[Foundation-l] New project: WikiMake - library of free 3D models?

[Ray Saintonge]

On 02/09/12 10:39 AM, Chris Lee wrote:
> The largest problem I see with this is offering a 3D modelling software
> that is free and (somewhat) easy to use. I know some exist, but they are
> not nearly as friendly as Solidworks or Pro e. secondly, we would need to
> offer a free viewer, so that they could be accessed from Wikipedia articles
> or other projects. These are huge development barriers, as we barely have
> resources for comparatively much less demanding softwares.
>
> Creating a 3D model of a screw is one thing that could be beneficial for
> someone creating some type of assembly for school or work, but to create a
> 3D model of a sculpture; how could we verify its proportions?
>
> I like the concept, but it is very far from the plain text, html,  js that
> runs virtually everything we work on in Wikimedia.

I remember such an idea crossing my mind at Wikimania Taipei in the wake 
of Raoul Weiler's talk, and visiting the National Museum there where a 
bowl in a glass case had some inscriptions all around that were 
impossible to see in full because one couldn't see the back. It's all 
well beyond my personal technical abilities, but it struck me as 
something that could be very useful for representing museum artifacts.  
(I tried to go to a presentation about something similar for the mining 
industry, but after driving more than an hour to get there they had to 
cancel because a car had run into a power pole and knocked out the 
electricity in the whole neighborhood for the whole afternoon.)  I 
didn't follow up after that.

I don't think that maintaining  proportions is a problem.  These things 
already exist in architectural programs, medical imaging and building 
scenic environments for video games. A simple object can be completely 
photographed by four cameras in a tetrahedral pattern around it. For the 
viewer 3D-printing would be less important that being able turn and 
otherwise manipulate the object on screen.

Ray