Autodesk unveiled two exciting offerings in the company's emerging Autodesk 123D family - Autodesk 123D Catch and Autodesk 123D Make Technology Preview. The offerings enable anyone to quickly and easily capture 3D models from the world around them, and additionally turn 3D models into their own artistic creations.
Autodesk 123D Make application is a also a new, free technology preview for the Mac, capable of converting digital 3D models into 2D cut patterns that can be easily assembled in low-cost materials, such as cardboard, wood, fabric, metal or plastic. The cut pieces come together to create a physical representation of the original digital model. 123D Make enables users to create art, furniture, sculptures or other quick prototypes in order to test how a design will look in real life. Autodesk developed this technology to act as a digital engineer capable of helping individuals create 3D models and, eventually, transform the models into the real thing.
The Autodesk 123D Catch, previously codenamed Project Photofly on Autodesk Labs, is a new, public beta release that uses the power of cloud computing to quickly transform digital photos into photorealistic 3D models. Anyone capable of using a point-and-shoot, mobile phone or advanced digital SLR cameras to snap a series of photos of objects, people or scenes can use 123D Catch to generate impressive 3D models. Capturing your own personal avatar or favorite vacation scenes in 3D is now both possible and easy.
The Autodesk 123D family also includes the Autodesk 123D desktop application, enabling makers to bring ideas to life by designing highly precise and makeable objects. The Autodesk 123D Sculpt is for sculpting and painting 3D creations on the iPad. Inventors, tinkerers, artists, entrepreneurs, and arts and crafts enthusiasts can use the Autodesk 123D portfolio on a variety of platforms and devices, with access to content, Autodesk fabrication partners and social connections at a single destination.