Dell - Cool Use of Interactive 3D Room To Showcase Their Products

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a pretty cool use of an interactive 3D environment which is being used by Dell to showcase some of their products.

The 3D room can be navigated by clicking an arrow or one of the hotpspots laid over the products. Once the navigational element is clicked, the whole room view changes to showcase the specific product, with specific product info revealed upon rollover.

Another cool feature of Dell's presentation is that some of the products can also be viewed from all sides in an interactive 3D window. If you want to check out the presentation and interact with some cool products in 3D, you can do so here>>

Fitspott - the spott where fitness and life collide

As promised, every Friday 3Dwalkthroughs.com will be posting updates on the development progres of Fitspott. Well, here it goes, development continues to roll along on schedule, with a soft launch date estimated to be around September 1st.

In the last week we have added a few new features to the site that we expect to be part of the initial launch, even though they are relatively major additions. We believe the combination of the features we had already planned along with these new features are really going to set us far apart from what is currently available on the market.

In addition to the development of the platform itself we are also excited to unveil our new tagline. Our entire team has struggled with creating a concise tagline that accurately represents what Fitspott is all about. As soon as the words came out of our creative directors mouth, we knew she nailed it.

The new tagline for Fitspott is: the spott where fitness and life collide.
Our goal is to create an extremely robust networking platform where fitness principles, techniques, philosophy's, goals etc. collide with the coolest gear, gadgets, music, equipment, media, technologies and other lifestyle elements.

We encourage you to go to fitpsott.com to sign up for the free private beta launch. We are confident that you will be blown away once we launch. Check back next Friday for another update.

3D Walkthroughs and Choosing The Right Music

3Dwalkthroughs.com prides itself on helping developers to sell their vision as well as their properties. One of the most important post production elements which can help to accomplish both of these goals is the correct selection of music.

Similar to how music is used in movies to help tell a story, music help breathe life into even somewhat ordinary 3D Walkthroughs. If the movement of the animation is properly choreographed with the right music, the results can be extremely powerful.

The first step in choosing the right music is understanding the goal of the 3D presentation as well as the demographic that the property is being marketed to. Once this is accomplished choosing the correct music is much easier.

Selecting music that is annoying or too distracting could actually work against what it is trying to accomplish... Metallica would probably not be the best choice if the 3D Walkthrough was demonstrating an old age home.

SoftKinetic - 3D Sensing Technology

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an article on Venturebeat.com about a company that is acting as the software intermediary between camera makers and game developers. The goal of the software is to reduce or eliminate the need for Wii or other type of gaming controllers.

Using cameras mounted on a TV or computer, movements of the human body would be captured, and with a combination of sophisticated hardware and software, extrapolated into three dimensions (the exact details vary by company).

The company, SoftKinetic makes a software development kit (SDK) and API that makes the switch to gesture recognition simple for game makers. According to the article this has been one of the hurdles of the mainstream adoption of sensor based gaming. The other two are price and quality of the cameras.

Source: Venturebeat.com

We are excited about the possibility of this technology, especially as we continue to make plans for fitspott.com. It is our belief that once sensing technology works through the kinks, we will see an explosion in the amount of 3D video games that are focused on promoting exercise and activity.

The Wii controllers have been a great start, but the movement is somewhat limited. Once the body is totally unhibited the possibilities as it relates to physical fitness is unbelievable.

A Beautiful Weekend in NYC - Cranes a Plenty

We had a Memorial Day Weekend filled with what might arguably be the best weather of the year. When the weather is this nice, and before every one starts heading out of town for their summer homes and vacations, the city is packed.

Aside from an increase in the number of locals and tourists out and about, we also noticed something else...a continued surge in new development projects. We were blown away by not only the number of new development projects that are underway, but also the size of them. Some of the condo projects being developed look like they are going to have over 300 units available.

We cannot imagine that the demand for these properties are going to match the inventory, at least relying on local buyers. For the developers sake they had better be thinking of marketing to foreign investors. What better way to impress this market than with powerful 3D Walkthroughs, 3D Renderings and 3D Floor Plans.

3Dwalkthroughs.com believes it can draw on it's local knowledge to not only make the properties look great, but also to capture the true flavor of New York.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

3Dwalkthroughs.com would like to wish all of our friends, family and clients a very happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend.

I am sure most will agree that they cannot believe Memorial Day is here again. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Labor Day Weekend.

Anyway, we are looking forward to an interesting summer, with a lot of new projects and new ventures. It will be very interesting to see which direction the real estate market will trend throughout the summer.

Fitspott.com Friday Update

As we mentioned last week, 3Dwalkthroughs.com is involved with the creation of a comprehensive Social Network totally geared to the health and fitness industry. Every Friday until the initial launch we will be posting updates on the progress of development along with any other noteworthy info.

In addition to a ton of new sign ups for the private beta launch, we are also receiving a lot of valuable ideas to add to the platform. Just when we think the team has all bases covered, someone comes up with a new idea, and we are forced to re-think things.

It is amazing to us how many social networks are launched, but fail to draw a large community. In many cases the site looks great and navigates well, but still, community interaction and new member sign ups are minimal.

We encourage anyone that has even a mild interest in health and fitness to sign up for the private beta test. We believe the platform we are involved with developing will truly be different than many of the other social networks, aside from just being focused on health and fitness.

Check back in a week for another update.

Integrating 3D Models Into PDF Documents

A new technology is being developed in Australia that will allow interactive 3D models to be intgerated into PDF documents.

Co-developer Christopher Fluke, an astronomer based at Swinburne's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, said there was a trend away from physical, paper-based journals to fully online digital publications.

"In the past, the way you would have shared a 3D model is that you would either have to make a movie of it - so you might rotate that with one particular set of views, or you would have to present it as a series of individual images," Dr Fluke said.

"The problem there is that as the person creating those movies, or those images, you are making decisions about what you want the reader to see."

"So rather than seeing a static, single image of a 3D object, readers can click on the image, rotate it around, and view it from different angles, as well as zoom in and out," he said.

Source: thinkingaustralia.com

3Dwalkthroughs.com believes this technology could be a great way of delivering interactive 3D Renderings, 3D Walkthroughs and 3D Floor Plans to potential buyers. As a PDF document the files size would be considerably smaller than the current format of which these assets are delivered. In addition to smaller file sizes, users will be able to experience a much more interactive view of a property...hurry up and get here already!!

Worlds Largest Cinema Operator To Add 1500 3D Screens

According to an article in the NY Times, Regal, Americas largest cinema operator is added 1500 screens capable of showing 3D movies.

As many of the major movie studios plan on producing their new movies in 3D, this move only makes sense. Companies such as Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks just to name a few, have publicly stated that they are going to be focusing a majority of their production on 3D films in the coming year.

In addition to the sheer number of new 3D films, 3Dwalkthroughs.com expects there to be a boom in level of special effects and techniques that are integrated into these new 3D movies. With more people capable of viewing the movies in theaters coupled with the fact that this technology is not yet available in home theaters, 3D just may be the technology that puts butts back in theater seats...at least until home theater technology catches up.

CyberWalk -Omni-Directional Treadmill to Navigate 3D Virtual Environments

3Dwalkthroughs.com just became aware of a really innovative technology that is being developed to help navigate within 3D virtual environments. The technology called, CyberWalk is being developed by a team based at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany. CyberWalk is an omnidirectional treadmill designed to serve as a VR-capable movement platform.

The actual unit is a stiff, gapless, 20 x 20-foot floor and movement and feedback system that enables quick, fluid changes of direction. To provide the user with an integrated fully immersive Virtual World the CyberCarpet will be combined with visual and auditory input, supplied via a Head Mounted Display (HMD).

Source: Cyberwalk Website

As the technology evolves, the Cyberwalk platform will surely get much smaller and be capable of being outfitted to service many different industries and applications. The possibilities of this technology are endless once it is perfected.

It will certainly be a lot more fun to do a 3D Walkthrough of a property by literally walking through the 3D environment...and much better exercise than doing it with a mouse. Look out Wii Fit.





Source: Wired.com

Adobe Flash 10 Beta Release - Improved 3D Renderings Effects

3Dwalkthroughs.com is excited about the beta release of Adobe's latest version of Flash. The public release of Flash 10 is expected to be released very soon.

One of the biggest features of the new upgrade, and reason we are so interested, is the support Flash 10 is going to offer for 3D rendering effects. The upgrade to it's 3D capabilities is expected to make very immersive, cinematic web viewing experiences possible.

For the end user, Adobe Flash Player 10 is supposedly going to make more use of hardware graphics acceleration, meaning that Flash applications will be quicker and smoother than previous versions.

Source: PCworld.com

From the few articles we read, we gather there are still quite a few bugs to be fixed. With that being said, our developers and designers are going to start digging our heels in and seeing what this upgrade has to offer and how we can incorporate it into our current list of 3D products and services...stay tuned.

DesignFlood.com - Cool Site of the Month

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across a really interesting site as we were doing our daily research. The site is called DesignFlood.com.

DESIGNFLOOD.com is a collection of unique, well-designed websites. Use these handpicked sites for inspiration, rate your favorites, or just kill some time looking at some pretty pictures.

Source: Designflood.com

If you have any interest at all in web design, flash design or even want to check out some sites with great 3D elements, you should check out this site.

Spending some time on the site is a great way to get ideas for new websites, brochures, marketing campaigns etc. We spent hours on the site yesterday and were only able to get through a few pages of sites they have listed.

A Business Guide To 3D Virtual Worlds

In a sign that the growing multiverse is attempting to be taken more seriously in the mainstream market as a real business tool, The Association of Virtual Worlds has just published the first Business Guide to Virtual Worlds. The guide lists over 30 virtual world solutions, vendors, or providers, for businesses and organizations.

"The Internet has changed the way businesses and organizations attract and educate customers, recruit and train their staffs and promote their brands, products and services," explains Dave Elchoness, Executive Director. "The next evolution of the Internet is Web 3D--an Internet that transforms the web from 'sites' to 'places' where users can 'see' each other, interact together, and experience products and services in 3D. An Internet where engagement feels like real life is rapidly taking shape. As a former global executive and HR attorney, I am passionate about the promise of web 3D and know that it will transform how business is done on many levels."

Source:PRweb.com

3Dwalkthroughs.com believes that it will take continued a continued effort by organizations such as The Association of Virtual Worlds to get the mainstream to adopt 3D Virtual applications as "real" business solutions.

We have found that many business leaders believe 3D virtual world technology is "cool" and valuable, but are somewhat hesistant to be the pioneers in the adoption of this technology.

We are confident that in a few years from now we will look back on the days when people actually believed 3D virtual world technology was not going to catch on in the mainstream market.

The free publications can be found here>>

Is Apple Getting into 3D Video Games?

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an interesting article on the seekingalpha.com website which suggests that Apple may be launching a 3D video game system in the near future.

We heard rumblings about this news ourselves right after Apple officially filed a patent for a 3D gaming controller that will work with the Apple TV.

There is a definite explosion in 3D video games that encourage actual physical participation in the game. Imagine a physical gaming experience that was more than just a game; what if your time spent playing games was actually teaching you a new skill?

Educational gaming has been tried before, but Apple might be the ones to bring it mainstream. I wouldn't be surprised to see the integration of current Apple software into some new games. Imagine combining the physical instruments of Guitar Hero with the real life mixing and recording capabilities of Apple's Garageband. Such a game could actually teach its user to play the guitar, or any other instrument.

Source: seekingalpha.com

Sounds like the team members of our new project, Fitspott.com should keep their ears to the ground to see what apple has planned for the "excergaming" market.

Ocean One Condominiums - 3D Renderings Used

3Dwalkthroughs.com and Launchsight Solutions teamed up to build the website and 3D marketing materials for Ocean One Condominiums located in Rockaway, Beach New York. The projects affordable units and magnificent views make this development worth checking out.

About Ocean One Condominiums
Setting a new standard in excellence and design, Ocean One Condominium’s award winning developers offer the most spectacular property ever to be built in the Rockaways, New York! This eleven story sleek design building will have only forty sun drenched condominium units with just four units on each floor. All units with a view of the majestic Atlantic Ocean!!

Development Team
The award winning developers of Ocean One Condominium have been creating new and exciting housing in the Rockaways for the past ten years. Their commitment to excellence in design and comfort is unmatched throughout the Rockaway communities. With the development of the eleven story Ocean One Condominium the development team believes that they have found the perfect formula for developing the pinnacle of outstanding living. See for yourself Ocean One is in a class by itself…

The 3D renderings and photos we created for the site will give a good example of what this unique development property has to offer. We have not shown the 3D renderings to anyone yet that has not commented that they would like to be sitting on that roof deck enjoying a bottle of wine...or 5.

Fitspott.com - Sign Up for The Private Beta Launch

3Dwalkthroughs.com is excited to announce our involvement in a project that is very near and dear to our heart. The new project called Fitspott.com, is a comprehensive Social Network totally geared to the health and fitness industry.
We decided to get involved for four main reasons:

1) The short and long term ideas planned for this project are AMAZING!!!
2) The group of people involved with the project includes some of the most motivated and successful, internet business veterans and athletes I have ever met.
3) Our interest in the field of health of fitness.
4) Our ability to impart 3D products, interactive services and our diverse business network into what we believe is going to be a very explosive network.

Over the next few months we will be posting about the progress of the project and giving away previews about what can be expected.

We highly suggest that you sign up for the private beta launch as soon as possible as space is limited. Click HERE>> to sign up for the Beta Launch.

GearCrave.com - Cool Site of the Month

3Dwalkthroughs.com was doing some research on 3D navigational devices when we came across a website worth mentioning. The website is called GearCrave.com

According to their website, GearCrave is the Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Men who love stuff. They combine finding cool products with articles about how to use them, the best gadgets, cars, clothes, designer items and more.

Source: GearCrave.com website

As a gadget hound myself, I plan on checking out the GearCrave site quite often. After spending just a few minutes on the site I noticed several articles that were right up our alley. We highly recommend checking out their site and even subscribing to their RSS feed.

They had a very good review on Logitech's 3D Connexion mouse which can be found here>>

We are firm believers that improved 3D navigational devices will exponentially enhance the experience that can be achieved in almost all 3D applications.

Get Your 3D Glasses - 3D Images Available on Flickr

When you get a chance, get a pair of 3D glasses and log on to the popular photo sharing site Flickr. There is a bunch of really cool 3D images that your will only fully experience when you pop on your glasses.

3Dwalkthroughs.com was busy doing some research on medgadget.com and came across a mention of a few of master wax-worker Clemente Susini's (1757-1814) anatomical waxes in 3D that were posted on Flickr. The images are compliments of Stanford Medicine's newly released series of anaglyphs. Robert Chase, MD, along with a team of many others, have produced 3D stereo photos of Susini waxes held at the Museo delle Cere Anatomiche Luigi Cattaneo and made 6 of them available for public perusal on their Flickr page.

Image and Data Source: medgadget.com

If you are into the whole 3D thing, and do not get a headache while viewing 3D images with your glasses on, it is worth spending some time reviewing the many 3D images on Flickr. We believe is just a matter of time before we can lose the glasses altogether.

Video Games and 3D Applications Trending Toward The Healthy Side

3Dwalkthroughs.com has been hearing a lot lately about how video games and 3D technologies are being used to help promote exercise and improve the way medical research is conducted.

There was a pretty detailed article on Smartmoney.com about a telenews event conducted by organizers of the Games for Health national conference (http://www.gamesforhealth.org) The article describes four major emerging trends that are utilizing video game and 3D technology. These include:
1) Exergaming kicking into high gear
2) Video games going into rehab and therapy
3) Major health care providers arriving on the scene
4) The rise of video games for first responders and medical professionals

Source: Smartmoney.com

At some point over the last year we have touched on how 3D technology would be utilized to support each of these trends. We will be making an announcement within the next four weeks about our forray into one of these trends...stay tuned.

Documentary Filmed Entirely in 3D Virtual World

"Molotov Alva and his Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey" is the first documentary filmed entirely in the 3D virtual world of Second Life. The 30 minute movie will premier at 8 p.m. May 15 on Cinemax.

The documentary is created by filmmaker Douglas Gayeton who has previously created TV shows and video games. The series explores the adventures of Molotov Alva -- Gayeton's Second Life avatar, his personal journey through the alternate world of Second Life and the characters he meets along the way.

The "Molotov Alva" story is based in a 3D virtual world, and so is its distribution strategy. The film is being carried on several platforms: in addition to TV, it will be broadcast in Second Life itself (on the Cinemax Island located there), and on Cinemax.com.

Source: post-gazette.com

3Dwalkthroughs.com believes the documentary is going to be a very interesting look at what goes on in Second Life and will do a lot to promote 3D virtual worlds' functionality. Obviously we have not seen the movie yet, but if it is done well, it will probably entice a lot of new people to give 3D virtual worlds a try.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way – 3D Style

3Dwalkthroughs.com has seen an increase in the number of builder/developers contacting us to see if we could help them create their marketing materials. In spite of, or better yet, because of the current climate in the real estate industry, the need to market new properties are becoming increasingly more important.

There is a big misconception amongst developers that creating 3D Walkthroughs, 3D Renderings and 3D Floor Plans are too expensive to be considered for smaller developments.

While a 3 minute custom 3D Walkthrough might be a little too pricey for the smaller builder/developer, there are still many 3D assets that can be created even for a very modest budget. 3Dwalkthroughs.com prides itself on it’s ability to come up with a host of options to meet even the most modest of marketing budgets.

In the past, the creation of 3D assets was very expensive. The recent improvements in 3D modeling software has resulted in a significant decrease in the cost of 3D asset creation. We encourage any builder or developer in need of pre-sales marketing tools to contact us. We ask that you give us the opportunity to strategize options that will exceed your goals without exceeding your budget.

Samsung - 3D High Definition TV launched in Australia

Next month Samsung will unveil the first commercially available 3D enabled television in Australia.

The brand new technology has been built into a 1080p full high-definition plasma television manufactured by Samsung which can display 3D movies, games and internet content when connected to a PC.

The technology requires the use of special glasses to deliver the full 3D effect.
The PC, which must be connected to the television, helps the device to interpret the 3D graphics and coordinates communication with the glasses.

With a lot of the major movie networks recently stating their plans to create many of their new movies in a 3D format, Samsung's 3D TV is sure to be a hot seller.

Manufacturers such as Philips are also working on 3D television technologies that do away with need for glasses altogether, to simplify the viewing experience for consumers.

Image and Date Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

3Dwalkthroughs.com is hopeful that this same 3D technology will soon be unveiled in the United States. Perhaps our next movie will be in 3D...American Cannibal 2 in 3D.

Prime Sense - Giving Digital Devices a 3D View of the World

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an article about a Tel Aviv based company, Prime Sense, that just raised $20.4 million dollars in a second round of financing.

Israel-based Prime Sense is developing what it says is low-cost 3D vision technology that will "enable intuitive full body interaction for gaming, gesture based interface and background replacement for video communication/chat and self generated content applications."

"In the years since the mouse was introduced, the complexity of consumer devices has evolved dramatically. In comparison, user interfaces remained under developed. Prime Sense's technology propels user interfaces straight into the future," said Prime Sense president Aviad Maizels.

Source: dmwmedia.com

Some of the initial applications that 3D Vision is being developed for includes:
- Video Games
- Consumer Electronics
- Home Training and Fitness
- Video Communication
- Security
- Surveillance
- Automotive
- Safety

We believe this technology can also be used to move towards building a truly Interactive 3D Walkthrough. Imagine a viewer actually being able to manipulate objects in a scene just by moving their hands or feet.

As this technology evolves it might eventually replace the need for building a model home altogether...or not.

Business Week - 3D Virtual Worlds and Real Business Applications

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an indepth article in Business Week which discusses the increasing number of companies that are using 3D virtual worlds to undergo "real" business applications and encourage global interaction.

According to the article companies like IBM are using 3D virtual worlds for meetings, collaboration, training and employee recruiting. Whether Second Life is the 3D platform of choice, or it is one of the many other existing 3D worlds, the technology can be a very effective way for people to interact and forge bonds from remote locations.

As unproven as these new digitized worlds may be, IBM is adopting virtual world technologies with gusto. The company has begun a mentoring program that encourages people who are retired or are about to retire to share knowledge with newer employees. Many in the program are using virtual worlds to meet, mentor, and make presentations. Globally, IBM is finding that virtual worlds are starting to help bridge culture and distance. IBM's Hamilton says virtual worlds actually make employees want to start working relationships with one another, adding, "Geography doesn't seem to be the barrier it once was."

Source: Business Week

It is our belief that as 3D virtual world platforms continue to focus their feature sets to specific industries, their perceived value and level of adoption will increase dramatically.

DAZ 3D - New 3D Modeling Software Can Export To Second Life

3Dwalkthroughs.com came across an article on Macworld.com about a 3D modeling application developer whose upgraded product will allow 3D models to be exported to Second Life.

The company, DAZ 3D has announced the release of Hexagon 2.5, a new version of its 3D polygonal and subdivision modeling software for Mac OS X and Windows.

Hexagon features tools for modeling 3D objects, refining them, mapping UV, texturing and previewing. It features freehand brush modeling with displacement brushes that can smooth, pinch, inflate geometry and add details. 3D paint tools let you apply textures using brushes, too.

New to the 2.5 release is the ability to export primitive objects to TGA format, which can be read by Linden Labs' virtual world software Second Life. The developers say that this lets Second Life users create more complex and organic shapes than they can in Second Life itself.

Source: Macworld.com

We believe the ability to import 3D models into virtual worlds from external sources will accelerate the improvement of the overall look and feel that can be achieved in 3D virtual worlds. We are excited to see some of the 3D models created by the new version of Hexagon actually integrated into Second Life.

Google Ocean - 3D Map of the Ocean

Google already has the sky and earth covered with their 3D maps, but what about the Ocean? Apparently a group of Oceanography experts had a meeting at the Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California to discuss plans to create a 3D map of the Ocean.

The tool--for now called Google Ocean, the sources say, though that name could change--is expected to be similar to other 3D online mapping applications. People will be able to see the underwater topography, called bathymetry; search for particular spots or attractions; and navigate through the digital environment by zooming and panning. (The tool, however, is not to be confused with the "Google Ocean" project by France-based Magic Instinct Software that uses Google Earth as a visualization tool for marine data.)

Google Ocean will feature a basic layer that shows the depth of the sea floor and will serve as a spatial framework for additional data, sources said, adding that Google plans to try to fill in some areas of the map with high-resolution images for more detail.

Additional data will be displayed as overlying layers that depict phenomena like weather patterns, currents, temperatures, shipwrecks, coral reefs, and algae blooms, much like the National Park Service and NASA provide additional data for Google Earth and Google Sky.

Source: news.com

One of the goals of Google Ocean is to promote advanced research on the vast ocean floor. 3Dwalkthroughs.com believes Google Ocean will eventually be a valuable navigational tool for divers around the world.

38 High Rock - 3D Walkthrough and 3D Renderings Now Available

3Dwalkthroughs.com is excited to announce that the developers of 38 High Rock Condominiums in Saratoga Springs, New York have launched their new website...the website features our 3D Walkthrough and 3D Renderings.

Saratoga Springs, NY, is probably best known for it's historic springs and legendary race track which draws thousands of people during the racing season.

38 High Rock Condominium is a first of its kind for Saratoga Springs and the surrounding area. Featuring 45 luxury condominium residences, 38 High Rock sits adjacent to the neighboring 123-room Hampton Inn & Suites hotel (under separate ownership than the condominium).

Condominium residents will have access to the same amenities as hotel guests,
including concierge and housekeeping services*, and aquatic and fitness facilities** while maintaining exclusive elevator access and indoor parking within a secured garage.

Source: 38 High Rock Website

From the minute we started working with the 38 High Rock team we knew this project was special. The attention to detail that was put into every brick went beyond many of the other projects we have been involved with.

It is a nice feeling when the first thing people say after seeing the 3D Walkthrough presentation and 3D Renderings is "When Can I Move In?". We highly recommend checking out their website, even better, purchasing a unit.