Cubize – A New 3D Model Repository

New 3D model repositories keep on emerging at an ever increasing pace, and today’s second contender in this sector is Cubize. Led by an Italian Aerospace Engineer called Giorgio Pagliara, the company’ is aiming to be a “virtual showroom where anyone from everywhere can share and view three-dimensional models” – simple enough. One thing, however, that sets Cubize apart from some of the ever tightening competition is the viewing aspect of the catalogued 3D models, which can be rotated and zoomed within the browser view (with WebGL support). Why this is not the de facto approach with all similar concepts at this point remains an oddity, but it highlights a non-mature market with companies from very different backgrounds trying to cash in on the 3D related boom. Nevertheless, with concepts like Cubize, it’s good to see actual engineers with a solid CAD background taking the stage in the world of multidimensional modeling as opposed to people with no experience in this sector.

The basic concept of Cubize doesn’t come with any other surpises, with business-typical options such as browsing the offering by recommendations, users, tags etc. The site also offers standard categories, but they perhaps offer a glimpse of the service creators personal interest structure.

But in my opinion, the simple, yet functional set-up works well, the service is visually calm overall, supports all standard 3D formats and enables easy editing of the actual models and their background settings.

Setting up an account and uploading 3D models to the service is free for the most basic functions, but if your models are of a size over 5mb, you need to dig into your wallet for a yearly fee of €120/€380 depending on the required extra features. Another service element Cubize offers is a 3D modeling service, which basically means that if the designer has a vision of how a created (2D) image should look with an added dimension but lacks the skills or other resources needed, the company can handle that part for you.

The service is still in its beta phase and not everything works properly, but the foundation for a functional service is there. If you want to hear how the company themselves crystallize their concept, check out their introductory video below.

Source: Cubize