How I got into 3D modeling and animation
I’ve always been interested in animation since I was a child but I had one major problem… I couldn’t draw. Stick figures is about as artistic as I can be as what I have in my mind doesn’t translate well by the time it gets to my hands.
I played with Bryce (owned by MetaCreations back then), Poser (now DAZ owned), 3D Strata Studio Pro and that was about it. Back in the early 1990s, 3D animation was in its infancy (compared to where it is now) and the computing requirements were just starting to become affordable. The software packages were extremely limited as well, today you have over a dozen different very capable 3D modeling and animation options but back then, only a handful and they were nowhere near as “user friendly” as they are now (though still a very steep learning curve to get into).
Of course, back then, nobody really knew what 3D was so I would give myself projects (as my own client no less) and just render away on just random things. The more random the work, the more of a challenge I took it onto myself to try to accomplish. As you can see from the gallery, my skills have improved a little since then. The fish tank is still among my favorite… I guess you can tell I was slightly passionate about Hummers too (and still am!)
In 1996, I took out a loan, started i3DS.com (logo to the right) and bought a 10 000$US dual processor Dell workstation… this thing weighted about 40 pounds, was massive and my current laptop could easily render in a minute what took this monster computer several hours.
i3DS Logo
I had discovered 3D Studio Max (owned by Kinetix back then before being acquired by Autodesk) and was fascinated at what I could accomplish within a few hours of modeling followed by a few hours of rendering. A whole new world of possibilities opened ahead of me and it was exciting!
Slowly over the years, I worked with other animators as contractors for my company and slowly build-up my expertise but I still had lots of trouble finding clients as most of the sales calls would involve educating the customer as to what 3D animation was in the first place. BUT what customers were asking for is websites… lots of websites! So I was having a tough-go selling 3D animations (though they did come slowly and surely) I began getting into online database development, server maintenance, website design, flash… you name it… we did it! The 3D was always in the background, not by choice, but because finding customers who had the money to make it worth my while to work on their projects were few and far between.
After many years, I closed-down downtown office animation studio (we specialized in 3D industrial animations – which I still do now on a limited basis) and decided to travel the world for a few years during the big recessions in the early 2000s but I always maintained my love for animation. I decided to become an ELS teacher and taught English in Korea, Philippines and China so help me make some money while living a vacation lifestyle. During this time, I just was itching to get into 3D again but on a more regular basis, I wanted to improve my skills YET somehow get into making wooden toys. So, I began WoodMarvels.com and spent the next few years basically teaching as few hours as possible while teaching myself design for the rest of the time. I loved it, years flew by and I developed a thriving business offering laser and now CNC cutting files to businesses around the world!
I then started to hear rumblings of “3D Printers” grow louder and louder in both the manufacturing community and 3D modeling/animation community… both of which I have many friends and contacts. I decided the momentum was starting to happen and it was time to jump into offering 3D Printer files using the same business model and passion as I did with WoodMarvels.com – so I registered 3DMarvels.com and the site began!
It has been a rough start though, it’s the same problem that is preventing widespread adoption of hydrogen cars, there are no hydrogen stations to fill-up because there aren’t enough hydrogen cars because there aren’t enough hydrogen stations. In my case, there are some AMAZING 3D models out there but they haven’t been tested… finding working, tested models is a heck of a challenge. 3D printing is still really expensive! So…. long story short, I’m trying to solve this issue, slowly but surely!
I got into 3D because I couldn’t draw – I created an opportunity by banging my head against the wall until I broke through – I created a business due to personal passion about an industry… and I can’t wait to get the ball rolling! All those years of learning 3D, making contacts in the industrial sector (selling 3D no less), building contacts with designers and 3D artists, developing websites and databases… are all the exact perfect skill set needed to turn 3DMarvels.com into a huge success. I’m eager! I’m hoping for a breakthrough in a few months time!