Get a MakerBot and some awesome free stuff with 123D Premium!

In the market for a MakerBot Replicator?  With a 123D Premium membership bundle, you'll get a MakerBot Replicator 2 with the exclusive face and build plates, a spool of PLA filament, a free 3D print and 10 Premium downloads a month!

Visit the 123D site for more details.

From the 123D Gallery: Miguel Trujeque

There are a lot of cool models being made with 123D Creature.  This week, we look at Miguel Trujeque's work!

Instructables Green Design Contest!

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.

123D Design for iOS update out now!

Check your app store for updates on 123D Design for iPad - we addressed some of your requests and added features! What's new: * Color! Set colors for your design. Defined colors will appear when the model is opened in 123D Design web and desktop tools. * Dimensions. Tap on an object to display its measurements. *Create image snapshots of your design that you can email, share, or save to your image library. * Contextual menus appear with a long press on parts or on the canvas. * Insert parts by dragging and dropping to the canvas, or double tap a part to drop it at the origin. * Lock or unlock objects in the workspace. * UI improvements and bug fixes.

Interactive 3D Graphics Course on Udacity next week!

Udacity.com is hosting an online course for Interactive 3D Graphics on March 11 with Autodesk Sr. Engineer, Eric Haines.  More info here.  Check it out! From Eric Haines, the instructor for this class and co-author of the book, "Real-Time Rendering":  "Every computer and every new smartphone comes equipped with a GPU (a graphics processing unit). This piece of hardware can rapidly display 3D objects and scenes rendered with realistic lighting and materials. Computer games are an obvious application, one that in fact has driven the widespread adoption of the GPU as a key component of any computer. In the past two years, it’s become possible to display and interact with 3D scenes directly in the browser, so now HTML pages can include fully 3D content, and these 3D objects can be combined with 2D web page elements as well as videos.
 This course will focus on the basics of the theory and practice of interactive 3D computer graphics rendering. Along the way we'll learn about three.js and WebGL, which are used to display 3D objects in the browser. However, you'll also gain a more general foundation of knowledge as well: the focus of this course is on the principles of 3D rendering itself. Understanding the underlying theory means that these skills can be applied to many other fields, such as 3D program development for personal computers, mobile devices, and game consoles.
 
On a personal level, I’m excited to be a part of this class. I’m giving the lectures, but it’s wonderful to see technologies like WebGL and three.js being used for all kinds of great stuff. The ability to have a lesson or a demo about 3D computer graphics be just a mouse click away is something that we couldn’t have done a few years ago."

Nike debuts first-ever 3D printed football cleat.

From NikeInc.com:
Today, Nike Football debuted the Nike Vapor Laser Talon with a revolutionary 3D printed plate that will help football athletes perform at their best. In a version built to master the 40, the Nike Vapor Laser Talon weighs a mere 5.6 oz. and is specifically designed to provide optimal traction on football turf and to help athletes maintain their “drive stance” longer.  - See more by clicking the image above.

Introducing ForceEffect and ForceEffect Motion

ForceEffect & ForceEffect Motion

Two new Autodesk apps that help you simulate design concepts in the field or in the office! Unlike the traditional approach of using paper, pencil, and a calculator to develop equations for design options, Autodesk ForceEffect and ForceEffect Motion does all the simulation and engineering calculations for you right on your mobile device, enabling you to quickly and easily simulate design options during the concept phase to determine the viability of a design.


Autodesk ForceEffect allows users to quickly and easily create design concepts anywhere, anytime! The mobile app enables users to create free body diagrams to understand design performance at the conceptual phase of a design.

Autodesk Force Effect is available on iOS and Android.


Autodesk ForceEffect Motion allows users to quickly and easily create kinematic designs. The mobile app simulates the motion of design and provides dynamic feedback on how the design operates.

Autodesk Force Effect Motion is available on iOS.

Coming Soon, 123D apps and eco system

Autodesk is announcing a connected ecosystem of apps, platforms, and communities that transforms the experience of 3D design and personal fabrication. Utilizing the power of the cloud and the crowd, the 123D family connects free 3D creation tools with content, community, and fabrication services, so anyone can create, explore, and make. 123D Catch - Take photos of people, places, and things and transform them into detailed 3D models. 123D Sculpt - Explore, shape, and paint 3D sculptures on the iPad. Share your creations with others and export them as OBJ data. 123D Make – Turn your 3D models into cut patterns and animated assembly instructions for making artful creations. 123D - 3D design software enabling personal creation and fabrication of precise and finished objects. My Corner – Your personal cloud storage for your design files, connecting 123D products and workflows. Use your data with the different 123D apps and create physical object through our fabrication services. Gallery - Publish and share your projects and access other people’s creations from the Gallery directly in the products, giving you access to an abundance of ideas of things to create. Instructables - More than 14 million individuals use Instructables every month to explore their interests in technology, crafts, home improvement, art, cooking and more. At the core of Instructables are expert authors who have created and shared more than 65,000 personal projects in the clear step-by-step Instructables format. The updated family of 123D apps is going to be available on desktop, mobile and web browser platforms soon.  Stay tuned for updates.

Little machine, big impression!

We recently got our hands on the Roland iModela and started milling away.

Here is the first workflow video, showing and end-to-end process from 123D all the way to the physical output on this great little machine.

Let us know what you think!

123D Snowman Challenge Highlights

Here is a highlight of some of the awesome entries that we received in the 123D Snowman Challenge. We thank everyone who shared a snowman and look forward to seeing all of your future posts.

Everyone who participated should keep an eye on their inbox for their free Instructables Pro Membership coupon code.

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