Make It Real: 3D Printing Competition

Posted on May 14, 2013 by victoria

3D printing is not a fiction anymore. It’s everywhere now. 3D printed edible food is a reality: pasta is being served in Google office already. Some people have changed melted plastic into cookie dough-filled syringe, use the same software and 3D print nothing else, but cookies. “Nike” has already printed cleat for the shoes. 3D printed acoustic guitar plays no worse than a usual one. A couple of journalists brought 3D printed gun on a plane without any security inspection.

So we decided to wait no longer. At this very moment CGTrader is opening up the 3D printing competition!

If you ever had a dream to make your favourite 3D character real, it is about to come true. So, are you ready to 3D print it? CGTrader is looking for new talents and calls all designers to step into this exciting technology. Acquire fresh modeling skills and enhance your creativity!

Could you try to guess what is the grand prize?

That’s right – the winners will receive two stunning Ultimaker 3D printers! In order to remember the childhood the winners will have to construct them themselves! You will also receive 3D printer filaments from FILACO, a gift card for 3D printing from Sculpteo and 3D printing of the winning model by 3D Print UK. Runners-up will also receive striking prizes. Who on the Earth would not be fascinated to have their own 3D models showcased in iMakr, the largest 3D printing store in the world?

To participate in the 3D printing competition, CGTrader does not ask for anything impossible. No pressure to turn iron into the gold. No trips to the Mars and back. All you have to do is: a) Upload your 3D print-ready models for sale or for download to CGTrader; b) Be sure they are 3D printable and in .STL format; c) Mark them as ‘print-ready’; d) Do it until the 30th of June. It is more than easy and we call it a challenge!

Nominations
There are two categories of awards in this competition. Each of them will hold one winner and two runners-up.

Best 3D Printable Portfolio
A designer will be awarded based on all 3D printable models uploaded during the competition period, judging them by both quantity and quality.

Prizes
For the winner:

Ultimaker 3D Printer (Kit). Enhance your experience by constructing it yourself!
3D printing your model of choice by 3D Print UK
200 USD gift card for filaments from FILACO
An opportunity to sell your 3D model in the largest 3D printing store in the world iMakr
150 USD gift card for 3D printing from Sculpteo
Publicity for the winner by iMakr
1 year, unlimited IP based subscription to grab your inspiration by Stash
200 USD in CGTrader credits and CGTrader‘s mug and T-shirt

For the two runner-ups:

100 USD gift card for filaments from FILACO
An opportunity to sell your 3D model in the largest 3D printing store in the world iMakr
50 USD gift card for 3D printing from Sculpteo
Individual user access subscriptions to grab your inspiration by Stash
100 USD in CGTrader credits and CGTrader‘s mug and T-shirt

Best 3D Printable Model
The award will be given for the best 3D printable model uploaded during the competition period, judging it in terms of quality and professionalism.

Prizes
For the winner:

Ultimaker 3D Printer (Kit)
200 USD gift card for filaments from FILACO
An opportunity to sell your 3D model in the largest 3D printing store in the world iMakr
150 USD gift card for 3D printing from Sculpteo
Publicity for the winner by iMakr
1 year, unlimited IP based subscription to grab your inspiration by Stash
200 USD in CGTrader credits and CGTrader‘s mug and T-shirt

For two runner-ups:

100 USD gift card for filaments from FILACO
An opportunity to sell your 3D model in the largest 3D printing store in Europe iMakr
50 USD gift card for 3D printing from Sculpteo
Individual user access subscriptions to grab your inspiration Stash
100 USD in CGTrader credits and CGTrader‘s mug and T-shirt

Is anyone here still doubting? Upload your 3D model right now!

These 3D models turn into real ones with a help of Ultimaker 3D Printer! Visit www.ultimaker.com!

Using Words To Sell 3D Models

Posted on May 9, 2013 by victoria

Imagine that 3D model marketplace is like a huge supermarket with hundreds of showcases…

I doubt if you would be attracted to buy any goods that are scattered all around. Let’s say you have walked around the marketplace three times already and you are not able to find, where the milk is. The fact that there is no indicated price in the same shelf, would definitely confuse a you. The same is at the online marketplaces. All you have to do is to make the trading pleasant by providing attractive and buyable products. Simple logic.

So what is golden formula for your product description?

Augmented Reality: Enhancing Our Perception

Posted on May 2, 2013 by viktorija

The colonisation of virtual world has already gained momentum. A variety of people these days move into their remote and small chambers of social networks and dive into the ocean of information with no shores. Unfortunately, absolute majority of them still have to face reality every day. Then iPhone helps. iPad helps. iPod helps too. PSP handheld device helps. Definitely.

“The real world is way too boring for many people. By making a real world a playground for the virtual world, we can make the real world much more interesting.” to “New York Times” says Daniel Sanchez-Crespo, who is the project leader at “Novarama”, a game developer based in Barcelona.

So, have you ever dreamed of an invisible friend? Be honest. In order to improve a life on the Earth, “Novarama” has developed a game “Invizimals”. It allows a player to choose the reality populated with invisible creatures that can interact with each other. Doesn’t that sound awesome?

How could you augment your reality?

CGTrader Goes eBay

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Marius Kalytis

There are several ways to go about implementing a vision. We have ours. For the last 4 months we had a single goal. It got us so addicted to what we do that it made our office our second home. It resulted in bottomless cups of coffee and tea, sleepless nights for the programmers, loads of stress and code combinations, dozens of chocolate bars and a serious headache on how to make a dream come true.

Today we are proudly announcing the grand launch of the improved CGTrader platform! This product is built from scratch by our talented team – which gives us freedom to easily add extra features and improvements in the future. We are excited to tell that our vision is now closer than ever before.

CGTrader was started with the aim to democratize the rapidly growing 3D model market. We had the goal to establish a buyer and designer friendly, low-commission marketplace, where interaction between both sides is convenient and direct. Although creating a new platform is just a small step in our quest, we hope that it will make buying and selling easier and more enjoyable for everyone. Get to know more!

Our Round 10’000!

Posted on March 5, 2013 by victoria

It has been a few weeks already since we hung a huge poster on the wall in the office. Just for the numbers. Almost consequently we started following a fast-growing number of uploaded 3D models on CGTrader. Once it led to a sweepstake guessing what amount of 3D models will be uploaded in three days. The winner was given an extremely delicious chocolate and a lottery ticket. Then each member of our team began to secretly check that number. Even too often sometimes. It definitely was a suspicion of a nearing round amount of 10 000.

“We have a bit more than 10 000 models today. It is a milestone. It proves that designers trust us and that is extremely important for our team. It definitely gives us strength to go further” this morning said the founder of CGTrader Marius Kalytis.

Here it is. On one hand it is only a number, but on the other it shows that we are little by little going towards our goal. Get to know which model was the 10’000th!

The Future Is Now: CGTrader Received Funding

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Marius Kalytis

All the poets like to highlight that having a dream is the first step towards it. So as some of you may have already read or heard, we are very excited to announce that we have just made the second big step towards our vision.

We have recently raised a seed funding round from Practica Capital fund! To those who do not know, CGTrader was launched in 2011. The main purpose of creating this kind of platform was to establish a highly fair and author-friendly marketplace. Some time ago we have noticed that in the most of the existing marketplaces royalty rates for the authors are low. It makes selling models online a less atractive activity for designers. Moreover, it limits the growth of the industry. Therefore, we created CGTrader.

We wish to create a highly vibrant markeplace that benefits everyone, so we offer the best conditions for all sides. Joining forces with Practica Capital will help us immensely in moving ahead in that mission. What CGTrader will do with the money?

Challenge Yourself: 3D Model Competition

Posted on February 13, 2013 by victoria

Two years ago we at CGTrader challenged ourselves to create a vibrant, alive and fair 3D model marketplace. Next month we are celebrating our birthday. We do not need any presents. Instead we would like to offer you to challenge yourselves in 3D Model Competition.

You are definitely highly creative so there is no point in locking your fantasy inside your mind. Free yourself: use your incredible ideas in the most professional way and share your 3D models with us.

Check out what you have to do!

Remodeling CGTrader.com: A Sneak Peek

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Dalia

It seems it has been a while since you have heard from us. No, we did not get a cold from the winter tricks – nor did we get carried away with extended Christmas holidays. Actually, we have been working a lot. By saying a lot, we mean working from the morning light to the dusk of the day – including dreaming and generating ideas while sleeping.

This hard work has brought some great news and we will be sharing them with you shortly. Today we would like to give you a sneak peek of what is coming. We started CGTrader almost two years ago with an idea to create a designer-friendly marketplace – and by now it has grown to a platform with thousands of designers and numerous models, thanks to you!

To make sharing and selling your models on such an active platform easier, we have been working on a new, more convenient CGTrader. A few things still need to be done before it sees the daylight, but here is short sneak peak for you:

The new system is coming so soon!

Interview with CODETHISLAB

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Simona

There it goes. The unique and promised interview with the winner codethislab of our Halloween Challenge.

Thanks for finding space in your schedule to let us know what you are up to. When doing some research I found a list of fantastic titles that you have worked on, but I couldn’t find out much about you. Tell us about yourself and why you chose to be a 3D artist? Tell us about yourself and why you chose to be a 3D artist?
I started painting on canvas, papers, walls, shirts, everywhere… my life changed in 2008 when I met Code This Lab guys that was searching for a vectorial artist. Despite my lack of experience in digital art, I had a chance, thanks to a Superman painting that they liked very much. After some months I had my first approach with 3d Modeling and it was love at first sight!

Interested? Read more!

3D Printing Future. Sculpteo case.

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Ieva

Even though 3D printing is still seen as very innovative and sometimes even futuristic concept, there are no doubts that it could (and most likely will) eventually change the way we consume goods. It’s still a pioneering business and there are few companies around in the market that could offer quality 3D printing services.

Scupteo, on the other hand, makes a clear statement to everybody that 3D printing IS the future. “Soon, instead of buying things that are made in large quantities at factories, we will buy objects made in quantities of just one, specifically for us”, says Eric Carreel, Cahairman of Sulpteo. This genuinely incredible idea could actually revolutionise the way we shop, the way we consume goods.

Company was established in 2009, and right since then, they were pioneering in 3D printing market, bringing the concept that digital art-work created on the screen can actually become tangible objects to the daylight. And we are not only talking about a mug or the tiny model of the car. Scupteo is looking deep into the future markets and industries. Theories of ability to print buildings may still sound as a sci-fi for us, but for Sculpteo is just a future of engineering.

The process of 3D printing involves fusing various materials (mainly plastic or alumide) in the forms that were created by the artist on the computer. This commercial video helps to understand how things are done.

Sculpteo is making sure that all kinds of customers get something from their business: starting from large industrial organisations and helping them with their business needs, to anyone who has an access to the Internet, as on the Sculpteo’s website you can actually create something yourself (with no professional skills required), right on their workshop page.

Not long ago Sculpteo launched their app on iOS. Surely the app isn’t as open as the web interface, and there are limitations on projects you could do on it, however, it allows you to create custom 3D models, such as vases, phone cases, mugs etc. Then you can easily place your order and get it shipped to you within few days. And all of this could be done just by few clicks on the phone.

Eventually, when 3D printing will become even more accessible to everyone around, the mass production goods could start fading away. Just imagine, you live in Germany and you want to send a present to your uncle for his birthday but currently he lives in Canada. All you will need to do, is to purchase any model you like from CGTrader website, you modify the model on your computer by adding text and textures, send it off to Scultpeo, and … voilà! Sculpteo will deliver the present to your uncle’s door!

Definitely, as the 3D printing market is still relatively new, many things have to be added, some have to be withdrawn, however, the idea behind the 3D printing opens the doors to the completely new way of how we can generate our ideas and how easily it could be turned into tangible objects. Indeed, this is the future, and Sculpteo is currently on the right track in this really interesting and innovative market.

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