In celebration of Leonardo da Vinci, whose inventive spirit has inspired the world for centuries, Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE Lab is teaming up with the makers of "The Inventor" - a new animated film about da Vinci by Oscar-nominated author Jim Capobianco - as well as film studio Foliascope and the Château du Clos Lucé - Parc Leonardo da Vinci museum to sponsor the latest "3D Design Challenge" to bring Leonardo da Vinci's drawings to life.

The Challenge invites interested parties to demonstrate their 3D skills by virtually reconstructing an invention from da Vinci's sketchbook using Dassault Systèmes' 3D digital applications. These applications have enabled the design and engineering of groundbreaking industrial innovations for 40 years.

The five Challenge winners will then be determined by how closely the 3D model resembles the original drawing, how well the model realises the movements Leonardo da Vinci intended in his sketch, and how easily the model can be 3D printed. Each winner will be given a 3D-printed version of their model. They will also receive access to Dassault Systèmes' xDesign application for one year.

The winning models will also be featured in the stop-motion animated film "The Inventor". The film portrays the life of Leonardo da Vinci in a humorous and imaginative story for the whole family, voiced by Stephen Fry as Leonardo, Daisy Ridley as Princess Marguerite de Navarre and Marion Cotillard as Louise de Savoy.

The "3D Design Challenge" will take place exclusively online in the Open Codex Community from 12 February to 15 April 2021. Since 2012, this community has brought together designers, technicians, manufacturers, enthusiasts, students, teachers and many other people who want to be inspired by the past and use the virtual world to connect inventiveness and innovation within the framework of international competitions - for example, to recreate Leonardo da Vinci's inventions in 3D.

Participants in the "3D Design Challenge" have to select one of the ten designs listed in the community and create a 3D working model of the drawing in original dimensions using CATIA, SOLIDWORKS or xDesign applications. They then submit their entry along with an explanation of how the finished design works and upload the 3D model to the online community. Thanks to the aforementioned applications on Dassault Systèmes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform, users can digitally create, test and optimise the structure, mechanics and the entire system.

In keeping with the concept of the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab as a virtual place for collaborative and interdisciplinary work to foster innovation, participants are encouraged to interact with other designers, participants and fans of Leonardo da Vinci in the community throughout the Challenge.
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