Happy New Years from 3Dwalkthroughs.com

3Dwalkthroughs.com would like to wish all of our family, friends and clients a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. We know that 2009 is sure to bring a lot of challenges, especially as we all try to navigate through the tough economic waters.

As a company we will continue to offer our high quality and innovative 3D Walkthroughs, 3D Floor Plans and 3D Rendering solutions. We also will be launching a few new products in the first and second quarters of 2009 that have not yet been seen in the United States...stay tuned.

New Stadiums Using 3D Seating Charts

As many of the new sports stadiums across the country are being introduced this year, I thought this story would be of interest. This particular story comes out of Kansas City, and pertains to the new 3D seating chart that will allow fans to explore the new features of the Kaufman Stadium scheduled for completion in 2009.

The new 3D seating chart allows fans to access a 3D view from any seating section within the stadium. The 3D seating chart provides panoramic views that allow visitors to control sightlines and zoom in to areas of interest.

Fans can access the new 3D seating chart of the stadium by visiting royals.com.

Source: The Fort Scott Tribune

3Dwalkthroughs.com is hopeful that this same technology will be implemented at the new Citi-Field, Yankee Stadium and Giants/Jets Stadiums. We have used this technology before and it really does help to get a good perspective of the view before making a purchase.

Innovative 3D Webcam

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a story about a British company, Minoru that has recently introduced an innovative webcam which offers a unique 3D experience. Unlike most webcams that capture regular photos, this new gadget captures still photos and live videos in 3D – which later could be sent over the internet to family and friends.

The new Minoru camera supports several video chat services (including MSN Messenger, AOL IM, and Skype) as well as standalone 3D video capturing and the finished videos can be uploaded onto YouTube. The three-dimensional effect is achieved thanks to the recipient’s “special” 3D glasses.

According to the company it will be on the market around December and will be priced under $100.Perhaps the Minoru webcam could be used to capture a humans movement and help promote a true 3D exergaming environment.

Source: The Future of Things

3D Monitor For Gamers Available in Select Retail Stores

3Dwalkthroughs.com is excited to try out iz3D inc's 22 inch 3D gaming monitor which has just been made available in select retail stores. iZ3D's gaming display products are now being offered nationwide in Fry's Electronics Incorporated® and Micro Center® stores.

"The move to retail is another milestone in our pursuit of bringing 3D to the home market," stated Thomas Striegler, CEO of iZ3D Inc. "Seeing games displayed with our 3D monitor startles the imagination and shatters memories of bad 3D from 1950s theatrical effects and headache prone shutter glasses," he adds.

"You have to see it to understand it the first time, and selling our 3D monitor though retail represents an inflection point for the emerging 3D industry," said Striegler. Previously the 3D monitor was only available in online stores making it impossible to try before buying.

Source: msnbc.com

The monitor appears to be selling at a suggested retail price of $399.00. We will let you know if it is as impressive as it sounds after we have a chance to try it...now we just have to find one of those specialty retail stores and hope that it is not as crazy as all the other stores are at the moment.

New York in 3D - Google Earth Style

3Dwalkthroughs.com has not visited NYC in google earth for a while, but after being alerted by an article on Information Week, we decided to stop by for a visit.

I must say, the 3D version of NYC in Google Earth has come a loooooong way in the last year. Basically, Google has completed nearly every building in Manhattan Island for Google Earth. Just fly to "New York City" and turn on the 3D Buildings layer in Google Earth.

Source: Google Earth Blog

As the 3D landscape of many US cites continue to get populated with very high quality 3D representations, we believe the usage of Google Earth is set to explode.

Apparently Google has filled in the gaps left by the modelers who created the rest of the 3D buildings in NYC. To view NYC in Google Earth, fly to "New York City" and turn on the 3D Buildings layer.

Playstation Home and 3D Social Gaming Communities

3Dwalkthroughs.com has not had the opportunity to officially test drive Home for the Playstation 3 but we do have high hopes for its potential. Home was just released this week in an open beta stage and has been getting mixed reviews.

The feedback thus far suggests that there is a lack of engaging content which was not as big of a deal when they were in a closed beta. With that said, based on the initial screen shots, the graphics look much better than any of the 3D virtual world platforms I have seen.

Once the quality of the content (I am sure it will improve) catches up with the level of 3D graphics, I believe this community will grow quickly.

We are interested in the Home platform as we believe that it will become a potential vehicle for promoting group exergaming communities. We predict in the near future, leagues, tournaments and other competitions will be held on platforms such as Home.

As motion sensor technology improves and games such as those promoted by Nintendo's Wii continue to evolve, the real exercise benefits that are derived from these games will improve as well.

It is time that we stop banging our heads against the wall and promote solutions to health and fitness that our youth can relate to...and this might mean video games.

The Playstation home platform is exciting because it can offer a support group of like minded individuals with similar interests and skill sets. This contrasts to the real world where youngsters are often turned off to exercise if they are not the most coordinated or talented athlete on the field.

I strongly believe that exergaming should only be utilized as a supplement to regular forms of exercise. For some, however, exergaming can help to build the confidence required to get started with a real world program.

Sony's 3D Social Networking Service To Debut Tomorrow

3Dwalkthroughs.com is anxious to test drive the "PlayStation Home" 3D social gaming community service for the PlayStation 3 which is set to debut worldwide tomorrow.

The free download of the basic service will enable gamers to create avatars and explore a virtual community where they can communicate via text or voice chat, play mini-games, watch videos and participate in special events.

PlayStation Home users will also be able purchase "entitlements" to run their own virtual community clubhouses.

"PlayStation Home is a social gaming service unlike anything else on the market and we are excited to be partnering with gaming and non-gaming partners to develop content that connects and entertains today's PS3 users like never before," said Susan Panico, senior director of PlayStation Network for Sony Computer Entertainment America.

Source: digital media wire

Personally I am curious to see the quality of interactive 3D graphics that have been integrated into Playstation Home. If the social aspects of this world match the 3D graphics we are expecting , social networking is going to be taken to a whole new level.

Not To Be Outdone, The NBA All-Star Game Will Air in 3D

As a follow up to a 3Dwalkthroughs.com post about the NFL airing one of their games in 3D, we just heard that the NBA will be following suit.

The National Basketball Association is teaming up with Turner Sports and a digital hardware and software provider to broadcast the U.S. sports league's all-star game in 3D in February.

The game, which will be shown live on Feb. 14 in 80 movie theaters in 35 states equipped with gear provided by Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp, is the first time an NBA game will be shown in 3D to a paying public across the country, the companies said on Tuesday.

Source: Reuters.com

The move to broadcast sports events in 3D will potentially help to combat a slump in ticket sales that could be spurred by the recession. The tickets to these 3D events would certainly be a lot less expensive than a regular ticket to attend the event live. In addition, movie theaters offering these 3D events will be able to better monetize their theaters during off-peak hours.

Of course the ultimate goal is to broadcast 3D to the home, but it appears we still have to wait for that technology a little longer.

Property Owners Are Offering Rent To Buy Options To Motivate Cash Flow

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a story in the NY Times about a strategy being employed by certain property owners to stimulate cash flow in the face of this deepening economic crisis.

The new strategy allows prospective owners to lease with the option to buy, using part of the rent toward the purchase.

Rent-to-own options, which come in many variations, have become increasingly common for developers in areas where home foreclosures are high, like Nevada, California and Florida. In most cases, the accumulated rent is used to lower the purchase price or to reduce closing costs. (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines generally preclude using rent money toward the down payment, mortgage experts say, because buyers need to prove that they can save on their own and thus qualify for a loan.)

The last time lease-purchase options were seen with any frequency in the New York area was in the late ’80s and early ’90s — a time when market conditions may have been even more dire than they are now, according to veteran real estate professionals, and certainly a time when interest rates were a lot higher.

Source: NY Times

To market this new strategy, property owners are using flyers and billboards encouraging people to test drive buildings and neighborhoods.

Somehow when I think of renting with an option to buy I cannot help but think of the scene in the movie Fletch when Chevy Chase's character is asked "if he owns rubber gloves?". Fletch says, "I rent with an option to buy".

Club Cooee - 3D Instant Messaging

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a pretty cool application developed by Alexander Jorias and Ingo Frick, veterans of the German computer game industry.

The application called Club Cooee is a 3D internet communication platform for teenagers who want to meet in a virtual reality to have fun and be creative together.

Club Cooee is an innovative and worldwide unique 3D messenger capable of depicting a realtime and live environment on the user’s Windows desktop – without a surrounding program window.

The Club Cooee 3D messenger client turns the depiction of avatars, rooms and items into a user-friendly interface in Windows Vista Widget style. Apparently it works just as well for Windows XP.

Users can network online and interact with each other in situations they build themselves. They can chat, watch movies and pictures, listen to music and more. Avatars, furniture items and other object are constantly being updated allowing users create their world according to their own tastes.

Sign Up Free Here to give it a test drive.

Image and Content Source: Club Cooee Website

Blitz Game Studios - 3D Video Games For Xbox and Playstation

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a story that will be very exciting to all of you gamers out there. Blitz Game Studios unveiled its world first proprietary technology showing true stereoscopic 3D games running on Xbox ® 360 and PlayStation ® 3 game consoles at the 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles.

Blitz Game Studio's CTO Andrew Oliver revealed the first of the series of games demonstrating how an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 can create games that replicate the full HD 3D experience.

In his speech Oliver said, "Many TV manufacturers are already selling sets capable of displaying 3D imagery and we envisage that these sets will rapidly gain popularity as content in the form of movies and games becomes available. Our technology allows for games to run in both 2D and 3D in one version - by simply flicking a 'switch' between them. It really has to be seen to be believed."

While I am not a gamer myself, I am still very interested to check out this 3D technology as I believe it will eventually be applied to other industries as well.

Source: Blitz Studios Website

Roam Interactive - An Australian Company With A Very Innovative Interactive 3D Interface (say that three times fast)

While reviewing some of our competition from across the globe, 3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an innovative company offering some very unique interactive 3D solutions.

Roam Interactive, based in Queensland, Australia has developed a proprietary real time technology called the Go AnywhereTM 3d engine and design tool which is specially developed for completely interactive project visualizations.

Roam Interactive's new technology not only raises the bar in terms of interactive 3D possibilities, it also offers cross media functionality such as brochure quality and even billboard size images that are ready instantly and in full quality.

But wait there's more...Roam Interactive also offers an interactive 3D interface called Multi-Touch. Here is a description of the Multi-Touch technology taken directly from their website: The natural and intuitive touch screen interface provides a natural way to explore the 3d environments. By simply touching a part of the development on the screen, the viewer can explore in detail. With the power of touch gestures, options are selected by swiping across the screen or simply flicking through a list. Three dimensional control is enabled with two fingers being used at once to perform 3d rotation and zooming within the environment.

Presentation systems can be setup from simple stand alone touch screen units to large theatre like presentation spaces. Incorporating this system into a project display centre means capabilities and customer impact far in excess of traditional tools such as looping videos and static physical models. Now the presentation of a development is available in a tailored and highly relevant manner. The system also includes instantly generated custom brochures and other personalisation features.

Image and Content Source: Roam Interactive Website

As we have mentioned in many previous posts, property development companies that are stuck with inventories they need to move are going to have to seek out innovative 3D solutions to stand out from the crowd.

Experience a Football Horsecollar In 3D

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an article on the Television Broadcast website about an invitation only event that will feature an NFL game filmed in 3D. This first of its kind event will be a good test to see if 3D technology will catch on as the premier way of watching sporting events.

The San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders will appear in a 3D simulcast for a select few in a first-of-its kind simulcast. The Dec. 4 gridiron match-up will appear in 3D-capable theaters in Boston, Hollywood and New York.

The National Football is working with 3ality Digital and RealD to produce the event. RealD makes the 3D cinema projection technology that dominates much of the market. It will provide access to enabled theaters and 3D-capable TV monitors so the anointed can see what football of the future will look like at home.

“The NFL has played an important role in the evolution of media and consumer acceptance of emerging technologies…” said Howard Katz, NFL senior vice president of broadcasting and media operations, in a press release. “This broadcast will be an exciting test of how 3D could affect fans’ experience in the future.”

Source: Television Broadcast Website

ICEvision - 3D Video Game Technology Used To Create Interactive 3D Walkthroughs

3Dwalkthroughs.com definitely has its interest piqued by a new product being launched by Canadian company Ice Edge Business Solutions. Their new product, ICEvision allows designers to explore their Revit or AutoCAD 3D models in a separate Dynamically Rendered 3D window.

Through their patented use of 3D video game technology, users can explore their model in a natural manner, simply by walking into their design and taking a look around.

Apparently ICEvision will be demo'd this coming week at an Autodesk trade show in Las Vegas. It will be interesting to hear the reaction of those attending the show.

Some of the features of ICEvision include:
- Dynamic 3D Renderings; not just static single view images
- Speed of design change is greatly enhanced due to separation of design and visualization functions
- Increased productivity; the ICEvision model does not halt or delay design operations
- Collaboration; send your ICEvision files to other users to view; even if they don't own Revit or AutoCAD

Source: Ice Edge Website

I am excited to sign up for a demo and test drive the ICEvision application. I would suggest taking a few minutes to look at the sample video on their website as it is quite fascinating.

3D Camera Soon To Become Mainstream?

3Dwalkthroughs.com read an interesting post on Gizmodo.com about a new camera soon to be released by Fujifilm. The camera, the FinePix Real 3D consumer was recently unveiled at the 3DX expo in Singapore.

The stereoscopic camera features two optical lenses, each with its own CCD, and a processor that syncs the two images to create a 3D image. On top of that, the screen on the camera is capable of showing 3D images without the stupid glasses, while a 3D printing solution will also be offered that allows you to view printed images in 3D from multiple angles.

Image and Content Source: Gizmodo.com

I am very curious to see the quality of the final product this new 3D camera produces. Assuming the price is somewhat reasonable, I can only imagine how this camera will be applied in the real estate industry. Seems like high resolution 3D photographs would be a much welcome complement to existing 3D assets and other property marketing tools.

New Upgrade To iPhone Allows For The Display of Google Street View

3Dwalkthroughs.com first heard about Thursdays upgrades to the iPhone on Wired.com. Two of the more exciting of these upgrades include remote podcast downloading and changes to the Google Maps application.

Remote podcast downloading enables users to download audio and video podcasts onto their iPhones with the iTunes app over a wireless connection. In the past, to get podcasts on iPhones, users had to download them onto iTunes on their computers and then connect the handset to sync the files.

The Google Maps app is now capable of displaying Google Street View, a mode that provides a 360-degree view of thousands of locations taken with cameras mounted on Google's cars. Also new to the Maps app are the abilities to look up walking and public transit directions, view addresses of dropped pins and share location via e-mail.

Source: Wired.com

Other Upgrades Include:
Enhancements to Maps
Google Street View
Public transit and walking directions
Display address of dropped pins
Share location via email
Decrease in call setup failures and dropped calls
Enhancements to Mail
Resolved isolated issues with scheduled fetching of email
Improved formatting of wide HTML email
Podcasts are now available for download in iTunes application (over Wi-Fi and cellular network)
Improved stability and performance of Safari
Improved sound quality of Visual Voicemail messages
Pressing Home button from any Home screen displays the first Home screen
Preference to turn on/off auto-correction in Keyboard Settings

Image and Content Source: Apple.com

3D Interactive Simulation Tool For Civil Engineers

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an article on MarketWatch.com about an Israeli company that has developed a 3D simulation tool targeting civil engineers.

Sivan Design, a leading provider of Civil Engineering CAD products and GIS-ERP integrated software solutions, announced December 1, 2008 as the official launch date for Civil Simulate, the powerful 3D interactive simulation tool providing an effective solution to the challenge of turning civil engineering design into 3D simulation.

The software is unique due to its ability to merge the design with an orthophoto and bring an accurate virtual reality 3D vision of complex structures like: junctions, roundabouts, parking lots, bridges, canals, etc. In addition, the designer can utilize the software to demonstrate aerial views while conducting interactive drive-through simulations in different settings, perform distance measurement and making visibility safety checks a breeze.

Image and Content Source: Sivan Design Website

I am sure members of our creative team will be amongst the first to test drive this new 3D application once it launches.

New Version of Google Sketchup To Help Do It Yourself 3D Modelers

3Dwalkthroughs.com just came across an announcement on Cnet News about Google's launch of an upgraded version of their 3D modeling software Sketchup. Like previous iterations of the software, SketchUp 7 will enable you to model just about anything you'd like as long as you start with a predesigned template.

The new version, released Monday, offers simple templates that help you gauge size through feet or meters, but it also includes architectural design, Google Earth, and a product design template to aid you in your modeling endeavors.

Source: CNET News

The new version of the software also integrates with Google Warehouse which provides 3D modelers with a large selction of pre-designed 3D models.

The pro version of the software definitely creates a final product that is more appropriate for professional presentations but the free version is good for hashing out concepts and giving beginners a good head start.

I will definitely be downloading the upgraded version of the software so we can determine how long before everybody is capable of designing high end 3D presentations...seems like the days are numbered:)

CyberExtruder - Generate a 3D Image of Yourself From a 2D Photograph

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a press release from CyberExtruder announcing that they have just received patents from both the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The patents, entitled “Apparatus and Method for generating a three-dimensional representation from a two-dimensional image,” protect the company’s process for automatically creating a 3D model of a person’s head from just a single 2D image.

The technology covered by the patents is used in the biometric security and animation and entertainment industries. In biometric security applications CyberExtruder’s system enhances facial recognition matching scores (particularly in surveillance applications) and mitigates the effects of facial expressions, a key degrader of facial recognition systems. A pilot program administered by the US Army with an eye towards developing a better lie detector demonstrated that the company’s system can also be used in automating expression recognition.

In addition to providing this system to the biometric and entertainment industries, the company is also leverage innovations in rapid prototyping technology to create hard goods, like cameos, personalized action figures and even individualized candy molds, which will be marketed directly to consumers via the internet.

Source: Pr-canada.net

CyberExtruders automated system renders the unique 3D shape of any individual from just a single photograph. Their technology is currently being used to create photorealistic 3D avatars to be used in 3D virtual worlds such as Second Life and There.com.

Image Source: CyberExtruder Website

What Is The Right Marketing Strategy in These Tough Times

3Dwalkthroughs.com is constantly reading stories of new development projects coming to a halt due to the current economic situation. For those projects that are already underway, there is a growing divide regarding the right marketing strategy to employ in this market.

It is our belief that the right strategy is to find a company that is able to devise a solution based on understandably tighter marketing budgets.

There are many ways to skin a cat and creating a marketing strategy that includes 3D walkthroughs, 3D floor plans, and 3D renderings is no exception.

In many cases utilizing actual photography, or existing models from our 3D library can help to significantly reduce the price of our end product. In other cases, simply becoming a little more conscious about the length of a presentation can also help to keep a project fit into a tighter budget.

If you are in need of marketing materials with that WOW factor but are concerned that your budget will not make you a candidate for our serivces, give us a shout and lets chat...you might be very suprised.

Rabbitholes - 3D Motion Holograms

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a story on wired.com about an interesting company from Canada with a technology called Rabbitholes.

A RabbitHole is a 3D Motion Hologram printed into a 2-dimensional film surface, which displays full-color 3D and action visible without special eyewear. More technically, a RabbitHole is a next-generation digital hologram that contains up to 1280 digital frames of CGI or video imagery.

Source: rabbitholes website

According to the article on wired.com, rabbithole is using its technology to create photo-realistic 3D holographic posters to promote movies. Last week, 10 U.S. theaters rolled out full-color 3D posters with motion and photorealistic detail to promote the movie How She Move.

To produce the imagery, RabbitHoles creates a 3D computer model of the object that will be turned into a hologram. A virtual camera takes snapshots at different angles, and a software algorithm developed by RabbitHoles calculates how light would bounce off each angle in the scene. The result is up to 1,280 different snapshots, or frames, that not only hold color, distance and angle info, but light patterns as well.

Source: wired.com

There are some very cool samples on the rabbitholes website. It is worth taking a look.

Winner of 3D Modeling Contest Announced

3Dwalkthroughs.com does not typically delve too deep into the world of 3D modeling for video games as it is a discipline all to itself. As part of our daily R&D, however, we came across an interesting contest that challenged both amateur and professional 3D modelers alike.

"The Battle of the Supermodelers" sponsored by GameRecruiter, is a 3D digital art contetst designed to support and promote students and professionals in the games community. The panel of judges reviewed completed 3D art from game artists around the U.S. who created original real-time character models of a monster, creature, robot or alien that might be found in a fantasy, sci-fi or horror game.

When you check out the winners gallery you will see how far graphics have come since the early days of Pong. The gallery can be viewed here>>

The Grand Prize Winner is Eric Claeys, Art Director for Suva Interactive, who offered “I've been drawn to fantasy and science fiction art as long as I can remember. My goal is dive into the industry as a creature/character modeler or concept artist - someday taking on more of a lead/directive role

Source: GameRecruiter

The Battle of the Super Modelers competition help illustrate how evolutions in technology coupled with a growing number of talented 3D modelers are taking video game graphics to unbelievable levels.

Sky News- Election Coverage in 3D

As everyone knows (hopefully), today is election day here in the United States. Regardless of the outcome, this years election will have historical ramifications.
UK based Sky News will be covering the election with specially designed 3D US election coverage content graphics.

Its ‘pool of polls’ content graphics employ textures, internal structures, architectural forms and space – a ‘convenient nod’ to the Sky corporate brand – while the Sky News brand features heavily and provides consistency, says Simon Buglione, Sky News creative director.

The background and ‘pool’ suggest Sky News’ Miami broadcast location, while 3D graphics rising up out of it indicate progress in the polls, swing states and movement on key electoral issues including the economy, energy and immigration.

The graphics will be used across television and the Web.

Source: Design Week

3Dwalkthroughs.com is intrigued by Sky News concept and will be checking their site periodically throughout the day to witness their 3D efforts. We were not able to find the relevant 3D graphics at the time of this post.

Alaris30 - 3D Desktop Printer

If you cannot afford to buy toys for Christmas this year due to the economy maybe you can just print them using the Alaris30 3D Desktop Printer from Objet. OK, that idea might be a little far fetched today but the reality of this concept might not be too far in the future.

The Alaris30 Desktop 3D Printer delivers a unique combination of high-quality, finely detailed printed models available in a compact office-friendly system. Creating smooth surfaces, complex geometries, small moving elements, fine details, stand-out text and whatever else the design demands.

The Alaris30 can be setup on a network where multiple designers can send their files to the printer. When a 3D file is received, the printer will feed the appropriate amount of resin into the tray, and the two printheads get to work by "carving" out the structure of the product. Once that is done, the resin is cured so it can be used immediately once out of the printer.

Sources: Cnet News and Object Website

Even though the printer can fit on a desktop it apparently is not that light, weighing in at about 183 pounds. As this technology evolves I imagine the printer will get much lighter and also less expensive.

Can you imagine the possibilities offered by being able to print physical models of design concepts? Perhaps 3Dwalkthroughs.com would be able to print actual replicas of new property developments.

Happy Halloween from 3Dwalkthroughs.com

3Dwalkthroughs.com would like to wish all of our friends, family and clients a very safe and Happy Halloween. The picture above was taken at a dog park near our house.

The turnout for this years canine costume competition was a little thin compared to last year. With that said, it was still pretty funny. Some of the costumes are so ridiculous that I could swear that some of the dogs were blushing. I think Halloween is the one time of year that a even a dogs unconditional love might waiver.

House Plans For Sale - Using 3D Animations To Help Close The Deal

3Dwalkthroughs.com just came across a press release from a company that is using 3D animations to help sell their pre-drawn home plans. The company, TheHouseDesigners.com, recently launched a re-design of their website which includes 3D animations of many of their best selling plans.

In addition to the interior and exterior photos, exterior renderings and live chat housedesigners.com have previously offered on their site, users cannow view a 3D animation of the complete exterior of the house.

Coming soon to this 3D collection is an interactive feature that will allow consumers to change exterior surfaces, windows and doors, roofing, lighting and much more to customize and envision their dream home before it's built. Consumers can sign up for the Dream Design newsletter to be notified when this new interactive feature becomes available.

Source: thehousedesigners.com website

It is our belief that companies such as thehousedesigners.com, who are willing to innovate in this tough real estate climate, will come out on the other side in a much better position. Companies that sit on the sidelines are going to be left behind.

3D Modeling and Active Gaming

As 3Dwalkthroughs.com has mentioned in previous posts, one of the biggest underlying themes of the Club Industry show in Chicago was the focus on the youth fitness movement. Many of the exhibitors we visited at the show were either launching brand new products geared towards this population or displaying upgrades to their existing lines.

During the show we had the opportunity to speak with the lead 3D modeler of the Xrkade company, Scarlett Burns. Xrkade is one of the leading names in the Active Gaming market and drew some of the biggest crowds at the show.

Scarlett was kind enough to give us a demonstration of a few of their new product prototypes. The first demo was a boxing game that utilized a motion sensing camera to tranlsate punches and kicks thrown by the user to the heavy bag on the screen. I was impressed by how sensitive the camera was in relation to my actual movement, and could totally see how 30 minutes of this activity could result in quite a workout. (As a side note, advances in motion sensor technology are happening very quickly and this will only improve the interactive experience exponentially)

The second demo was of a football game that utilized the same camera to translate a users movements to the actions of a quarterback. The demo of the football game also showed a lot of potential, although it was obvious that some of the kinks still need to be worked out.

The 3D modelling driving these new Xrkade games is quite impressive. Scarlett and her team have been able to achieve a very impressive level of realism considering the processing speeds that are required to make these games interactive.

Aside from a very cool use of 3D technology, we are extremely impressed with Xrkade because of the admirable nature of their cause. Youth obesity is rising at epidemic levels and companies like Xrkade who are attacking this issue head on should be praised for their efforts.

Extremely Realistic 3D Heart Animation

Did you ever see something that was so gross that it makes your teeth hurt? Well the following story is not quite that bad but it is close.

3Dwalkthroughs.com found a story about a 3D animation of a heart that was created by an animation company called Glassworks for the London Heart Hospital. The 3D animation shows an unbelievably realistic representation of the activitiy within a healthy heart.

The animation is helpful as it shows the heart cleaned up without all the blood and...I am making myself sick.

The animation can be found here>> at Gizmodo.com. I would like to say that this is one of those must see posts, but make sure you are not queezy before you watch.

3D Interactive Information Wall

If you have read our blog over the last few days you are aware that 3Dwalkthroughs.com took a trip to Chicago to promote Fitspott at the Club Industry trade show.

On our way back home, I was literally stopped in my tracks when I walked by a very cool 3D interactive display that passengers where using to check weather, news, sports scores and other information. (actual photo is from my blackberry)

The interactive 3D display was sponsored by Accenture and the items on the screen were manipulated similar to how Tom Cruise interacted with his computer in Minority Report.

Here is a description of the 3D interactive wall from Accenture's website.

What Is It?
The interactive wall is a scalable in size, networked, high resolution, touch screen interface. It gives users the "big picture," whether in a strategic decision-making context or a retail and advertising environment. By mimicking the Web in its ability to track usage patterns and user preferences, the interactive wall offers personalized, targeted, information while integrating with other networked or mobile devices to create innovative solutions for users and organizations alike.

The interactive wall's super-sized, physical screen combines with Accenture's groundbreaking patent-pending software to deliver greater insight, faster. Whether applied to advise consumers about products and services or employed to act as a nerve center for command and control operations, the interactive wall is more than just a pretty face.

Source: Accenture Website

3Dwalkthroughs.com in Chicago Day 2

Before the second day of the 2008 Club Industry trade show, I had about 3 hours to walk around downtown Chicago and check out the sights. It is amazing how certain areas looked and even felt exactly like Manhattan.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the architecture was quite diverse and very interesting. There was actually an architectural boat tour that travelled through the canals of the downtown area, pointing out some of the cooler buildings.

The picture above was taken in Millenium park. It reveals a sculpture dubbed the Chicago Bean created by Anish Kappor.

Chicago Illinois - The Cloud Gate Sculpture at Millennium Park: "The Bean"
Cloud Gate is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The 110-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city's famous skyline and the clouds above. A 12-foot-high arch provides a "gate" to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture, inviting visitors to touch its mirror-like surface and see their image reflected back from a variety of perspectives.

Source: Cirrusimage.com

3Dwalkthroughs.com will definitely be visiting Chicago again soon although probably not until the spring. The word on the street was that the winters are brutally cold...not for me.

3Dwalkthroughs.com in Chicago

As we mentioned in our last post 3Dwalkthroughs.com was heading off to the windy city to attend the 2008 Club Industry trade show. The goal of the trip was to introduce Fitspott to some of the biggest and most innovative companies in the health and fitness industry.

The first day of the show was very productive and we received a lot of positive feedback from our meetings. For more specifics on the show you can visit the Fitspott blog.

After the meeting I had an opportunity to walk around downtown Chicago. What I was able to see of the city was exactly what I had heard from people that have been here before. It has very cool and diverse architecture and was a smaller (but cleaner) version of New York City.

The picture above was taken from a bridge (on my blackberry) and gives a small example of downtown Chicago. The building on the far right is interesting because the first 10 or so floors are all parking. If you look carefully you can see cars sticking out of the floors.

The show today does not start for another 3 hours so I am going to venture out with a real camera this time and will check in tomorrow with some better images.

Fitspott will be attending Club Industry 2008 in Chicago

3Dwalkthroughs.com is excited about the upcoming week as we will be joining the Fitspott team in Chicago to attend the 2008 Club Industry trade show. The show brings together some of the biggest product and service providers of the entire health and fitness industry.

The Club Industry trade shows are always interesting as many companies use them as a venue to introduce new products. The show is also a very good way to get a pulse on new health and fitness trends that are coming up the pike. Every show seems to offer a subtle theme that permeates throughout the health and fitness industry for months after the show.

I have heard great things about the city of Chicago and hope to get some time to do a little exploring between meetings. In the days leading up to the show we are finalizing our meeting schedule, but are happy to squeeze in additional meetings if companies have an interest.

We will be reporting live from the show on Friday and Saturday. Tune in for what's new and exciting in the world of health and fitness.

CityWall - Very Cool 3D Interface

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an interesting project in Helsinki, Finland which boasts a very cool 3D interface.

The project is called CityWall is a large multi-touch 3D display installed in a central location in Helsinki which presents images, videos, descriptions and discussions on how nature in Helsinki benefits and disturbs dwellers.

The exhibition aims to evoke discussion e.g. on what nuisances people should just adapt themselves to, what nuisances they should fight or control, how different nuisances can be prevented and how benefits of nature can be improved.


Image and Content Source: City Wall Website

CityWall is not just an offline line effort. Photos that are tagged with helsinki, citywall or cwhki are automatically downloaded from photo-sharing site Flickr. These photos are then become part of the experience offered by CityWall.

It is worth while to check out the CityWall website to learn more about this innovative project.

3D Social Media Application To Be Used to Promote Corporate Wellness Program

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a story on marketwatch.com about a 3D social media application being developed to help promote a corporate wellness program/product offered by Muve, Inc.

According to the story, our friends at Wyndstorm have been selected to create a 3D social media application to support Muve's goal of tackling rising health care costs in the workplace.

"Muve has a goal to reverse the obesity epidemic in the United States and globally," said Wyndstorm CEO Marian Sabety. "To successfully achieve this mission, outreach must be effective, lifestyle education must be easy, and reinforcement must be fun. Wyndstorm is pleased to contribute to this important undertaking. Applying our experience in social media technologies and online promotions will enable us to design innovative online engagement that incorporates interactive entertainment for creative programming so Muve users are encouraged and supported."

Source: marketwatch.com

Muve, Inc. actually has a very interesting product offering called the Gruve. The Gruve provides users with a personalized, quantifiable measure of their activities and the calories they burn throughout their day.

The Gruve uses an omnidirectional accelerometer to measure activity intensity and duration. Synchronizing the Gruve device with the Gruve web site gives users the ability to view their own daily calorie burn and track their weight loss progress.

We are very interested to see the end product that will be delivered by Wyndstorm. With the financial crisis worsening by the day, corporate wellness programs aimed at decreasing health care costs are ripe to see tremendous growth.

Image and Content Source: muveinc.com website

Developing a cost effective interactive media platform definitely offers companies the potential to improve the adoption and retention of wellness programs by their employees.

ESPN - Video Game Technology Allows Analysts To Interact with 3D Virtual Players

EA Sports and ESPN have joined forces to offer a really cool technology that allows analysts to interact with 3D virtual players. The technology called Sports Virtual Playbook allows the commentator to stand in the middle of a virtual football field and talk through plays as they develop.

Sports Virtual Playbook launched on September 7th and will be used throughout the season on Monday NFL Countdown and NFL Live.

EA SPORTS Virtual Playbook is created using feeds from in-studio real-world cameras as well as an in-game camera that captures EA SPORTS in-game graphics depicting real game scenarios. The real-world studio and game images of virtual characters are combined to create the effect of “augmented reality” -- virtual players appearing in the studio alongside real life hosts and analysts. Both real and virtual people are able to move realistically around the studio set to demonstrate plays and scenarios. The system accommodates, and in fact is controlled by, the multiple real-world cameras that are typical in today’s sports analysis television programs.

Source: Gamesindustry.biz

As big football fans, and big fans of anything that utilizes innovative 3D technology, 3Dwalkthroughs.com is pumped about this 3D technology. It really does make watching some of the analysts more interesting and also might make things a little clearer for people that do not really understand football that well.

How will 3D Animation Companies Fare in The Financial Crisis?

How quickly will 3D animation companies feel the pain from the economic crisis? As we can only speak for 3Dwalkthroughs.com our answer is...almost immediately. We have already had a few big projects put on hold as the development projects themselves have been stalled.

It is now about 1:40 on Monday afternoon and the Dow Jones has dropped below 10,000 points for the first time in 4 years. The markets have come to the sobering realization that the Bush administration's $700 billion rescue plan won't work quickly to unfreeze the credit markets, and that many banks are still having difficulty gaining access to cash. That's caused investors to exit stocks and move money into the relative safety of government debt.

Source: AOL Money and Finance

My friends/clients that are in the real estate industry, from landlords to developers, have never been so bearish on the near term future of the economy. While a spotted few are saying this is a normal downturn in the markets, most are fearful that we are heading into a recession.

If property development slows down or comes to a halt altogether, 3D animation companies will be forced to adapt by shifting their focus to other industries that require 3D animation or looking for work in foreign companies.

Either way, almost all industries are in for some challenging times, how will yours survive?

3D Technology Can Help Promote Exercise To Our Youth

Below is a recent press release from Fitspott. The press release touches on the use of 3D technology and other interactive exergaming products to target the youth obesity epidemic.

3Dwalkthroughs.com and the rest of the fitspott team have been speaking with some of the biggest companies offering this type of technology to see how we can use the fitspott platform to maximize their exposure.

How do we promote health and fitness to a demographic that is more interested in being on the computer than investing in their health? With the surplus of available health and fitness information, how can the obesity levels of our youth have doubled in the last decade?

Today’s most popular social networking sites have effectively captured the attention of our younger generation, making social networking one of the most effective communication tools in the last 10 years. The time has come to leverage this power to promote health and fitness to our youth.

Fitspott, a social networking platform for health and fitness, will launch the beta version of its site in Mid-September. One of the primary goals of Fitspott, is to organize the very large and convoluted health and fitness industry into easy to navigate sub-communities of members with similar interests, goals, skills, desires and needs. One of the targets markets Fitspott will service in this effort is the youth market.

“We see a tremendous opportunity to promote the many available fun and interactive health and fitness options to our younger generation through a platform they can relate to. Providing our youth with an ability to join an online community of members with similar interests and goals can help to motivate our youth and provide them with the knowledge that they are not alone with their issues” says David Gise, Co-Founder of Fitspott.

The Fitspott team is made up of a group of highly motivated and diverse entrepreneurs, athletes and creative minds. “We have scoured the internet, educating ourselves on the pros and cons of existing social networks, and have committed to using this knowledge to create the most powerful, yet easy to use platform for all of our members” says Erin Hurry, Co-Founder of Fitspott.

Fitspott will reach out to schools, coaches and the other influencing bodies to help promote the Fitspott platform and its benefits. Perhaps one of the biggest causes of the increasing obesity rate of our youth, the time spent in front of the computer, can actually have the biggest impact on curbing this trend.

3D Virtual Community Built To Promote the New Ford Fiesta

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a story about a 3D virtual community which was built to promote the new Ford Fiesta. The 3D community incorporate some pretty cool 3D animation and is definitely worth checking out.

The 3D virtual city called 'This is now' created by MSN to bring the spirit of 'now' concept to life. The dynamic 3D city encourages users to interact with the site whilst travelling around it, through news, quizzes and videos. The site will also be host to exclusive content from ITV's Fashion Show as well live gigs from some of the hottest bands around and a brand new web drama Neon Candy exclusive to 'This is now'.

This innovative campaign was developed by the advertising agencies, Ogilvy, Mindshare, and Wunderman and the campaign will run until the end of the year.

Content Source: Searchbyheadlines.com

Image Source: This is Now Website

A link to the website can be found here>>

3D Floor Plans for Trade Show Exhibitors

3Dwalkthroughs.com has just been hired to create a detailed 3D floor plan of a trade show conference facility. The 3D plan will demonstrate all the available booths as well as the restroom and food court locations.

The plans will be posted to the conference facilities website leading up to the show, and will also be blown up and placed throughout the show on the days of the event.

We will deliver the plan to our client in a format that can be updated as space gets filled. As frequent trade show attendees, and soon to be trade show exhibitors, we definitely see the value in being able to get a good sense of the available and actual space before the show.

With every square inch of space and every fiber of carpet costing money for an exhibitor, the 3D floor plan will also help to better plan their exhibits in a cost effective manner.

Custom 3D Walkthroughs - A Great TakeAway from a Showroom

As a follow up to 3Dwalkthroughs.com 's last post about an unbelievable sales center for a new high end development project, I couldn't help but wonder why more effective takeaways were not offered.

As per our last post, the sales center itself was amazing, complete with a fully built one bedroom unit. In addition there were impressive 3D Walkthroughs and 3D Renderings being shown on a huge plasma screen TV.

My questions is this, if these 3D assets were already created, why were they not integrated into takeaway marketing packets?

The sales center did a great idea to generate an emotion and the sales team had an opportunity to maintain this emotion by offering takeaways to those in attendance.

Moving forward, perhaps they will take my advice and create these takeaways for new potential buyers visting the sales center.

Unbelievable Showroom with 3D Assets Playing on a HUGE Plasma TV

Last night members of 3Dwalkthroughs.com went to a cocktail party to launch the opening of an unbelievable sales center for a new property. We are not at liberty to discuss the brand but lets just say the showroom was a full blown replica of the unit, elevator and all.

The whole front part of the show room was the actual sales center with a model of the development. On one of the walls was the biggest plasma TV I have ever seen. The TV was looping 3D Walkthroughs and 3D Renderings of the property. The company that created these did an amazing job and really got the attention of all in attendance.

Apparently each unit will have its own elevator, so to demonstrate this they actually had a real elevator built which had both sides open. As you exited on the other side of the elevator you were able to experience exactly what it would be like when you entered a unit.

I cannot imagine how much it cost to put this showroom together but it certainly did the trick in terms of making an impression. We heard they actually signed 2 contracts right after the event. Talk about effective marketing.

3D Assets and Tough Economic Times

3Dwalkthroughs.com has been asked quite often recently if we are noticing a slide in our business due to the tough real estate climate. The truth of the matter is that almost all industries are affected in one way or another.

I do not think anyone could have predicted just how dire the situation would have become over the last few weeks. While we are still getting new inquiries, the quantity has diminished somewhat, as has the types of projects coming in.

We have had recent discussions with many of our real estate/developer friends and clients and the general consensus is that there is still more negative news to come.

Our company is still optimistic that marketing directors continue to look for innovative tools such as 3D Floor Plans, 3D Walkthroughs and 3D Renderings to help make their properties stand out from the competition. The question remains though if they do more than just browse.

A New 3D Technology Might Help Early Breast Cancer Detection

A new X-ray technique could possibly revolutionize the detection of breast cancer, say an international team of researchers. The scientists responsible for this invention claim that this would allow 3D visualizations of the breast and help in early detection of tumors.

Source: MedIndia.com

According to an article posted on MedIndia.com, the new technique will allow for a more precise view of the breast tissue. Currently 10%-20% of breast cancer cases are not identified with the widely used mammogram.

The research of this new 3D technology known as Analyser-Based X-ray Imaging (ABI), with high spatial resolution, will appear today in a Radiology journal.

My Virtual Model - 3D Virtual Commerce Hit's it's Stride

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an interesting technology that will be integrated into the Sears.com website, making them the first retailer to apply both a visual search and 3D virtual model to an entire catalogue online.

The technology behind the Sears.com website upgrade is powered by the combined efforts of My Virtual Model and IBM.

We did a little research on My Virtual Model and their website/solutions they offer are very impressive. My Virtual Model is one of the few companies that have really nailed it with regards to creating an application with real business value.

The website list 4 solutions utilizing their technology.
BrandME- Allows users to create a 3-D virtual model of themselves, and use this model to try on clothing from participating apparel companies.

Dressing Room- Lets customers use their own 3D model to "try on" outfits and see how they look before they buy.

Weight Loss- My Virtual Model™ is currently used by thousands of Internet users for weight loss tracking and visualization. This custom application provides two model images side-by-side so your audience can easily compare their own model showing different weights. (could be a good fit for fitspott)

Home Decor- Allows customers to visualize hard or soft goods in customizable sets. For kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, dining room, patio, etc. (We get asked if we can build this type of product all the time. At least now we have somewhere to direct these inquiries)

Image and Content Source: My Virtual Model Website

We recommend checking out their site as they seem to have something to offer many industries.

e-HoloCam - 3D Underwater Camera

Next week will mark the unveiling of the eHoloCam 3D Underwater camera. The only camera of its kind in the world, the eHoloCam is a 3D holographic camera used to capture images of underwater organisms and living particles to provide scientists with a greater understanding of marine life.

Image Source: CDL Website

One of the benefits of this technology is that is allows for the research and recording of underwater environments in a non intrusive way. This in turn allows for certain data to be gathered that was previously thought of as being impossible or very difficult to measure.

The eHoloCam was developed by the research team at the University, in collaboration with CDL in Aberdeen who specialise in offshore instrumentation and Elforlight of Daventry, developers of novel solid state lasers.

Content Source: Divemaster.com

The technology will be officially unveiled at the Innovate conference which begins on September 18th. 3DWalkthroughs.com will not be at Innovate but will do our research after the show to comment on the reaction of people that were in attendance.

Iron Man 2 To Be Shot In a 3D Format?

In a follow up to Jon Favreau's homerun directorial success with Iron Man, there has been talk that the sequel, Iron Man 2, will be filmed in a 3D format. The first Iron Man was a big hit at the box office grossing more than $317 million in the United States.

Iron Man 2 is scheduled to be in theaters in the summer of 2010. As 3Dwalkthroughs.com has mentioned in previous posts, many new movies that are scheduled for production will be shot in a 3D format.

Many of the big movie houses have announced their plans to devote a large portion of their efforts towards creating movies in 3D. In addition to the explosion of 3D movies that will start hitting the theaters, many TV manufacturers are also working on developing the technology that will allow 3D movies to be viewed in the home...should be an exciting next few years for 3D in the movies.

3D Walkthroughs Must Amaze - You Cannot Just Show a Bunch of Rooms Anymore!

3Dwalkthroughs.com is very proud about a new project we are working on which integrates actual video, post production effects, coordinated music and 3D animation into a Disney like presentation.

The intensified competition in the animation industry coupled with an improvement in available technologies are resulting in much more advanced 3D walkthroughs than when we first started in the industry.

As more development companies include 3D assets in their marketing materials, they will be forced to find innovative animation companies to help make their properties stand out from the pack. Simply showing 3D models of rooms is not going to be enough anymore. Truly impactful 3D walkthroughs of the future will need to incorporate all forms of available media into a well thought out storyboard.

For a sample of our newest 3D Walkthrough send us an email at info@dwalkthroughs.com. We are confident you have not seen anything like this before.

Hawk-Eye - 3D technology To Help Judge a Tennis Match

This week marked the championships of the US Open Tennis Tournament as well as the opening week of the NFL...Giants Won!!!. It was interesting to see the 3D technology that is being used to help judge these sporting events as well as the help it offers commentators to explain the game and illustrate their points.

3Dwalkthroughs.com did a little research and found out the technology called Hawk-Eye is the 3D technology that was during the US Open to help confirm the line judges decision.

Hawk-Eye, which works by using five high-speed cameras on the top of each show court to recreate a 3D image of where the ball has landed, confirmed that officials had got it right 65% of the time, compared with 35% for players.

The use of 3D technology has been somehwhat controversial both in how often it is allowed to be used as well as its use in general. Some sports fans are big believers in the human error being one of the facets of the game. Personally, I like to know that a call by a line judge or referee is accurate, and I am in favor using 3D technology to make sure.

Looking to Buy a 3D Model?

3Dwalkthroughs.com understands that not every company or individual has the same budget to spend on a 3D project. As a company we try to be a creative as possible when thinking up ways to work within someones budget.

Recently we came across an interesting concept that will let buyers/sellers of 3D models come together in sort of an istockphoto concept for 3D assets. The concept is called Presto3D.com and the models can be used for animation, architecture, gaming, etc.

The process is fully automatic; an artist submits a model for sale in a format produced by one of the major 3D authoring tools (3dsMax, Autodesk Maya, etc.) at a price they believe is fair. Presto3D creates a 3D preview of the model, also making the original model available in COLLADA, a universal file format. Once the preview gets final approval from the artist, it can then be viewed in the browser by all prospective buyers.

Content Source: devmaster.net
Image Source: Presto3d.com

Obviously the success of the site will depend on the amount of users that contribute high quality usable 3D models. If Presto3d.com can generate a large database of models they could really be on to something.

Real Estate Marketers Looking For Innovation

3Dwalkthroughs.com has noticed an increase in the amount of new inquiries which we believe is directly related to the competitive real estate climate. In addition to asking about our 3D Floor Plans, 3D Renderings and 3D Walkthroughs, real estate marketing directors have been contacting us to find out if we have any new innovative products in the pipeline.

It is our belief that the current climate is going to be responsbile for some very dramatic advances in real estate marketing technologies. Anything that can help make one property stand out from another is going to be key.

To have real estate marketing teams actually asking what we are developing behind the scenes is interesting but also somewhat scary. We have heard some very bleak predictions from industry insiders regarding the real estate industry over the next few years...hopefully these predictions are off base.

3D Games and Movies without 3D Glasses

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a story about a cafe in Australia that is testing a new technology which allows 3D games and movies to be viewed without using 3D glasses.

Customers of Beyond Internet Gaming can play a variety of video games in full 3D with images appearing to pop out of the computer screen.

The technology - known technically as autostereoscopy - was provided by 3D Motion's Chinese parent 3D Group, which in turn licensed it from a German company. A detailed explanation of how it works can be found here.

Image and Content Source: TheAge.com.au

With computer processers getting more powerful and the overall cost to create this technology decreasing, we are likely to see many more versions of this type of "goggle free" 3D technology. Phillips and Samsung have already demonstrated their version of this technology but have not set a commercial rollout date.

We will keep our eyes out for new developments.

Have a relaxing Labor Day from 3Dwalkthroughs.com!

The entire 3Dwalkthroughs.com team would like to wish our friends, family and clients a very relaxing Labor Day. It never fails, even though I have been out of school for a little more than 17 years, I still feel the nervous feeling as if tomorrow is the first day of school.

In addition to the kids going back to school, Labor Day also symbolizes a time for many business owners to re-focus their effort towards work. We often find that we will spend a few weeks after Labor Day making updates to our current clients websites, projects and 3D materials.

It will be interesting to see the frequency at which this phenomenon holds true this year...we have our seat belts buckled.

Waiting for Sony PS3 Home - 3D virtual online community? You will have to wait a bit longer.

If you have been waiting for the release of PS3 Home 3D virtual online community, you will have to wait until later in the year. Sony confirmed that they postponed the launch of the "Home" service, which is aimed at giving users a place to interact with other PS3 users, to early this year from last Winter.

We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer," Sony Computer Entertainment Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai said in a statement.

"But we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today."

Source: halflifesource.com

3Dwalkthroughs.com is anxiously awaiting the release of Sony's 3D virtual online commmunity. We are optimistic that it is going to set a new standard for what can be accomplished in a 3D virtual community. If it is as robust as we expect, it could also have a huge impact on how a 3D virtual platform and a social networking platform can be integrated to create a truly valuable experience...but I guess we will have to wait a while to find out.

Sixense - Advanced 3D Input Device

3Dwalkthroughs.com is excited to test out a device that has gotten rave reviews from the Nvision 08 industry conference. The device by a company called Sixense is being described as a more advanced Wiimote, although the functionality of Sixense is based on precise tracking relative to a base station and has the ability to react to movement in six degrees of freedom.

Apparently at the show, Sixense had demos of a variety of simple but impressive used of their device. The demos included a paintball game, a lightsabre simulator along with simple squash, golf, American football and baseball minigames.

Source: bit-tech.net

Here is a Youtube video which demonstrates the device.

As we have said in previous posts, the more accurate and responsive these tracking devices become, the more engaging will be the video games they are associated with. This Sixense device offers great potential to further the benefits of active gaming products and we are excited to test it out in person.

iHealthSpot - 3D Animations for Orthopedics and Physical Therapy Websites

3Dwalkthroughs.com picked up a press release of a Florida based company, iHealthSpot, that just announced the launch of its library of interactive patient education videos complete with 3D animations for orthopedics and physical therapy. This new interactive content will enhance the robust written and illustrated library that is available to all of the company's medical practice website clients.

The current interactive video library includes 35 conditions and treatments for orthopedics and physical therapy. The videos are 3-4 minutes in length and include detailed visual information on causes, symptoms, surgical and non-surgical treatments and rehabilitation for each condition in easy to understand language. The company anticipates 50-60 total videos in the orthopedics and physical therapy specialty with dental and cosmetic surgery videos coming next and eventually will have a library covering all medical specialties. The content has been developed entirely in-house using the most detailed 3D model of the human anatomy available today.

iHealthSpot creates websites specifically geared to medical practices and the inclusion of impressive 3D animations on their certainly brings an additional value to their clients. If a patient can go onto their doctors website and get a better understanding of their injury or illness it could help to relieve alot of the anxiety that is associated with these types of events.
Source: Prweb.com press release

Airtouch - 3D Holograms You Can Touch

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a new development by a company that it posted about several months ago. Provision Interactive Technologies, Inc. announced today that its next-generation, patented 3D Holographic display with its proprietary "Air Touch" technology interface will premiere at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

The system allows 14 different Intel-based products to float in the air, in 3D, approximately 36 inches in front of the 40-inch screen. Each product's "air time" is about 30 seconds, allowing an audience to attentively watch the cool 3D hologram as it spins and turns. If the consumer is interested in a particular product, all he or she has to do is literally 'touch' the hologram. The software recognizes the interaction and prints out a marketing brochure or spec sheet on that particular product.

Source: CNNMoney.com

For more information about Provision's products go here>>

This certainly sounds like a 3D technology that marketers will eat up assuming the price is somewhat reasonable. We are excited to see a live demo of this new technology.