3DVIA® - 3DVIA

It’s time!

The chance to win an Apple iPod touch has had folks working overtime to finish up their entries in the  SNOWMAN 3DVIA Challenge. Even having to wear mittens (it’s hard to use a keyboard and mouse with mittens on!) and braving nasty weather did not deter this hardy group of finalists.

Now it’s time to choose our Champion! Look through all the entries below that made it in to the final selection, and vote for the artist that you think made the best model.

At the end of the week, the judges will add their score to yours and on Monday we will have our Champion.

Good luck everybody; and remember to get your friends online to vote and to leave comments about the SNOWMAN finalists!

Let the voting begin to choose which one amongst you is our SNOWMAN Champion!

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OH MY GOD… Designed By mvcomputers		Mr Brrrr 2 Designed By toymaker		Creepy the Snowman Designed By aksakof		snowman11b Designed By mauromango
Snowmen Jackson Designed By JackRED		Penguin’s Snowman Contest Designed By Smike		Snowmonster Designed By jono		Happy/Merry Everything… Designed By Omind

The best models uploaded to 3DVIA.com during the week of Saturday, 12/13 through Friday 12/19 are highlighted here. This is the 8th weekly post with the purpose of bringing models to your attention that we all may have missed. The definition of “best” will change as I find new things to help us all become better modelers and enjoy the site more.

Just so everyone knows, the order that the Top 10 are displayed is based on color, type of model and how I’m feeling, not any particular ranking. I just rearrange them until I like the way it looks. It’s as simple as that!

Be sure to check out the models that received Honorable Mentions too.

Our users live all over the world, so I include in my comments where each modeler is from. It’s great that language and distance are not barriers when we’re all sharing in 3D! (Modelers may choose not to share where they are from, so some countries of origin will remain a mystery.)

The Top 10:

3D modeling is all about storytelling. You can tell a more compelling story faster and better using 3D! Pack_Man used 3DVIA Shape to prove it with his On the road model. He uses his imagination, 12 different models and some creative touches to tell a hilarious story. From the smoke behind the tires of the about-to-be-apprehended racers to the waiting Lambo cruiser, Police officer and the squirrels (can you find them all) with video cameras, the more you look, the more you laugh. Great job Pack_Man! [ Pack_man is from France ]

Hansel95 also used Shape to create this interesting building - Aragon Hansel. There’s plenty to see and explore, both inside and out. [ Hansel95 is from France ]

Sanjay’s invitation is a great example of another way 3D modeling can help draw the world closer together. DPV1 created this model with Shape showing a friend’s wedding invitation. Just seeing it and reading the details raises a hundred questions about what each part of it means. I don’t have the answers, but I’ll bet that DPV1 does. Thanks for modeling this! [ DPV1 is from India ]

Craftsman Socket Wrench pretty much says it all. mvcomputers did a great job with 3ds Max creating this very nice Craftsman wrench model right down to the circlip holding it all together. He has also started a new group for Tools and keeps adding new tools to it regularly - check it out. [ mvcomputers is from the US ]

Typical Sunrise1 was created by therealinrealestate using Google SketchUp. The architectural detailing is interesting and fun to explore. [ therealinrealestate is from the US ]

3DVIA Shape can also be used in a truly inspirational way. Luã Art is a virtual 3D sculpture created by Luagoncalves that is beautiful to explore and enjoy as the light moves over the forms. This is a wonderful example of very sophisticated Shape modeling. [ Luagoncalves is from Brazil ]

Museo-virtual-1 was created by Artium_Vitoria using Shape. It demonstrates how creating spaces in 3D can help both the designer and the viewer better appreciate what the real experience would be like. If you go inside the model and use a realistic eye-level view to tour the space, you can really enjoy the “paintings”. [ Artium_Vitoria is from Spain ]

Aksakof simply calls this model test, but it is a great example of how much textures can add to your models when properly prepared and applied. The wireframe shows how simple the model is by itself, but the texture draws you in to see all of the details. Great job - I hope we get to see more when testing is done!

I like Ares Tower, as modeled by ittechmark, because it is a concept made more realistic with details from top to bottom. Check out the helipad on the roof and what looks like a great place to have a meal with a 360° view. It was created using Shape. [ ittechmark is from the US ]

Shower is a nicely designed and detailed interior space model by gaox. It’s subtle, but elegantly done. [ gaox is from Switzerland ]

Due to the continuous challenge of narrowing the number of great models uploaded each week down to just 10, I’ve included five Honorable Mentions to spotlight even more modelers!

Honorable Mentions:

This week we are fortunate to have two examples of modelers making spheres using 3DVIA Shape. This first version is sphere (test) done by retry32.

DPV1 modeled 3DVIA volleyball, also using Shape, but using a very different technique. By looking at the wireframe models you can see how each model was made. [ DPV1 is from India ]

This nicely modeled Hard Drive was created by drone84. Check out the details to see what’s inside one of the most critical components of our computers. [ drone84 is from France ]

Smike tells a complicated story with this model called Squirrel Highway Robber. You’ve got to read his description to realize how he has tied together the ongoing 3DVIA snowman and squirrel stories into this really funny model. Smike uses Google SketchUp. [ Smike is from Denmark ]

TMT VXC18 was modeled using Shape by Mustafasezercan. Check out the interior details. [ Mustafasezercan is from Turkey ]

Be sure to visit the previous Top 10 lists: 001 - 002 - 003 - 004 - 005 - 006 - 007

Here’s the stuff that I moved down from the top of the post that gives you idea of what process my odd brain goes through to help me select the “Top 10″ and “Honorable Mentions”:

Variety is one of the most important factors. I try to show models created using lots of different software products and I include my brief comments on why I chose each model. Creativity, unusual subject matter and humor are also big factors. We should all be having fun and feel free to model our passions!

To be considered, 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.

There is no reward given beyond 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.

One final note of caution: these are my choices (dswavely) and my choices alone. So, aim the tomatoes appropriately.

Mark Biasotti is quite well known within the SolidWorks community for his mastery of the complex surfaces often needed to design and manufacture many consumer items. As an Industrial Designer, he was always working to make the products fit our needs and our physical capabilities. When we pick up a product and it just feels right when we use it, we can thank folks like Mark. Now he works directly at SolidWorks to help make their products even better at helping designers help us.

Mark’s wide background and long experience add valuable perspective to his comments. We appreciate that he was able to make the time to share his images, videos and thoughts with us.

Q1: How did you first become interested in 3D modeling?

This is going to date me, but it was back in 1985 when I was an Industrial Designer for Hewlett Packard. I got involved with, HP’s product , ME30 and then later Solid Designer (code named Quintus) and today known as PTC’s One Space Designer. 

This is a mock movie poster for an incredible video that Mark created using SolidWorks and additional production tools. Go here to watch it - it is definitely worth it. Then go here to read a complete explanation from Mark about how it came to be.

Q2: What type of 3D models do you do?

All types, but the most enjoyable types of modeling for me are ones that are geometrically challenging – they involve an intense amount of problem solving and design.  Often times, they fall into the category of Consumer Product Design type shapes.

Blender model courtesy of Mike Garman - rendered by Mark Biasotti

    

        

Q3: What role do your models play in the work you do?

Currently I’m a Product Manager for the advanced concepts group at SolidWorks. I’m involved with direction and strategy for future SolidWorks products which involves a great deal of customer observation, storyboarding and working with the development team.

The next “production” that Mark did was for SolidWorks World 2007 in New Orleans called “Better Products for the Future”in which, again, he used the combination of SolidWorks, NewTek’s Lightwave3D and Adobe’s After Effects to create. You can download it here

    

Q4: How much time do you spend, on average, on one particular model?
Hum… that really depends on the complexity of course. I would say on an average two to five days from initial shape creation to parting it out and rendering.

Camera courtesy of WaterShot Inc. - rendered by Mark Biasotti

    

Q5: What additional software do you use to create your images?
If I’m creating still images from SolidWorks, I use PhotoWorks and PhotoView 360 and ALWAYS post-process it in Adobe Photoshop. If I’m creating animations, I love to use Lightwave3D and Adobe After Effects for the post-processing, additional effects and final composite.

Guitar model courtesy of Paul Reed Smith Guitars - rendered by Mark Biasotti

    

Q6: What is your work day like?
What I get involved with in a typical day and week varies greatly and that is, perhaps, what makes this job interesting. Stepping away from a formal Industrial Design role four years ago and into a product management role has not stopped me for being able to contribute creatively.  As you can imagine, The Product Management role does not afford me to be an isolationist (although there are days…) and I’m constantly in meetings and brainstorming sessions with developers and Product Marketing. One thing that is constant in my day is monitoring and contributing to the SolidWorks Forums and blogs. I  love to stay in touch with our customer. I also try to visit user groups around the country as well as many customer visits and customer observations.

racecar model courtesy of the University of British Columbia - rendered by Mark Biasotti

    

Q7: What are your tips for staying focused on a big project?
Start with the difficult tasks up-front instead of putting them off to the end. Don’t be afraid to solicit feedback early and be aware that human nature leans toward avoiding conflicts so be proactive.

Q8: Where do you go (web sites, museums, race tracks, anywhere) for help, tips and inspiration?
I’m a big fan of science museums – we have a particularly good one here in Boston, but I’m also a big fan of science fiction. I subscribe to some ID and 3D CGI magazines and hanging out at forums like Product Design Forums which are good for staying current and observing current trends.

Q9: What part of 3D modeling do you find most rewarding?
Yes, but for things that are not so challenging geometrically. Years ago when I was in California and my children were young, I built a Hexagonal 2 story tree house for them – entirely built in SW and design so it could be disassembled.

Q10: Just for fun, what is your favorite game? movie? comic book?
I love team games like Scattergories and Balderdash. Favorite movie: Gladiator. I never really got into comics.

Q11: What is your favorite subject other than 3D modeling?
My faith in Jesus Christ and my pursuit of knowing Him better.

Thank you again, Mark, for adding your perspective about 3D modeling and for sharing your images, videos and comments.