X3D Icons (Read more...)

I have done these icons for your X3D files, slightly inspired on the ones that Bob Crispen offered years ago for VRML.

You can use for anything you like but please give a credit if you incorporate them into something, commercial or not.

You can modify them if you like, but giving a credit. A link back in your credits page may be OK if you have a website, or in your About if you use them in a program, for example.

The file includes 16x16 and 32x32 versions of this icon in PNG, GIF and ICO formats, as well as PSD (Photoshop) files.

Click here and download all the icon pack.

Aqualand: Aquatic Didactic World (Read more...)

Following with the historical links of the oldies of VRML, here's Aqualand, the undersea world that was made to teach about fishes years ago.

As in previous posts we were talking about sea creatures in 3D, here's a didactic world made in VRML that tells you about fishes and takes you through a virtual tour at the same time. A must-visit.

http://vrml.fornax.hu/aqua/

Here you can see a screenshot:

David R. Nadeau Courses (Read more...)

David R. Nadeau courses are a good old resource for VRML. Although VRML worlds can't reach the visual quality of X3D and these are very old examples, they are still valid to learn VRML. In next posts we will show what good X3D programming can do.

David R. Nadeau was one of the big figures in the early times of VRML.

He wrote an excellent book with Andrea L. Ames and John L. Moreland, called "The VRML Sourcebook".


The book can also be read online, or if you prefer to read it on paper, purchased at Amazon (VRML 2.0 Sourcebook, 2nd Edition).


Many of the conferences slides and examples of VRML worlds that he used to introduce VRML 2.0 and the firsts examples of 3d worlds in this language were done by him in the years that go from 1996 to 1999.


His VRML worlds illustrate simple notions and at the same time they have a good appearance.


His courses can be downloaded from this url: Nadeau courses. Download them, browse them, and use them as a quick reference of examples.

Underwater World (Read more...)

The world under the sea has been a constant source of inspiration for many 3d artists.

I talked about the excellent resource that Toucan Virtual Museum is, with its abundance of models of fishes.

Here you are 3 videos that show some of the real creatures, always mysterious and magic, that inhabit the sea, like those at Toucan Museum. Maybe this inspires you to make stunning undersea worlds.

Under the Sea (Eileen Wagerly)

"A city under the waves,

To explore it's secrets would be brave,

Colors unseen,
Red orange yellow and green,
Places in the depths
We can not yet reach (...)"

How To Visualize X3D And VRML Worlds (Read more...)

For watching VRML and X3D files (worlds), there are 2 good browsers available. There are many more, but these two are my recommendations. I suggest you to install both: Flux and Xj3D.

Flux Player is a free X3D and VRML viewer that works as a plugin in Internet Explorer and Firefox. It is useful for seeing simple 3d worlds within your browser. Sometimes it hangs with big worlds.

Xj3D is an standalone Java browser for X3D and VRML. It can be used to load 3d worlds locally or through Internet. Its console of errors gives understandable messages if you do something wrong when building your worlds. So it's ideal for the worldbuilder.

Xj3D also follows the X3D spec closely, as their builders are Web3d.org people. Xj3D can also be used as a library to build Java applications that include a 3d window, having LGPL license.

Thus, the uses of Xj3D are:

• Watching complex and big X3D and VRML worlds.
• Program in X3D and build error-free worlds.

So I recommend you to install both. Use Flux Player as quick plugin for IE and Firefox, and Xj3D for "serious" worldbuilding and big worlds.

Toucan Virtual Museum (Read more...)

Toucan Virtual Museum offers a series of 3d models available for free that you can access both in 3ds and vrml formats.


Toucan Museum is an excellent resource to download 3d models of fishes, plants and insects. As they say:

"These items may be used on any website, including those for businesses. You may modify any of the content as you like. Selling content on the web or by other media and redistributed is prohibited."


So you can incorporate them in a 3d world, a render or elsewhere, for free.
There is also a preview in VRML so you can watch them in the site. The way to download VRML files is download the .wrl file.


Visit the Virtual Museum here:

http://toucan.web.infoseek.co.jp/3DCGE.html

A Book For Learning X3D (Read more...)

I talked about what were X3D and VRML, and referenced Web3d.org as a good source to learn X3D. But anyway, it may be difficult to learn from the technical papers that are there. To learn quicker and easier, a book would be a good tool.

Even though X3D is quite young, we can find a good book that was written by two of the most skilled figures of Web3d. They are Don Brutzman and Leonard Daly.
They wrote together this book: X3D: Extensible 3D Graphics for Web Authors.

The book covers most of the different nodes (parts of the 3d scene) that X3D has, and explains in plain language many concepts. It s thought for those who are just computer users, from the novice to the expert.

It has illustrations of all the concepts explained. It covers from the static geometry that doesn't move to how to make animations, scripts, lights, textures, colors...

Although many of what's needed to learn X3D is in the web for free, this is a good purchase. If you are searching for a book to read comfortably and start doing worlds, or as a reference, that helps you to start right now, this is your book.

It is available in some local libraries, and also in Amazon. You can see its details here:

X3D: Extensible 3D Graphics for Web Authors


Recommendations
After 70-528, a number of professionals who already have 650-393 to their credit, move on to PMI-001. Those who have not done 70-284 yet, still have to clear 640-801 before any other exam.

X3DV Module Suite For Netbeans IDE (Read more...)

Current Version: 2.0
© 2008 by hiperia3d.com ®  Author: Jordi R. Cardona.

The X3DV Module Suite is a free set of modules to code in X3D and VRML, the open standards for interactive and immersive 3D on Internet. With it, you can create virtual worlds in 3D, using the great edition features of Netbeans. 

SourceForge Project (download, forum, bugs, support):

https://sourceforge.net/projects/x3dvmodule/

The install process is described in a txt file inside the zip packages.

Requirements:

Netbeans IDE. Download it here.

Suite Includes:

• Language and files support for X3DV
• Language and files support for VRML
• Code Palette for X3DV
  

Feature List:

• You can edit and create new X3DV files inside Netbeans.
• With the 2.0 version, you can also create and edit VRML world files.
• Brackets and quotes completion.
• Icons for X3DV files and VRML files.
• Syntax coloring that makes editing easier.
• A practical palette of x3dv code that will make you build worlds faster.
• A button to show the palette.
  

License:

LGPL, thus free for commercial and personal use. You can also incorporate it as part of a personal or commercial project.If you are a developer, respect the LGPL license, and report any improvement you make to the modules.

If you like this project and want it to continue growing, or if your business, project or 3d artwork uses it, consider making a donation. By donating to this project any quantity (from $5 to $250), even if it's small, you benefit yourself too.
By donating through this button, your donation will be registered and eventually displayed in this projects donors. If you prefer to donate directly through PayPal, you can do it here.

Click this button for making
a secure donation
via PayPal and SourceForge

Product Detail:

Netbeans is one of the main free programming editors in the market. It can be used to program in many computer languages (PHP, Java, C++...). 
On the other side, VRML and X3D allow you to create 3D virtual worlds.

The Netbeans X3DV Module Suite is for editing X3D inside Netbeans, in classic VRML encoding (with .x3dv extension). The classic VRML encoding is very easy to read and understand.

You can install all the modules, or just those that you like, as they are independent.
An extended explanation of the Module Suite is available here.

What Is Twitter? (Read more...)

Twitter is a micro-instant messenger, or a micro-blogging tool, or both, depending on how you use it.
You can send small messages to Twitter, and read the messages of other users too. Those messages are not longer than 140 characters.

When Twitter appeared, many saw that it was something new and full of potential, but there was no real use for it. But now, if you know how to use it, Twitter can be an useful tool for any web user.

The best way to use Twitter is grouped with Firefox and TwitterFox (an add-on for Firefox).
 
I have also tested many standalone clients for Twitter, and the best one (because of its ease of use) is Witty. It is very similar to TwitterFox but as it is standalone, you don't need to have Firefox or other web browser opened.

Both TwitterFox and Witty can can help you to:
- Know when your contacts are online.
- Know what they're doing in real time.
- Send them messages, private or public.

 What Twitter is not

Twitter is not a website promotion tool. Spamming and scamming through Twitter is useless. Trying to promote your site or products on Twitter is ineffective.

This is for 2 reasons: it is very easy to block someone that disturbs you, and Twitter closes those accounts that try to spam.

How To Block Someone In Twitter

You can recognize a spammer for some signs: follows hundreds or thousands of people but has few followers. In the right side of his/her twitter page, there is a text link that says "block". Just click on it to block this annoying user.

Usage Tips

• I recommend that you block every spammer that follows you on Twitter. This way, you stop the spreading of these users.
  
• Also, let others follow you but don't follow them if you're not really interested in what they say.
  
• When in doubt, block.
  
• Prefer quality of communications over quantity. Twitter can easily become crowded with conversations.

What Are X3D And VRML? (Read more...)

I've named X3D between the topics of this site. Sometimes you may also read that I name VRML.

In case you don't know what they are, let's start just talking about those two languages.

VRML is an easy language created to describe a 3D scene, where you can move and do things like you do in the real world, similar to a 3d computer game. Scenes are called "worlds" in VRML.
Many of nowadays' virtual worlds have their roots on VRML.
Clicking some things in a VRML 3d world makes you go to another 3d world.


VRML has evolved through time, and improved, and changed its name to X3D. X3D has many things in common with VRML, plus the improvements of modern graphics, and many new features.

You may read somewhere defamatory comments about VRML, and maybe in some future there may be some about X3D. But the fact is that they are only originated because both VRML and X3D are open standards that are free to use.
So I think other commercial solutions have attacked VRML in the past in benefit of their proprietary products.

VRML and X3D have many uses in medicine, industry, architecture, science...


A good place to start learning X3D is Web3d.org, the Web3D Consortium. In future articles I will post more information about X3D.

About (Read more...)

About The Author:

 Jordi R Cardona is a 3D modeler and photographer that started building virtual worlds in 1997, and now builds content for Poser and DAZ Studio. He also reviews books on 3D for Packt Publishing and is sponsor of 3DCreative Magazine, and 2DArtist Magazine, brands of 3DTotal. He was also named Netbeans Community Partner for developing language tools for X3D and VRML using the Netbeans Platform, and has a site, Hiperia3D News (news.hiperia3d.com) that is a respected, influential and popular source about 3D.
As a photographer, he studied in the IDEP School Of Photography And Design of Barcelona (Spain), one of the most prestigious private institutions in this country and abroad (Nikon Course of Digital Photography)

3D, Currently:
    * 3D Modeler since 1997
    * Builder and seller of 3D content for DAZ Studio at DAZ 3D ( PA name EmmaAndJordi)

Photography:
    * Finalized photography studies in the IDEP School Of Photography And Design of Barcelona (Spain), one of the most prestigious private institutions in this country and abroad (Nikon Course of Digital Photography)
    * 3rd place winner in the contest "New Beginnings In Nature" with his photo "New Beginnings", at DeviantArt, one of the most famous artists' networks.
    * Received the Amber Award from PhotoVotr
    * Featured several times in Renderosity's best of the week in the photography gallery

For Publications:
    * Reviewer for book publishing companies like Packt Publishing and No Starch Press.
    * Sponsor of 3DCreative Magazine, and 2DArtist Magazine, brands of 3DTotal.
    * Sponsor of 3D Hobby Magazine.

Membresy:
    * Netbeans Community Partner.
    * Member of the Association Of Virtual Worlds.
    * Member of the Content Creators Guild.

Art Groups:
    * Moderator of the Sculptris group at DeviantART.
    * Founder of GroBoto planet at DeviantART.

Past / Others:
    * Top Seller at Renderosity as a 3D content creator with my wife Emma Alvarez under the vendor name EmmaAndJordi.
    * Professional Diploma in Marketing
    * Master course "Close encounters with virtual reality and expert tips", directed by Carolina Cruz    Neira, Executive Director and Chief Scientist at the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE).
    * Immersive 3D worlds builder: Builder of 3D web environments in VRML, X3D, and 3DXplorer, with my wife Emma Alvarez, digital artist.
    * Developer of the X3DV Module Suite, a set of Netbeans IDE modules to code in X3D and VRML, the open standard for interactive and immersive 3D on Internet. It is listed in the Web3D Consortium Developer Tools Index.
    * Been in the top 100 finalists of the Netbeans IDE 6.1 Blogging Contest for a tutorial on how to develop language support modules for Netneans IDE.
    * Developer of NppX3D, a project composed of language files for Notepad++ to add support for X3DV and VRML syntax highlighting and autocomplete functions.
    * Founder and administrator of one of the biggest Yahoo groups of VRML, X3D, and Virtual Reality, from 2002 to 2008 (Virtual Reality Yahoo). Appeared in a remarkable computer magazine, and linked by some Universities' websites.
    * Koinup Media Partner. Koinup is the biggest social network for virtual worlds.


Background:

Beginning: VRML And Immersive 3D

My name is Jordi R. Cardona.
Since I was a child, I always felt a big interest for 3D, in the times when it was just fractal landscapes in a C64 screen.

Years ago, I entered in the VRML world via a book that gathered the lessons of SIGGRAPH 98 Conference and a site called LucidSpace, and made some friends in virtual worlds.
I took some time learning to master that language, and developed many code snippets and examples, and a big harvest of links.

With all that, I founded a group of VRML and Virtual Reality and I have administered it since the year 2002, until year 2008. It became one the biggest Yahoo groups of VRML, X3D and Virtual Reality.
That project and its official website tried to increase the interest in VRML (the Virtual Reality Modeling Language). It was named in a remarkable computer magazine of my country, and linked by some Universities' websites.

Years later I became interested in virtual reality and took a master course ("Close encounters with virtual reality and expert tips") about virtual reality and VR software, directed by Carolina Cruz Neira, Executive Director and Chief Scientist at the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE).

My wife, Emma Alvarez, digital artist, always helped me with the aesthetic side of the 3D worldbuilding. Her artistic view and ideas have always been a great support for me in all my projects.

I am also the developer of the X3DV Module Suite for Netbeans. The X3DV Module Suite is a free set of modules to code in X3D and VRML. I have also developed a similar language pack for Notepad++, called NppX3D.

Currently: 3D Modeling

During all my life I had many skills that seemed not to be connected at all. As time passed, I realized that everything I liked, and everything that I did well was pointing to something: 3D modeling. Geometry, the study of minerals and shapes, photography, paleontology, history, geology, code hacking, animation, clay modeling, biology, computers... all lead to 3D modeling.

The important point in one's life is to recognize what you can do better and do it, and keep on learning all your lifelong.

My main occupation is 3D modeling and developing my own 3D products, in which I put my many skills in different areas, developed after years of learning, into action.

That, and specialized writing about 3D, and proof of that is that Hiperia3D News has become one of the most respected, influential and popular sources about 3D.


This Site: Hiperia3D News

I started this site to keep contact with the 3D community in general, and promote good sites of resources and knowledge.

I try to make simple what is complex, and select the essential of what happens in our topic, always trying to avoid the news that everyone has already heard, and selecting those that may be more innovative or interesting.

The name of this site is hiperia3d.com because one of my former projects was called that way, using the non-English spelling of the word hyperia, which means an over-stimulated state of perception. That project became very familiar to people from France, so it inherited the spelling with Latin "i".

It's my desire that this project would be one of your Internet tools to help you stay connected to the 3D community.

Welcome, and hope you enjoy your stay here.

Contact Info

E-mail:

• info@hiperia3d.com

• Twitter

•  Facebook

Collaborate With Hiperia3D (Read more...)

Do you like Hiperia3D News? You can collaborate with its growth in different ways:

Refer A News:
If you know about something related to 3D, virtual worlds, or virtual reality that may be relevant for us, include our email hiperia3d@yahoo.com in your list to directly send press releases.

Link To Us:
Text links: link to our home page or any article of your interest.

Reciprocal Linking:
I don't make reciprocal linking. But if you want to make a proposal that consists in a richer collaboration, e-mail me.

Offer Sponsorship:
Please check our Services page.

Services (Read more...)

Hiperia3D News reviews only good quality products. Bad products are simply not accepted, that's why there aren't negative reviews.
To be reviewed, your product must be relevant to our audience. Must be 3D-related, or be useful in some sense to people that deal with 3D, animation, texturing, modeling, render, digital art, virtual worlds, geometry, computers, or similar. In case of doubt, ask. 

For any offer, contact me at any of my e-mails:

info@hiperia3d.com
hiperia3d@yahoo.com

Book Review
I currently make book reviews for Packt Publishing and No Starch Press. I am also member of the DZone Review Team.
I can review books for you publishing company. In exchange, send me a review copy in phisical or pdf format.

Software Review or 3D Product Review
I may do a review of a software application or any other 3D product in exchange for a license, or a copy of the 3D product.

Affiliate Networks / Affiliate Programs
Hiperia3D News will join any affiliate program that may be relevant for our audience and matches a good quality. Our articles usually have affiliate links, but always to products of great quality and related to our readers.
I am member of several affiliate networks. Just ask.

Be An Affiliate Of My Renderosity Store
You can do it just joining the Renderosity affiliate network. Link to my products using your affiliate number and you will earn money everytime someone purchases my products or the others'.

Want To Sponsor This Site?
As people nowdays seem not interested in purchasing banners or links, I don't sell them.
Anyway, if you are wanting to support Hiperia3D News in some way, we may discuss a collaboration agreement that benefits us all.

Press Releases (Read more...)

To send a press release to be published at our site, send it to: info@hiperia3d.com
Not all press releases will be published. Please send only news related to our topics (3d, virtual worlds, render).

You can use screenshots of our site to refer to us in your articles, blog posts, or printed newspaper/magazine or Internet/TV materials.

To use any short paragraph or quote, please attribute to "Jordi R. Cardona (Hiperia3D)", and add this hyperlink to Hiperia3D News:
http://news.hiperia3d.com/

To schedule an interview, email me to any of these emails:

info@hiperia3d.com

hiperia3d@yahoo.com

Hiperia3D News boilerplate:

About Hiperia3D News
Being one the main sites to be informed on what's happening on the 3D universe, Hiperia3D News covers all kind of information and activity that is related to software, hardware, resources for scenery creation, 3D models for render applications (such as Poser or DAZ Studio), render art, 3D art, worldbuilding techniques, 3D printing, 3D modeling, interviews with experts, immersive virtual worlds, and 3D web languages like X3D.

Hiperia3D News (http://news.hiperia3d.com/) is a Netbeans Community Partner, a Koinup Media Partner, and member of the Association of Virtual Worlds, and sponsor of 3DTotal Magazine. Having a well respected position in the universe of 3D and virtual worlds, has interviewed many personalities and CEOs of related businesses, associations and software projects.