New free 3D software from Autodesk

[micspoko]

In this month Autodesk release a new free software for 3D design

"You have an idea, you want to create it, make it, hold it in your hand. Autodesk® 123D™ software is for you.

123D provides useful tools for making things – for quickly giving shape to your idea, exploring it, and most importantly, making it. 123D free* 3D modeling software is combined with content and making services that work together so you can create, explore, and fabricate your project.

With Autodesk 123D, the idea is only the beginning."


http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet...12&id=16971648

[DCockey]

Is this is Autodesk's response to SketchUp? It wll be interesting to see how close the interface and commands are to AutoCad, or whether it's a completely different product. And the question for folks on this forum is whether it has arbitrary shape capabilities.

[yipster]

signed up for more inf on release. dont forget acad has a 3d dashboard since some time as well
than there is autodesk inventor and 3d studio max, really curious what this is going to be like
thanks for the link

[claydog]

Originally Posted by DCockey

Is this is Autodesk's response to SketchUp? It wll be interesting to see how close the interface and commands are to AutoCad, or whether it's a completely different product. And the question for folks on this forum is whether it has arbitrary shape capabilities.

I think it may very well be. I 'm working on getting a good answer but it may take a day or two. My guess is it's a lite version of Alias that's much more user friendly for a beginer, if so it should have arbitrary shape capabilities.

[DCockey]

If it's a lite version of Alias then it would be more like a lite version of Rhino then SketchUp. That wouldn't surprise me given how Rhino is growing.

[yipster]

that would be nice. came acros http://cadinsider.typepad.com/my_web...123d-pt-1.html from caddigest weekly
ah, and here the beta download http://www.123dapp.com/?utm_source=n...mpaign=welcome
witch wont run here couse video card isnt on full color, well, thats a good card and will check configuration again tomorrow

[DCockey]

Beta version of 123D can now be downloaded: http://123dapp.com/

I downloaded 123D and got it running on the second try. First reaction is that the interface is considerably different than a regular CAD program. Not sure what it's like. Second reaction is the help is very sparse, just a summary of the commands. There are some very brief flash tutorials. Sounds like AutoDesk is trying to capture the "maker" community with it, and the release coincides with the "Maker Faire" in the San Francisco bay area: http://makerfaire.com/ It almost appears that the release of the Beta version was rushed so the announcement coincides with the Maker Faire.

It is definitely intended for 3D design with the ability to create various geometry primitives. There is also a "sketch" mode which includesd rawing simple interpolating splines. It looks like surfaces can be created with a "loft" command and a "sweep" command.

AutoDesk has made available for separate download a number of objects including fasteners, and numerous examples. One of the more impressive examples is a nicel looking squirrel which has numerous arbitrary 3D surfaces. I managed to get the squirrel into a mode which showed the paneling and it appeared to be a collection of multi-panel patches.

I didn't do much with it but overall performance felt clunky compared to Rhino running on the same computer. The "Program Files" folder containing 123D on my machine is actually slightly larger than the one with Rhino 4.

I'm sure someone will soon produce a boat-like object with it, but I wouldn't consider it for anything close to serious design work. Rhino, for example, has at least an order of magnitude more capability. And for free software FreeShip is considerably more capable.

[yipster]

thanks for the review, my second try still gives message below i made with screen capture and then into old psp pro that signals its switching to vista standard colors, guess i have to reinstall the ati drivers, no hurry, freeship, rhino, acad and 3dmax running. still darn, i am rather curious, every one else a clean instal?

[DCockey]

I got the same message with my first install. Reset graphics options to defaults and it still wouldn't run. Removed it, re-installed and it ran. That was on a laptop with ATI HD 4250 graphics, running Windows 7.

Also installed it on another, older laptop and didn't have any problems.

I don't forsee using it in the near future so I may remove it from both computers.

[yipster]

thanks DCockey, so same trouble, think will follow your way -up to uninstal- later, still a bit curious, thanks again for the procedure

[quequen]

I had an error to. It doesn't run. Checked the 123 forum and there are a lot of problems with this release...

[yipster]

http://labs.blogs.com/december2011/innovation_edge.htm
again interesting looking free soft from autodesk and havent had an instal error but than again havent try'd to install -yet-
falcon takes alias software, alias what was that again, free trial here http://usa.autodesk.com/alias/trial/
falcon pdf looks very basic but wonder how far it stretches..

crowd builder easely plugs in 3D studio but more curious bout that cfd

[CmbtntDzgnr]

I suspect that they are *hoping* that people can be pulled away from users of Punch ViaCAD and Shark LT/Shark FX in the long run. Those have solids features that regular AutoCAD probably cannot touch. Inventor might be the step for those wanting full-fledged 3D solids features.

123D might -- if if can do solids from compound curvature surfaces from converted meshes -- lure some users, especially if it is a lightweight/low-resource-hog, and if they re-vamp that mass props tool to be so friendly to spreadsheets as to not requre the end users to do VB or ACADs scripting to rationalize/bring sanity to rapid copy-paste of mass props.

So long as it doesn't do hydrostatics, it probably will never threaten PolyCAD, Free!Ship/DelftShip, Rhino, etc. But, if AutoDesk tries to encroach/insinuate 123D into that niche, they'll probably risk ire of AutoShip, ShipConstructor and a slew of others, since historically ACAD was virtually useless to anyone (maritime or not) who needed compound curvature for hulls, weird constructions, and so on. But, now, it looks like they are charging forward.

I wonder why they didn't overtly (or did they?) call this Inventor Light or somesuch.

But, we'll see....

[DCockey]

AutoDesk acquirred Alias in 2006 which is now their software for arbitrary surface design. The base version, Alias design has capabilities similar to Rhino though based on a quick look Alias Design is slightly more limited. Price is 4 X Rhino at $3995. There are also Alias Surface and Alias Automotive which have additional features and higher prices. Alias has been a mainstream tool for auto exterior and interior design/styling.

[yipster]

thx for the review DCockey, gone give it a try, alias on pc -not scouted out yet- falcon still to instal, christmas shopping first tho

and happy day's to all boatdesign.net fruitcakes