TurboSquid 3D Blog

Archive for the ‘CheckMate’ Category

Pricing for All Categories: New CheckMate Price Levels Announced

Monday, May 13th, 2013 by

 

TurboSquid has a wealth of simpler models that customers love to buy: ordinary forks and spoons, hairbrushes and combs, cups and saucers.

Until now, artists who create these models were reluctant to put them in our CheckMate Certification program because of the price floors of $39 for Lite and $49 for Pro. For this reason, we’re now allowing prices of $19 for CheckMate Lite, and $29 for CheckMate Pro. These price floors apply only to simple or plain models of certain types such as silverware and fruit, the kinds of models that can’t reasonably be priced at $39 or $49.

We’re glad that artists who create these models will now be able to join CheckMate, and reap its benefits of higher sales and happy customers.

How to set a price as $19 or $29

As with previous price floor changes, you can’t use the new pricing right in the Publisher–you need to get an inspector review before the price can be changed. This will ensure that prices remain appropriate and competitive at TurboSquid.

  1. Publish your model and submit it for certification at one of the price tiers allowed in the Publisher ($39 for Lite, $49 for Pro).
  2. After your model passes certification, open a support ticket with the subject “CheckMate Price Change Request”. Include the Product ID for the product you would like changed, and to what price.
  3. Based on comparison with similar models on the TurboSquid site, an inspector will review your request and change the price if appropriate.

Price change requests are processed once a week, so please allow our inspectors time to review your request.

 

 

 

CheckMate Render, Wireframe and Turntable Tool for 3dsMax

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 by

ts_artist_popa_3d_construction_toolCheck out the latest script created to help those submitting models for CheckMate Pro or Lite Certification. The script, developed by TurboSquid artist Popa_3D, is a great tool to use when preparing your 3ds Max file for submission to CheckMate.

The tool was created to help artists with all aspects of preparing a model for submission.

  • The rendering tool allows for easy turntable creation.
  • Tools preps wireframes and renders to easily pass inspection.
  • The fixing tools include “one click” options to remove Ngons from your model, remove isolated vertices, perform a batch rename and loads of other features that will make fixing your model incredibly easy.
  • The script also comes with its own installer and a comprehensive help section to answer any questions about the many features in the script.

There are fast scene inspection tools which will show problems in your scene which can be used as a good guide, but the Official CheckMate Script for 3ds Max is what the CheckMate Inspectors used when working with models.

 

CheckMate Resources

CheckMate Tools Available for Download (including the new POPA_3D script)

CheckMate Pro Specifications

CheckMate Lite Specifications

 

 

Artist Spotlight: thePROmax

Friday, April 5th, 2013 by

Tiger model by thePROmax
The San Francisco Zoo’s new tiger cub has been making headlines this month– and not just for being adorable. The honor of naming the baby cub will go to the highest bidder in a fundraiser for the SF Zoo. So, in honor of the new tiger family, we’re naming thePROmax‘s amazing tiger model as our featured model of the month! Check out our interview with the artist, and find out what inspired him to create his very own virtual zoo.

Get to know 3D artist thePROmax

When did you start 3D modeling?

I started 3D modeling in 1998. We have a family-owned computer training academy, and we were looking for a professional company to create an effective advertising campaign. As there were no reputable advertising companies in our city, I decided to give it a shot. I had knowledge of Adobe After Effects, and I began to learn 3DS MAX. I loved rendering 3D models in 3DS MAX. I was lucky that we had a server computer and the fast workstations in our office to render complex models quickly.
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The CheckMate Difference – February Sales

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 by

Sales of CheckMate models continue to stun and amaze us! CheckMate models constitute just over 4.5% of the catalog, but make up 22% of sales revenue for 3D models.

CheckMateDifference-Feb2013

Learn how to get your 3D models CheckMate certified, and reap the benefits of increased income that CheckMate models can bring.

CheckMate Pro Pricing Update: $79 Tier Added

Thursday, March 7th, 2013 by

79We’re pleased to announce that artists can now price their CheckMate Pro models at $79. When publishing, just enter $79 as the Price and click Submit. Previously, CheckMate Pro models had to be priced at $49 or $99, with no price tier in between.

You can also set the price of existing CheckMate Pro models to $79. Please note that each price change to a CheckMate model shows up immediately on your product, but is subject to review by a CheckMate Inspector.

Artist Spotlight: GrafxBox

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013 by

Sci Fi Starfighter 3D ModelWith NASA holding its first-ever Google Hangout in space last week, we’re honoring space buffs everywhere with a new homepage image from artist GrafxBox based on his SciFi Fighter model. Although this artist has a wide variety of models, his flair for sci-fi is what brought his work to our attention. Find out where GrafxBox gets his inspiration in our interview below.

Get to know 3D artist Grafxbox

When did you start 3D modeling? 
It was probably about 20 years ago when I started learning 3D with Autodesk 3D Studio. It was prehistoric 3D software compared to now!  What brought me to 3D was books I saw in the early 1990′s about images created with software that only large companies could afford. Back then there were not a lot of tutorials on the Internet, so I bought some books for my own education and started doing some stuff. I made a cover for a Spanish magazine in 1992. (more…)