The X3D Diamond Awards

Sponsored by SpaceTime3D

Saturday, 9 April 2005

Overview

SpaceTime3D
in collaboration with the Web3D Consortium are proud to announce a
state-of-the-art X3D modeling contest for the Web3D community.  Contestants will produce high-fidelity
models of actual diamonds using the latest X3D Graphics and the Web
technologies.  Specifically the X3D
Diamond Awards program asks contestants to use the basic 3D geometry of a round
brilliant diamond and inspect a reasonable facsimile, then model the diamond in
full detail and render it in a 3D browser of their choice.  The primary goal for winning this
competition is to model and display the diamond to its fullest potential,
expressing the diamond as realistically as possible.

Judging Criteria and Eligibility

Judges
will grade all entries based on technical quality, physical realism and
aesthetic appeal.    This
contest will show the public how to reach maximum fidelity in reproducing an
accurate 3D interactive image of a diamond, all based on the characteristics of
a real diamond and using the latest technology associated with X3D.

This
contest is open to everyone. If you can produce 3D content that functions over
the Web, you can participate.  Due
to the highly competitive nature of this work, all entries will be treated under
Web3D Consortium rules as consortium-confidential material in order to protect
the intellectual property rights of participants.  Winning models will be made publicly
available following the awards at SIGGRAPH 2005 during the week of 1-4 August
2005.

Categories and Prizes

First
Prize will be awarded to the entrant whose X3D world (1) aesthetically
represents a round brilliant diamond most accurately, (2) has the most
intuitive user interface that allows one to tour the diamond (both internally
and externally) through a viewpoint tour and (3) implements the most
functionality to dynamically affect the diamond through programmatic access or
other method to vary its shape or anatomy based on the parameters that we
supply.  A gift certificate of
$3,000 will be awarded to the winning entrant, to be spent at either www.americandiamond.com or www.americanpearl.com.

A close up of an ideal cut round brilliant
diamond with 57 facets.

Second
Prize will be awarded to the entrant who submits the finest humanoid animation
(H-Anim) X3D model where a round brilliant diamond is
applied to a ring setting and then showcased either on a hand or full-body
model model.
A gift certificate of $1,500 will be awarded to the winning entrant to
be spent at either www.americandiamond.com
or www.americanpearl.com.  Contestants who enter the First Prize
contest are eligible to repurpose their work and win Second Prize.

A close up of a three-stone diamond and
platinum ring on a hand.

Assets Provided to each Contestant

SpaceTime3D
will provide a cubic zirconia‑A synthetic
gemstone, ZrO2, used in jewelry as an artificial diamond that
closely represents what an actual diamond looks like.  In addition, we will supply contestants
with a jewelers loop (10 power magnification) and tweezers for viewing.  In this way, modelers can study and
examine the cubic zirconia to visually understand how
this esoteric gem reacts to light when it is turned.  Based on what they learn visually, each
contestant can then determine how to effectively apply advanced X3D rendering
effects to the diamond geometry that they are creating.

Diamond Documentation

SpaceTime3D
will also supply contestants with the grading certificate that accompanies the
model of the round brilliant diamond that they will be rendering.  Upon careful examination of this
certificate, modelers will discover that there is an array of criteria that are
used to evaluate the worth of a diamond based on the nomenclature shown on this
certificate.  Once they have signed
up for the X3D Diamond Awards, contestants will receive a more detailed
definition of grading criteria and how to apply them to the diamonds they are
modeling.

Sample
diamond certificates are provided to show detailed jewel characteristics.

Diamond History

Throughout history, diamonds have shown themselves in practically
every civilization and culture imaginable. From ancient Egypt to Mesopotamia,
the unmistakable presence of diamonds is difficult to deny. In these early
days, where much upon the earth was still undiscovered, the sheer beauty,
brilliance and awe of the first diamond ever discovered, surely differentiated
itself from anything else.

Perhaps it was the diamond's beauty that first enamored these ancient people?
Or could it be the diamonds' indestructibility that caused people who owned
them to associate similar feelings about themselves. Of course, with this
beauty came an increased demand for something that was still unknown. In fact,
the harder the ancients tried to find diamonds, the more difficult it was to
find them. Within this first cycle of discovery, awe and the need to have more,
the ancients unknowingly created a process that would give birth to the most
valuable gem in the world-Diamonds. This is how diamonds have become a part of
our lives.

Diamond Tutorial

A diamonds' brilliance and sparkle are dictated by the quality of its cut. A
well proportioned diamond bounces back to the eye the maximum light that enters
the diamond from the table. The round brilliant diamond that is features below,
and that will be the subject of this contest, is one of many shapes that exhibits 57 facets.

A diamonds' clarity is graded based on the number, location, size, and the type
of the inclusions. The least amount of inclusions or "identifying
characteristics" the greater the value of the diamond. What you see (or
don't see) in a diamond reflects its value.

The less color in a diamond the higher is its value. A diamond that has very
little color is more brilliant simply because it allows more light to pass
through it than diamonds with color.

The standard unit of weight for diamonds is measured in metric carat. The size
of a diamond has a significant impact on its price, since larger diamonds are more rare than smaller diamonds.

Certificate:
the standard

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The grading report that documents and identifies the
characteristics of the diamond. Certification is the guarantee of
quality for that diamond. The most important step in choosing a diamond is
reviewing the diamond certificate.

Contact

If candidate contestants have any questions whatsoever, please
feel free to contact us at any time.
We will be happy to answer all questions.  As contestants proceed in their
development, they are free to contact us for a preliminary review of their
work.  Intermediate reviews have no
effect on subsequent final judging.
In this way, X3D modelers can know that their understanding of diamond
details is correct and that their work is moving in the proper direction.

SpaceTime3D can be contacted at the following:

Telephone:   +1 (917) 968-9695

Email:          [email-masked]

To register for an X3D Diamond Awards Development Kit, please
email your (1) name, (2) company or affiliation, (3) address, (4) city,
(5) state, (6) zip code, (7) email contact and (8) telephone number.

Licensing Policy

SpaceTime3D will retain the
right to display winning entries in the X3Diamond Awards on the Web as public exemplars.  Other submissions are also welcome to be
displayed as well.  Copyright and
licensing permissions for all other submitted work will remain with the
authors, and can optionally be placed under Web3D open source if desired.

The content and commercial
rights for First Prize and Second Prize models will be made available to SpaceTime3D
and its affiliate companies for unrestricted commercial use.  It is the intention of Spacetime3D to
consider awarding a contract for additional services and projects to the winners
or participants in the X3Diamond Awards.

Award Ceremony

The Web3D Consortium and SpaceTime3D will announce the X3D Diamond
Awards winner at
this year's SIGGRAPH 2005 conference in Los Angeles, California
USA from 1-4
August as part of the annual Web3D Consortium members meeting.  Details will be kept up-to-date at http://www.Web3D.org

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