3D Print with us through Autodesk’s 123D
Today we’re proud to announce that Autodesk added i.materialise as a 3D printing production partner. This means that you can from now on also use this great piece of software to 3D print your designs with us. Autodesk is the world’s leading 3D software developer with a long list of successful software packages such as Maya, 3Ds Max, AutoCAD, and many more. So it comes as no surprise that their free 123D software package is filled with tons of awesome features.
123D looks fantastic and is easy to use. For a first time user of this software, I could immediately see the link between the object on the screen and the user interface. It all just worked in such a smooth and intuitive way. Within a couple of minutes I was already creating complex shapes simply by extruding and transforming the surfaces of my model. Yes, I will admit that it does help to have a background in some of the Autodesk solutions, but it is absolutely not a requirement to get started! There are plenty of tutorials available from within 123D that will get you on your way in no-time. Below you’ll find some screenshots straight from 123D.
Create complex geometry with ease
With tons of extras such as measurements which are very handy for 3D printing
So… now that you know 123D is awesome, let’s have a look at how to get your work from the app 3D printed at i.materialise. First of all, make sure to create an account with 123D. This will allow you to upload your work to your corner on the magical 123D cloud. From here you will be able to download your work from any computer or device that has 123D installed. Once your account is made, you can start storing your work in your corner. The below image illustrates the steps to take.
First click the menu button, then save to my corner... easy as pie!
Now that you’ve got your work saved in your corner, go to the 123D website and choose fabricate from the top menu. This will provide you with the option to start a 3D printing project as seen on the image below.
Just follow the red markers on this image
From there you choose a model to 3D print from your corner as illustrated on the image below.
Choose a file of your liking
Then you’ll get to the step where you get to setup your 3D printing size. Here you will be able to downscale or upscale your model on the fly. Once that’s done, you will reach the step where you get to choose a 3D printing service and off you go to choose your 3D printing options in our 3D print lab before proceeding to the checkout.
So there you have it. It’s easy, it’s fun and it’s a software package that’s free! I’d say go and download the app now!
