VRML Models and Textures

There are a number of model and texture archives out there that have models waiting for you to grab. This can give your VRML world a jump-start, but remember that (a) you need to credit your sources, (b) the models you get will almost certainly be too big and will need to be tweaked, and (c) the models from the repositories will express someone else's artistic vision, not yours.

Many of the models you can find from this list and the search engine below are in VRML, and an increasing number are in the VRML 97 format. The rest are in common 3D formats (mostly 3DS, LWO, POV and DXF) and will need to be converted.

Model sites marked with a were down when I tested them, but may be back up when you try.

Models

Many of these sites also have textures.

• 3D Cafe models
• 3Dimension models
• 3DSite has a model store and a huge list of links and donated models.
• The 3DStudio (not affiliated with Autodesk/Kinetix)
• Aereal BOOM! VRML Worlds.
• H. L. Arledge's 3D Swap Shop
• Arkon Engineering models and VRML worlds
• The Avalon Repository at Viewpoint Datalabs (with links to mirror sites) -- the classic model site
• Baumgarten Enterprises Models -- I converted several of his 3DS models to VRML for my music store
• Ralph Barber's TrueSpace models
• Werner Bergmans' VRML models
• Cosmo Graphics free models and textures
• Digital Producer free models
• Domuk sells a CD of models and has a few free ones
• Flash Fire sells models and has a free model (perhaps they change it from time to time)
• Geo-Metricks models -- some commercial, some free, including free VRML models -- they claim "the sexiest avatars in cyberspace"
• GreatBuildings.com has models of famous buildings in .3dmf format
• The Great Escape models
• High Render models and textures -- click "Archivio 3D"
• Kiwano's VRML Scenes, Avatars and Objects
• Andrew Kosov's models -- lots of cars, mostly in .max but some in .dxf
• Con Koumis's free models and textures
• Jason Mathews' VRML objects at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• Microcadam's Helix Design System Models
• NASA's Space Station renderings (no models)
• Dino Pannozzo's (Reflectually) 3DStudio Objects archive at the University of Dusseldorf
• Paradigm Productions model gallery
• Duc Pham-Hi's models and meshes
• Objects from Platinum VRCreator
• Koenig Preuss's Titanic model
• RCCAD collection of VRML aircraft models (>700 models!)
• Micha Riser's POVRay Objects Collection
• The Singularity models (and check his list of links)
• Thomas Suurland's blueprints and 3-views of aircraft, ships, etc.
• Technoweenie models and textures
• Tomwoof's Manga Babes (free demo)
• Tovar's 3D models (click "Modellos")
• Toyo Information Systems' CyberWalker examples
• Videogames.com's models of favorite game characters
• The VRMLworks has some geodesic domes, thanks to Vladimir Bulatov.
• Mike Wolniak's free models and textures
• Zygote models, some for sale, some free

Textures

• Absolute Background Textures Archive
• Absolute Cross free seamless textures
• Axem Textures
• Boogaholler texture map of the week
• Envision planetary textures
• Goddard Space Flight Center Mars textures and height maps
• ImageCELs sells textures and has some free samples.
• Novatek free textures
• Constantine Thomas's planetary textures
• Universal Media Library -- this terrific effort by a Web3D Consortium working group under the leadership and hard work of Aaron Walsh has a huge collection of useful textures.

Geodata

Nothing looks as much like a real terrain as a real terrain. The GeoVRML working group has labored long and hard to add full geodata capability to the next version of the VRML spec. Congratulations!

• Ron Bell's GeoVRML site
• CityScenes
• GTOPO30 - Global Topographic Data -- non-US geodata or here
• Richard Horne's 3DEM geodata to VRML converter.
• Karma Virtual Insanity -- includes a GIS database (SDE) to VRML demo
• Mentor's The Casual Cartographer ezine has announcements on free GIS maps and utilities.
• National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) public site
• NOS MapFinder Home Page
• OpenGIS Consortium spec
• Pavan Virtual Reality kit for Mapinfo GIS
• Perry-Castañeda Library map collection
• Theresa-Marie Rhyne's Lecture notes from SIGGRAPH '98
• RPM Consulting
• The Silver Surfer Webazine has a section called "Download Planet Earth" full of Geo goodies for world builders. Do your meditation first, though. Between the Java and the GeoCities popup windows, this may well be the most annoying site on the web.
• SRI's tsmAPI tile set management interface
• Tiger Map Server Browser
• USGS 1:1,000,000 Index Map
• USGS 1 Degree DEM by state
• USGS Map Data
• USGS Mapping Information: National Mapping Program Geospatial Standards
• Geo Map Bases

Meta Lists

• 3D Expresso
• 3dlinks.com -- lists of free and commercial models & textures
• 3DSite Model Market
• 3DSpot
• about.com's list of 3D model sites
• Ken Tyler's links -- if you're both a VRMLer and a POVer, you may even make this your homepage
• The Web3D Repository's list of models, avatars, and textures
• And if you're looking for avatars, be sure to check our list of avatar sources

VRML Model Search

Based on Charles Kelly's MIDI File Search Engine

Avalon at Viewpoint Datalabs

UK VR-SIG 3D Object Archive

General net search for VRML files (Note: you'll almost certainly need to get permission to use most of these files from their creators)