3D Design Looking Forward from my POV

While I'm waiting on my Formlabs printer, I thought I'd enlighten everyone on what it was really like to a 3D Modeler. In short it's not easy, I'm still learning so this may still account for why I'm speaking with a bias. However, I feel it is fair to say that it's just flat out hard. I have never spent so much time mastering one particular skill. Well maybe other than gaming. It could be that I haven't had any "proper" classes. I've been learning most of my skills pretty much by myself or through some form of online class. Sometimes I feel like working on a particular project is a complete daze. I go through all the motions, but 1-2 days later I've forgotten the minute details that allowed me to reach my project goal. I don't blame my online classes for that, it's my fault for taking the task of learning something as complex as 3D design, lightly. Here is where I go for my tutorial and lesson videos: Digital Tutor 

I also spend my days reviewing and playing games, I find this a tad more entertaining, I'll admit. But, I love doing both just the same. It's my passion to work in the gaming industry and I want to eventually be more than just a low rung QA Tester (Sorry QA guys, I know you're really important, but you have to admit the position is pretty unsatisfactory as it stands). I'm working hard toward my goal and next week as both a reward and a job search opportunity I'm going out to GDC 2014 in San Fran, CA. I'll be sure to take keen notes and share my experiences when I get back. I'm super excited for the trip, enough to actually make the butterflies in my stomach change into raging dragons.

It'll be good to see how the development community has embraced 3D going forward. Perhaps there will be a panel on emerging technologies for practical usage in gaming. As most of the current applications seem to only involve just design. However, to truly appreciate what 3D Design is as a whole you need to look at other applications such as virtual reality. Products like the Oculus Rift which are still in their "developmental" stages should be looked at seriously for the next step forward in gaming. I want to embrace the world stepping forward into even something as fantastical and interacting with a 3D hologram.

More on the Oculus Rift here: Oculus VR

Printing Figurines- how to make it rich with nerds

Well the post title isn't entirely accurate. Copyrighted stuff can't be sold, the only people who'll be able to do this are people who have original custom ideas or are making them for their own usage. This came to my attention the other day while I was complaining about the fact that my Formlabs printer is now delayed due to shortage in production. While I believe in large part tabletop games are mostly dead there are still the few and dedicated who enjoy games like D&D and such. They drive a not new but definitely interesting form of business forward. HeroForge is just one example of a kickstarter company that gives players the ability to customize their own tabletop figurine via the usage of 3D printers.

By offering a service instead of a hard product it gives consumers the ability to customize and make a miniature to what they wish. However, like all services there are differences in levels of service. The old saying you get what you pay for holds true here. While HeroForge offers you the ability to use its software to customize a miniature with pre-rigged and posed figurines; 3Distributed hosts an even more intricate service. They allow you to customize multiple things down to the last detail. Of course this service is a bit pricier.

3Distributed offers these customization options for their figures and because they're not borrowing from a pre-made list of options the figurine that comes out will be purely unique in its own right

1. As detailed a visual description as possible (sketches and pictures, however rough, are always useful) 
2. A personality description to help our sculptors know who they're bringing to life
3. Weapon choices
4. Stance 
5. Clothing/armour and other equipment 
6. Colour scheme and ground description (if choosing 'painted')
7. Height (prices below are based on 28mm scale 

This opens up not only a previously closed market of design, but offers insight on what direction future 3D print franchises and artists might wish to do with their machine. People like to get exactly what they want. Even if they have to pay a little more. I've included links below to both websites.

• STORMBEARDS from http://www.3distributed.com/pages/stormbeards-emporium
• Hero Forge from Kickstarter.com