Thank you Val for sharing…I’m impressed with the “real appeal” and have bookmarked your site for some future interests that I have.

Val,
Just so we’re clear ….you are producing 3D renderings, a “3D digital visualization” if you will of what the product could look like. A nice image to be sure….but still, simply a printable computer image. I assume you could also, if requested produce a machine code file for rapid prototyping, as well as maybe even an engineering animation capable of computer modeling.

Although I totally agree with your statement about finding bugs in the design when translating the 2D renderings into some form of 3D rendering. If we’re honest, isn’t “Virtual Prototype” largely a marketing term used to sell renderings?

At any rate…..some folks just got blasted the other day for posting sales threads on the forum, and it would be totally unfair to them if someone didn’t point it out to you as well. Many of us have companies here on the EN forum, and like you, we advertise…just not here.

No harm, you may not have known…I looked at your web site, and you do some really great rendering work..some of the best I’ve seen in a long time.

Susan1 thanks

Mark,

You are wrong about the wording. a virtual prototype is just that. a prototype that lives only inside of a computer. it is a 3D model. it is not a flat drawing. It is not a series of flat drawings. It is one object/file that has all of the characteristics of a real object. with those characteristics you can then apply other real world characteristics. Light striking it that then creates shadows, water flowing around the object, cloth draping over the object. Movies like SHREK could not be made with 2D drawings and have that kind of visual complexity. virtual models of weather patterns are not 2D images they are exactly as the words describe a virtual 3D model. From that virtual object/file you can take that information and print out a 3D object. So No it is not just a marketing term it is a description of a real thing.
To answer your other question. yes, we do 3D renderings from 3D files. on the whole we give the 3D files out with the renderings properly numbered so the client can take the 3D files to someone who creates the 3D print out. we just ask a bunch of questions to make sure we are compatable with the company that does the printing. For animations we use those 3D models and create virtual cameras, virtual lights, have virtual gravity and so on.

Anyway, thank you we try to be the best there is.

Val,

I’m not actually wrong at all….What you just described was a 3D rendering…it’s a picture that can be moved in space (X/Y/Z) ….with illusionary characteristics of a real object. That’s what it is. It can give you basic size information….and it is far better than a standard 2D rendering to be sure. But….It’s not a prototype. Virtual, or otherwise… It’s a rendering.

When you use it to study movement, or flow, or other interactive characteristics it is then an engineering model. If you chose to, you could format it for machine code and output it to a 3D printer of some form,…and you would have a physical model. Depending on the printing process you chose you could in some cases have a model that could be used as a manufacturing prototype…..in thoery anyway

“Virtual Prototype” is in fact a marketing term designed to increase the intrinsic value in a 3D rendering.

you have no idea how many people come to me with ‘Virtual Prototypes” that are nothing more than a pretty 3D image, most of them are 100% useless for the rest of the manufacturing process….but the inventors have been led to believe they were worth every penny because they were a “Virtual Prototype”… inferring they were simply one short step from eveerything they needed to manufacture….it just doesn’t work that way.

I AM NOT SAYING THAT”S WHAT YOU DO VAl….Truly….I have no doubt that you guys do really great 3D Renderings, Engineering Models, and even arrange for rapid prototyping…I’ve just watched this term get used as a way to rip people off many many times.

i am going to get a bit picky with the language. I’m linking to wikepedia so you can go there yourself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendering_(computer_graphics)
here is the front of the quote.
“Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model, by means of computer programs. The model is a description of three-dimensional objects in a strictly defined language or data structure. It would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information. The image is a digital image or raster graphics image. The term may be by analogy with an “artist’s rendering” of a scene. ‘Rendering’ is also used to describe the process of calculating effects in a video editing file to produce final video output."

the 3D file is the virtual prototype not the rendering. the rendering is one of the final outputs that can be created from a virtual prototype.
I agree with you though it really is semantics, but a virtual prototype really is a thing. If you want to call it a engineering model that’s cool.
I also understand that there are numbers of people who have no idea what is happening inside of computers or the software that is used. I try my best to explain what is happening in terms of what we do and what we can do and to make sure that is what they want.
I believe a rendering is a great way to sell an idea. It is also a great way to find out if the idea is worth pursuing without going down the road of actually building something.

Picky..Picky Picky…I don’t mind.

For you Val, as one who isn’t out to rip people off, and for those who understand what we’re actually talking about – we can call it anything you like :)

It’s really clarification/simplification of terms to take the power away from those who use that name to take advantage of people who don’t know any better…

In a forum like this there are literally hundreds of people who read these posts and never ask the question…so we have to make sure to clarify things people say. I would just hate to see one more person spend a lot of money on a Virtual Prototype when they are actually only getting a Rhino drawing …suitable for framing, but not much else.

No need to break out Webster…we got the point across.

Nice sparing with you sir….you are an able opponent. :)

It’s all good. I’m always happy to discuss/clarify these things. the more people that understand the better. as they say, knowledge is power. If anybody is curious about me in particular just google my name. there is information out there.
Like I said before I’m happy to discuss what I know about 3D. It made making objects a lot easier and faster for me. I was once told by a prof “he drew to find out what he thought” with this you draw and everyone knows what you think.

It’s virtually all good.. .

Nice to read such professional dissemination.

What fine definitiveness.

It’s so nice to learn about the great dimensions of your works.

You must be so busy, being so capable and helpful. I am honored for you to take the time in soliciting me to use your time.

I’m sure you will be a great help to the submission process for en members and staff alike.
Well wishes for rendered services rendered, virtually.

Hi val,
I saw your site. Good work!
You mentioned that you know of some free software downloads to make 3D graphics. I downloaded Blender, but it seems a little too difficult for me. Is there any really easy software you can suggest? I am feeling confident on my artwork with sell sheets, but want to move up a notch to the 3D world.

I like to play with the software more than read tons of instruction. Is there something you can recommend to me?

celeste

Hi Celeste,

thank you for the compliment.
I posted a list of free 3D software in the Other section called free software. I will keep adding to it as I rummage around and find things. Probably sketchup is the easiest to get up and running. I haven’t really played with it so I don’t really have an opinion about it. I know lot’s of people like it for it’s ease of use though. Blender is really a professional package that does take time to learn. the “free” thing throws people. people think free means for the general public. Blender was used in story boarding spiderman the movie among other things, so….. What i would say about software packages which ever one you pick to learn first it will be (more than likely) the one you will like the most and all others will be frustrating as your hands and eyes go for the areas that you imaging the tools to be. When i swap back and forth between 3ds max and blender I will hit a particular key expecting a certain action and I will bash that key a couple of times until I realize I am in a different piece of software. A thing to think about for software. If you want to have the output be able to be turned into a prototype you need to be able to create IGS and/or STL both are standard (old) file formats. there are companies that can use different formats than that. zcorp, as an example, is very progressive and can use 3ds wrl ply. It just means you can use you model to render as well as prototype. It really makes it worth while.
You might try moi, it isn’t free, I think it costs around 150.00 but is fairly easy to get ones mind around you can download a crippled version to play with and see if you like it.