The Open 3D project aims to create a non-commercial, university-based 3D anatomy atlas. The resulting models are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA), meaning they are free to use, download, and modify. The project builds upon the predecessor models BodyParts and Z-Anatomy.

As a medical illustrator and 3D modeler at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), I worked in close collaboration with anatomists from various universities in the Netherlands and Belgium. Although the structures are based on the predecessor models, our project team invested significant effort in improving anatomical accuracy while introducing many structures that were not present in the original models. Throughout this process, I gained in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and developed many essential skills as a 3D modeler. As the main modeler, I remodeled, sculpted, optimized, and textured the majority of the structures. The detailed sculpting of the skull was carried out by modeler Emily Fong (Emily Fong Studio - Home).

The Open 3D project is a long-term initiative that is still ongoing. A more detailed introduction and partial models demonstrating the project’s progress can be viewed on our website. Click the butten below to visit the website!

Contributors to this project include the departments of anatomy at Leiden University Medical Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Maastricht University Medical Center, and KU Leuven (KULAK), in collaboration with anatomists from Amsterdam University Medical Center (location VUMC), Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, and Ghent University. Initial funding for this work was provided by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture & Science.