Fast-growing 3D content marketplace CGTrader has teamed up with Microsoft to present a 3D modeling contest that will allow its 180K-strong designer community a chance to see their model in Microsoft’s revamped 3D Builder app.
The challenge is running from until June 1, 2015, so you still have a few days. The reason it’s such a big deal for designers is that Microsoft will be preloading the 3D Builder printing app with Windows 10. Microsoft is looking to CGTrader to satisfy a search for the final 3D model to complete its selection. The winning 3D model must be specifically designed for testing and benchmarking 3D printers in a way that will help users check the results for “accuracy and deviations.”
“We are delighted to launch the 3D modeling challenge in partnership with Microsoft. We believe it’s a strong signal for the whole 3D printing movement,” according to Dalia Lasaite, CMO of CGTrader. “Our community members get an exclusive opportunity to have their work seen by millions of Windows 10 users.”
CGTrader staff as well as Emmett Lalish, who is a senior mechanical engineer at Microsoft, will judge all submissions. The basic idea here is for CGTrader designers to experiment with 3D concepts while staying within the parameters of high-quality standards.
This means that designers should follow the strict technical requirements to ensure a smooth 3D printing experience for the app users. The winner will be awarded prizes, including Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 tablet, and will have their model included on the 3D Builder app.
CGTrader’s recent partnership with Lowe’s, a company that operates a chain of home improvement stores, and the joint challenge with Microsoft indicates a growing demand for 3D design skills and hints at a near future where 3D design technology is as ubiquitous as mobile devices.
In case you are unfamiliar with CGTrader, they have more than 180,000 registered 3D modeling professionals from every corner of planet Earth. So far, they have more than 100,000 3D models uploaded to the digital library, and I’m sure they are about to get a lot more.