ENLIGHTEN3D

By Joshua Koopferstock & Christian Laforte

For the last few months, we have been quietly working on Presto3D, a 3D model marketplace which integrates our 3D web viewer to display user-generated 3D models in 3D within the browser.  Finally, it is out the door and in closed beta!  If you want to check it out, go to www.presto3d.com and enter this beta referral key: “presto0845″ (without quotes).

Presto3D Tutorial from joshk on Vimeo.

What is Presto3D?

Presto3D is a marketplace where 3D models can be bought or sold.  All 3D assets are user-generated and user-priced.  When a model is uploaded, we convert the 3D model into COLLADA to create a 3D preview for our web viewer.  With a small, one-time plugin download, potential buyers can see the models in 3D, rotate and zoom the models within the browser.

To ensure an optimal performance and to keep the models safe from petty thefts, we automatically reduce the resolution of textures, compress and encrypt all the data.

Why is Presto3D so exciting?

To the best of our knowledge, there exists nothing on the web that allows such openness for the display of user-generated 3D content.  Due to our automatic conversion, on Presto3D, users can upload files in any Maya (.ma, .mb) or 3dsMax (.max, .3ds) format and see them in 3D in the browser (.dae, .obj, & .fbx are also supported).  Even outside of 3D marketplace websites, other sites will require that you use file formats specially created for the specific web viewer, or create the files within their proprietary platform (such as within some web games and virtual worlds).

The goals of Presto3D are two-fold.  First, we aim to drastically improve the experience of buying and selling 3D content.  Second, we will create the most direct path to display 3D content online, irregardless of the software used to create it.

Go give Presto3D a try, and tell us what you think!