(Thanks go to Duann Scott for bringing this to my attention. You can read his thoughts over at the Ponoko blog).

3DVia is a suite of software tools from Dassault Systèmes, makers of Solidworks and Catia. And whilst it includes 3DVia MP - an authoring platform for games content, and 3DVia Composer - a product documentation package (both of which have to be paid for), what’s really of interest to me are the two free-to-use programs: 3DVia Shape and 3DVia Printscreen. Looked at together with Cosmic Blobs and CB Model Pro, it seems like Dassault Systèmes are pushing hard to be front-runners in the entry-level 3D modelling software market.

3DVia Shape is an online modelling application. What’s most striking on first viewing the demo video is how similar Shape is to Google SketchUp, from the way forms are sketched and then transformed into 3D objects, to the fact that the demo, and most of the sample models created so far, are buildings. Essentially both programs work with extruded forms. 2D sketches are drawn on planar surfaces, and then pulled a certain distance to either create new solids or divide / cut existing ones.

Sketches are ‘pulled’ to create solids © 3dvia.com

What can’t be done is create an extrude along a curved path (ie sweep), and there’s certainly none of the surfacing commands designers see as standard. The FAQ’s claim that future versions of Shape will extend its capabilities to the creation of any forms; exactly what this means remains to be seen, but it’s probably fair to assume that Frank Gehry will still be using Catia for the foreseeable future.

Given the obvious limitations of 3DVia Shape, most designers would reject out of hand its usefulness as a design or modelling tool. But as I have argued before, for consumers who don’t have the time or interest needed to learn a high end CAD package, tools such as these can be invaluable in enabling them to at least do something, rather than wait for someone else to create their design or invention. What’s more, people who have never been told that one approach is wrong, or that certain tools shouldn’t be used, tend to be more open about trying something just to see if it’s possible, and more satisfied with the results. It hasn’t taken long for some non-architectural models to start appearing on the 3DVia community site; it will be interesting to see what people are most interested in modelling as the new tools become available.

Truck cab ‘remixed’ in 3DVia Shape by dswavely, based on an original model by rguyen © 3dvia.com

The other free component of the 3DVia suite is Printscreen. This works almost exactly like the printscreen function in Windows (or like Grab in OSX), except it captures 3D data, rather than a 2D image. In this respect it is similar to OGLE, except that Printscreen will capture DirectX data as well as OpenGL. The software will capture any 3D data, independent of the application that is generating it. And although there may sometimes be a need to screen grab a very lightweight version of a CAD model, I imagine for most people that will mean characters or objects from games.

Character from Capcom’s Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, captured using 3DVia Printscreen by Kiffla3D

The same model shown in wireframe view. © uncertain (is it Capcom or 3dvia.com?)

This is where things start to get interesting, because the copyright to the design of these characters is quite clearly by the games companies which create or publish them. In the case of the Lost Planet models, Capcom make it very clear where ownership lies in the standard copyright blurb at the bottom of the game’s website:

Character Wayne by © Lee Byung Hung / BH Entertainment Co. Ltd, © CAPCOM Co. Ltd. 2006, 2007 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the Capcom logo are registered trademarks of CAPCOM Co. Ltd. Lost Planet is a trademark of CAPCOM Co. Ltd.

So what Dassault Systèmes have done is made a technology available which enables someone to breach the copyright of another company. They’ve then allowed that copyrighted material to be hosted on a community site which they own, from which anyone can freely download the 3D file of the Lost Planet character. But perhaps most interestingly, the site encourages users to reuse, modify, and repost models which other users have posted (3DVia call this “remixing”).

In the past games companies have been more open than most in allowing fans to interfere with copyrighted material. Many games nowadays include software developers kits, and deliberately write code in more readily accessible languages or even on Excel spreadsheets so that almost anyone can tweak certain characteristics of the game. Modders freely discuss the minutiae of their successful techniques on boards hosted by the games companies themselves, and some of the best mods are even incorporated into patches or future releases. This strikes me as something different though, because up until now that copyrighted material, although modified, has remained within the domain of the company that created it.

Santa Invasion. A mod for Medieval II: Total War © the Magyar Mod team

So if someone wants to make a mod for Medieval II: Total War which changes the power of longbows, or even create an army of marauding Santa Claus and snowmen, it still requires a copy of the game in order to be played. Whereas now it would presumably be possible to grab 3D models from Lost Planet, and use them to create a mod for Medieval II. And whilst this kind of cross fertilisation has been done before, Warhammer mods for Civilization III for example, this software makes it much easier for those with no expertise in games design to create exact replicas of characters.

Units for the Warhammer mod for Civilization III, created by aaglo

If this were only about games, I might be tempted to say that it wasn’t a big issue, that this is just a further development of the kind of mods which games fans have been creating for years. But it’s already moved out of games and into the domains of companies who are much more willing to use the law to enforce their IPR. Unlike the Google SketchUp community site, which will only host SketchUp created models, the 3DVia forum will accept models in any of the formats which Shape supports - this includes .3ds, .3dxml and .stl. This means models created in more sophisticated software, potentially even the cloud data from a real product which has been scanned, can be made freely available to anyone that wants to download it. A quick glance through the 3DVia model library shows many models which possibly infringe copyright: Ducati, Virgin Atlantic, Batman, Porsche, Canon, Herman Miller, Apple, and a lot more.

Smart car created by jeanudert using 3D Studio 3.0, available for free download from 3dvia.com

The same model shown in cloud point format © uncertain, again

3DVia’s terms and conditions state that Dassault Systèmes respect copyright and IPR, and will investigate and remove infringing material, possibly banning those who post it. But I suspect this is currently a reactive, rather than proactive position - if someone complains they will investigate. And right now those brands mentioned above have probably decided it would do their image far more harm than good to get this material taken down. But if I’m right in some of the assumptions behind my research, this position is likely to change in future. As internet broadband speeds increase, so will the sophistication and complexity of the 3D files that brands use to promote their products. These models may appear on a company’s own website, or inside Second Life, or perhaps as product placement inside games. But however they are manifested, software such as 3DVia Printscreen will allow them to be copied, after which they can be manipulated, modified and then distributed. After which it’s relatively easy to use 3D printers to turn those models into real parts. I haven’t seen any evidence that the marketing departments responsible for these initiatives understand that this kind of scenario is on the horizon. Personally, I can’t wait…

Sony Ericsson phone in Metal Gear Solid 4 © Konami