Amit Sagrolikar, Mithun Kulkarni and Prabhu Hiremath who encourage me all the time to make models.
- Thanks to my friends Rajan Pawar, Pranav Khurjekar, Rakesh Singh, Arpit Pattewar, Samrat Patil who give me new tips, ideas and suggestions for improvement.
- Thanks to Vaishali Hable, who is a great friend and helps me overcoming difficult times.
- Thanks to my community friends Michael Petersen (smike) Shannon Sands (sandman14), Jack Red, Tomy Smith (tomy), Sady, Bruce Lehmann (Omind) and Abu who encourage and appreciate my efforts all the time.
- Finally, a special Thanks to Don (dswavely) for being a great community manager, putting in all the effort to help the community grow, making comments, suggestions and helping with every problem.

Thanks for staying with me patiently till the end. I am awaiting your comments.

Wow! That is a complete profile of you, your inspirations and your results. I always look forward to seeing what you’ll be working on next!

Quick links to previous Featured Artists:

Abdullah Shaikh (abu_roadking / trigram_QWQ - 14 Sizzling Snacks – Tommy Smith (tomy) – Michael White (toymaker) – Shannon Sands (sandman14) – Alfred Schallert (alfredix) – Corey Papadopoli – Mark Biasotti (mbiasotti) – Michael Petersen (smike) – Matthew Negrier (Balgin) – Benoit Caselli (Benoit-Caselli) – Matthew Viets – Rob Rodriguez – Blake Metzler – Peter Anderson – Bryan Silva

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, January 23rd through Friday, January 29th are highlighted here. Everything is as mad as a hatter this week! Scorpio is the hardest challenge yet for the 3DVIA Top 10 Team, but with a combination of whimsy, imagination and hardcore hardware, by the end of the day Scorpio is tamed and we’re all relaxed and back to enjoying the flowers as we relax by the fireplace or watch the telly.

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

The Top 10:

Scorpio, by Parth (XQH_XXX), was meticulously planned, modeled and textured over a period of five days using 3DVIA Shape. This spy robot hacker will strike fear into the most confident IT group! [Parth is from India]

When you need a little whimsy to brighten your day, visit the Ibride website and prepare to smile! Ibride by Daniele (Novalgina) beautifully captures just one of their delightfully fun furniture pieces. This ostrich wall console (look for “Diva” on the web site) was uploaded in 3DS Format.

Alpine B110, by Thibaut Brand and Cyril Prongue working together under the user name sebwouaib, is an elegant and sensitive update of the timeless Apine A110, which achieved it’s place in history during the 1970’s. Using CATIA V5, they have created a highly desirable successor to the original. Great job!

Mad Hatter’s Hat by Daniele (Novalgina) is one of my favorite 3DVIA models. It brings a sense of fantastical joy and exuberance with each texture and form. It should also remind us that just because it doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Daniele uploaded this head topper in 3DS Format.

Bertrand (Bertrand1) uses his model title, Sukhoi 37-inspired, to let us know where his imagination started and the result is a exceptionally sculptural aerodynamic form. Bertrand modeled using CATIA V5.

Fire!!! by Abu (abu_roadking) is a confluence of literature (Ayn Rand’s quote), time-appropriate graphic images, and a wide range of models to bring a worthwhile thought to life; all using 3DVIA Shape. [Abu is from India]

The Unimog is ubiquitous in many parts of the world. When you need to get stuff done get yourself a Unimog. The Unimog U1300 2to MilGL is one of Alfred’s (alfredix) favorites and he has done an excellent job making it real with tons (at least two) of details.  Alfred models using Pro/E and then translates them using the STEP format for uploading to 3DVIA. [Alfred is from Germany]

Giant Flower by Daniele (Novalgina) is absolutely gorgeous! Not only is the blossom itself stunning, he has included two other stages of bud development and really well done stems and leaves. One of the best flowers on 3DVIA! Daniele uploaded it in 3DS Format.

The four-seater Concept 20 by Calin (l502k1s) looks like a real luxury ride at a reasonable size. Beautiful work that Calin uploaded in 3DS Format. [Calin is from Romania]

Ringo Chambre Amenager is an amazingly clean and well-detailed first model by RINGO-SAMA using 3DVIA Shape. It’s a small apartment, which keeps everything right at your fingertips! [RINGO-SAMA is from Tunisia]

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″:

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.

[Graphics still in-progress] 

This is a new program I am starting here that attempts to bring our Community members together with our Developer Community.   We have alot of artists constantly expressing their creativity on 3DVIA.com and we also have just as many developers working in Virtools and MP who are always creating fun and entertaining Scene’s.

This week we are looking for the ubiquous Exploding Barrel.  A staple in over 120 games, this innocent looking barrel of highly flammable liquids has helped many a  mild mannered gamer take on the toughest and meanest bad guys around. I found this great website detailing some of the history and purpose behind the exploding barrel. 

Your task, if you choose to accept it is to create your very own version of the exploding barrel.  We will use it to make public smart objects, adding explosion effects for use in Scenes !!

 Special note: Thank you Krauth for integrating ToyMakers asteroid model into his Asteroids tribute game “The Rocket”!  Follow the link in the forum topic to play the game!

Toymakers Asteroid:
http://www.3dvia.com/toymaker/models/7C411D724456687A

Forum Topic:
http://www.3dvia.com/forums/topic/the-rocket

Don’t forget to leave some comments for Krauth :)

Requirements Summary:

Maximum of 1200 triangle count
1 512 x 512 pixel texture in jpg format
No restrictions of age or number of entries
Use tag “3DVIACTA3″

Guildlines:

Duration- This Call to Action will run from Thursday January 28, 2010 to Wednesday Febuary 3, 2010.

Task- Create an exploding barrel model for use in games.  The models should be no larger that 1200 triangles, with one 512 x 512 pixel texture in jpg format.

Tag- You must Tag the model with “3DVIACTA3″.  You should also Tag the model with “Exploding Barrel” to help anyone in finding excellent barrel models.

Restrictions- There are no restrictions for this mini-Challenge.  Enjoy!

Take 30 minutes on Thursday, February 4 to learn new skills with 3DVIA Virtools and have the chance to WIN a $100 Apple® Gift Card*

Building Games Driven by Artists & Small Teams
Thursday, February 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. EDT

While programmers are an obvious piece of the game development puzzle, this presentation demonstrates why industry professionals must recognize that artists (including game designers) could become THE most important piece. After all, games are a form of art.

Join us to explore the tools available for empowering artists to take the lead on numerous projects, especially those for the Wii or new IP creations. We will also examine game development team size to understand how smaller teams can achieve more interesting results than their larger counterparts.

*One participant from each webinar will receive one $100 Apple Gift Card. The winner’s name will be drawn and announced at the end of the webinar. Apple Gift Cards will be mailed directly to winning participants. To qualify as a potential winner, participants must be present for the duration of the webinar. Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of this promotion.

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, January 16th through Friday, January 22nd are highlighted here. Fortunately we have plenty of help, from friendly to fierce, to help us discover who’s putting mushrooms in the coffee. Our crew of intrepid investigators has quite a range of rides to choose from too. A rickshaw will get us through the tight spots and the panzer will take care of the really tricky bits. The mystery will soon be solved! Meanwhile, I’ll be off at the race track turning hot laps. Good job crew!

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

The Top 10:

Schtroumpf (the original name – or Smurf to others) seems to exemplify the spirit we try to foster here at 3DVIA.com – “The Smurfs’ community generally takes the form of a cooperative, sharing and kind environment based on the principle that each Smurf has something he or she is good at, and thus contributes it to Smurf society as he or she can.” supercigale has treated us to our very own Schtroumph to remind us all to be friendly and helpful! Schtroumph was uploaded in 3DS Format.

Street Concept 2 by Calin (l5o2k1s) is such a sweet little ride! I want at least three in different bright colors to go blasting around in! Calin uploaded this desirable hunk in 3DS Format. [Calin is from Romania]

It is so hard to model natural objects in a believable way, but Giant Mushroom by Daniele (Novalgina) is a wonderfully successful example! It’s both descriptive and beautiful at the same time. Daniele uploaded it in 3DS Format.

As always, Spaehpanzer 2 A1 Luchs by Alfred (Alfredix) has fabulous detail both inside and out! Just look underneath and let your jaw drop. Alfred models in Pro/E and then uploads the results using the STEP Format. [Alfred is from Germany]

Coffee Day Express Machine by anookr is a beauty and takes the texture tools from 3DVIA Shape to a whole new level. [anookr is from India]

Ducati 900SBK is meticulously modeled by disouj and shows just part of how he uses CATIA V5 to help his racing team gain each small advantage that they can. Check out his web site for even more great examples.

Somehow Roboghe by Rocco (Boghe) looks friendly and kind at the same time you know that “he” can mushify any part of you that he wants to. Rocco uploaded him in 3DS Format.

abhishek did a wonderful job using just about every tool in the 3DVIA Shape arsenal to create LNP Autorickshaw. In the incredibly tight and busy places where it lives, it looks like you would at least have a chance of getting where you want to go – and in some style too! [abhishek is from India]

Stan makes me smile and laugh! Thanks supercigale for uploading him in 3DS Format for our enjoyment.

Anders (Nypan) keeps adding bits and pieces and has been working hard to create Komplett Ram using SolidWorks 2010. I hope he keeps on adding to it! [Anders is from Sweden]

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″:

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.

For more detail on functions used in this video, see the following 3DVIA Shape video tutorials:

• Tip #4: How to revolve geometry
• Tip #7: How to use existing elements to draw
• Tip #31: How to add and adjust textures

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, January 9th through Friday, January 15th are highlighted here. You can take your choice of buildings tall or small to fly over as you seek out the bad guy with the rifle and then foil his dastardly plan using a series of complicated mechanisms and even manage to control a small fire along the way with the judicious use of a gigantic control valve. When you’re all done preventing yet another disaster, you can plop your red buns into a speedy get-away car, so no one will ever be able to guess your true identity.

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

The Top 10:

This beefy guy, called Cartoon by Dude (Veedo), is gonna’ save the day no matter what. You can tell just by the set of his jaw and the glint in his eyes. Great job! Dude used an OBJ Generator to create the final model.

Re-use of an existing structure and the addition of some exciting new space make AT-1040 Wien, Teresianumgasse 15 by Ing_Peter_Rada a place that I would love to explore in more detail. Check out all the glass work. Peter uploaded this beauty in 3DS Format.

Krzysztof (maxof2p) created his well-crafted WA-2000 (a semi-automatic bullpup sniper rifle from Walthers) using Blender. [Krzysztof is from Poland]

Valve was modeled by ravio090276 using SolidWorks 2010 and is a great example of how a well-chosen section view can make a hidden actuation clear and easy to understand.

Reserva Arboreto – Caramelo Arquitetos – Celi by caramelo looks like a soothing and beautiful place to live or vacation. It was modeled using Google SketchUp. [(c)Caramelo Arquitetos Associados Ltda., which is in Brazil]

Candeline is the latest new character introduced by Parth (XQH_XXX) using 3DVIA Shape. It stands out for the simplicity and elegance of both concept the and the modeling. [Parth is from India]

010-00021 by ravio090276 was created using SolidWorks 2010. The attention to detail is outstanding.

Street Concept 1 by Calin (l5o2k1s) gets my blood moving with both new themes and old worked together in a way that makes me want to drive! It was uploaded using the 3DS Format. [Calin is from Romania]

Frech_base_8 by dstrautman is a beautifully-detailed home, which looks like it would be a joy to live in. It was uploaded in 3DS Format.

When Ensamble_final by Alvaro (alvarocad) goes to work, you better stand back and be ready for some racket. It is fully detailed and was built using CATIA V5. [Alvaro is from Spain]

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″:

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.

[Graphics still in-progress] 

This is a new program I am starting here that attempts to bring our Community members together with our Developer Community.   We have alot of artists constantly expressing their creativity on 3DVIA.com and we also have just as many developers working in Virtools and MP who are always creating fun and entertaining Scene’s.

We continue bulding on our Asteroids Call to Action, started by Krauth’s retro game on our forums.   This week we will try our hand at creating the hero ship of Asteroids.  It is described as a single pilot, single engine, triangle shaped space fighter, with 1 weapon mount or port.  Read more about Asteroids and it’s history here.

Requirements Summary:

Maximum of 3000 triangle count
1 512 x 512 pixel texture in jpg format
No restrictions of age or number of entries
Use tag “3DVIACTA2″

Guildlines:

Duration- This Call to Action will run from Thursday January 21, 2010 to Wednesday January 27, 2010.

Task- Create an asteroid model for use in games.  The models should be no larger that 3000 triangles, with one 512 x 512 pixel texture in jpg format.

Tag- You must Tag the model with “3DVIACTA2″.  You should also Tag the model with “Asteroid Ship” to help anyone in finding excellent ship models.

Restrictions- There are no restrictions for this mini-Challenge.  Enjoy!

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, January 02 through Friday, January 08, 2010 are highlighted here. This will start the continuation of the Top 10 posts again on a weekly schedule, usually on Thursdays. The weeks that I missed will be honored in a Top 20 – 054 and it will go live as soon as I get it done.

The 2009 Top 10 recap post that I promised is also in the works and will appear out of nowhere to surprise everyone (even me).

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)

The Top 10:

Thanks Parth, for helping us get off to a great start in the New Year with Welcome 2010!!!!.  XQH_XXX used 3DVIA Shape. [Parth is from India]

Good advice can come from many places, including the model Finely tuned Relationship!!! by abu_roadking. Abu used 3DVIA Shape to help illustrate his allegorical story. [Abu is from India]

Topmod-test by dvmorris is a wonderfully complex geometrical ball that is just plain great fun to explore. Dave used a STL BINARY Generator [Dave is from the US]

This Plate of Boiled Eggs by trigram_VMX makes me hungry every time I see it! I love Deviled Eggs, so this model, created with 3DVIA Shape, just has to be a winner. [trigram_VMX is from India]

This beautifully designed and modeled building, Gould First File, was uploaded in 3DS format by Mike_D, but was modeled by David Gould. Have fun exploring the interior and picking out your seat for the presentation!

Base was uploaded by solidworks2009prem, although the actual model is a standard SolidWorks model. solidworks2009prem was kind and honest enough to tell me once he saw it here – Thanks!! It shows how even industrial products can look sculptural. Good design can be practical AND sculptural. SolidWorks 2010 was used to do the modeling. [solidworks2009prem is from China]

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″:

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.

Challenge extended 1 week, due to community requests!

Welcome back everyone to the 3DVIA Challenge!  During the break, we talked about challenge ideas on the forums, and one idea stood up among the rest.  Make a 3DVIA Challenge in Don’s flavor. TRUCKS!  And not just any trucks, Don likes to go very fast, so this challenge is all about Drag Racing Behemoths!

To get you all into the mood, I found this little gem on YouTube.

For this challenge, we want to see your Racing Big Rigs! Build the fastest most aerodynamic Big Rig! This challenge is open to all age groups, you build the ship, we’ll make you famous!

Come on and test your mettle against the best of our community for the chance at fame and fortune. Winners will recieve all the acclaim of being own of our Challenge Champions, a special page we create with your winning entry, and a space on our newsletter, letting everyone know who the Champion is.

Are you the next Champion?

View the Current Models Entered in this Challenge

REMEMBER THESE KEY DATES:

UPLOAD YOUR MODELS:

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 through Sunday, Febuary 7, 2010

VOTE:

Monday Febuary 8, 2010 through Wednesday Febuary 10, 2010

WINNER ANNOUNCED:
Wednesday Febuary 10, 2010

3DVIA USERS – HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CHALLENGE:

A summary of the terms and conditions is included here.

1. CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

1a. You must be a registered user of 3DVIA.com
3DVIA accounts are free, sign up here.

1b. No Age Restriction.

1c. DS 3DVIA employees involved in the organization of this contest (including their family members) and members of any agencies involved in the organization of this contest (including their families) are not eligible.

2. PARTICIPATION

2a. You must upload one “Big Rig” model by Sunday Febuary 7, 2010.
Starting on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 through Sunday, Febuary 7, 2010, upload your best “Big Rig” to 3DVIA. Only new to 3DVIA and original work will be considered, 1 submission per user, NO team entries.

2b. You must tag your 3D model with “3DVIAChallenge17″.
Tag your model with the keyword “3DVIAChallenge17″ – you must use this exact tag to enter (the tag is not case-sensitive). When you add this tag to your model, you will see a pop-up reminder that you must have read and agreed to the 3DVIA website Terms of Use.

2c. Models created using the 3DVIA Shape software which constitute derivative works reproducing existing models created by third parties under the Creative Commons license are eligible for this contest.
More information about Creative Commons can be found at http://creativecommons.org/ and, with respect to the existing licenses, at http://creativecommons.org/about/license.

2d. Models created using the 3DVIA PrintScreen software or any other software that copies existing 3D models, as well as creations containing any third party proprietary elements are not eligible for this contest.

3. LICENSE TO USE THE MODELS

3a. By uploading your model to enter the contest you are granting DS and DS Subsidiaries certain rights regarding how your model may be used to help promote 3DVIA in the marketplace.

4. WINNERS

4a. A jury made up of six 3DVIA representatives will judge each model from 1-10 (10 being the best score) based on the models artistic merit, technical merit and accuracy.

Artistic Design - Eye catching design, the coolness of the model.
Technical Accuracy – Mechanical or realistic accuracy and detail
Modeling Efficiency – Polygonal construction, modeling skill.

If more than one model receives the same score, each model with the same score will be designated as a Winner and will receive the same prize.

4b. The winner will be announced on the 3DVIA.com web site on Wednesday Febuary 10, 2009.

4c. Decisions of the 3DVIA representatives are final.

View the Current Models Entered in this Challenge

Thank you all who participated in our first Call to Action! Our next one is already up!

This is a new program I am starting here that attempts to bring our Community members together with our Developer Community.   We have a lot of artists constantly expressing their creativity on 3DVIA.com and we also have just as many developers working in Virtools and MP who are always creating fun and entertaining Scenes.

I will bring together requests from our Developers as a weekly mini challenge to our Community.  The purpose is to tap all the creativity on our site and start generating game ready assets for our developer community to use in their projects and games.

[I'm still working on a cool graphic, bear with me :)]
[As technology catches up to me, there will later be rewards for this mini challenge, but we are starting for fun]

Our first Call to Action is to create Asteroids in support of Krauth’s retro game.  He posted a beta version of the game in the forums, and while simple, it is very fun to play.  He has recently updated the game and is looking for feedback and art support!

Requirements Summary:

Maximum of 1200 triangle count
1 512 x 512 pixel texture in jpg format
No restrictions of age or number of entries
Use tag “3DVIACTA1″

Guidelines:

Duration- This Call to Action will run from Wednesday January 13, 2010 to Wednesday January 20, 2010.

Task- Create an asteroid model for use in games.  The models should be no larger that 1200 triangles, with one 256 x256 or 512 x 512 pixel texture in jpg format.

Tag- You must Tag the model with “3DVIACTA1″.  You should also Tag the model with “Asteroid” to help anyone in finding excellent asteroid models.

Restrictions- There are no restrictions for this mini-Challenge.  Enjoy!