First it was talk about spreading the power of 3D to engineering hobbyists. Now the latest buzzword being hyped by 3D printing and 3D software makers is something they're calling "personal manufacturing" -- a move to leverage cloud computing and other emerging technologies to help the general public imagine and create stuff on their own.
Autodesk has been pushing the concept for a while now, but mostly with the do-it-yourself crowd in its sights. Now, as part of its Autodesk 123D family, Autodesk has released technology previews of Autodesk 123D Catch and Autodesk 123 Make, a pair of services designed to allow anyone -- not just would-be engineers or CAD jockeys -- to turn any kind of 3D models into their own artistic creations.
So what exactly are these tools? In some ways, they are trying to claim a little bit of that Apple mystique, in that Autodesk is promising that the average Joe can jump into 3D modeling without any prior knowledge of geometry, tolerances, or surfaces, just as Apple lets consumers make movies or compose music without being an expert in either discipline or in using what was previously pretty specialized software.
"Apple has definitely paved the way, in that today you can buy a $200 camera and shoot a nice-looking video without spending thousands on video equipment and create a professional-grade experience," Hendrik Bartel, product manager at Autodesk, tells Design News. "We want to be the same for the manufacturing and design space and make tools accessible for anyone who has the passion or who is remotely interested."
Autodesk 123D Catch, for example, previously code-named Project Photofly on Autodesk Labs, is touted as a photo scene editor that will allow anyone capable of using a point-and-shoot, mobile phone, or digital SLR camera to take a series of photographs (Autodesk recommends between 40 and 60 pictures) of objects, people, or scenery and create a realistic and accurate 3D representation without having any formal skills in CAD modeling. Once the images are captured, users upload them to the cloud, where the Autodesk technology kicks in to analyze the photos and create a geometrically accurate representation of the images that can be downloaded as standard Autodesk 3DP or OBJ files. The app also has built-in sharing capabilities, including short movies or animations, so users can share and view their creations on mobile devices, YouTube, Facebook, and other social media channels.
123D Catch's companion app is Autodesk 123D Make, also a free technology preview, this one available for the Mac, that can convert those 3D models into 2D cut patterns that can then be assembled using 3D print technology and taking advantage of low-cost materials such as cardboard, wood, fabric, metal, or plastic. Users can either take the file for 3D printing to a third-party fabrication facility or print it on their own if they have access to a 3D printer.
Even though these personal manufacturing tools aren't aimed at professional engineers, Bartel thinks the whole movement and the resulting technologies will have ramifications in the long run. "There will likely be some shifts in the professional segment to take advantage of these tools as well," he says.
Thanks, Beth. That makes a lot more sense and would help keep control over the combinations of designs and materials. I think the recipe metaphor is a good one.
My guess is that the process for this will be very specific. Bike makers or appliance makers will have libraries of CAD models of their parts that users can download, for a fee, most likely, and then there will be explicit instructions as to what materials to use for 3D printing. Think of it like a recipe and maybe even offering this functionality through service bureaus as opposed to printing on individual printers. I don't think it will be the wild west with everyone just building whatever they want with whatever materials they want.
William, I wasn't concerned about early adopters, such as the hobbyists, DIY-ers and part-time pros, who presumably know what they are doing, and at least as important, know what they don't know. I was thinking about the uneducated consumer end-users, who don't have a clue what they are doing and might use the wrong material for an app, such as a bike part, and then get in an accident when it breaks.
I just watched a special on TV where 3D printing was used by a ventriloquist to create his latest creasture. It was pretty cool to see this technology being used. And I appreciate all of the articles in Design news because I had a betty understanding of what was being demonstrated.
I wonder how we survived before. My grandfather had a wood shop in his garage. Complete with table saws, lathes, and belt sanders. He made original pieces including tables, chairs, book shelves, and chests and also repaired the same. Several of my cousins have machine shops in their garages, complete with pipe-bending, welding equipment, and drill presses. Do increased liability issues reflect the increased technology of 3D printing or the increased voracity of lawyers?
Jack, I think you're right about many early adopters. But my question still stands: what about all the potential liability issues for the less trained and/or educated?
Actually, Ann, the first step of this might be the do-it-yourselfer - the person who currently has a wood shop or metal shop in the basement and makes replacement parts out of whatever happens to be around. Maybe the actual drawings, wouldn't be furnished by the manufacturer, but he could make his own replacement parts with either a smart phone app (photographic it from various angles) or a simple CAD program.
Beth, what a vision! I love the possibility of replacement parts for a bike or a toaster. But doesn't that mean a huge number and variety of materials available to the consumer end-user? And what if a consumer uses a toaster-type material to make a replacement part for a car and it breaks? Sounds like possible liability problems to me.
Actually, Chuck, the notion of personal manufacturing is individual, not producing anything in any kind of scale. This is the movement among hobbyists for producing their own one-off product designs--say a piece of jewelry, for example, or some sort of novel invention. People are also talking about using the technology so if you needed a replacement screw or maybe a fairly simple part for a toaster or some other household product, you might be able to go online, download the 3D model, and then 3D print it on your in-house printer as opposed to trying to buy the replacement part in stores or online.
Beth: The term manufacturing always conjures up mental images of production volume, although I'm assuming the volumes are very, very small in this case. How much volume could a "manufacturer" expect to turn out with this technology?
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