Found CGSphere.com on lunch today. It's a bit like a 3D-chopper's version of PSC. But instead of a daily source they provide a 3D starting point of scene involving a sphere on a grid backdrop.

Rough summary of their rules:
1. You must download and use the scene provided for you.
2. Do not modify the grid plane, as it is required for consistency.
3.You may use any kind of materials and/or textures supported by your 3D program or renderer.
4. You may not, under any circumstances, move, modify, adjust, or relocate the camera.
5. You may use any kind of lighting techniques and features supported by your 3D program or renderer.
6. You may use any kind of renderer supported by your 3D program.
7. You may apply any kind of post-rendering effects such as color correction, glares, highlights, etc, using any kind of digital editing program.

The gallery has got some great pieces in it.

Might be cool to have a cross-site promotion going between our two communities.

I'm afraid to say it but... those chops 3D renders puts our chops to shame.

Well they're not really chops. They are 3D renders. So the "chopping" process is different. And they basically have a blank slate to work from so the artists aren't as constrained as we are.

Bit like comparing oranges and cantaloupe I 'spose.

how about using the "checkered sphere on a grid" image as a PSC source

Submitted.

oh this is cool....
i was looking for something like this after i took a course in 3Ds max so i could sharpen my skills.... well now i hardly remember anything.... but good find tofu

wow, somebody actually reads my rambles. Now - submit $20,000 in unmarked bills to this address

Anyway - what did you do to fit the 1280x960 PSC format - did you get the 3d source and render?

I've got yer unmarked bills right here.

I tried to render it using the freeware Daz Studio but I have no idea what I'm doing (yet). So I simply took the 800x800 "sphere-template.jpg" file that comes with the scene and put it on a 1280x960 canvas in Photoshop.

"That's great Tofu, another piece of software you've tempted me to get, you Bastard!

3-D stuff is like DIR-Diving, It needs to be perfect or you're history! LOL!

Oh, come on!!! Here's a 1280x960 render
http://ohshot.com/depot/6dfd67.jpg

Show off!

YOU submit it. I'll have Stephen delete/reject the one I did.

done

Wow..There's is some killer stuff in there! I think I could do the basic shapes then texture in Photoshop, but they seem to do it all in under one app... Damn nice work!!! Thanks Tofu for bringing this site up

looks like 3dsmax is the most popular 3D soft ware on that site