CAD/CAM Blog Roundup: 1-4-09

1. SolidSmack: 10 CAD related blogs to watch in 2009.

I’m honored to say Replicator made it onto the list among some spectacular company.

2. DEVELOP3D tests the ZCorp 650.

Develop3D is a blog/print magazine hybrid that has posted their first experience with the new ZCorp 650 3D printer. They were trying to make a model of a hip looking personal watercraft in sleek black’s and grays:

but got this”Tutti-Frutti” look instead because an obscure setting had not been changed in the output file. A great reminder of new challenges we face moving into a world with one-of-a-kind-products.

Sign up to receive their great magazine, including an in depth review of the Z650.

3. Fabbaloo: 4 big developments in 3D printing in 2008

Fabbaloo highlights 4 big trends they saw develop in 2008:

1. The rise of sophisticated specialized printing services.

2. The increasing capabilities of large-scale 3D printers.

3. We’re still waiting for the price breakthrough.

4. The creativity unleashed by personal manufacturing.

This talk of “rising” and “unleashing” is overstating it a bit, but 2008 did see the start of some trends that will alter the landscape of manufacturing over the next decade.

4. Richard Branson is speaking at a SolidWorks convention!?

A seemingly odd pairing, but CAD and high-end, custom manufacturing are critical for the success of Branson’s Virgin Galactic venture. It is great to see one of the most exciting entrepreneurs around tackle something typically thought of as mundane, like Computer Aided Design. There is a lot of energy around making “things”, between Branson’s involvement with spaceflight and Tim O’Reilly’s “Web Meets World” vision.

5. Sketch Up Pro 7

Like many Google products, SketchUp their CAD offering, vastly improves parts of a software experience while leaving out key features that would make it possible to switch fully. SketchUp is a great for its price ($0.00), is easy to learn, and the team really did a great job making the final models look “cool”.

I hope they continue to improve some of the weaker aspects (Parametric Modeling!) as it could eventually displace many of the big names in the industry.

This video from the SketchUp blog highlights new features available in Version 7.

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Tagged as: CAD and CAM, Computer-aided design, Industrial design, Ponoko, Richard Branson, SketchUp, SolidWorks, Virgin Galactic, Web 2.0