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.
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
·
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
My personal experience has been that on my weaker test machine:
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
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.
Recent Comments