The announcement was just made by MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis in speaking at SXSW 2013 and the Autodesk press release just went live announcing Autodesk and MakerBot will be partnering to provide 3D design software and 3D printing hardware to engineers, designers, architects, makers, creators, and artists.
Autodesk and MakerBot have been working together for awhile now on many projects including MakerBot’s Hackathon using Autodesk 123D Catch to capture models of the New York Metropolitan Museum exhibits and 3D print them. There was also the infamous horsehead captured and 3D printed and even larger Bay Bridge lights project. Beyond just capturing 3D geometry using 123D Catch there are many people that use Autodesk software to design in 3D and send their designs to a MakerBot 3D printer myself included.You can use everything from the Autodesk 123D family including 123D Catch, 123D Creature, 123D Design, and 123D Sculpt to the professional Autodesk design software to create 3D models and 3D print them on MakerBot 3D printers.
“Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot, announced the partnership during his Opening Remarks for SXSW 2013, and the companies showcased creatures designed with Autodesk’s new 123D Creature iPad app, which were printed on a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer at SXSW Create Presented by Autodesk.
“Software is key in showcasing the capabilities of 3D printing, and Autodesk’s 123D Creature iPad app is an awesome way to highlight how you can customize a design, make it your own, and print it in 3D on a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer,” noted Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot. “MakerBot prides itself on setting the standard in desktop 3D printing, and now in working with Autodesk, we are also together, setting the standard in providing the leading 3D design software that is optimized for printing on a MakerBot.“
“Our goal is to continue making 3D printing from our applications simpler and more straightforward, and optimizing the Autodesk 123D family to work with MakerBot printers delivers on this promise by enabling our community to print their creations with greater ease,” said Samir Hanna, vice president of Consumer Products at Autodesk. “Our collaboration will help accelerate the next industrial revolution, and we are excited to work with MakerBot to make this happen.”
This might be bigger than a Kardashian wedding, and certainly last longer and be more meaningful.
I love makerbots, but have not seen many real life things I would want to make with it. I don;t think they are good enough to make gears with for remote control airplanes and things. You need like 600 dpi instead of 300. I am waiting to see what will come out in the $1000 range that can make hi res sturdy parts. I still love the makerbot machines, and am making a 3 axis router so I can carve more solid material and more accurately. Fun stuff!
James,
The 3D Printers are rapidly evolving in materials, resolution, and dropping in price. The new MakerBot model Replicator 2 with 100 micron resolution does very good compared to its Replicator 1 model just a few months back and others like the Mojo from Stratasys are aiming at the Prosumers. You can also use a online service like Shapeways.com or a local Maker/Hackerspace.
3D Printing is progressing at such a fast pace it is hard to keep up.
Check out the ShopBot for subtractive milling nirvana.
You should check out the ShopBot.
hmm, did you mention that 100 mincron number just to see if I could work out the dpi? Let me write a lisp and come back….ok, I’m getting 100/10000003.280812=.003937 inches = 254 dpi. That’s worse than the 300 I thought. Its all the extruder head, not the steppers and lead screws. Still, I would love a mbot to show people.
You would be really surprised at what I create at 100 micron resolution. High detail and with an acetone finish to finish as a completely smooth surface finish. 100 micron is a tolerance used in many of todays traditional manufacturing methods before post processing.
For higher resolution and different process I am looking forward to a leased Mojo.
Check out this beauty! Formlabs
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/formlabs/form-1-an-affordable-professional-3d-printer