Novedge at the San Francisco Autodesk Gallery

Yesterday we had the pleasure of taking a tour of the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco, with Jeff Farr, Autodesk Senior Partner Manager. 

So much of what we use and interact with has been designed with CAD software and often with an Autodesk software.  We saw samples of designs from different applications, from architecture, to film and entertainment, from product design to 3D printing technology.

Below are some of the highlights of our visit.

Here's the model of the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SMO). 3D printed models were widely used to plan the building, making the use of natural light a central feature of the cathedral. Software used: AutoCAD, DWF Viewer, 3ds Max, CSI SAP2000 Nonlinear, CSI SAFE, form-Z, PTC Mathcad, Rhino3D, S-CONCRETE, SOM Proprietary Image Processor.

3D printed model of the Shanghai Tower by Gensler.

Applications for the gaming and entertainment industries, including a motion capture suit, used in movies like Avatar.

The Pi Cycle, by Pi Mobility, an electric bike that Cristiano couldn't resist trying! Software used: Inventor, 3ds Max, Showcase

More fun with a car driving simulator, taking Cristiano to a virtual Golden Gate Bridge.

At the end of the visit, we saw a 3D printer and some samples created with it.

From entire action figures printed all at once, to actual usable tools, 3D printing is an exciting new technology.

As a parting gift, we sat at the photo station to get our "3D" photo taken.

Here's Cristiano's photo in Autodesk 123D Catch, ready to be 3D printed!

If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, take some time to visit the Autodesk Gallery. There's a guided tour every day at 12:30 pm, to hear more about each project.