"I am not CAD professional. I just start studying and make a plan. I was a graphic designer before, so I have knowledge of 2D design. My parents ran a bicycle shop and I want to make the lightest bike (ex.made of plastic ) and bike accessories." (sic) - Mio Tanaka
Over the weekend at Maker Faire, Autodesk CEO Carl Bass announced the Autodesk acquisition of Tinkercad! When I first heard they were shutting down, I know I wasn't the only one bummed out. Kai and Co. did such a great job, that Autodesk couldn't just let it go away, so Voila.
As of 1pm on Saturday, Tinkercad is back online and you can create new accounts that are even more robust than before.
Free accounts will now have access to store unlimited numbers of models, and to import 3D meshes in STL format and 2D files in SVG format for editing within Tinkercad. Free accounts will even have access to shape-scripting tools for generating 3D models parametrically - an option previously available only to paid accounts. 
I was watching Make's streaming video of the Hardware Innovation Workshop yesterday and heard Makies founder Alice Taylor talk about her experience as CEO of the creepy doll company. (Which do NOT offer a shaved-head version, sadly). THEN, I see on 3ders.org this morning that they got to present Prince Harry and David Cameron both with likenesses of themselves. Good on you, Makie. It's like every little girls dreams smashed into one article. Here's the original post.
There are lots of creative uses for 123D Creature out there, but not many architecture models, and we were completely blown away by the French Quarter Houses Jamie published.
Great work Jamie, keep it up!
Frog Prince - by Amanda Jackson
See the Instructable here. 
In celebration of Earth Day and all things eco-friendly, we’re holding a Green Design Contest, and showcasing the best of Green Design with our media partner TreeHugger! Think “green” and submit an eco-friendly Instructable that uses sustainable materials or is energy efficient by design.
For example, use recycled materials such as reclaimed lumber instead of new virgin growth wood. Or, choose to use renewable, responsibly sourced materials with minimal-to-no toxicity such as plant-based PLA plastic instead of oil-based ABS plastics. If you’re designing something with electronics, consider how much power the circuit consumes, or even how much electricity is needed when it's not in use and in stand-by mode. Also think through the end-of-life considerations of the product, such as making sure it’s easy to repair, and the individual parts can be reused or eventually recycled down the line.
Come up with any project with these factors in mind, and you could win over $1,000 in prizes including a Voltaic Systems OffGrid Solar Backpack, ReadySet Renewable Energy Kit with Solar Panel and LED light, Nokero Solar Light Bulbs and a $500 REI gift certificate. 
It's a boy!
123D Design Vs. Rotary Tool
When Instructables gave me the opportunity to be part of its Artist in Residence program, one of the first things I thought was "Blimey!* I don't know 123D or any other design program. What am I gonna do?" (*Of course, in my country we don’t say “Blimey!” but something ruder. But I think you get the point) Let me introduce myself: I'm Mario Caicedo Langer, from Colombia (not "Columbia"). Former Colombian Navy Officer, BsC in Naval Sciences, maker focused in trash art and upcycling. You can see my Instructables profile here. My skills: I can transform almost every piece of e-waste and plastic trash in something useful, decorative or funny. My weak point: the only design program I used in my life was... Paint. Yes, that Paint. So 123D would be my first experience with a CAD program. I have to be honest: I'm not a big fan of CAD programs. Yes, they are awesome. But I am an old school maker who loves to use his rotary tool and his screwdrivers to build stuff, at risk of his own hands. I thought CAD programs were reserved for industrial designers or engineers, even one like 123D Design, developed for the DIY community. THE EXPERIENCE A few weeks ago, on a Friday afternoon, I finally decided to take a look the 123D Design and play with the program. When I got stuck, Randy Sarafan (Instructables) gave me some useful tips. Two hours later, I finished some kind of robot arm. At night, I had finished a "chicken legs" robot. On Saturday morning, I had a futuristic motorbike. On Sunday, I was at the beach in San Jose, eating Deep Fried Twinkies, but that’s not important. By Monday, I had my fourth project ready (not my best work, but still) for the "Show and Tell" meeting at Instructables. And I just finished my instructable on how to make a transformable robot, my first 3D printed project. I'm not saying "Oh! I'm a genius! You’d better make a movie about me! (In this case, I want to be interpreted by Ryan Reynolds or Samuel L. Jackson)". No. What I'm trying to say is that, sometimes, we have the tools at reach, but we are too lazy, too cowardly or too old fashioned to try them. And Autodesk is giving a great tool to the maker community. It's a friendly program (I don’t know how it could be friendlier. Telepathic commands, maybe?) and you can learn it in one weekend or less. It doesn't matter if you are a professional designer or not, you only need two things: the will and visual-spatial ability. And you only get the second thing by being curious about all the things around you: touching, dismantling, cutting, breaking, attaching, opening, destroying and rearming stuff. And, if you are a maker, you are on the right way. 123D Design is an awesome program (and honestly, the only one I learnt) and I love it, but it has two aspects to improve. First, fonts could be very useful. What if I want to 3D-print a plaque with my name? Second, I don’t know if it’s because of my computer, but sometimes the program crashes and, if you didn’t save your progress, you will have a very bad time. So I got the habit of saving on my computer every 4 minutes. That’s all.
Check back in for more updates from Mario! 
