3D modeling

Developer Joe Gibbs has released TerrainSR, a model that upscales terrain heightmaps quickly while keeping results realistic. The model is available on Hugging Face, and the launch has drawn attention from the tech community, where users are discussing its speed, output quality, and potential uses in games, simulations, and 3D mapping work.

Engineers have unveiled an aquatic soft robot modeled on feather stars, marine invertebrates with feathery, flexible arms. The robot navigates in three dimensions using only two pneumatic actuators, demonstrating how biomimetic design can achieve complex movement with minimal hardware. Observers in the robotics and mechanical engineering communities have highlighted it as a notable example of biomimetics, pointing to potential uses in underwater exploration and marine research.

A hobbyist has 3D printed a tool holder for a 3D printer, redesigning a part originally modelled years ago in SolidWorks. Needing a modified version, they rebuilt the model in FreeCAD, calling it an easy job for the open-source CAD software. The post is drawing small attention from the 3D printing and DIY community, with some praise for FreeCAD as a free alternative to commercial design tools.

Engineers have developed a robot modeled on the feather star, a marine animal related to starfish, capable of swimming in all three dimensions using only two actuators. The design, inspired by the creature's ten arms and feather-like appendages, demonstrates efficient underwater locomotion with minimal hardware, drawing attention for its potential in underwater exploration and soft robotics.

NVIDIA's developer blog has published a guide describing five steps for creating SimReady assets for robotics using frontier AI models. SimReady assets are simulation-ready 3D objects used to train and test robots in virtual environments before deployment. The tutorial shows how AI models can speed up preparing these assets, which is typically a labor-intensive part of building robotics simulation pipelines.

Engineers have developed an underwater robot modeled on the feather star, a marine animal that swims using coordinated arm movements. The robot achieves full three-dimensional maneuverability using only two actuators, an unusually simple design for such movement. The approach could reduce the cost and complexity of underwater robotics for exploration and monitoring, drawing attention from robotics and marine science communities.

An artist has shared a new 3D creature model created in Blender, giving it the deliberately absurd name 'pubert9'. The work was posted with art and 3D modelling tags, and reactions so far are small but amused by the silly naming and the creature's design.

Japanese discount fashion chain Shimamura is releasing a new collaboration with the Dragon Quest game franchise:立体 (3D) stickers featuring slimes and Dragon Quest logos, in four designs. The stickers are being sold via pre-order production through the online store, a model that limits stock to confirmed demand. Fans of the long-running RPG series are reacting to the collaboration, as Shimamura has previously run popular Dragon Quest merchandise campaigns.

A collaboration led by the NSF National Solar Observatory has received a NASA award for developing a new three-dimensional model of solar eruptions. The model is intended to improve understanding of how eruptions form and evolve, work that matters for space weather forecasting since solar eruptions can disrupt satellites, communications and power grids on Earth.

A tutorial showing the best AI setup for 3D modeling and animation is drawing major attention, with tens of thousands of viewers engaging. It covers which AI tools and workflows work well together for modeling, texturing, and animating 3D scenes. Interest reflects how quickly AI-assisted 3D tools are being adopted by artists and studios looking to speed up production.

An artist has posted a new 3D doodle: a chibi-style variation on the Moon Child character, modeled with the Chisel SDF add-on for Blender and rendered with Blender's Cycles renderer. The piece is tagged with game development and retro gaming themes, and is drawing small but positive engagement from the graphics and gamedev community.