3D assets

Introduction

This page includes some links for 3D assets.

See also:

• 3D printing and 3D printer
• Virtual environment, 3D interactive environment and Web 3D technology

Search

• Images.google (Only pictures, but search may then lead to 3D websites if you add "3D" or similar to the query)
• Princeton 3D Model Search Engine (not maintained, but ok to find some VRML models for example)
• Yobi3D 3D Model Search Engine (Search by keyword. Provides a viewer to see models in 3D)

3D models for 3D printing

• new-objects.com (dead site?, includes visualization and downloadable files)
• 3dprintables.org was an excellent wiki that included educational objects, often with links models on external sites. Dead it seems as of oct. 2013.
• Thingiverse (a place to share digital designs that can be made into real, physical objects). Many interesting objects for filament-based 3D printers. However, since Makerbot started asserting their ownership more strongly in 2012, some people now use other alternatives, e.g. privately controlled file sharing schemes (blogs, portals, github, google drive, web servers, whatever ....)
• George W. Hart's Rapid Prototyping page includes STL files for (complex) mathematical/geometrical forms. In addition, simpler Makerbot Constructions also are available. Most low end 3D printers can handle these (actually better).
• DefCad. The island of misfit objects, e.g. the famous printable "liberator" gun was there before it got blocked. Such files can be found in places like PirateBay. Btw assembling a gun from "standard" metal parts you could buy in a hardware store is both cheaper and more reliable. I mean it's 15th century tech. I am not in favor of distributing guns to everyone, but one cannot censor Internet (Daniel K. Schneider (talk) 19:49, 10 May 2013 (CEST)).
• STL downloads at Nunus. (larger repository).
• Sketchfab (some downloadables, most model are only for looking at...)

Online printing services

Most online printing services also include large catalogues of printable objects. Some of these are free to take, most are not.

• Shapeways includes thousands of printable objects.

In addition to repositories for printable objects, you also can try to adapt models made for 3D virtual environments, see below.

• Google 3dwarehouse/ includes an enormous amount of models. Most of these are not printable, but often it's enough to use a repair tool like netfabb to make a model watertight and otherwise correct.
• Archive 3D. Very large repository of 3D models. Some can be converted quite easily to printable objects.

Finaly, various CAD/CAM and 3D modeling software includes sample directories and other models are often available on various official and unofficial support sites.

CAD/CAM models

Scanned models

• The Stanford 3D Scanning Repository (some files in .PLY format)

Free CAD models

• www.tracepartsonline.net
• http://www.mcmaster.com/
• 3dcontentcentral.com

3D Models for display

This models are made for creating virtual environments, games. etc. Finding free 3D models is the usual "search for multimedia assets" nightmare, 95 of hits are bad if you use google ...)

Various free 3D model repositories

• http://3dr.adlnet.gov/ Created in the context of SCORM/TLA
• Google 3D warehouse (.dae/collada, .skp)
• Trinckle (a more recent repository for 3D models) .PLY .STL and .3DS
• Opengameart.org
• NTU 3D Model Database ver.1. Free for education (.obj)

Free models from commercial sites (some sites many include lots of ads, none endorsed)

• 3dmodelfree.com
• Free OBJ models at Oyonale.

Commercial (no endorsement ...)

Often, these models come in several formats, some are high end and expensive

• The3dStudio.com (some free)
• Artist-3D.com (some free for education)
• Exchange3D.com
• TurboSquid.com
• DAZ 3D has some free models (registration required) for DAZ Studio.

Links

(links of links)

• deco2c.free (good list of free 3D model sites] (in french, some links broken)