Bitcoin Forum

I've been released from the newbie forum and would like to share what I shared there (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=160361.0). The response on the newbie forum and r/bitcoin was very positive so I think you guys might appreciate it too.

Here is an album with the renders I made: http://cybrbeast.minus.com/mbc5sy1T0j5v1D

The Bitcoin logo was traced, but the rest of the design was my own. The binary strip on the side of the coins spells "Bitcoin", and the diagram on the back of the coins is supposed to represent a p2p network. The image on the screen in the background may be familiar to some if they can see through the blur. The 5BTC coins has the "Vires in Numeris" ("Strength in Numbers") motto on the side as many people requested. The art on the 5BTC is supposed to symbolize the blockchain.

I've made the models of the coins freely available on Blendswap (http://www.blendswap.com/blends/view/67291). Anyone can get them there and you can also get Blender for free (http://www.blender.org/) which I used to make and render the coins. For people who use other CAD programs I've also exported the coins as Collada (https://mega.co.nz/#!xYBSHbwZ!C1gVdQhdycnsqBmdcqldMStFK-sV-2TAl0iw8FYE34M) and OBJ (https://mega.co.nz/#!hVBHkD4I!fdC51iKKr815SS8ug6QlQ2jbzjsp-y6-T6E9gff0MRA) files. This should make it compatible with nearly every 3D package including Sketchup I think. However if you don't use Blender to open them you only get the model and not the shiny textures.

So everyone feel free to use them or share them with someone who knows 3D CAD software and I hope you enjoy it. Crediting me would be nice, but not required. If anyone feels like tipping me you're very welcome to do so at: 1BmSFrbDDYT46W6aLpRNk72yA57RvkJgDP

As an aside, I also emailed Ton Roosendaal, the original developer of Blender to ask if the Blender Development Fund (http://www.blender.org/blenderorg/blender-foundation/development-fund/) would accept Bitcoin donations. He replied that he was looking into it and it was already on his long list of to-do things.

I've also been approached by a few people on r/bitcoin to do render some requests in exchange for Bitcoins, so I'm open for requests too.

*Edit: now with animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d99dLbM4eGY

Thanks I would like to print them in metal, but the metal prints at shapeways aren't suited for the fine details. Plastic would be an option, but it would seriously diminish the cool factor. I think I'll just have to be patient and wait for 3D metal printing technology to improve and become affordable, it's developing quite fast.

YOu should definitely try kickstart and see if you can get funding from the community to develop further.
Just an idea!

Nice idea, but I don't think I have the time to manage a kickstarter, and I don't know if I could deliver the quality I would want. I'll keep an eye out for developments in 3D metal printing and if I find a good one I'll test a coin or two and then probe the community if there's any interest. I don't think I want to make them like Casascius which have actual BTC value, these would just function as pretty objects to have.

Also I've made the models freely available so anyone with the know-how is free to try and print their own. I should note that the models in this state aren't suitable for printing yet because the meshes need to be solid, but that's easily done.

Why not "print" it in casting wax and then do a lost wax casting in the metal of your choice?  Gold, silver, platinum- whatever you want.  Fine details are no problem this way.

I have no idea how to go about doing this. But I'll look into it. Thanks!

What program would you reccomend for viewing ? I simply want to see them and to be able to turn them.. and was hoping there might be a lightweight solution for this.

Maybe Sketchup, but I haven't tried importing them yet, but it is compatible with Collada files. I would still recommend Blender as you will be able to see the textures. I could post another blend file with the scene set up and cycles set into preview mode. Then you see almost realtime results as the sampling passes increase. Blender is quite complicated but navigating is relatively straightforward. You can rotate around by holding MMB and pivoting, scrolling zooms.

Minting in a regular private mint is not too expensive.
http://www.hoffmanmint.com/ (http://www.hoffmanmint.com/)

For $1,000-$1,500 you can get 10,000 custom minted tokens.

That's pretty cool. Would have to get a lot of people together to place an order like that though, because 10,000 coins is a bit much for me. Doing a Scrooge McDuck into the coins would be fun, if not painful, though :)

That is a minimum economic quantity, since the setup with the dies etc. costs about $500.

VERY nice work! :o

Of all the bitcoin renders I've seen so far, these look the best! Excellent material setup, really looks like expensive proof coins with the contrast of mat and shiny.

I'm currently working on a charting/trading app for Bitcoin, and I would really like to include your render as a side graphic in the bitcoin setup dialog. Your P2P graphic is close to my Cortex7 logo, it would really fit nicely into my app.

I can offer you a free key to the shareware when it's released (plus early beta key should you want it).

http://www.cortex7.net/forum/images/thecure/logo.jpg
more info: http://www.cortex7.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=8

edit: and of course you would be credited, I could place a small clickable text on bottom corner of graphic linking to URL of your choice.

edit2: if you could make a nice scene in portrait aspect ratio 1X:2Y then it'd be cool, I would try it myself in blender but you seem to have quite the eye for this.

rpietila, I understand and I think those prices are very good. However I don't feel like going through the logistics of getting such an order shared by many people together. But I gave my models away, so anyone who feels up to the challenge is more than welcome to have them made, please send me a couple though :)

yucca, sure you can use them, that's one of the reasons I made this post. Our networks do look similar :)
Rendering a different aspect ratio of a shot should be easy, which shot did you have mind? Changing the composition takes more effort.

That's great, no worries with a re-render, I will have a go at pushing them around myself in blender. I'll post the finished dialog here when I'm done.

Thanks for this, i wish good karma upon you  :D. If you're ever interested in windows (compatible with linux wine) daytrading software for bitcoin, drop me a PM for a free shareware key.

We need to find some Bitcoin entrepreneurs to do this with him.

Woah! Great work!! You should be making money off your talent!

Maybe you could get one CNC milled, with a gold anodize after disk is established and before details are applied. Sure would be cool!

With free downloadable software you can get a quote for a one off by entering the 3d model and selecting material:

somewhere like:
http://www.emachineshop.com/

Thanks JackRabiit, two people from r/bitcoin already approached me for some coin renders and paid me in Bitcoin :)

yucca, I hadn't even thought of milling. Could look great indeed, will look into it.

I made a test animation of falling bitcoins using my model: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d99dLbM4eGY

The quality of the images is not nearly as good as the stills because I had to use a different render engine to keep the render times down. Rendering with the same quality as the stills would only be viable if I had an Nvidia GPU because it speeds up the engine enormously. Too bad it can't make use of my powerful Radeon. Planning on buying a new GPU soon though.

If I have some spare time I'll try to improve the physics and look of the animation and make it longer with more coins :)

Does anyone know of a way to get my renderings to the media? I saw this article (http://www.salon.com/2013/03/22/a_libertarian_nightmare_bitcoin_meets_big_government/) which includes a rendering bought on Shutterstock (http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-82376821/stock-photo-stack-of-bitcoins-isolated-on-white-computer-generated-d-photo-rendering.html?src=29618B92-99DE-11E2-B5B5-251C9EA4A24C-1-0) and I think you'll agree my ones look better, and they are free too.

I would put them on shutterstock, you should get paid for them, they're great work! Also you will find that employees (journalists etc) prefer to use paid for GFX, where the license is clear. So they just hit up paid for GFX sites.

Maybe put them up lower priced than the competition and make a load of different popular aspect ratio renderings and compositions.

Here's how I'm using the GFX in my current work in progress application:

http://www.cortex7.net/forum/attachment.php?aid=96

 Great to see my work featured like that! Credits are appreciated, but feel free to remove them if you want to clean up the interface.

I have produced these magnificient renderings in physical form with cybrbeast's consent:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=153618.msg2099663#msg2099663

Geez! These are fantastic.
Wallpaper'd!

Wow! You are very talented :-)

I am curious how many hour took you to create them  ;D

Keep up the good work!

WOW, that looks really great!
Good job!  :D

But why did you do this actually?  ;)

Hey all, didn't realize this thread was still active. I have a more comprehensive thread here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=182200

Why did I do it. Just for fun actually, just recently started using Blender and though it would be nice to try and create this. They were quite popular on r/bitcoin and I got some nice tips so I continued. I also did a few commissioned jobs which paid in Bitcoin.

Not quite sure how long it took to make them. Quite a few hours.

I'm really stoked that Isokivi made physical forms of them, never expected it to happen. He's even sending two of them to me for free :)