Autodesk jumps into the 3D Printing industry . . . It is about time! What does it mean? Autodesk just introduced a new open source 3D printing platform, Spark. They want to make it easier for the end user to design and then print without all the in-between hassles. Since historically they are a 3d software development company, they want to streamline the 3d printing processing by offering an open source platform with hope to push 3d printing to the next level. The Spark platform will be open and freely licensable including their 3d printer design which will be made publicly available to allow for further development and experimentation. I think it is a super smart move on their part because with the increased ease of 3d printing, there will be an increased demand for new designs, designers and more demand for their software. Either way, Very Cool Autodesk! ~Cornell
*Here is an recent Bloomberg TV interview with Autodesk CEO Carl Bass, 3D Printing: The Hype vs. the Reality.