I was talking with my contacts at Autodesk and they brought
up 2 new products that hit the Autodesk Labs recently. They are Project Shapeshifter http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/shapeshifter
and Project Miller http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/miller.
Project Shapeshifter: “Project Shapeshifter is a
free technology preview by Autodesk. It provides an easy way to create complex
3D Printable models in your web browser. With a simple tweak of sliders, you
can control the object's shape and select a 3D pattern that wraps around it.”
Project Miller: “Project
Miller is a free* technology preview developed to improve results with 3D
printing. Is my model geometry printable? What changes can be made to improve
it? What will the printed part look like? Like the ultimate Print Preview,
Miller enables you to inspect your model, visualize how it will print, and
identify problems in advance.”
They are only on the labs for a little while so get them
while you can to try out. Let me know
your thoughts.