Challenges

CGTrader 3D Printing Video Challenge

Announcing the CGTrader 3D Printing Video Challenge: Bring your favorite 3D models to life

In collaboration with our esteemed partners, Prusa and FormFutura, we are thrilled to announce our latest challenge for all 3D printing enthusiasts and creative minds!

Challenge Theme

Select from a variety of 3D Print Ready Models on CGTrader’s marketplace, whether paid or free, and bring them to life through 3D printing. Document and share this exciting process in a video on YouTube.

You also have the option to enhance your project by painting, customizing, post-processing, and assembling the model, or by demonstrating it in innovative and interesting applications. Remember to include a link back to the CGTrader models you've used in your video description.

How to Participate

1. Choose your model: Pick your preferred 3D model(s) from CGTrader, free or paid.
2. Print and capture: Print the model(s) and capture the process! You can also choose to paint them, post-process or refine them.
3. Share your story: Upload a video of your journey to YouTube, highlighting the transformation of your chosen model into a real-world masterpiece.
4. Link back: Remember to link back to the CGTrader models in your video description, guiding viewers to the origin of your chosen models. Make sure to also mention CGTrader in the title along with the hashtag #CGTraderPrintChallenge.

Join now!

Design Challenges is something that CGTrader community has been waiting to be back for a long time. With the greatest joy, we would like to announce that a new 3D Modeling Challenge starts now!

For this challenge, CGTrader collaborated with YAHAHA - a free no-code platform that helps your 3D creation get started easily. Experience and create amazing 3D games using your imagination, creativity and amazing 3D modeling skills.

There’s a visible trend in our community - we can see your high interest in creating fantasy character 3D Models. We truly appreciate that! Due to this reason the long-awaited challenge is all about Fantasy Characters. This challenge is open to all of you, no matter the desired field: both high poly and low poly models can enter the competition.

Important: The prize pool (valued at $10,000 in cash) will be divided into 2 separate categories.

1. The Best 3D Fantasy Model (judged by CGTrader team).

To apply for "The best 3D Model" award add fantasy-challenge tag when uploading your model.

2. YAHAHA Special Awards (judged by YAHAHA team).

To apply for the "YAHAHA Special Award" add yahaha-challenge tag when uploading your model and make sure to register on YAHAHA.

Note: You can apply for both awards with just a single 3D Model. In order to do that, use both specified tags and submit your account to YAHAHA.

Feel free to share your own submissions on social media by adding #CGTraderFantasy hashtag and showcase the art you created! The award winning 3D Models will be showcased on CGTrader's Blog and Social Media.

By applying to YAHAHA's Special Award you agree that in case of a victory, your model will be showcased in a gallery space created using YAHAHA Studio ( non commercial!).

How to join the challenge?

3D design and 3D printing can play a role in helping us get through the COVID-19 outbreak. By enabling anyone to manufacture just about any design, 3D printing can produce useful gadgets on demand like air filter holders and door openers as well as face shields.

Manufacturers and supply lines all over the world are currently under a lot of pressure to provide enough protective gear for both healthcare professionals and the general public. 3D printed gadgets can contribute to this need and help home users to better protect themselves against Coronavirus.

For this reason we at CGTrader are calling on all designers to create and upload free 3D printable models for COVID-19 prevention.

To join the challenge, upload your 3D models to CGTrader by following these rules:

1. 3D models have to be 3D printable to participate in the challenge.
2. Make sure you select “Participate in 3D Print Challenge: Resources for COVID-19 Protection challenge” checkbox in the 3D model uploading screen.
3. The deadline for submissions to this challenge is May 12.

If you have uploaded a 3D model dedicated to COVID-19 protection previously, please go to editing options and select the “Participate in 3D Print Challenge: Resources for COVID-19 Protection challenge” checkbox to join this challenge. Or you can simply add a covid-19-protection-resources tag to 3D models you’d like to join the challenge with.

With the growing number of 3D applications like VR and AR, we are seeing an increased demand for female-friendly models of women. Nevertheless, many female character models are still oversexualized (come on, female armor does not improve by becoming skimpier!). This makes finding a suitable model for realistic and female-friendly representation needlessly difficult, and is one of the many reasons why women are discouraged from entering game development, VR, and 3D modeling.

These are the reasons why we are partnering up with active members from Women in VR/AR to bring more awareness of how women are represented in the 3D industry, and are calling on all designers to create and upload more female characters to CGTrader. Our great partners at Allegorithmic, Marmoset, Quixel, Cebas, 3D-Coat, and FoxRenderfarm are also supporting this change and are helping us bring you a new 3D Challenge: Female Characters. Great rewards, like software licenses and rendering credits, are waiting for designers who create superb female character models!

The Female Character challenge is open to all designers, no matter their field: both high poly and low poly models can enter the competition.

Submit your female model to the corresponding category:

• Realistic character (regular women, historical figures, girls, etc., representing various professions, including everyday people)
• Imaginary character (sci-fi, cartoon, fantasy, stylized, etc.)

Submissions deemed to be adult content are not eligible to participate in the contest.

Share your submissions to the challenge and other favorite 3D models of females on social media by adding #womenin3D #cgwoman and help us bring more awareness and inclusiveness to the 3D world! We will feature tagged models on our challenge model collections on social media and CGTrader’s blog!

If the model is created with Cebas software, you are also more than welcome to send your models to 3dgallery@cebas.com for additional exposure.

In celebration of the amazing design work done on the Designer Schwag and Sports & Hobbies challenges, we are happy to announce yet another round of creativity, collaboration and amazing prizes - all coming your way with PBR Challenge: Interior Design. The good news is that this time the technical requirements are less restrictive and are focused on making a perfect PBR model.

For this challenge, we are looking for realistic single object models related to interior design. This includes, but is not limited to, household objects, furnishings and decorations. From a dining room table to a bookshelf; an armchair, sofa or chair to a chandelier or lamp; from cushions, curtains, or vases to architectural elements such as decorative doorknobs or ornate picture frames - think outside the box and show us what 3D can do.

Please pay attention to the fact that we are looking for single object models, and therefore, no scenes or interior sets will be approved.

These models are intended to work well with Adobe Dimension CC, an app that makes it easy for graphic designers to create high-quality, photorealistic 3D images and composite 2D and 3D assets to build products shots, scene visualizations and abstract art. To be eligible and prepare your models in the right way, it is important to review all of the technical and legal requirements. Here are the key ones to consider (for a complete list, please refer to the terms and conditions section).

• All submissions should be single-subject model...and thus single object per single file
• OBJ geometry file with BaseColor, Metallic, and Roughness with optional Normal, AO and Opacity maps.
• Only quads are accepted. Triangles can be used sparingly and only where absolutely necessary.
• Poles should have amaximum of 5 edges.
• Single UV set per mesh (0-1 space, non-overlapping).
• 200k polygons (triangles at render) is a good limit to try to cap poly count.
• Real world scale objects (centimeters).
• Asset names should use camelCase or underscores (no spaces), and be consistent respective to all dependent files. Use English only.

This challenge is a great opportunity to not only win an amazing prize but to build a model that is perfectly constructed for the design community. By joining this challenge you also have the opportunity to become a contributor to the Adobe Stock 3D marketplace (and earn sales from there). This could be with no additional work on your part since CGTrader will take care of the work for you!

Don’t forget to also review the Legal Guidelines for Adobe Stock Contributors. These are similar to those that you already use for commercially cleared models on CGTrader. In short - we cannot accept any models showing trademarks or containing other non-proprietary content, so if you are submitting a chair, lamp, sofa or other interior design model - make sure that these designs are unique and not copied from real-world objects. Learn more about all of these topics - the theme, the technical and legal guidelines, and the associated Adobe Stock Contributors terms - in the dedicated section.

Also, we advise you to scan this blog post for additional legal information.

Use this opportunity to win cash prizes, subscriptions to different Adobe apps and to become part of the future of 3D content at Adobe. Join now!

For some 3D artists, visualizing sci-fi or mythical creatures is a more difficult task than building a 3D model of a photorealistic, real-world object. For others the opposite is true. With the new 3D Challenge: Abstract Elements CGTrader is bringing everyone a task that is both complex and easy at the same time.

In this challenge we are looking for high quality, realistic models of various shapes and forms found in nature, graphic design or thought-of by people. Not sure where to start? Create a flame, cloud or smoke. Design a top-facing 3D flower, an ornate leave or create an ornamental work like filigree. How about making a decorative frame for use in a surrealistically designed composition. Make a water splash or a crystal. Turn a plain geometric shape into a decorative piece of art or shatter glass, creating a pattern of fractured shards. Put your imagination to work and show us how stunning and interesting 3D can be even when working on simpler objects!

Similar to the Designer Schwag and Sports & Hobbies challenges, this competition is designed for Maya and 3ds Max users. These models are intended to work well with the Adobe Dimension CC app, formerly known as Project Felix, and for use in the Adobe Stock 3D collection. To be eligible for this challenge, it is important to review the technical requirements. Here are the key ones:

• All submissions should be a single-subject model (please don’t put water and flame into the same model).
• Only Maya (.mb or .ma) and 3ds Max (.max) formats are accepted.
• Use VRay Standard Material (VRayMtl).
• Only quads are accepted (no automatic tri-to-quad conversion). Triangles can be used sparingly and only where absolutely necessary.
• Poles should have maximum of 5 edges.
• Single UV set per mesh (0-1 space, non-overlapping).
• Real world scale objects (in centimeters).
• Asset names should use camelCase or underscores (no spaces), and be consistent respective to all dependent files. Also, be sure to use English only.

Want a quick tip? We have a visual guide section of Do’s & Don’ts illustrating all the technical requirements and where to check specific properties. Also be sure to read through the terms & conditions sections for additional details you need to know.

Besides the technical requirements, there are a few other things that you should keep in mind prior to entering this challenge. Following these tips will make the review process faster and earn you extra karma points from our team:

• Do not try to submit models that do not fit the theme; every single submission will be reviewed.
• We cannot accept any models showing trademarks or containing other non-proprietary content. So to be on the safe side, don’t include any text or logos in the model or even in preview images for presentation on CGTrader. Check this blog post for more info.
• When creating your model, if using real world references, be sure to alter, change or modify the model to be your own unique design.

Learn more about all of these topics - the theme, the technical and legal guidelines, and the associated Adobe Stock Contributors terms - in the dedicated section.

This challenge is another great opportunity to win amazing cash prizes and subscriptions to different Adobe apps, but also to build a unique model that is perfectly constructed for the graphic design community. In addition, by joining this challenge, you have the opportunity to become a contributor to the Adobe Stock 3D marketplace. This could be with no additional work on your part since CGTrader will take care of the work for you!Use this opportunity to become a part of the future of 3D content at Adobe. Join now! If you have any questions regarding the challenge, drop us a line to challenges@cgtrader.com or post your questions in the dedicated forum discussion.

Have you ever dreamt of flying? Wondered what is it like out there?

Materialize your thoughts and with the help of CG show us how borders of the Earth disappear in a speed of a light-year!

Let’s defy gravity with a new 3D challenge themed Space.

Get crazy modeling with no restrictions on the file format or the polygon count. In this challenge we have two categories (high and low poly) with different prizes. There are also no limits whether the submissions should be sci-fi or realistic objects. The only guideline to start your creativity flowing is the theme of space.

Create anything and everything from spaceships, sci-fi stations, space vehicles and rockets to satellites, asteroids, planets or an astronaut, even an alien! Let your imagination out and show us how stunning 3D can be.

Deadline of the challenge is December 10, 2017, 23:59 GMT.

We have prizes kindly provided by our friends at 3D-Coat, Quixel, Exlevel and FOX RenderFarm as well as Cebas Visual Technology. Please, check the prizes section for more details.

Just a quick note - our friends at Cebas Visual Technology are inviting all designers to download their new finalRender unlimited free trial version and those, who submit models rendered with finalRender will stand a chance to win full license of both finalRender and finalToon (please note that finalRender is 3ds Max specific). Don’t worry if you’re not up to switching renders! Uploading models with your own renderer you will stand to win finalToon for one year.

So, fasten your seat belts because we’re launching in 3... 2... 1....

Join!