This interesting article is about the possibilities that Blue Mars may suppose a real competitor for Second Life. The author thinks it won't. Read it to know the reasons.
Photo of Blue Mars by plastichansa
Will Blue Mars Be A Competitor For Second Life?
|
This interesting article is about the possibilities that Blue Mars may suppose a real competitor for Second Life. The author thinks it won't. Read it to know the reasons.
Photo of Blue Mars by plastichansa
Simulated 3D Maze Made With JavaFX
|
This is an example of JavaFX that makes a 3D labyrinth. This is not real 3D but simulated. Source code is not available yet, but will be.
The demo includes atmospheric sounds.
http://www.jfxia.com/JFXDemos/3DMaze/index.html
Unity Indie Now Free: Make Games And Virtual Worlds
|
The package that was called Unity Indie and now is called simply "Unity" will be free for developers of virtual worlds and games that generate less than $100,000 a year.
In their License page they say:
Unity is a set of browser plugin (very small, 3 mb), and toolkit to make games and virtual worlds.
For modelers, Unity can read .FBX, .dae (Collada), .3DS, .dxf and .obj files.
This news appeared on this past 28th on Virtual Worlds News, and is now live. You can go to Unity's site and download your copy of Unity and start developing virtual worlds and games with it for free.
Unity was used in the development of Nurien as explained here.
3DTotal Announces its new FREE Texture And Reference Image Library
|
3DTotal would just announced today their brand new Texture and Reference Image Library – a fantastic FREE archive of high-resolution images featuring 12,500 royalty free photos currently available to everyone without any download limitations.
Example photo
Here’s what you can do:
But you can't sell, redistribute or bundle the images in any way (apart from modifying and bundling with a 3D model).
The library is currently in beta version. Express your feedback about this brand new feature, and let them know your thoughts about this free service: Please use this forum thread to post your feedback.
Our Twitter Lists Just Founded: 3D Art, VRML/X3D, 3D Modeling, Virtual Worlds
|
Twitter is launching a beta feature called List that will serve as groups to put twitter users with some interest in common together.
I have just founded some for my use, but feel free to join them, follow them and make yours.
If you make or have some group related to 3D, virtual worlds, 3d modeling or 3D art, just let me know so I can join, and say it in the comments so more can join too.
@hiperia3d/art-in-3d -- For 3D art
@hiperia3d/vrml-x3d -- For X3D and VRML
@hiperia3d/worldbuilding -- For general worldbuilding
@hiperia3d/modeling-3d -- For 3D modeling
@hiperia3d/virtual-worlds -- For virtual worlds
DAZ Considers Licensing For 3D Games And Virtual Worlds
|
DAZ3D may offer a new service called DAZ Links: the huge catalog of 3D models from DAZ site may be available to be purchased for 3D games and virtual worlds.
In this moment, DAZ's content is licensed only for 2D works, render works and art in 2D, but not for real time 3D like games and virtual worlds. But DAZ may change this in a near future and offer licensing for these.
3D Modelers that sell in their marketplace may be benefited from this by getting higher revenue.
The reasons for this are announced in DAZ's forum:
This video gives you hints about this too:
DAZ3D wants the opinions of game developers and virtual worlds developers, both individuals, small companies and big businesses.
Please take a few moments to take a short survey:
http://survey.daz3d.com/index.php?sid=77755&lang=en
If you are a member of game development communities, feel free to share this survey link with those that may be interested in using DAZ 3D content in their game and virtual world projects.
Vivaty In Flash: For Mac And No Plugin
|
Did you know that Vivaty is now available to Mac users or even to those who don't want to install a plugin?
Read about this in Vivaty Blog.
It is also interesting to read the comments of the entry because it contains reflections about the web standards, Flash, and how they complement each other.
Evolver Exhibits at Unite Conference
|
Aliso Viejo, CA (October 27, 2009)-Evolver, the easy-to-use web interface for building and customizing 3D character models and avatars, will be at the Unite conference being hosted by Unity Technologies, the leading provider of the multi-platform game development platform for Web, PC, Mac, Wii" and iPhone.
Unite is taking place October 27-30, at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, CA.
"The Unity platform and its community of developers are served incredibly well by Evolver's strengths, and our participation at the Unite event is most welcome," said Evolver CEO, Brian Nilles. "Evolver has taken the formerly very complex and time consuming process of 'modeling' and 'rigging' a 3D character and turned it into a process which can be done by anyone in just a few minutes. Any Evolver character can then be integrated into projects developed in the Unity game engine to help developers save significant time and production costs."
Evolver's 3D character generator launched in July and provides both professionals and consumers with the creative freedom to design and build highly customized 3d human models on the fly. The tool is entirely web based, allows users to start with assets available on the site, or a photograph to produce a version of themselves, and then automatically produces an animation ready version of the new avatar design.
For the professional, the complete custom character can be purchased
royalty free for just $39 - or $69 with 77 blend shapes ready for facial
animation.
Evolver also offers a "white label" version for developers who wish to make
Evolver their own 3D character generator available to their audience.
Users create and customize their models in a custom branded version of
Evolver, then they are delivered completely automatically using a
server-to-server delivery system.
At the Unite conference, developers, artists and publishers from around the
world will come together for a few days to learn more about Unity - a
professional solution that combines a full development platform with a 3D
game engine in an integrated software package that enables high performance 3D interactive content - and how to get the most out of it. For more information about Unite visit http://unity3d.com/unite/
Evolver is the flagship product of Darwin Dimensions Inc., the first
solution to bring together complex 3D modeling, consumer ease of use, and
fully interoperable avatars. Evolver provides a central portal to design,
manage and transport digital avatars that can be deployed in virtual
worlds, online games, social networks and professional animation and
pre-visualization projects. For more information visit www.evolver.com
3D Printing Your Spore Characters
|
In case you missed it, have a look how Shapeways Blog tells how one of their users (Eric Finley) is exporting his characters from the game Spore and tweaks them to be printed in 3D with Shapeways.
Photo by darkripper
This is because Spore can export to COLLADA, a file format that Shapeways can use.
Read the article and see the video to get an idea on how was this done.
Java 3D Games With Netbeans IDE
|
If you're a Netbeans IDE user you should not miss this article of the Netbeans wiki that says how to use the open source jMonkeyEngine for coding 3D games:
http://wiki.netbeans.org/Java3DGamingWithNetBeans
is not Drag'n'Drop, you have to code everything by hand, but the quality of the result makes it worth to be patient and learn it.
Have a look at these 3-D apps created with jMonkeyEngine in this video:
Search Inside Second Life Or OpenSim
|
Metaverse Ink is a search engine that allows you to search inside Second Life or Opensim. Just type and select where to search and it will show you different links, with images when possible.
Turn Your Laptop or Desktop Into a Tablet PC
|
Digital Inspiration tells us about an innovative product that simulates a digital tablet with screen, a tablet PC. This way you can use your monitor and this device and emulate an expensive Tablet PC
http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/11/turn-your-laptop-or-desktop-into.html
2D Or 3D Games With Netbeans And LWJGL
|
Gaanza tells us how to set up Netbeans IDE correctly to work with the games java library LWJGL (http://lwjgl.org/).
The Lightweight Java Game Library (LWJGL) is a solution aimed directly at professional and amateur Java programmers alike to enable commercial quality games to be written in Java.
LWJGL provides developers access to high performance cross-platform libraries such as OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) and OpenAL (Open Audio Library) allowing for state of the art 3D games and 3D sound. It is licensed under BSD.
Sweet Home 3D: Plan And See Your Home In 3D
|
Sweet Home 3D is a free interior design application that helps you place your furniture on a house 2D plan, with a 3D preview.
16 Top Augmented Reality Business Models
|
PersonalizeMedia published a very long but easy to read and interesting article about augmented reality, with videos of example. Don't miss it:
http://www.personalizemedia.com/16-top-augmented-reality-business-models/
New Open Source 3D Engine For Games And Virtual Worlds
|
Syntensity develops Intensity Engine, a 3D engine for virtual worlds and 3D games of high quality. It is available for Linux, Mac and Windows.
They're in open beta, and are also looking for C++ coders and people that may help them with business development.
Their page explains:
It is written mostly in C++, with Python for high-level code and JavaScript for game logic. It is cross-platform: Windows and Linux are supported for both client and server (OS X support should arrive as soon as we find a maintainer).
The license is GNU Affero GPL 3.0 (AGPL). They say that they "do not consider your games/activities/content to be 'derivative works' of the engine", so you can license your virtual game or 3D game as you wish.
The engine accepts models in OBJ file format.
Koinup SHOOOT Awards
|
The prize of the SHOOOT Awards is a fully sponsored trip to attend SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 in Yokohama, Japan.
You must create your own movies from either your favorite 3D game or virtual world and submit your work to Koinup.
Hurry, deadline is 25 October 2009!!!
Read more on Koinup Blog and here.
Flyar: Twitter Through Augmented Reality
|
Flyar is a free Twitter visualization application that uses Augmented Reality and gesture interaction.
Flyar uses your webcam to create an augmented reality image where birds fly or hang around tree branches and fly towards you to deliver tweets.
You can watch this video to quickly visualize how it works:
Second Life Opens Their Community Partnership Program
|
Second Life starts their community partnership program, that basically consists in this: your community makes things that are good for Second Life like attracting people to join, events that are attractive, etc, and they give you something in return, like giving you the land or something you need.
Read more about this in SL Blog.
Shapeways Launches Metal Contest: Win 3D Prints
|
You must make a model that can be made on metal through the 3D printing service of Shapeways. So join Shapeways.
Photo by mattfoster
You have until October 20 to enter the contest. There will be 9 winners in 3 categories: Art, Technology, and Jewelry.
Winners will be announced at Dutch Design Week on the 25th of October, and they will get $200 in 3D printing for first place in a category, $100 for second place and $50 for third place.
Read this entry for extended information and ask about the contest.
3D Tutorials And News From DZone
|
3D Tutorials and cool 3D articles, good for developers. This is a selection of links to articles in blogs that are in Dzone. If you use Dzone, give them some votes.
Away3D Basics 6 - Bitmap materials
Demo of Away3D to set materials
Walks through the making of a 3D engine using JavaScript and jQuery.
Ever wanted your tag cloud to resemble a ball? Of course you did. This tutorial will walk you through how to create a Sphere in jQuery.
O3D Programming Tutorials - Primitives and Materials
This free tutorial shows you how to work with primitive 3D objects and apply a simple bitmap material. Demo and source code included.
O3D Programming Tutorials - Terrain Demo
Learn how to create 3D terrain with the Google O3D plugin and this free tutorial. Demo and source code included.
Flash Papervision 3D - 3D Animation Using Cube Class | Part 1
Its a nice 3D rotation type of effect, you can say it a sort of 3D animation. The cube will rotate around the camera according to your mouse movements, to give an illusion of 3D rotation.
3D in Flash taken to the next level!
Five3D Programming Tutorials - Drawing
Learn how to draw Five3D 3D shapes at runtime. Demo and source code included.
DAZ Studio 3 Plugin SDK And Script Dev Kit Available For Free
|
DAZ Studio 3 Plugin SDK and Script Development Kit are now available for free. The first allows you to create plugins for DAZ Studio in C++ and the second is for writing scripts in ecmascript (javascript, almost the same) for DAZ Studio.
Done with DAZ Studio. Photo by myvirtuallady
You can get both of them for free. This is to encourage people to develop plugins for DAZ Studio and Scripts.
Remember that you can sell the scripts and plugins you make, if they reach a decent quality, in DAZ's marketplace. So if you develop something good, be smart and sell it. Get some money, don't give valuable tools for free. This is good for us all, and motivates you to continue being a good developer.
Go, join DAZ3D and get
and
The Activeworlds 2009 Community CY Awards
|
MaxPoly of Virlands has sent this news to be published here at Hiperia3D News. The CY Awards for 2009 are coming, and you can't miss this important and fun event in ActiveWorlds.
If you are on the Association of Virtual Worlds, you can also visit the associated event here. If you like you can also read our chronicle of the last year's CY Awards.
Don't miss it!
Photo-Tutorial: How To Get The Step UP! Pack
|
This is a visual guide on how to wear the orange ribbon to help the Step UP! campaign.
I was unable to get the pack in-world, so better get it at XStreet.
The easiest way is to go to XStreet, login with your Second Life name and password and then enter Second Life to take what you purchased.
Get it for free at XStreet here: tinyurl.com/ydlpely
Then, enter Second Life and you'll get a message similar to this:
Drop it, click it, and select "Open".
Inside it, you'll find text documents to read, a logo for you to use in objects as texture, and the ribbon.
In this photo, I wear it on the chest and used the orange texture of Step UP! for my shirt:
Life On Line Episode: New Series
|
The new episode of Life On Line is out.
As you know, Life On Line partnered with us. So if you look in our sidebar, you'll find the Life On Line latest episode. When a new episode is launched, it will be automatically updated and you'll be able to watch it here in your favorite 3D site, Hiperia3D News.
Vote Your Fav Machinima On Artists Guild
|
The Guild has been hard at work producing their first Machinima Award. If you haven’t watched the machinimas yet, visit the Machinima Award 2009 site (http://mag-award-2009.ning.com) and check them out.
One of the videos of the art category "Robotic Love"
These are the links to the groups to vote:
ART - http://slmachinimaarts.ning.com/group/theartawardballotforthe2009ma...
DRAMA - http://slmachinimaarts.ning.com/group/dramaballotforthemagawards2009
FUN - http://slmachinimaarts.ning.com/group/thefunawardballotforthe2009ma...
LOVE - http://slmachinimaarts.ning.com/group/theloveawardballotforthe2009m...
NEWBIE - http://slmachinimaarts.ning.com/group/thenewbieawardballotforthe200...
The voting begins at midnight tonight and the online voting will continue through October 11, 2009. October 12 finalist will be announced, and the show will be on day 17.
Step UP! Campaign: Help Stop Content Theft In SL
|
Step UP! is a campaign against the wholesale theft of sims and content in Second Life.
The Content Creators Association organizes a campaign in magazines, TV, Internet media and inside Second Life to stop theft of content and make people think about the value of intellectual property.
Toxic Menges has made this machinima to help the campaign:
There will be a special celebration day, that will be November 5. In that day, that will be called "Step Up! Day", no one will upload textures to the Grid.
This is to call the attention of Linden Lab on this problem and make a display of the power of content creators.
The day will end with bonfire parties all around the sims that help in the campaign. Feel free to organize your own festival or party of "Step Up! Day".
You can get it for free at XStreet here: tinyurl.com/ydlpely
Or in-world at: Prim Perfect Main Offices, The Primgraph Press and Designing Worlds Studio (just follow the signs from the landing point to the DW studios and you’ll find it).
You can visit the official blog of the campaign and follow its RSS Feed. (Don't know what RSS is? Read this)
Official blog: http://stepupsl.wordpress.com/
RSS Feed: http://stepupsl.wordpress.com/feed/
There's also a community at Ning. Join it and also go to the groups tab so you can join some and use your skills or area of knowledge to help creators: http://step-up-sl.ning.com/
Don't upload any texture on the next November 5. Wear the ribbon, and join the parties of that day.
Halloween Contest At Renderosity
|
Renderosity organizes a contest for Halloween. The submissions can be in the categories of 3D/Animation, 2D/Photography, and Writing.
The deadline for submitting entries is Wednesday, October 14th at 11:59pm CST (Renderosity System Time) . The topic of the contest is "Don't Go In There". Read more about the contest.
There are thousands of dollars in prizes, including software from Autodesk, e-on software, ZBrush, Smith Micro and more
Shapeways Offers Big Discounts For Large Orders
|
Shapeways is making an experiment offering big discounts, ranging 25 to 75% for large orders (500-1000 dollars).
You have until October 10 to order and benefit of this.
If you have some kind of shop, or you want your 3D models printed in 3D to sell them physically somewhere, this is your opportunity.
I hope that Shapeways continues doing these initiatives, because this helps creators enormously. By offering this kind of discounts, businesses are encouraged to buy the creations of 3D modelers.
Hiperia3D News Recognized As Top Blog By The Daily Reviewer
|
The Daily Reviewer has selected Hiperia3D News as one of the top 100 blogs in the topic "Virtual Worlds".
This is how The Daily Reviewer describe themselves:
So I feel honored and very happy for this. Thank you to The Daily Reviewer and all those who read Hiperia3D News, because this success is possible because of your continuous support.
Nurien Will Be Browser-Based, No Client App Download
|
Nurien Software is now getting ready for full-scale launches in key international markets.
Users will be able to create visually rich 3D avatars, message and chat with friends and family and upload self-created fashionable clothing items. Consumers can also utilize their avatars and items they have developed to play advanced casual games with real friends from Facebook or MySpace. Current games include MStar (a music dance game) and Runway (a fashion show application).
Advanced casual games have been a mega success story in Asia due to faster broadband connection, monolithic PC install base and PC room/Net-cafe infrastructure. One of the biggest barriers in the U.S. market is download distribution and client installation, as these games are often more than 1GB downloads and the client is heavily dependent on PC specifications.
Another barrier is that most casual gamers in the U.S. want to play with their real friends online rather than making new friends “in world.”
As part of its U.S. strategy, Nurien intends to solve these problems by making the service web browser-based with zero download utilizing the Unity 3D engine, while keeping high fidelity graphics such as NVIDIA PhysX, and keeping great game play as expected from advanced casual games.
This is a demo of NVIDIA PhysX. See the body of the monster, that has an outstanding realism:
Unity-made games can be played inside a web browser thanks to the Unity Web Player Plug-in. The plug-in download is small (about 3 MB), auto-installs without a browser restart, and already has a 8-digit distribution. It works on all modern browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and most Mozilla-based browsers.
And this is how Unity 3D looks:
Nurien is also retaining the virtual goods micro-transaction business model that has been successful in Asia and receiving rapid adoption in U.S., but adding a marketplace for user-created content that have been successful in services such as Second Life and IMVU.
Prim Perfect Music Party At Second Life
|
Prim Perfect Magazine’s September issue focuses on the Islands of New England, featuring several articles about the community.
On this Thursday 8th October, starting at 6pm SLT, there will be three straight hours of music.
6pm – Cylindrian Rutabaga, the virtual representation of Atlanta singer-songwriter Grace Buford, performs a unique blend of folk, pop, blues, and soul wrapped in the phrase of modern acoustic folk.
7pm – FrankLee Anatra, a real world veteran performer for more than a decade, plays classic rock and originals, accompanied by his acoustic guitar for his SL audiences.
8pm – Harper Messmer blends pop, rock, and R&B into a musical arsenal of originals and covers from some of today’s top artists
Vue 7 PLE: Render And Animate 3D Landscapes For Free
|
Vue 7 PLE is a free version of Vue 7. It is called Free Personal Learning Edition because it's for non commercial use.
The Free Personal Learning Edition (PLE) is a fully functionnal version of Vue 7.5 Infinite/xStream (selection of Infinite or xStream is done during installation).
Here's a presentation video of Vue 7:
Vue is a rendering application in which you can create natural landscapes, and also import 3D models to be rendered inside these landscapes. You can also create animated films of your landscapes, but Vue is often used for renders.
You can save your work, render without size limit, and it never expires. As said, PLE is for personal, non-commercial use only, files cannot be exchanged with other PLE users and are not compatible with other versions of Vue, renders may be watermarked and carry a logo.
I must say that I tried Vue and could not make a decent and fast render. To be true, neither a slow and decent render. I have seen stunning images of renders made with Vue, so I suppose that you get the most of the application if you use the feature that it has to render a same scene using multiple computers. In that case, you can set rendering parameters to maximum. Anyway, a very powerful machine is recommended.