Abstract:

There are many different 3D modelling software in the market today, some of which are established software like 3D Studio MAX, Maya, Rhinoceros 3D or SketchUp to name only a few. Unfortunately the licences for these software solutions often have prices no student can afford. Teaching institutions like the University of Applied Sciences in Zagreb usually get a reduced fee for many of the 3D modeling software solutions making them readily available to students for learning purposes, but with the day of their graduation this software usually stops being available to them or the use of the software after their graduation presents a license infringement. Luckily there is a possible solution and it is Blender 3D modelling sofware which is open source under the GNU GPL license. The spectrum of Blender capabilities is relatively wide and can offer students a sort of a "bridging the gap" solution between their graduation date and getting a job in a company which can afford a 3D modelling software solution. Since our premise at the University of Applied Sciences is to prepare our students in the best possible way for the labor market, we tried to teach students of civil engineering Blender and as a part of their learning process we gave them assignments that could be done in it. The assignments were loosely defined in the way that the students could make any type of construction or an object using as much of creativity as possible, and the end results we got back were anything ranging from basic concept building designs, to household objects like furniture pieces. This paper will showcase three different student assginments and will show the different approaches the students took in solving them and getting the final solutions.

Keywords:

Blender, 3D modelling, GNU, GPL, VPL.