3D Stuff and Junk

Experiencing Windows 7

Here's what I've discovered about which of my favorite old 3D programs will run in Windows 7 64 bit so far. I will qualify this list with the fact that I still play with VRML & X3D

1. Blaxxun Contact 5.3...... Runs Fine
2 BS Contact 7.2.................Runs Fine
Internet Space Builder........Runs Fine
Vivaty Studio.......................Runs Fine
Cosmo Worlds.....................Runs Fine (Believe it or not)

AC3D...................................Won't run, working on it.
Haxagon..............................Runs Fine
Cinema 4D...........................Runs Fine
VRML Pad.............................Runs Fine
ABNet works in IE 8
No problems with viewing/connecting in Outside

Of course you have to have the Pro level or above to pull it off. Windows 7 Home won't pull it off as well. But I am surprised that some of these programs run as well as/or at all in a 64 bit environment. Cosmo Worlds was gone for Windows went away in about 1998 I think. Also has to do with how much 16 bit code is still left in the install.

Sadly, Simply 3D won't even try and neither will Platinum VR Creator.

As I discover more I will list it. So far I really think M$ finally got it right this time

And now Vivaty goes the way of There

This from Virtual Worlds News. "Yesterday Vivaty announced that it will be closing down its virtual world and social network 3D scenes services on April 16. The company says it is giving the two weeks' notice to allow users to try and capture as much of their creations as possible through screenshots and videos, but, ultimately, Vivaty was just not sustainable".

The rooms and environments in Vivaty were great looking and fun to work with. It was a great place to visit and interact with others. Unfortunately, we are seeing technological evolution in action here. So far the latest ones are Metaplace, There and now Vivaty. The idea of virtual worlds is a great one and this time around there were a lot to choose from. But like all great ideas on the internet, after the glut of concepts appear, we witness the eventual demise of some. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for places like Kaneva, Prototerra, and the rest. How many more will fail? Only time will tell.

Too bad, but predictable. I am personally sad to see Vivaty fail. Not only was it a fun place to play, they provided what is probably the best set of tools for builders and developers out there in Vivaty Studio. Vivaty Studio is not only a feature rich 3D creation program, but it will work for many platforms. That makes it light years ahead of other in-world building tools and options offered by other virtual platforms. Vivaty Studio evolved from a pure VRML modeling program called Spazz 3D (Some of us old-timers remember it), then became Flux, and then Vivaty. I am curious to see what will happen to the platform technology when it goes.

No Longer There

This is sad news. Inevitably virtual worlds come and go, but I thought this particular platform would be a survivor. It was a fun place, with paint ball games places you could drive dune buggys and ride air boards. There were good groups to belong to and it wasn't too hard on your machine to use. But There.com is going away.

To quote from http://www.prod.there.com/info/announcement

"There.com is closing on March 9th, 2010

In 2003, There.com was launched as a 3D Immersive Virtual World for everyone.

Unlike other products, There was designed from the beginning to be a welcoming and comfortable place for everyone - not just gamers, not just people over 18, not just people with high end computers, and not just people on broadband. This principle extended far beyond just the technology: for example it led to our submissions review system, which ensured that user generated content didn't infringe on existing brands, or even other member's content. To that, we added socialization tools including 3D avatar chat, clubs, events, activity flags, card games, quests, virtual commerce, kinetic games such as paintball, buggies, and, of course, hoverboards. While many of these things sound commonplace today, in 2003 we were arguably one of the first places to "put it all together" in one package.

But all of that was just a big stack of technology and hardware. It was when we added people - our members - to There.com that it actually came to life. Through you, There has been known as a vibrant, welcoming place for people to come and meet other people, have fun, create, or just hang out. Over the years, millions of folks have passed through our doors, each of you bringing something new and different to There.com, and, hopefully, taking a little bit of the fun with you back into your "real life".

By adding developers to There, we made it possible for the world to becomes millions of time more interesting and creative than it possibly could have been otherwise. Of course, the talented artists and modelers at There created an amazing world to start with, but it was your content - clothes, vehicles, accessories, buildings, lawn furniture, gnomes, snowmen, etc, etc, etc - which really helped bring the world to life, and make There the special place it is today".

I hope this isn't a sign, but it stands to reason that with the economy going the way it has/had, virtual platforms, like any other businesses, are going to fail.

X-Robotica

With all the new virtual platforms that have come into being over the last few years, it is easy to forget that VR on the web has been viable for over a decade. Back then the major platform was VRML, which has evolved today into X3D. Fortunately, there are still a few out there that play with it and create amazing worlds and places.

There is a friend and associate I have had the privilege and pleasure know that goes by the nickname "X". I have always considered him to be a visionary and an artist and, fortunately for us, he uses the VRML medium to express it. I say fortunately because we all get a chance to experience it. He has had set up several websites in the past for this and also had ran a message board for a time, all focused on supporting and encouraging VRML and 3D creation.

"X" has teamed up with another visionary named Peter and together they have come up with the concept X-Robotica

 


It is a VRML server that offers worlds and experiences flavored with both X's and Peters particular views. I once referred to X as the Dali of VRML and his worlds show why. Peter is an artist in his own right and his creations are incredible animated experiences. Together their creations are immersive journeys into the world of the both real and abstract with motion and interactivity.


 


You go to the site, select an avatar from an expansive choice (I chose Bender, I'm Futurama fan), Select a destination, put in your nockname, and sit back and enjoy the ride! After traveling their owncreations you can choose from a variety of worlds made by others.

 

  

True, it is created on a platform that some have dismissed as a dead technology, and there are probably some that could pick it apart by attempting to compare it to Second Life or Blue Mars, and in some respects they have a point. But it would be an unfair comparison. In this day and age of branding and membership collecting, it is nice to see something that merely exist because of a creator's vision and strictly for it's own sake .

All of this proves again, at least for me, that VRML is not a dead platform. And all of this is free. You cannot ask for any better than this. I strongly urge people to go a see the site for themselves. And, most of all, have fun!

 

Who is this Bozo?

I thought since I was annoying people with these reviews, etc. I would qualify myself for those people who ask "Who the heck is this guy?"

I have been involved in virtual platforms since the late 90's. I was involved in Cybertown (The original Blaxxun-based community), Moove (also called Rose, or Roomancer), Active Worlds, and Second Life. I was involved in the closed beta testing of Kaneva, have a membership in There, etc, etc. I have created worlds for the old Blaxxun free server, have worlds listed on ABNet, have created content for various platforms in VRML. In Moove I ran a world-wide 12 Step room and hosted meetings for various countries.
I am basically an end user of these platforms. I am mainly interested in how they work and their ability to accept creator content. I am not a very social person as would be defined by the various platforms out there (ie: chatting, dancing, etc.).
My biases come from an artistic standpoint, as I use 3D modeling and virtual platforms as a means to create and display my creations. Some people paint, some write, and some sculpture. I do most of these within the confines of 3D modeling.
I am not bagging on the social aspect of these virtual platforms as it is the very core of what most of them are about. Which brings up the reason I write my reviews the way I do. Alot of the reviews I see out there are focused on the technical, or marketing aspects of these platforms, and the end user experience get swept under the rug, in my opinion. I discussions I have stated before, and will state again here, I feel that the end user experience is the single MOST important aspect. The end users are the reason why these platforms exist, along with quality content. So, I write from an end user experience. I feel that people want to know what it looks like, how smoothly it runs on their computers, and what they can do in there. Alot of people are only interested in chatting, going to dance clubs, etc. They are not interested in how the platforms are getting along with sales, branding, etc. These are the people I choose to write to.
My tutorials and articles that I publish on 3D modeling are aimed at the beginner or amatuer modeler, which is what I am. I have published renders on Renderosity.com and have published 3D models on 3DVIA. Both of those are for personal enjoyment and I haven't ventured into selling, probably from a "low self esteem" issue, lol. So I write to people like myself. Most of the feedback I have received is positive so I continue.
Anyway, I hope that readers enjoy these articles and that they are of some help.

Blue Mars

What can I say about Blue Mars. I have been playing with it on and off for a while now and thought I would give a few impressions. It has amazing graphics, beautiful worlds, and great physics, everything you would expect from a really good game. There is a good reason for this. Blue Mars uses the CryENGINE. For those of you into gaming, that would be the game engine Crysis uses. It is very powerful, has great shading and light mapping, the features mentioned above and it also has dynamic shadowing. Almost everything you would expect out of a quality computer game.

 Like most of the newer platforms coming out, you get a profile page with friends list, bio, etc. At this time it doesn’t look as friendly or as inclusive as others I’ve seen. I personally noticed this trend towards a hybrid of Facebook/Myspace and Virtual Worlds when I first tried IMVU, and then with Kaneva, Utherverse, etc. I am guessing this particular model helps keep the world browser simple and lets the user load up all their info on their contact page. Second Life and some others haven’t felt the need to push the social networking end as hard, but it hasn’t hurt them either, as far as I can tell.

 

There is a separate developer’s page and account for those who wish to get into creating things. You can download tools to get into object or even city building.

 

The client is free to use. It is just short of a 400 meg download so be patient. You have to register for a user account, of course. You will be presented with a welcome screen that contains a list of places to visit.

 

Most areas and cities have to be downloaded and some are quite large files. Once downloaded you can then enter the city or place. Navigating is by left-mouse clicking a point distant from you and your avatar will walk to it. If you click far away the avatar runs. Looking around is accomplished by a right click and dragging around. There are 4 stages of zoom in the tool bar at the bottom. I would prefer a ‘mouse wheel’ zoom. And it is definitely easier than the little arrow set in SL.

 

You can activate actions for your avatar by right clicking it and choosing from the action menu. You can customize the look of your avatar including ‘painting’ the face to create a beard or an effect of your choosing. There are also actions that let your avatar shake hands or hug another avatar. There are other tools in the browser to go home, see your friends list and other functions.

 

This brings me to a short rant. There are a lot of places where it is hard to impossible to find anyone in-world. In the places I used in the past (far past). There were lists of places and whether there were people there or not. With Blue Mars and a few others, unless you have people in your ‘friends’ or ‘buddy’ list, you cannot tell if there is anyone in-world unless you happen to pop in where others are. I find this to be counter intuitive to letting people get to know each other, and I don’t see the social networking end of it as a replacement. A few exceptions to these are Vivaty, which has a list of rooms and who, or at least how many people are in them and even has a icon in the task bar that alerts you when people are active. And Kaneva, which will launch the player via a button on your profile page. A lot better than loading up even a great looking place and seeing no one but yourself.<End Rant> :-)

The currency for Blue Mars is the BLU. It can be bought at their exchange rate (which I won’t go into here) and cities have to be purchased with it. Land can be purchased from small (Outpost) to Large (Metropolis) and from hundreds to thousands of dollars, plus a monthly hosting fee. (Not unlike SL)

  Prepare yourself for the power this client will take. Remember what I said in the first paragraph” This will require a ‘gamer level’ PC to experience properly. I am NOT saying that’s a bad thing, just warning you. We are going to have to face the fact that as virtual worlds get more immersive and detailed, it it going to take more power to run them. Just take a look at what the gaming industry has done to to the computers we buy now as opposed to even 5 years ago. Here are the requirements.

Platform x86 PC or Mac via Boot Camp Operating System Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 (both 32bit and 64bit) CPU 2Ghz AMD or Intel Dual Core RAM Memory 2 GB on XP, 4GB on Vista Video Card Memory 512MB and up Screen Resolution Display resolution of at least 1280x768 is recommended Disk space Approximately 4GB for the installer, temporary files, and the installed Blue Mars program.

Here are some common video cards that are known to work with Blue Mars:

NVidia:
Geforce™ 8400m series
Geforce 9400m series
Geforce 200 and 200m series

ATI:
Radeon™ 3000 series
Radeon 4000 series
Radeon 5800 series
Radeon HD 3000 and 4000 series

* If your video hardware is not listed, it may still work with Blue Mars. Integrated video hardware from Intel without dedicated video memory will probably not function.

**Note video card compatibility is based on using the most current video card drivers. Prior video card drivers or stock video card drivers have not been factored into testing. All video cards must have updated drivers for certain features to work.

So here's the 64 dollar question I see around other blogs. Is Blue Mars a Second Life killer? Will it replace it? Not anytime soon, in my opinion. Does it look better than Second life? Definitely. Remember though that Second Life has been around awhile now and has a loyal user base. When I see posts on blogs and forums by people who are looking to leave SL and find a new virtual place to call home, it is because they are unhappy or dis-satisfied with it for some reason or another. This does not speak to, however, the large amount of people that are perfectly happy with it. Also, I personally have not seen anything on the Avatar Reality/Blue Mars site that indicates that they want to be a Second Life killer. Basically, from what I have been able to understand, they are offering a platform and attracting companies to purchase their virtual real estate to do what they want with it. Maybe one of the entities that buys some cities will try to compete, maybe not. The main problem I see now is that the hardware available has to catch up with what Blue Mars is offering. Their requirements are not unique, by the way. Take a look at Entropia Universe and you will see what I mean. and they have been around for a few years now. And, finally, it is a BIG playground out there in the Meta-verse, so there should be plenty of room for all.

Check the requirements, download it and give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

3DVIA Scenes

OK, here’s my thing. I like creating in 3D. I got attracted to it through visiting virtual reality platforms back in the late ‘90’s. One of the platforms I was drawn to was VRML. You could create your models in quite a few 3D modeling programs and save out to that format. It just plain worked without a lot of fuss and muss. You easily learn the mark-up language (VRML) and enhance your models. The viewers were free and it turned out to be fairly simple to get your work online and share it with others.

 

There is something that appeals to myself and other creators I know about not only creating scenes, but being able to walk around in them and experience the creations in a real-time/real-world atmosphere.

 

That was a decade ago and I still create worlds and objects. VRML lost its popularity and other platforms came along. Second Life, Kaneva, Prototerra, and others. Although they have improved on the original virtual concept, they are proprietary and only use in-world tools and their own formats for creating your own objects and worlds. While this is not a bad thing, it is why I don't usually build in them. With VRML, X3D and Collada I can create my items/worlds locally and they remain mine, even if the platform goes away. They are also portable, so I can use/re-use them wherever the a fore-mentioned file types work. Which, in the case of Collada, is more and more places.

 

This brings us to 3DVIA Scenes.

 

I wrote previously about this site and its great way of being able to share models in quite a few different formats.

 

SpaFon.com

 

Now they have a new program called ‘Scenes’. This program provides a virtual space where you have an avatar, a chat interface, and a place to set up a virtual scene with models you create. It is just as format friendly (3ds, obj, Sketchup, VRML, etc) as their other program and surprisingly simple to use. You get a choice of pre-made spaces like a grassy area or a winter scene with snow and background. Once you have chosen the scene base you can import your models, or choose from thousands of other objects and models shared by other members. You first import the model, then you can position it, re-size and rotate it to look best in your scene. Other people can visit your scene and you can chat with them. You can collaborate on design by allowing others to add/subtract form your scene or move things around. Or, once your scene is set up the way you want it, you can lock down your objects so they can’t be moved or removed.

 

It is still in beta, so expect a few glitches. But all in all I have not found any. It does take some power to run though.

 

 

Here the requirements listed on their site:

 

·  

·                                 Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Windows Vista (SP1)

·                                 Windows Internet Explorer version 6 or 7, or Mozilla Firefox version 3.0

·                                 1GB or more of hard disk space

·                                 A 2.8 GHz processor

·                                 2 GB of system memory

·                                 256 MB video card (512 MB recommended) that supports OpenGL 2.0 and shader model 2.0 (with      OpenGL 3D hardware acceleration enabled)

·                                 A 1024×768 screen, 32-bit true color minimum, 1280×1024 or higher recommended

·                                 A 2-button mouse for easier navigation

·                                 A high-speed or broadband Internet connection

·                                 Nvidia or ATI graphic card recommended

 

 

My personal experience has been that on my weaker test machine:

AMD 3700+ 2.4GHz

Nvidia FX5200 128MB Card

1 gig of ram

TI connection

Windows XP Pro SP2

 

I experience lag when I go into my scene. On my stronger machine…

 

Intel Core 2 Quad 2.6Ghz

3.5 Gig of Ram

Nvidia 8800GT 640MB Video

Fiber Optic connection

Windows XP Pro SP3

 

… it works fine. No lag and it is smooth. Somewhere in the middle of that range should be good for most people. Bear in mind that in ‘Scenes’, as in a lot of virtual platforms coming out. The specs are aimed at the future of computing. As new machines come out and new operating systems and games appear, the power requirements go up. Now that hardware is cheaper, more power is cheaper too. I am still running XP. Your requirements will be different if you are running Vista or Windows 7. Also a dedicated video card is a good idea. Remember, if the card is part of the motherboard (integrated) it will use your ram to run. This is becoming less of a problem than it used to be though.

The Pluses for this platform are:

1- Open format for various 3D file types.

2- Protection of content through Creative Commons

3- Because of the open format your content can be created locally with your software of choice and shared globally. This makes your creations yours to control and makes them portable for other applications. (Something you CANNOT do with in-world tools.)

4- Ease of use.

The Minuses are:

1- Basically the power required to run it. Not everyone has a gaming level machine.

2- Still in Private Beta, so you have to request to use it.

 

A few things to note. You have to be a member of the site in order to try it, but the membership is free and worth it. It is a great community of creators and can be very nurturing to those just starting out in 3D modeling. With the combination of available models, the ‘Shape’ program, which is also free and ‘Scenes’, your creativity can really take off and flourish.

 




3DVIA

There are quite a few websites available where you can sell or give away the 3D models you create. There are also sites such as Renderosity where you can share renders, etc of your work. But, the most interesting variant of these, in my opinion, is 3DVIA.

 


3DVIA enjoys a kind of dual personality. To start with, Dassault Systemes, the company that provides this site, has an impressive line of software, some of which is focused on producing virtual experiences on and off line.

 And the website provides a platform to upload, view and download 3D models.

 

The 3DVIA site itself serves a two fold purpose. A place to share your work with others, and to showcase Shape, a 3D modeling program that has a Sketchup feel to it and utilizes the 3DXML file format.

I am an amateur 3D modeler. Like a lot of amateurs, it is sometimes hard to put your stuff out there in an arena where there are people that do it professionally and are good at it. When I first stumbled across 3DVIA I saw it as a site to upload and share 3D models. I looked around and signed up, not knowing what to expect. I uploaded a simple model and that was it. Later I noticed an email that someone had commented on my work and went up to see what was said. To my surprise, it was a positive comment! This prompted me to look further into the site and observe that there was a lot of positive critique and commenting going on and more importantly, it was on work from all levels of expertise. This, in turn, encouraged me to submit more work.

Fast forward to now. There are all levels of modelers that upload to 3DVIA. Sometimes, on sharing sites and boards, there tends to be an “Elite Core” of creators that look down on people of lesser skill. Not here! I have received praise and encouragement from other modelers that in my opinion are professional level. What this creates is an atmosphere of safety for those that are just learning, middle level amateurs like me, and experienced creators to share tips with and suggestions to each other that help to make us all better at our mutual passion.

Here is how it works in a nutshell. The site uses the 3DVIA Player, which allows the model to be viewed in real time. It can zoom in, rotate, pan etc. It also provides different shader filters to view the model in and can be embedded in you own site just like a You Tube video. First, you can create your model in pretty much in any program you happen to prefer. The site accepts .3ds, .obj, .dea, .stl, vrml, .ply, .off and .kmz file formats.

 

It then converts a copy to its own 3DXML format for the online player while saving the original file type for download. You have to create an account on the site and then you can upload a model. You have to create a zip file if you are going to include textures with the object. You can download models that are uploaded there if the creator allows it (most do) in its original format. All creations, including your own, are copyrighted through Creative Commons and most can be used non-commercially. You can, however choose not to do this without losing the ability to upload it. There are 2 ways to share objects though. The second one is next…

 

3DVIA Shape. There is something exciting about being a participant on the ground floor of a new concept. The users input are right there along with what they create with it. This really helps speed along the process and allows the program designers to adjust quickly in developing a product. The people who oversee the site are helpful, encouraging and show an honest desire to nurture beginning creators, people trying to learn Shape, and even learn from others who upload to the site.

Once you have created an account you can download Shape. It is free to use. Once you have installed and launched it you login with the same user name and password you use for the site. It works seamlessly with the online site. As I said before, it feels a lot like Google Sketchup in the way it works. Here is the twist though, you can download any of the models on the site that allow it (most do) directly into Shape and create a new scene using them. The scenes can then be uploaded directly to your account on the 3DVIA site. It is just that simple. You can also model new creations with Shape. The only limitation is that there is no local saving of the work. It can only be uploaded to the site as their file format. There are tutorials and blogs to help you learn how to use the program.

 




Along with all of this, there are competitions that offer prizes and top ten lists help everyone to strive to be better and excel.

 


I am sure that some will say the site exists merely to advertise their products. And, it might be true. But thousands of users seem to be having a good time and learning. So I say, so what? Your content is protected just like other sites, you can’t sell models there, but you can have fun and get positive feedback on your work. Works for me.