Publishing 3D Models to Web . . . 3

[anotherpipeguy]

Has anyone here ever explored the idea of publishing 3D interactive models to the web? Without the need for the web-surfer to download a plug-in?
One of the primary reasons 3D content posted to the "net" is not a priority these days is because of the need for the viewer of the site to download a specialized plug-in, and another is the challenge of translating the model accurately, without data loss, while somehow remaining beneficial to the project. The technological advances made within the past ten years would be inconceivable to someone a hundred years ago, and are also inconceivable to the poor soul attempting to display a 3d model to the web in modern day cyber-culture. I have been working with ACAD 200X, 3Ds, Shout3D, X3d, Cult3D, Blender, Java, and Javascript to name a few, and if I didn't believe that we as a culture are on the brink of an epiphany.... I would move on to greener pastures. However, I am on to something ! If you have something to add, a question,comment, tip, etc. I'd love to hear it.
Regards, anotherpipeguy

 

[knobhead]

Cadregister do it. They seem to have their own proprietary format which allows you to view, rotate, zoom a 3D model on the screen. It actually even generates a model on the fly from options you select, and you don't need a plugin.

http://www.cadregister.com

As for open source solutions, I've not come across any.


Excessive accuaracy is a sign of poor breeding. -Socrates.

 

[mloew]

What about Actify SpinFire? I learned about it on the ProECentral website. Seems to work great.


Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew
"I don't grow up. In me is the small child of my early days" -- M.C. Escher

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[PeterCharles]

If wire frame would do there is a free Java applet which I have used in conjunction with PHP. The PHP generates a DXF file which this applet then displays (but I only use 2D at the moment). Follow the link below.

http://www.escape.de/users/quincunx/dxfviewer/index.html

There also used to be something called 3DAnywhere

 

[anotherpipeguy]

Petercharles,
The link is excellent! My creativity is born again. I believe it will handle about any 3d model, with the size of the model being proportionate to the loading time of the applet...i hope. Either way, the content I observed was excellent, and was more than sufficient to express a design.
Thank you

 

[IFRs]

These are interesting, but they only show a wireframe model. Is there one that shows the rendered model? Even if it just shows the drawing as you would see it in AutoCAD when you open up the drawing, without the rotation, etc.

 

[PeterCharles]

I knew of something called 3DAnywhere. Haven't seen it recently. You started with a VRML model, loaded it into 3DAnywhere designer then Saved it as a 3DA file which you uploaded onto your web site.
"Here's one I did earlier ............."

http://www.dolphin-ds.uklinux.net/3d/14242-u.html

There was also Kaon Activate!

There may be something useful here, but I haven't had time to go through them all.

http://www.3dlinks.com/links.cfm?categoryid=1&subcategoryid=3

 

[MadMango]

[blue]IFRs[/blue], if you want to show a rendered model without rotation, why not use images like jpeg, gif or some other screen capture?

Ray Reynolds
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
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[Francesco1972]

If you need to share CAE models and results, say from FEA (Nastran, Ansys, Abaqus, Ideas ...) or CFD (FLUENT, ...) the best tool I know is GLview Pro from CEETRON.

http://www.ceetron.com

The software works with the PDF philosophy:

1. you have the licensed software GLview Pro (as Adobe Acrobat)

2. you also have the free viewer and plug-in (as Acrobat Reader).

It works on Windows, Unix and Linux.

Regards,
Francesco