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Indie turbosquid?

Name:	Phil Carlisle
Date Posted:	Jun 04, 2006
Rating:	3.5 out of 5
Public:	YES
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Blog post

I know I've talked about these guys before, but I figure it is my duty to pass on things of great value to others when I can.

The guys at Texturemonk have always provided first class texture libraries at an unbelievably low price. But recently, they started doing the same thing for 3D models!

If you've ever done like me and trawled through the insanely priced models at Turbosquid looking for useful models for your games, I'd urge you to have a look at their sister site at Modelmonk.

At only $50 for 500 models, you really cant find that kind of value anywhere else.

Even if you can't use all of them immediately for games usage, I think the value in terms of menu backgrounds, cut-scenes, or just making mockups for game concepts makes the pack amazing value.

So head on over there and check these guys out. If ever there were a bunch of people worth supporting for thier efforts in helping make content available for us indies, I think David and Leon are *the* guys!

Phil.

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Submit your own resources!

Nick Wilson (Jun 04, 2006 at 20:14 GMT)

Wow, looks like a great value. I only wish they had more screenshots of the models.

Gabor Forrai (Jun 04, 2006 at 20:33 GMT)

Im checked their page, and i think the whole collection is the "DeEspogna 500", most of the modells are taken from that collection. I think the guys behing the "MONK" label associated with DeEspogna. (?)
Most of the modells need some works to use them in games, but very usefull pack for CG movies or another visualisations.

Yes, its a good price, but im buyed this pack on CD together with a nice package and an included color booklet for 5 euros (!) in a bookshop last year.. ;)

Phil Carlisle (Jun 04, 2006 at 20:35 GMT)

Gabor: I highly doubt these are DeEspona models. That would be highly illegal (the DeEspona collection costs a LOT more than 50 dollars).

Your DeEspona collection mustve been a dodgy one too.

Sam M (Jun 04, 2006 at 20:53 GMT)

Actually, I just looked at the model monk gallery of their models and the DeEsponga 500 gallery of their models. They're the exact same models, or atleast have alot of the same models.

Look at the people models at http://www.modelmonk.com/cata/Modelmonk_01.html from model monk.

Then look at the people models at http://www.deespona.com/3denciclopedia/categoria_humankind.html from DeEsponga.

X-Tatic (Jun 04, 2006 at 22:21 GMT) Resource Rating: 4

These are indeed the deespona models. So why does it say all models were created by David?

Phil Carlisle (Jun 04, 2006 at 22:33 GMT)

Hmm, seems your correct. I'll email the guys.

X-Tatic (Jun 04, 2006 at 22:33 GMT) Resource Rating: 4

yeh, I already did. I mean its fine if they have some sort of agreement for it. But if the models werent all created by David, they shouldnt say that they were.

Could make you question some of the texture monk CD's we got.
Edited on Jun 04, 2006 22:35 GMT

skrode (Jun 04, 2006 at 23:53 GMT)

this sounds somewhat bad..i wouldnt want to get into any legal trouble if the guy is reselling models from de espona. someone should email them as well to see whats going on

Bryan Stroebel (Jun 05, 2006 at 00:06 GMT)

I've seen these models in other packs before. I think lots of people are distributing de espona models illeagally.

Peter Kojesta (Jun 05, 2006 at 01:04 GMT)

Aside from all this legal stuff, High poly models are pretty useless in games unless you know what to do with them, and have an artist handy. It's not a trivial task to make a low poly model, and requires completely different skills than creating high poly models. I don't really find this collection useful for games.

Your thought on backgrounds is a good one though.

Chris Schirlinger (Jun 05, 2006 at 01:10 GMT)

I've not heard of the De Espona collection before, but I compared some of the screen shots from www.deespona.com/ and Modelmonk and Sam M is right.

There are many models are exactly the same

(De Espona)

and

(Modelmonk)

for example
Edited on Jun 05, 2006 01:12 GMT

X-Tatic (Jun 05, 2006 at 01:10 GMT) Resource Rating: 4

My thought is, whats just considered too high now, could very well be acceptable in a year or 2.

X-Tatic (Jun 05, 2006 at 01:15 GMT) Resource Rating: 4

I cant get 'notify when new comments are posted' to work on this page :-S

Edit: Got it to work, ticked it and then clicked community up at the top.

Edit: Nope it lost it again.
Edited on Jun 05, 2006 01:17 GMT

Bryan Edds (Jun 05, 2006 at 01:29 GMT)

Isn't this a curiousity?

I'm watching this .plan :)

Sam M (Jun 05, 2006 at 04:01 GMT)

Well, I've actually seen the whole De Espona collection available for free download before. Maybe modelmonk mistook it for a free pack and repackaged it?

Phil Carlisle (Jun 05, 2006 at 08:11 GMT)

Its still illegal, whichever way you cut it.

I'll post if I get a response.

Stefan Lundmark (Jun 05, 2006 at 13:42 GMT)

Keep us posted Phil.

Thanks

Jaimi McEntire (Jun 05, 2006 at 13:46 GMT)

Aren't the DeEspona models the same models from the older REM Infografica collection?

Jay Barnson (Jun 05, 2006 at 15:19 GMT)

Well, if this is a legit deal, it's a great one.

I think I'll hold off until Phil gets his response though...

David Dougher (Jun 05, 2006 at 17:46 GMT)

Hope this turns out to be legit. It would be a great resource. However, now we must also question the validity of using the textures they provide as well. Sad, very sad. Looking for a good ending to this.

Willbkool (Jun 05, 2006 at 19:10 GMT)

They're definitely DeEspona models, I bought the book "500 3D Objects" for $30 dollars about 3 years ago. They're legal to use if you buy the book/CD, but they're only about 5 or 6 that can be used for gamemaking as is. That's $20 cheaper for basically the same package, and you don't have to worry about lawsuits if Modelmonk is not legally selling these.

[edit]There also was a part 2 of this book, that I was able to use several models from.
Edited on Jun 05, 2006 19:20 GMT

Juan Rubio (Jun 06, 2006 at 08:36 GMT)

Yeah in my last office that we did film work we had it laying around. It was useful as a base but as usual you have to taylor to your own needs even if you do pre-rendered stuff.

John Eismann (Jun 08, 2006 at 01:46 GMT)

I got the monk 500 models a while ago, they aint the ones here though. They were more like game ones (guns, buildings, graves, pipes, swords and industrial).

X-Tatic (Jun 09, 2006 at 02:00 GMT) Resource Rating: 4

I think they just used the deespona models as their preview gallery, but they have started to replace it now.

http://www.modelmonk.com/cata/Modelmonk_01.html

The reason I ordered these models was because they looked so detailed in the thumbail gallery.

How are the models actually, any good?
Edited on Jun 09, 2006 02:02 GMT

X-Tatic (Jun 10, 2006 at 05:42 GMT) Resource Rating: 4

Nope, they put the old gallery back up.. whats going on.

Sam M (Jun 10, 2006 at 18:12 GMT)

Well if you go here http://www.modelmonk.com/cata/ you can see 4 images that aren't in the DeEspona pack, maybe those were just temp images I dunno. Has anyone else here besides John Eismann bought the pack and can tell us what's included?

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