20 Ways to Rotate & Explore 3D Objects in E-Learning #446

Rotating 3D Objects in E-Learning RECAP #446: Challenge | Recap

This week’s challenge asked course designers to share interactive examples that let learners explore and rotate 3D objects in training courses.

Jonathan Hill

The 3D object I have used in this demo only rotates by 10°... but it's a question of having THE RIGHT ATTITUDE.

Example | Download | Jonathan Hill | Website | @DevByPowerPoint

Adam Zamczyk

There are a few interesting solutions to make this Storyline 3D animation unique: A dial with 100 states, a 3D rotating image (59 frames), 4 different ways to control the rotation, and a bit of JavaScript to make the animations smoother.

Example | Adam Zamczyk

Richard Mulcahy

My demo is of a 3D Tanker Car that allows you can explore the wheel set. Wheel set is also called Trucks or Bogies.

Example | Richard Mulcahy

Thierry EMMANUEL

When you don't have access to PPT's 3D objects, or to any 3D objects, or to any software for making them, all you have to do is pretend you've got a 3D object, or a few friends who are willing to pretend. 

Example |  Thierry EMMANUEL | Website

Thaddaeus Smith

I wanted to create an interaction that allows the learner to access information about different parts of the object as it’s moved around. The Earth seemed like a good option, so my sample allows you to learn a bit about the seven continents of our beautiful planet. Text was generated in Chat GPT.

Example | Thaddaeus Smith | Website

Ron Katz

I used 3D objects from PowerPoint and created a video.  Then I selected frames from the video to save as JPG which were uploaded as States.  I also created a GIF using the same video which was used several times in the project. The audio track was a TTS. 

Example | Ron Katz | Website

Jodi M. Sansone

I used a piece of art I have in my office by artist Bill Worrell.  I photographed his sculpture with my phone and wished I had a turntable to rotate the piece--it would have been smoother.  The 3D demo is on slide 3.  I used a number variable to rotate it left and right.

Example | Jodi M. Sansone | Website | @jodimsansone

Jayashree Ravi

Imagine revisiting your favorite 3D cat from a previous project—yes, the one we all fell in love with! I found it on 3DModels.org and decided to bring it back for a special exploration. Using sliders is like giving your virtual whiskers a playful workout

Example | Jayashree Ravi

Andreas Fischer

The demo starts with a rotating 3D Earth animation from PowerPoint, featuring 45 state images. A UFO slider button alters states during its curved motion, and upon returning, activates a counter that reveals various fact layers.

Example | Andreas Fischer

Ralf Hartmann

It is engaging for learners to do something interactive. Especially when they can do it as they want it, turn something in every  direction without restrictions.

Example | Ralf Hartmann

Briana Gattis

I chose to use a 3D model of a skeleton to explain anatomical directional terms.

Example | Briana Gattis

LinguaGraphics Articulate-Team

Our demo features a 3D model of acetic acid, created with Articulate Storyline, enabling learners to explore molecular structures in an engaging way across different educational settings.

Example | LinguaGraphics Articulate-Team | Website

Julie BIGOT

But who killed Archie Koolate? Move objects and discover clues to help the police find the culprit.

Example | Julie BIGOT

Amy DeMarco

Adjust the rotation, size and angle of a shark swimming in the ocean!

Example | Amy DeMarco

Spencer Mees

A simple slider interaction to celebrate 2024 being the year of the dragon.

Example | Spencer Mees | LinkedIn

Haneen Odeh

An animated 3D plane using a GLTF loader.

Example | 3D model used in demo | Haneen Odeh

Garrett Berry

I used PowerPoint and 3D images to create a few videos with the earth and then moved them into Storyline’s slide layers.

Example | Garrett Berry

eLearn Dev

Example | eLearn Dev

Kate Golomshtok

Example | Kate Golomshtok | Website

New to the E-Learning Challenges?

The weekly challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I'll update the recap posts to include your demos.

If you have a blog, please write about your challenge example. I'll add links to your blog post so your examples get even more exposure. And for those who share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, please include #ELHChallenge so your network (and Articulate!) can track your e-learning coolness.

Share Your Interactive 3D Rotating Examples!

The rotating and exploring challenge is still open! If you have one or more ideas you'd like to share, please jump over to the original challenge and post your links in the comments section. I'll update this recap page to include your examples.