Be sure to see how the 3DVIA plugin could help you in this video.

For simple instructions on how to install and use the 3DVIA plugin, see this short video.

Have any ideas for more great uses for 3D within Photoshop, let us know.

3DVIA is proud to announce 3DVIA for Adobe® Photoshop®, our plugin for importing 3D models directly into Adobe Photoshop compositions.

With just one click, and without ever leaving the Photoshop window, search through the 3DVIA.com model library to select a model and bring it directly into your Photoshop composition. Once there, the model appears as its own layer and can be scaled, positioned and lit as desired.

To learn more about 3DVIA for Adobe Photoshop, click here.

Download and Install this FREE Plugin

CS3 Extended (Windows)
CS4 Extended (Windows)
CS4 Extended (Windows 64-bit)

*Mac version coming soon.

To see our plugin in action, check out Cliff’s latest videos below.

Jon talks here about how 3DVIA (Composer, Mobile, and 3DVIA.com) are great tools for engineers, particularly for SolidWorks designers.

In case you are interested, here is a link to an article with pictures of Jon and the cast from the movie “21″, based on the stories of the MIT Blackjack team.

For more details on how 3DVIA benefits SolidWorks, CATIA, or any 3D design tool, there’s more info in this short video.

Also, for SolidWorks users, here is a Blog Post by Matt West on publishing SolidWorks models to 3DVIA.com for use on 3DVIA Mobile.

Using a SolidWorks design, I show here how easy it is to upload a design that all team members can access.

Here is the Power Painter 3D Model I Published from SolidWorks in the video.  I also need to give credit to the SolidWorks team for the design–nice work!

In this video, I play the role of a Copier Salesman, Emmy is an Office Manager (the customer), and Garth plays the Product Manager.  Garth and I work together to easily solve a problem using 3DVIA.

Oh, and Garth really is one of the hardest working guys in the office, not like the role he plays here.

I also wanted to give credit to the 3D models used in this video:

- The Audi Tt by jled

- ScubaGarths Copier:  Before, and After

- And, a cameo appearance by Tex-Rex by IsaacMiller1993

3D Model uploads on 3DVIA.com, are immediately seen on 3DVIA Mobile, for the iPhone.  A great way to collaborate new ideas.

Garth works almost entirely on 3DVIA Composer, and and has been helping companies to make technical documentation easier for the people who produce and consume it.

Check out my interview with Garth to find out more about the future of manufacturing documentation, “3D Communication” and “car jumps”…you’ll see:

And…if you want to see more of Garth, he is always producing new webcasts and materials on 3DVIA Composer on the 3D Mojo Blog.

Also, if you have tips and tricks you would like to share, create a video, and we could post it as well.  The reason we are the best 3D web community is our users, and their ability to encourage others, so send us your videos!

This video details the texturing functions within 3DVIA Shape, but these fundamentals could be used within all 3D modeling applications.

Cliff gets some help in this video from one of our favorite user-submitted (textured) models: Texturesaurus-Rex.

For more detailed Texturing tips using 3DVIA Shape, check out tip numbers:

• #31 – How to Add and Adjust Textures
• #32 – How to Align Textures with Geometry
• #33 – How To Manipulate Similar Textures

Now, let’s hear from you;  Any other texturing tips you want to add?

Special thanks to IsaacMiller1993 for the T-Rex model.

Take a look at this video that highlights how easy adding 3D models to any map is: 

…as always we want to hear from our users.  What other great ways can you use 3DVIA Shape for Maps?  Show us some of your creations, and add a link below.

Also, if you are new to 3DVIA Shape, we have a great collection of tips and tricks which should get you started.

In case you missed it, or want to see it again, we have some highlights from our booth in the following video, and some important links:

Learn more about 3DVIA’s Publishing Products:

• 3DVIA Virtools – Build Rich 3D Applications Fast
• 3DVIA Composer - 3D Technical Documentation Made Easy
• 3DVIA Shape - Free 3D Modeling for the Rest of Us
• 3DVIA.com - The Top Interactive 3D Community & Model Sharing Database

Learn More about our Presenters:

• “Snow World” by Howard Rose and Ari Hollander:  http://www.firsthand.com
• “RealTime Music Visualization: A study in the Visual Extension of Music” by Matt Bain.
• “SCOPE: an Innovative Augmented Reality Game” by Frantz Lasorne.

Learn to use 3DVIA Virtools and see how it helps small teams build games like Subsurface in no time with our free online tutorial series. Every other week watch Little Chicken Game Company, the studio responsible for Subsurface, go over the 3DVIA Virtools basics to get you started.

This week Little Chicken demonstrates how to import and use blend shapes.

Tutorial 5: Blend Shapes
Learn how to import blend shapes straight from your DCC software and use them for animations.

Enjoy!

Hooray! We’ve finally gone and done it, we now have 3DVIA Forums! 

We’d like to welcome all of our Community Members to stop by and say hello!  This is the place to ask questions about all the different parts that make up our website, and 3DVIA Shape.  As opposed to 3DVIA Groups where our users gather around topics and 3D content, our forums are places for our users to gather and discuss 3DVIA!  Here you can post questions, tips, feedback and take part in the conversation with 3DVIA and other users like you.

Our forums are new and we need your support.  Here are the direct links to the first topics on the site.

3DVIA.com
   – General Feedback - General chat about 3dvia.com.
   – Player Feedback - 3DVIA’s Web Player feedback forum.
   – My 3DVIA Feedback - My 3DVIA personal portal feedback forum.

3DVIA Shape
    – Tips and Tricks – A forum to share tips and tricks discovered while using 3DVIA Shape.
    – Suggestions and Feedback - Share your Suggestions and Feedback about 3DVIA Shape here.  
    – Support - Seek help and support about 3DVIA Shape here.  
    – 3DVIA Shape for Maps – A support forum dedicated to the 3DVIA Shape version of Bing™ Maps.

I hope to see you all over there, make sure you post in the Hello Thread :)

And don’t forget our existing forum communities for 3DVIA Virtools and 3DVIA Composer users :)

- 3DVIA Virtools – The Swapmeet
- 3DVIA Composer – 3D Mojo

-Juan

Take 30 minutes on Thursday, August 13 to learn new skills with 3DVIA Virtools and have the chance to WIN a $100 Apple® Gift Card*

How to Use Shaders in 3DVIA Virtools
Thursday August 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT

Shaders allow programmers to circumvent traditional graphic routines. They offer ways to operate on every vertex—to morph or bend objects—and on every pixel—to color, texture, light or change material properties. Shaders speed up graphic-intensive programs, allowing graphic processing units to handle more computation, while leveraging more CPU for other tasks or commands. This presentation will cover pixel and vertex shader implementation, as well as supported shader languages in 3DVIA Virtools.

*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.

Learn to use 3DVIA Virtools and see how it helps small teams build games like Subsurface in no time with our free online tutorial series. Every other week watch Little Chicken Game Company, the studio responsible for Subsurface, go over the 3DVIA Virtools basics to get you started. This week Little Chicken demonstrates how to create simple movement and import an animated character with 3DVIA Virtools.

Tutorial 3: Creating Simple Movement
Learn how to use simple scripting and pre-packaged behaviors to move objects in a scene.

Tutorial 4: Importing an Animated Character
Discover how to import an animated character and create secondary animations in engine.

Enjoy!

• Why virtual training?
• Advantages of virtual training
• Examples of a successful virtual application
• LIVE virtual training demo

You’ve all heard about Microsoft’s new search engine: Bing ™.  As part of this announcement, Microsoft has renamed its mapping property from Microsoft Virtual Earth to Bing Maps.  What does that mean for 3DVIA’s easy-to-use, free modeling application integrated within Bing Maps?  We’re giving Virtual Earth-3DVIA a whole new name, 3DVIA Shape for Maps.  Same great product, same great features…just a new name. 

3DVIA Shape for Maps allows you to model in 3D and publish to this popular mapping application.  For example, you can easily create your house in 3D using satellite images of the earth as a starting point.  But of course the possiblities are only limited by your imagination.  If you want to put a jet fighter over boston… you can put a jet fighter over Boston.

Here’s a screenshot of a model in 3DVIA Shape for Maps.

And here’s a screenshot of the same model published to Bing Maps.

If you want to check this out in 3D, click here to go to Bing Maps.

Interested in learning more, click here.

• How 3DVIA Virtools bridges the gap between artists and engineers
• Key Concepts and references of 3DVIA Virtools
• Myths about 3DVIA Virtools
• Tips and tricks for building games with 3DVIA Virtools
  

Virtools Webinar 1 from 3DVIA on Vimeo.

Take 30 minutes on Wednesday, July 29 at 11:00 a.m. to learn new skills with 3DVIA Virtools.

The Benefits of Virtual Versus Classic Training
Wednesday July 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT

Discover how on-demand virtual training with 3DVIA Virtools enables users to learn any time, anywhere in a safe and forgiving environment. Using multiple, real-life examples, you will understand how 3DVIA Virtools can be used to create 3D training applications quickly, affordably and with a variety of scenarios that would be expensive and difficult to recreate in a classic training environment.

Learn to use 3DVIA Virtools and see how it helps small teams build games like Subsurface in no time with our free online tutorial series. Every other week watch Little Chicken Game Company, the studio responsible for Subsurface, go over the 3DVIA Virtools basics to get you started. This week Little Chicken demonstrates how to create a scene using 3DVIA Virtools in two tutorial videos.

Tutorial 1: 3DVIA Virtools Basics Part 1
Learn how to import models, adjust lighting, set up views and alter scene properties, including fog.

Tutorial 2: 3DVIA Virtools Basics Part 2
Discover scripting essentials to set up any scene in 3DVIA Virtools.

Check out this video, and you are sure to pick up some useful modeling tips:

Be sure to review all the detailed 3DVIA Shape Video Tips and Tricks for more modeling tips.

This latest update contains stability, quality and performance improvements.  Also, be sure to check out the latest 3DVIA Shape Tips and Tricks layout.  We’ve made it easier to navigate through our 30+ short and informative videos. 

One of my favorites is the “How to build an Umbrella” video (Tip #34).  This video is more like a 5 minute tutorial demonstrating many of 3DVIA Shape 3.1’s great features like freeform deform, revolve, and many others.

Let us know if you would like to see specific “How To” videos on 3DVIA Shape!

Play Subsurface online! The first game built on 3DVIA Virtools 5 by 6 people in just 60 days is up and running on the official Subsurface Web site.

Help Dr. Valerie Toulé navigate through an underwater field of depth charges and missiles as she tries to prevent the evil narco-terrorist Ian McClusky from discovering a power capable of destroying the world. But don’t let the story end there…discover the 3DVIA story behind the Subsurface story.

Meet Little Chicken Game Company, the development shop responsible for the creation of Subsurface, and learn how with a team of just 6 people, Little Chicken was able to turn out Subsurface in only 60 days. Watch the team discuss the making of the game in this video.

Enjoy!

Take 30 minutes on Wednesday, July 22 at 11:00 a.m. to learn new skills with 3DVIA Virtools 5.

Rapid Game Prototyping and Development with 3DVIA Virtools 5
Wednesday July 22, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT
“Build a multiplatform game in weeks / months instead of years!”

Understand how gaming companies benefit from using 3DVIA Virtools for rapid development, whether for internal use or consumer products on the PC or console platforms. Learn from concrete examples of projects (including development of the Subsurface game, which was completed in 60 days) and a development pipeline description. You will be exposed to tips and tricks on how to best take advantage of the latest release of 3DVIA Virtools.

We want to see your 3D models that you have created from pictures. Reply to this post with your examples.

Remember, we have a large library of 3DVIA Shape tips and tricks.

Any questions? Send those along too.

Smashing Toys is a racing game like no other! Toys play with their own rules and now you can be one of the toys!  The game features solo and multiplayer action with the ability to customize your toy through points won by winning races.  You can customize your vehicle or character stats. Blast your opposition and unlock secret levels that change your race car into other tools of racing mayhem, like Boats!

Story

An old toys factory…   
Suddenly a terrible storm comes up and enchants the toys on the production line, bringing them to life. The magic however is short-term. The toys necessarily have to join a frenzied race to a magic island where, as it is said:  they can stay alive eternally.
They will have to cross a lot of territories, the industrial parks, a funfair, a forest, mines, sawmills…
Places are limited, only the best can aspire for their survival. Now toys play by their own rules… and believe me… they are not joking !

 The Developers behind the game

I had the opportunity to ask  Erik Geslin, one of the brains behind Leon Brothers Studio,  a few questions.  Read on to learn more about Smashing Toys:
 
Smashing Toys was founded in January of 2008, and your first game was completed in about a year.  Considering the amount of racetracks and art assets in each level plus the programming involved in the game play and interface, that’s pretty fast.  Was 3DVIA Virtools one of the main reasons behind this quick development schedule?

Absolutely Juan, I think Virtools is the only reason we have been able to create our games so fast.  We have 6 years of experience with Virtools, with the bulk of the work done in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality projects. The work on Smashing Toys actually began before Leon Brothers was founded, so the development time is more in the range of 18 months.

From the credits I gather that the development team for Smashing Toys was 7 people, with Erik Geslin playing the triple roles of Project Management/Design Director/3D Character and Environment Modeling Lead.  How was collaboration managed during production?

Yes, I can also cook and do many of the house chores :)
There were only 3 of during 9 months of the development of Smashing Toys, Marc Douzon (Programmer), Romain Lecherbault (Artist) and I, playing multiple roles.  Near the end of the development we were joined by Claire Noël, a talented young lady as well as two junior CG Artists from the ESCIN School who joined us for the last 2 months of production.

Describe a day in the production cycle of Smashing Toys.

As soon as the day starts, every team member is aware his daily tasks thanks to an online project management software called PlanZone.  It helps us manage, share and verify all the work. We combined PlanZone with the Gantt Tools set to provide us with a robust content and project management software that is web based. Marc Douzon worked very hard to develop the race tracks and we used these programs to help us integrate each track into Virtools and test them easily and quickly.

What were some of the challenges encountered during production and how were they resolved?

One of our biggest hurdles we faced was in the racetrack loading times.  We never noticed the problem because of our specific personal computer configurations and as our first product we never though to look at the loading screens as a problem.  Our customers noticed though, so we changed the entire loading strategy of the game in only one week.  This would not have been possible without Virtools, and the update was released to the public in record time.

We also spent a lot of time developing special shaders like Screen Space Ambient Occlusion, PPSM Dynamic Shadows and Bloom effects, and the results were amazing but we ended up not using them in favor of keeping the frame rate consistently high.

The biggest problem for an Indie developer is funding.  It was a challenge to find the funds to continue development. In the end we ended up supplementing our funding with personal bank credit.  Even though we had to release the game a little earlier than planned we were able to update and we continue to update it, fixing minor bugs whenever they are found.

I see in the game that you can connect to a server for multiplayer games and that you can even create your own server. What has been your experience with networking through Virtools?

That was really a fantastic experience, it was difficult and trying at times but definitely fulfilling.  Marc and I spent many long nights figuring out the multiplayer platform, and specifically solutions to our TCP/IP problems.  Finally we discovered that TCP/IP was the problem, and today I can clearly state, that if your plan is to make a multiplayer game, TCP/IP is the devil!  Choose UDP! :)   Our resulting Multiplayer mode is really the best experience in the game, its very fun to drop some mines in front of your best friend and enjoy their reactions.    Our next update will add tools to allow people to see others in the waiting room, and thanks to Virtools and Steam it will be uploaded and distributed very quickly :)

What has been your experience with Valve’s Steam, in the communications, advertising and distribution of your game?

We had an excellent relationship with Steam.  They even advised us on how to list the game and for how much to sell it for.  This wasn’t as easy as saying Smashing Toys is a “Racing Game”.  Created by an Indie developer but with graphics on par with AAA published games, we mutually decided to list the game under Indie developer category as well as the Racing Game Group, along games like Grid and Burn Out Paradise.
All of our advertising has been through word of mouth, and there has been a lot of positive feedback from the community, which has been growing at a steady pace.  That’s successful advertising :)

Fantastic work on Smashing Toys guys, I enjoyed the art direction, the game play and all the little details you guys added to create a completely fun game.  

Check out the vidoe trailer of Smashing toys in our Studio Section!

Play the Demo or just Buy the game ASAP from Steam.