3D Floor Plans Used For Hotel Marketing

3Dwalkthroughs.com is launching a new line of products focused on the Hotel industry. The first product to be released is a realistic 3D Floor Plan of a hotel room. The plans can be created from 2D Floor Plans, CAD files and reference pictures of the hotel rooms finishing details.

We believe this product will be extremely valuable for travelers that want to get a true sense of the layout of their hotel room before they book. Most hotel websites include basic photos of room types and some have 2D Floor Plans or even virtual tours. In many cases these media types are confusing and do not do a good job at providing an easy to understand representation of a rooms layout.

We have just started to develop this product for a few test hotels within a major franchise. Once we determine the best vantage points to show a hotel room we plan on introducing this product to other hotel chains across the country.

If other media types exist, we can attach them to a fully branded interface, making the 3D Floor Plan interactive. We will be launching this demo in the next few weeks.

Tsu-Shi-O-Mi - 3D Virtual Humanoid

Japanese researcher, Michihiko Shoji, has helped to create U-Tsu-Shi-O-Mi, a virtual humanoid designed as a tool for enhancing virtual reality simulations.
Tsu-Shi-O-Mi uses "green screen" technology to project a 3D virtual avatar onto a robot. When wearing a special head-mounted display, movements of the robot are synced with the 3D avatar, resulting in an interactive virtual 3D character that the viewer can reach out and touch.

In its current form Tsu-Shi-O-Mi requires a lot of bulky and expensive equipment but Mr. Shoji is actively working to streamline the technology. Initially it is believed the technology will be used for arcade games, but in the future Mr. Shoji believes the technology be improved to the point where Tsu-Shi-O-Mi can take many different forms and even be suitable for home use.

Please let us know when the technology improves to the level that 3Dwalkthroughs.com can use Tsu-Shi-O-Mi to increase our staff.

SceneWeaver - Easily Export 3D Scenes Across All Platforms

SceneCaster, a 3D social media application and online community gives users the ability to visualize their ideas, share them, and make them real. SceneCaster bridges the gap between the virtual and real worlds by linking the 3D Web experience to online storefronts, product catalogs from leading brands and retailers, social networks, and consumers’ dreams.

Source: SceneCaster Website

Launced in 2007, SceneCaster has just announced a major upgrade to their SceneCaster platform. The new feature called SceneWeaver was designed to provide users with more exportable options for 3D scenes created with its application.

One of the huge features of Sceneweaver is that it allows scenes created with SceneCaster, to maintain it's interactive features, even when it is embedded into other websites, blogs or social networks.

SceneWeaver is being touted as a great new advertising tool as it allows scene creators to embed real consumer products which can be purchased directly from the site. SceneWeaver has also become one of the most popular 3D applications on Facebook.

3Dwalkthroughs.com believes we will look back on SceneWeaver in a few years as the application that helped us take the first big step towards a completely 3D internet.

Sundance Film Festival Invites "Invisible Thread" - 3D Virtual Sweatshop

An article in today's NY Times describes one of the more interesting premieres at the Sundance Film Festival. The festival, which is dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences, is coming to an end today.

The interesting premiere described in the article is actually not a movie at all. It is a 3D virtual factory called “Invisible Threads” which exists only on Second Life. The 3D factory produces real-life, custom-ordered, personalized blue jeans which can be picked up at the festival.

Invisible threads was started by Stephanie Rothenberg and Jeff Crouse as a combination of an art project and possible glimpse into the future of how manufacturing will take place.

Customers tell the Invisible Threads staff the size and style of jean they would like, the instructions are sent to the 3D virtual factory inside Second Life, where workers push buttons that generate an image. From that image, a pattern is created and sent to an industrial printer, made by Hewlett-Packard, which spits out the custom-printed canvas cotton patterns. The patterns are then cut and assembled on the spot (at a Sundance Festival venue, that is) with a glue gun and a little stitching for reinforcement. They cost around $35.

Source: NY Times

Second Life workers are paid in Linden dollars and plots of land...perhaps 3Dwalkthroughs.com workers should consider moonlighting on the assembly line.

Indie Band GOLDEN Releases 3D Video On Their Website

3Dwalkthroughs.com just picked up a story on CNETnews.com about an Atlanta based indie rock band, GOLDEN, that is premiering a full-color stereoscopic 3D music video of their latest single.

You can download and watch the 3D video directly from their website but will need 3D glasses to experience the 3D effects. If you do not have 3D glasses, the band will actually send them to you if you provide your name and home address.

The video which showcases the bands new release, Shine, was produced by Atlanta-based Dzignlight Studios at a fraction of what it costs to create an MTV style 2D music video. The fact that producing 3D videos is becoming much more affordable will hopefully promote a more stable future for 3D videos and movies than in the past.

We have been reading about many different developing technologies that will soon eliminate the need for the 3D glasses altogether. Based on the rave reviews of U23D it seems like these movies are off to a promising start.

Click Here>> To Download the 3D Video

Icovia To Launch 3D Interactive Space Planner

Icovia, has announced that it will be launching a 3D version of their online room planner. The goal of this new product is to help retailers and manufacturers of new home furnishing products improve their online sales.

With Icovia 3D, shoppers will be able to "furnish" their homes with products from the manufacturer's online catalog before actually making a purchase. In addition to increasing online sales, the Icovia 3D technology will make retail and manufacturers websites more sticky.

Once Icovia 3D is added to a retailer's or manufacturer's website, prospective
buyers can create rooms of various shapes and sizes, and then drop in
products from an online catalog. Users are further engaged by their ability
to customize these interiors with selected fabrics and finishes, room lighting, wall colors, and flooring. Icovia 3D ultimately gives the shopper the power to make intelligent buying decisions while simultaneously alerting the retailer or manufacturer to their most qualified prospective buyers.

Source: prnewswire.com

3Dwalkthroughs.com is certainly curious to see the results of the end product. We have yet to come across an automated drag and drop product that allows mass customization while producing a 3D photo-realistic end result.

3D Virtual Trade Show Developer Gets $10 Million Dollars in Financing

Menlo Park based, Unisfair Inc., announced today they received $10 million in a second round of funding from Palo Alto-based Norwest Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital, which has an office in Menlo Park.

Unisfair, who specializes in created 3D trade shows said it will use the financing for new product development and sales and marketing.

Although 3Dwalkthroughs.com will be launching our own 3D virtual venue platform over the next couple of months, we still view this as exciting news.

The ability for Unisfair to successfully raise $10 million validates our belief that we are only experiencing a small preview of what is to come in terms of a 3D internet.

We believe that in the next few years 3D Trade Shows and other 3D Venues will become a major way that real business is accomplished. We also believe that as the momentum builds with a few early adopters, we will soon see an explosion in the use of this technology.

Processing speeds and bandwith still needs to be improved to be able to achieve the standards of today's high end graphics but we are getting close.

We are very excited about our forray into the 3D virtual venue space and can't wait to see how this new business model develops.

The New Standard In Home Theaters? 360 Degree 3D Cinema

3Dwalkthroughs.com just became aware of the world's first 360 degree 3D cinema, debuting now at the University of New South Wales.

As part of the Sydney Festival, the university's iCinema Centre for Interactive Cinema Research is showcasing its "T-Visionarium", a virtual reality theatre that is 10metres wide and 4metres high.

Wearing 3D glasses, a Cinema goer steps into the cylindrical cinema, selects the video clips they want to watch using a computer program, and produce and direct where they want the story to go.

From the 30-metre-curved screen, the viewers experience being surrounded by hundreds of Australian television broadcast clips moving in three dimensions.

Source: The Epoch Times

The T-Visionarium is not only being used as entertainment, but is also being used as an immersive 3D training tool. Four mining companies have already purchased the technology to train their workers on proper maintenance techniques, how to work machinery underground, as well as the obvious, emergency response protocol.

About TVisionarium Mk II
TVisionarium Mk II is "an immersive eye-popping stereo 3D interactive 360-degree experience where a user can search through a vast database of television shows and rearrange their shots in the virtual space that surrounds them."

Click Here for a YouTube video which describes the immersive 3D experience

PDF3D - Integration of Interactive 3D Models into PDF Documents

UK based PDF3D has recently launched a publishing tool that allows for the integration of interactive 3D models into PDF documents. With PDF3D's tool, users can rotate, zoom, select and explore 3D images in much greater detail than a flat 2D image.

The tool is being promoted to a wide range of industries including: Geology, Aerospace, Engineering, Architecture and Bioinfomatics.

The newest version of the free adobe reader makes viewing 3D objects and images a breeze.

3Dwalkthroughs.com posted about the possibilities of the new Adobe 3D products in the past. The ability to create PDF brochures with integrated, interactive 3D images is very valuable for our business.

Using this technology, property developers can create very effective brochures of their new development properties which include detailed 3D views of the unit exterior and interior. The ability to interact with the model allows the user to more thoroughly review all the properties details from all sides.

While we are a little behind schedule implementing this tool into our arsenal, it is definitely on our "to do" list for the second quarter of 2008.

Edgenet - 3D Visual Selling Solution, Edgenet Vision

It seems like every time we build a 3D Rendering, 3D Floor Plan or 3D Walkthrough of a home, the builder asks if there is a way that the end user can move the furniture around or change the furniture style on the fly. Our answer to their inquiry is always the same, it sounds like a great idea but it is not something that we currently offer.

3Dwalkthroughs.com just came across a possible way to satisfy this desire. Edgenet Inc., a leading provider of guided selling applications and product data services, announced today the release of its 3D Visual Selling solution called Edgenet Vision™. Edgenet Vision offers 3D renditions of real products shown in true-to-life room settings.

By allowing consumers to interact with 3D products in a drag-and-drop room environment, the consumer can get past their concers about buying major home products without seeing them first. Edgenet Vision also allows the consumer to think in terms of whole-room projects as opposed to individual products.

One of the features of this solution is that manufacturers can supply the 3D images of their products, which can open a channel for a direct purchase from the manufacturers website.

The solution is offered as both an in-store and online option. The first instance of the live product launched recently on Better Homes and Gardens’ Web site, bhg.com.

About Edgenet
Edgenet provides visual guided selling and content solutions to leading retailers and suppliers in the hardlines industry. Vertically integrating the industry, Edgenet links retailers and suppliers with rich product content and compelling software solutions for in-store, online and in-home selling. Edgenet’s Big Hammer Data division maintains the largest and richest data pool in hardlines, serving thousands of suppliers and synchronizing more than 300,000 product items and 21 million attributes. Edgenet solutions empower consumers and associates with visual product knowledge, endless buying options and customizable products and services, increasing sales for retailers and manufacturers across all hardlines product segments.

3D Imaging For Medical Professionals On The Go

Belgium based, Barco has developed a 3D visualization product, AVT, that gives clinicians the ability to see and read studies from any location outside of the radiology reading room, as long as there is a standard network connection or 2-4 Mbps broadband service.

With AVT, clinicians can now work from home or on the road and tap into their vast medical resources when they cannot be at the hospital. The AVT system even allows doctors to pull up very detailed 3D images.

The high-performance server architecture that AVT is based upon employs state-of-the-art graphics processing and image distribution technology that provides full functionality over low bandwidth. This guarantees smooth distribution of advanced visualization, not only over the hospital’s network, but to remote offices and even homes using a standard broadband connection. Moreover, the server architecture is fully scalable, making it the ideal solution for large, multi-site hospitals or hospital groups.

One of the advisory board members of 3Dwalkthroughs.com is a medical professional that will certainly find this technology interesting. He is always travelling to give talks on his field of medicine, and is forever complaining that he wished he could be more productive in the hotel room.

NASA Creating a 3D Virtual World

3Dwalkthroughs.com picked up a story from the BBC describing the possibility of a 3D virtual world being created by NASA.

The virtual world would be aimed at students and would 'simulate real NASA engineering and science missions,'" the BBC wrote, adding that the space agency has put out requests for vendors interested in producing the virtual world.

The idea behind the so-called massively multiplayer online game would be to help train future scientists and foster a broader interest in space among students.

Already, NASA has a presence on an island in Second Life.

"We at NASA are working hard to create opportunities for what I might call participatory exploration," the BBC quoted the director of the project, Simon Worden, as saying. "We are looking at how this island can be a portal for all to fly along on space missions."

The interesting part of this news is NASA is showing a desire to build their own 3D Virtual World despite the fact they already have a presence in Second Life.

We predict an expolosion in the number of organizations that are going to announce plans to build private 3D virtual worlds. These 3D Virtual Worlds are going to be much more specific to an organizations needs than public sites such as Second Life.

We believe the development of specific applications and functionality within these private worlds, will drive the 3D virtual world industry as a whole. Developers will build on other developers innovations, similar to the way developers have improved websites over time...always building on other's ideas.

New Feature - The Once a Month "This Has Absolutely Nothing To Do With 3D" post

3Dwalkthroughs.com has decided to add a new once a month feature to our blog about everything 3D. The new feature is called: "This Has Absolutely Nothing To Do With 3D" post. We will use this opportunity to write about or highlight a cool site or online service that we come across in our online travels.

Some of these sites are new, and some are just new to us, either way we will pick these sites if we feel they are noteworthy, innovative or offer an overall valuable service.

The first months selection is HopStop.com

About HopStop.com
HopStop is your city transit guide. We provide door-to-door subway and bus directions and maps for New York City. You can also search for places to eat, drink, sleep and see in the City Guide.

With HopStop you can:
- Send directions by e-mail or text message to a cell phone directly from the website
- Plan a trip with multiple destinations using the Itinerary.
- Get directions or the locations of nearby subway and bus stops remotely on your cell phone or PDA with the HopStop Mobile service.

For those of you Non New Yorkers, think Mapquest for the subways. The site even provides a 360 view of what you see when you exit the subway station. This is great for knowing which way to go if you forget your compass.

The site is also available for other major cities such as Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Give it a shot and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

U2-3D Coming Soon To a Theater New You

While setting up a new station on Pandora, the best online music site according to a 3Dwalkthroughs.com inter-office pole, I came across an advertisement for a new 3D movie being released which features the band U2.

Shot in South America during the vertigo tour, "U2-3D" was designed to capture the bands realtionship with each other and the resonant response of their fans. The first digital 3D, multi-camera, real time production, the film was brought to life by 3ality Digital, who shot over 100 hours of footage with the largest collection of 3D camera tecnology ever used on a single project.

"U2-3D" will be exhibited in many of the 1200 theaters around the world equipped with digital 3D projection systems, and will also be seen in IMAX 3D cinemas, which are located in 38 countries.

Click Here To Go To The Movies Website

About 3ality
3ality Digital is an integrated entertainment company dedicated to high-quality live-action 3D. The company has brought together top people in 3D, production and digital post-production to create a unique environment that is purpose built for uncompromising quality, from acquisition through exhibition.
3ality Digital proudly employs a staff that has had a significant hand in almost every live action 3D film and theme park experience ever made. We have the largest number of 3D researchers in the entertainment industry and the largest 3D studio and R&D facilities in which to enable them to do their best work.

Coming Soon from Tele Atlas - 3D City Maps for North America

Tele Atlas, a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content for navigation and location-based solutions, unveiled it's 3D digital maps and content at the recent Consumer Electronics Show 2008 in Las Vegas.

In the second quarter of 2008 the company will release the first Tele Atlas(R) 3D City Maps for North America, for use in navigation systems and location-based applications. The first North American cities available will be Los Angeles, New York City and Toronto.

From a travelers standpoint, Tele Atlas 3D city maps will more closely match what users actually see in their surroundings making them much easier to follow than current navigation systems.

From 3Dwalkthroughs.com standpoint we are excited because we can use the highly detailed Tele Atlas 3D City Maps, landmarks and elevation models as complements to our 3D Walkthroughs and 3D Renderings.

The Tele Atlas 3D City Maps available in 2008 will feature complete, textured 3D city centers and unique 3D landmarks of notable structures such as United Nations Headquarters in New York City, the CN Tower in Toronto and the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles.

"Digital maps are evolving from 2D to more realistic, content-rich maps, with 3D imagery and ever more useful content, such as points of interest (POIs), dynamic content and enhanced visual displays, that provide users a more tangible navigation experience," said Bart Tuyteleers, senior product manager, Tele Atlas. "With the expansion of Tele Atlas 3D City Maps for North America and our additional advanced display technologies, we will further help our partners to differentiate their product offerings and provide more enhanced navigation experiences."

Source: Thomasnet.com

About Tele Atlas

Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power some of the world's most essential navigation and location-based services (LBS). The information is the foundation for a wide range of personal and in-car navigation systems and mobile and Internet map applications that help users find the people, places, products, and services they need, wherever they are. The company also works with business partners who trust its digital map data to deliver critical applications for emergency, business, fleet, and infrastructure services. Through a combination of its own products and partnerships, Tele Atlas offers digital map coverage of more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

3D Renderings and 3D Walkthroughs can Help Demonstrate Benefits of LEED Certifed Building Projects

At growing rates, green building projects across the country are achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The key to the success of these sustainable projects is an integrated design process from start to finish, which includes building owners, developers, architects, designers, engineers and contractors.

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED does not certify products, but buildings can earn LEED certification.

The current standard, LEED for New Construction & Major Renovations (LEED-NC) Version 2.1, incorporates a variety of design and construction credit areas that add up to 69 possible points. After achieving all prerequisites, additional points can be earned, adding up to a final score that translates into one of four possible levels of certification. LEED credit categories include:

Sustainable Sites

Water Efficiency

Energy & Atmosphere

Materials & Resources

Indoor Environmental Quality

Plus, Innovation & Design Process

Source: GreenBiz.com

The fact remains that not every one has the ability to visualize all of the moving parts involved with developing a sustainable project. Furthermore, with a process that requires an integrated approach involving many different areas of expertise, ensuring that every one is one the same page is critical.

3D Walkthroughs and 3D Renderings are very effective pre-visualization tools that can be used throughout all the phases of building a LEED Certified Building. From the planning stages to the marketing stages, 3D assets can help ensure every one involved is on the same page. This in turn can prevent a lot of wasted time and money.

Aside from showing the unique details of the property, companies like 3Dwalkthroughs.com can build very impactful 3D animations to demonstrate the long term effects Green Buildings will have on the environment. This type of impact simply cannot be created from photos or physical models.

Feel Like Flying To Work? VRWorkplace.com Makes It a Reality

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an interesting application utilizing 3D Virtual World Technology. VRWorkplace was founded by Dave Elchoness, an experienced attorney and HR consultant, who realized that there were many challenges facing organizations that struggle to maintain and improve productivity and efficiency despite distance, cultural differences, and tight travel budgets. A 3D virtual environment could tackle a lot of these challenges and make a person's location irrelevant.

VRWorkplace advises enterprises on how virtual reality can benefit their employees, customers, and members. The service provides a realistic and practical way of eliminating the challenges of distance, improving collaboration, and enriching relationships.

Source: VRWorkplace.com

We believe early adopters and pioneers such as Dave will play a big role in the success and utilization of 3D Virtual Worlds for "Real World Business" applications.

Aside from entrepeneurs such as Dave, an increased number open minded CEO's will also be required for this type of technology to explode. We thoroughly believe that in 3-5 years, websites as we know them today will be obsolete, and companies such as VRWorkplace will be the norm.

Another interesting note: IBM launched a TV spot during the Playoff games on Saturday which talked about virtual world technology, and the debate over whether or not real business could get done in a virtual environment. I think the answer to that questions lies in the fact that IBM was willing to pay the exhorbitant amount of money it costs to post an ad during a playoff game.

Virtual Combat Convoy Trainer

A partnership between FATS, Inc.(Firearms Training Systems) and Lockheed Martin has produced the Virtual Combat Convoy Trainer, designed to train drivers and gunners of military vehicles how to identify a potential ambush, identify improvised explosive devices (IEDs), avoid an ambush, return fire, maneuver and react appropriately in the Contemporary Operating Environment (COE).

Recent combat operations have demonstrated the need for convoy combat training as our soldiers are shown to be more vulnerable than previously expected.

The VCCT combines the FATS Small Arms Trainer, Indirect Fire Trainer and Close Air Support Trainer with the Lockheed Martin, Close Combat Tactical Trainer. This provides a true, combined arms training solution that provides the greatest customer value by simulating real world situations that are difficult if not impossible to replicate in traditional training.

FATS virtual training systems utilize realistic 3D computer imaging to imitate terrain and targets. A combined arms environment is created with simulated field artillery, mortars, the ability to call naval gunfire and close air support. FATS virtual training systems provide accurate, real-time diagnostics and include the ability to review missionsafter each training session.

3DWalkthroughs.com is always interested in the real life benefits that can be derived from the use of 3D and virtual technology...in this case our interest is mulitplied as helps to save our solider's lives.

Using 3D Floor Plans To Market Commerical Space

3Dwalkthroughs.com is starting to see an increasing number of commercial real estate agents using 3D Floor Plans as a way of marketing space to perspective tenants.

3D Floor Plans, especially ones with furniture included, can be a great way for a company to contemplate how their new office might be laid out. The 3D Floor Plan allows them to make changes before a space is built out, which can save a lot of time and money down the road.

3D Floor Plans are also being used to help market flex space opportunities. A flex space is a building that provides its occupants the flexibility of utilizing the space in multiple ways. They usually provide a configuration allowing a flexible amount of office or showroom space in combination with manufacturing, laboratory, warehouse distribution, etc.

Similar to the benefit a 3D Walkthrough offers a new property developer, 3D Floor Plans can be an invaluable tool for showing a property, or in this case a commerical office layout, before the construction has begun.

Computer World Predicts In 5 Years 3D Virtual Worlds Will Be As Important As Web For Companies

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an interesting article from ComputerWorld.com detailing a new Forrester Research Inc. report. The report argues that the 3D Internet will be as important to companies in five years as the Web is today.

The "Getting Work Done in Virtual Worlds" report released by the IT research firm this week concludes that executives should begin investigating and experimenting with virtual worlds soon because of their promise for remote collaboration, training and the ability to build and share 3D models.

In a 3D virtual world, people can have their name, job title and business unit associated with an avatar that can attend meetings and have access to virtual buildings, rooms, equipment and people, Forrester said. The avatar is controlled by information in an enterprise directory and access control system, it said.

The 3D virtual model is especially important for professionals like surgeons, architects, engineers and product designers, who use CAD models or visualization systems to explore or create projects, Forrester said. In virtual meetings, these professionals can import models for discussion and modification, according to the report.

3D Virtual worlds can also eliminate the expense of remote training and provide a better experience by simulating on the job experiences as well as recording the training so that multiple sessions can be run across time zones and different job descriptions, according to Forrester.

Source: Computerworld.com

It is not secret that 3Dwalkthroughs.com thoroughly believes in the validity of the Forrester report. We are very busy getting ready to burst onto the 3D Virtual World scene. We should be making our announcement in the next few weeks...stay tuned.

3D Renderings, 3D Walkthroughs and High End Yachts

3Dwalkthroughs.com prides ourselves on the fact that our team can create extremely realistic 3D Renderings, 3D Walkthroughs and 3D Floor Plans of any space that can be imagined. We always say to our clients, if you can describe it, we can create it.

While most of our clients are real estate related, we were just contacted by an upscale yacht builder that wants to utilize our services to show his design concepts to his clients before he starts construction.

Based on our initial research into the cost of building a high end yacht, it certainly makes a lot of financial sense for the designer to ensure they are on the same page as their client before the work actually starts.

The builder is excited about the prospect of being able to show all the fine details of his concept to his "demanding clients." He has commented that the intial investment is pennies compared to the amount of money and time he will save in revising his build.

When we demonstrated our 3D Walkthroughs to the yacht builder he almost fell off his chair. He said he had worked with modeling programs in the past but they were so cartoony that he was embarassed to show them to his clients. He was amazed that he was not viewing an actual video of an existing property.

Needless to say it looks like we are going to be creating our first 3D representation of a yacht. We will start posting samples as they are finished.

The 2 Schools of Thought During The Slump in The Real Estate Market

Members of 3Dwalkthroughs.com are currently meeting with a lot of the big real estate players in Charleston, South Carolina. It is interesting to meet with such a diverse group of successful real estate individuals and see the 2 schools of thought existing in today's challenging real estate market.

The first school of thought believes that it takes money to make money. These are the people that are blown away by our 3D Walkthroughs, 3D Floor Plans and 3D Renderings and understand that investing in effective marketing materials will pay itself back many times over.

The other school of thought believes that they should hold off investing money on marketing materials until the overall market conditions improve. This group was also impressed with our product but made it clear that they were not willing to move forward with the current instability in the real estate industry.

What we find most interesting is that both schools of thought are absolutely convinced their way of thinking is correct.

We firmly believe in the first school of thought. Showcasing the special features of a property, especially one that is not yet developed, offers a developer a much better chance of selling the unit before the property is even finished.

New 3D Mouse To Enhance The Experience in Virtual Worlds

California based Sandio Technology Corporation, demonstrated its 3D mouse at the 2008International CES show that opened today in Las Vegas. The Sandio 3D Game O2 was designed to enhance a users experience in Google Earth, Virtual Earth and virtual worlds such as Second Life. The main benefit of the Sandio 3D mouse is allowing users to navigate the 3D Internet without dealing with keyboard or on-screen navigation tabs.

Another benefit of the Sandio 3D mouse is users of CAD software like Google SketchUp and AutoDesk's 3D Studio Max can move along and rotate about the x, y, z axis in both Screen and Camera modes without switching between 3D objects and operation
menus.

Source: Reuters.com

In the short term, 3Dwalkthroughs.com will be testing the new mouse with the virtual world technology we have been working with. Down the road, we hope to utilize the new mouse to help navigate within our interactive 3D Walkthroughs.

About Sandio Technologies
Sandio Technology Corporation was founded in 2004. Headquartered in San Jose, its mission is to enhance users' 3D experience by developing and marketing 3D input devices with true 6DOF motion control, based on its patented 3D input technology. 3D internet users and PC gamers enjoy more, while CAD engineers and artists gain
productivity with Sandio 3D mouse. Industrial 3D applications, like 3D GPS, robotic control, medical, automotive and military, can take advantage of Sandio's 3D input technology.

NewCondosonline.com - A Great Resource For New Condo Developments Worldwide

San Diego based New Condos Online Inc. is a great worldwide resource for potential homebuyers and developers, homebuilders and real estate marketing firms of new condo developments.

For homebuyers, investors and agents, the site offers a user friendly way of finding and comparing new condo and townhome communities.

For developers, home builders and real estate marketing firms, NewCondosonline.com provides a great vehicle to advertise new condo developments and accelerate unit sales. The site will be a great resource for our clients, as they can post links to 3D Walkthroughs, 3D Renderings and 3D Floor plans along with pre-construction sales information, buyer incentives, building progress and more.

A couple of days ago, NewCondosonline.com issued a press release announcing a deal with Sacramento based Emaildirect.com. The goal of the partnership is to improve their already successful email publication and to enable NCO's listed property developers and builders to easily publish and grow their own email publication.

3Dwalkthroughs.com will definitely be referring our clients to this site as it will put our 3D products in front of a larger, worldwide audience...a great way for helping our clients realize a quicker return on their investment.

Source: prweb.com

Can 3D Renderings Be Created if CAD files are unavailable?

3Dwalkthroughs.com is often asked by clients what can be done if the CAD files we typically use as our guide to build pinpoint accurate 3D Walkthroughs, 3D Renderings and 3D Floor Plans are incomplete or unavailable.

The answer is Alot.

While completed CAD files are necessary if the overall goal is accuracy, watercolors, sketch drawings, reference pictures and 2D Floor Plans can be used to create very good conceptional representations.

One of our clients asked us to create a 3D rendering of a house but did not have the completed CAD files. A few months prior, they had a watercolor created but it did not seem to be doing the trick as far as marketing the property effectively. In addition to the watercolor the client was able to provide us with basic elevations and reference pictures describing some of the exterior features. The results are above.

We are currently working on creating 3D renderings of the interior of the same property and will then move on to creating a full 3D walkthrough of the property.

Homebuilders that are trying to sell empty lots with a prospect of building a home on the property should seriously consider creating 3D assets to entice potential buyers...it sure beats showing pictures of a vacant plot of land.

Con Artist - Film Trailer Released

3Dwalkthroughs.com is excited to announce that our friend Michael Sladek of Plug Ugly Films in cooperation with Acme Pictures (American Cannibal) has released a trailer of their new movie, Con Artist.

The trailer can be viewed here>>>

About Con Artist
Famously controversial and eccentric multi-millionaire artist / media provocateur Mark Kostabi is one of the most successful living painters
in America, selling over 1500 canvases every year. His works have sold to the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan, the Guggenheim
and numerous other major institutions worldwide. But Kostabi doesn’t paint “his” own paintings. In fact, he doesn’t even come up with the
ideas for “his” paintings. Instead, he employs others to do these tasks for him. And this approach, which he’s openly employed since his
meteoric rise to fame in New York’s explosive 1980s Post-Punk art scene, is what made him internationally famous.

Over twenty years of on camera scrutiny have honed Kostabi’s skills as a showman and as an expert deflector of criticism. But his
behind-the-scenes preparations and fakery are laughingly illuminated before our cameras as the line between performance and reality
breaks down. As Kostabi constantly displays his manipulations in art, performance, business, and his personal life, he and his staff prepare
a major move while producing a weekly cable access game show in his bustling New York studio. When he leaves for Rome (where he
meets the Pope, sips espresso, rubs elbows with international celebs, and sells “his” art on national TV) Kostabi’s staff moves his huge
studio for him, whilst a budding love affair and every inch of what he does is called in to question. The insanity eventually crescendos as
unexpected revelations leave one wondering what, if anything Kostabi does, is real.

CON ARTIST is a docu-comedy feature film about artists, the business of art, and the fine line between reality and perception. Along the
way we’ll meet a large number of celebrities, critics and experts who will help frame the underlying narrative about artists and art, celebrity
and image: What are artists? Are the clichés true? Are they brooding and broke? Left wing liberals? Wanton sex freaks with flamoyant
natures? Can a businessman be an artist? An athlete? A game show host? Are celebrities ever what they seem or is everything an act?
Has money ruined art? What’s the current boom in the art market all about? Does talent matter? Does art itself matter? Who decides
what’s good? Who decides what sells? Is it all just another business? And where does a strange figure like Mark Kostabi fit in all of this?
Is modern art a con and is he, in fact, “the world’s greatest con artist”?

Using 3D Technology to Train Surgeons

Developers at the Digital Design Studio at Glasgow School of Art are working on a technology that will allow up and coming surgeons to train their skills on 3D virtual patients using a virtual scapel. The technology involves Hi-tech glasses and special sensory gloves which relay signals between the virtual body and the surgeon.

The sensory gloves allow surgeons in training to touch and feel both the soft tissues and hard structures of the body in a fully-interactive, 3D environment, much like a digital hologram.

One of the interesting aspects of this technology, is that if the surgeon makes a mistake in the 3D virtual world the virtual patient could actually die. The obvious benefit is the student can experience failure without the loss of human life.

The cost of the technology has been listed at around $20,000, with an intent to market to medical universities throughout the world.

3Dwalkthroughs.com is confident this technology will be modified to accomodate other industries as well. Any industry which requires fine motor skills could benefit from this type of 3D virtual training. Along with being safer, as in the medical industry, making mistakes in a 3D virtual world is also a lot cheaper.

Source: BBC NEWS

American Cannibal Voted Best Documentary of 2007 by Kurt Loder of MTV

3Dwalkthroughs.com is excited to announce that American Cannibal was voted the best documentary of 2007 by Kurt Loder of MTV.

As associate producers of the American Cannibal we are very pleased with this announcement. The movie has been released on DVD and is available for purchase at video stores nation wide. It will also start airing on Showtime in the middle of January and continue into the beginning of February.

About AMERICAN CANNIBAL(2006)
American Cannibal pushes beyond Fahrenheit/911 and Supersize Me to break new ground in documentary territory.

Rather than forcing situations and twisting facts to tell a story, filmmakers Perry Grebin & Michael Nigro spent two and a half years twisting real life itself, and the result is the story.

The filmmakers began American Cannibal in 2004 as a bold social experiment with reality. The set in motion real events that allowed them unlimited access to the results, pushing their cameras deep into the glitterdome of reality-TV production to emerge with an equally bold exposé.

They watch as struggling writers earnestly pitch TV ideas, eventually selling out to the man behind the Paris Hilton sex tape. The sadistic, shameless reality show they churn out is documented from start to finish: from throwaway pitch to manic auditions through train-wreck production.

Alongside the drama, the filmmakers interview prominent producers, psychologists, network execs, celebrities and “D-lebrities,” who offer candid insight and scathing judgements on our society.

American Cannibal is a documentary as wild as the story behind it: a shocking, hilarious, bona fide portrait of our celebrity-driven culture and the appalling lengths we’ll go to for entertainment.

Blog For Google 3D Warehouse (First Pick For 2008)

At the beginning of every month 3Dwalkthroughs.com selects our favorite 3D model from Greg Rose's blog which highlights new 3D building models as they are added to Google's 3D Warehouse.

Our monthly selection is based on impressive: architecture, level of detail, level of realism etc.

For the first pick of 2008 we have chosen the 700 Eleventh Street in Washington DC.

About 700 Eleventh Street
Located in Washington DC and bordering 11th NW, 12th NW, and G Street NW, 700 Eleventh Street was completed in 1992. The building was designed by architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Melvin Mitchell Architects. This high-rise building has 13 floors, a height of 199 feet and sculptures by Richard Hunt located on the west side plaza.

Source of Actual Photo: Emporis.com