Model Mania SOLIDWORKS Cloud Challenge 2023 is Now Open!

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Returning for its fourth year, the Model Mania® SOLIDWORKS Cloud Challenge is now open to all 3DEXPERIENCE World attendees, in-person and virtual. Previously known as the 3DEXPERIENCE Challenge, the SOLIDWORKS Cloud Challenge puts the power of browser-based design apps in your hands so you can show off your design skills and have a chance to win some big prizes.

To help set you up for success, let me show you what this year’s SOLIDWORKS Cloud Challenge is all about, how you can participate, and some tips for bringing your entry to the next level for a better chance at winning.

 

This year’s challenge is all about Music City! Express your creativity and show off your modeling skills using the 3D Creator (xDesign app) and 3D Sculptor (xShape app) design roles on the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Your tasks are:

  1. Create a design inspired by Music City, a.k.a. Nashville, TN
  2. Publish a high-quality image that shows off the design

Our panel of design experts will select the top three submissions for both users and resellers based on the following criteria:

  • Creativity (20%)
  • Complexity (20%)
  • Presentation (the quality of your posted image) (25%)
  • How well does it meet the Music City Theme (35%)

The top three selected submissions for both users and resellers will win a cash prize!

  • 1st place wins $500
  • 2nd place wins $400
  • 3rd place wins $250.

Winners will be announced at 12:30PM CST on February 15th live at the Playground Theater at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023. This announcement will also be broadcasted on SOLIDWORKS Live for all those attending the conference virtually.

Getting Started

If you would like to participate in this challenge, you must be a registered attendee of 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023 and at least 18 years of age. If you are not yet registered to attend 3DEXPERIENCE World, click here to sign up now.

To register for the challenge you must complete this web form to get access to the Model Mania dashboard and design apps. Important note: use the same email address you used to register for 3DEXPERIENCE World 2023.

Once you complete the form, you will receive an email with a link to “Launch your 3DEXPERIENCE platform.” Click the link, and either register with your 3DEXPERIENCE ID or log in with your existing credentials, then go to this dashboard to start the challenge. If you are unable to access the dashboard or experience any difficulties getting started, send an email to gian.calise@3ds.com.

The Design

With the 3D Creator and 3D Sculptor roles, you will have access to the xDesign and xShape apps. The xShape app gives you access to subdivision (Sub-D) modeling tools, which are easy to learn and open up an entire new world of design possibilities. From within the xShape app, you can also access your favorite parametric features, like extrude, revolve, sweep, loft, and much more.

You can start your design from scratch or use one of the great sample models created by some of our talented design experts here at SOLIDWORKS. Remember that one of the judging criteria is creativity, so if you start with a sample model, be sure to modify it significantly to increase your odds of winning.

 The Image

Before you post your final image, adjust some of the newly introduced view modes and visual quality settings as shown below. Additional instructions will be available in the Model Mania dashboard to help you out.

Submitting Your Entry

Once you have completed your design and modified the view and visual settings, post an image of it as an “Idea” post to our designated community. This is your entry to the challenge. Posting the idea from one of the design apps is easy. Go to the Tools tab on the action bar, and expand the Share button to Share as Picture.

Submit your image between 8:00 AM CST on Sunday, February 12th, and 2:30 PM CST on Tuesday, February 14th to be considered for the prizes. You can only submit ONE image. Multiple entries will result in disqualification. If you need to resubmit your entry, you must delete your previous submissions. This can be done by navigating to your post, clicking the caret in the top right corner of the post, and clicking “delete.”

Ready to win big? Sign up for the Model Mania SOLIDWORKS Cloud Challenge now, and start designing!

If you haven’t registered for 3DEXPERIENCE World yet, there’s still time! Register now!

Gian Calise

Gian Calise began his career with SOLIDWORKS in 2018 with positions in R&D and Technical Sales. He currently works as an Industry Process Consultant delivering 3DEXPERIENCE Works solutions to engineers all over. Gian completed his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University, and now teaches a course there in SOLIDWORKS as a part-time lecturer. In his free time, he enjoys drawing, painting, bicycling, and anything outdoors.