Autodesk Inventor Software Used to Design First 3D Printed Car

Last Updated on Thursday, 9 December 2010 11:03 Written by DCD Admin Thursday, 9 December 2010 09:15

Autodesk has announced that KOR EcoLogic used Autodesk??s software solution for Digital Prototyping to design the first prototype car with a body created using a 3D printer. The KOR EcoLogic Urbee car gets up to 200 miles per gallon (MPG) and uses a hybrid electric/gasoline engine.

??KOR EcoLogic is a great example of the combined power of Digital Prototyping and sustainable design.??

The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program ? which provides design and engineering software for emerging clean tech companies in North America and Europe ? enabled KOR EcoLogic to design and test the Urbee using Autodesk tools, including Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Showcase, and Autodesk Alias Design software.

??The Urbee was designed from the ground up to be as efficient as possible, and to run on renewable energy,?? said Jim Kor, president and chief technology officer of KOR EcoLogic. ??From concept through rendering, Autodesk software helped us not only build an efficient and sustainable car, but also communicate our designs to a broader audience, including potential investors.??

Using Autodesk partner Stratasys?? digital manufacturing service, Urbee is the first car to have its entire body 3D printed with an additive process.

Sustainability Central to Urbee??s Design

The KOR EcoLogic team began by developing a set of core principles and pinning them to their workshop wall. Among them, the Urbee was designed to use minimal energy and produce less pollution during its design, manufacturing, operation and recycling stages, while remaining affordable and visually appealing.

The Urbee can be charged through a standard home outlet, or through a home solar array, windmill or conventional energy source, running on as little as 1 cent of energy per mile travelled.

??Startup clean tech companies need technology enabling them to create professional, fully realized and tested designs, while benefiting from visually stunning imagery of their products,?? said Robert ??Buzz?? Kross, senior vice president, Autodesk Manufacturing Industry Group. ??KOR EcoLogic is a great example of the combined power of Digital Prototyping and sustainable design.??

The Urbee team used Autodesk Inventor software to design a 3D digital prototype of the car??s body and subject it to simulated road and wind conditions, test different body designs to minimize drag and reduce overall weight by eliminating excess parts. More than 80 percent of a product??s environmental impact can be determined during the design phase, making Inventor a critical component in establishing the Urbee??s high level of environmental responsibility. KOR EcoLogic used Autodesk Showcase 3D visualization software to create photorealistic renderings of the Urbee for marketing to potential investors, partners and the general public.

The Urbee was a contender for the 2010 Automotive X Prize, which challenges teams to design, build and race super-efficient, low-emission vehicles that can be manufactured for the mass market.

Wacom Release Wireless Intuos4

Last Updated on Thursday, 9 December 2010 11:02 Written by DCD Admin Monday, 15 February 2010 09:02

Industry Leading Tablet Range Expanded with Bluetooth Offering

Wacom have recently announced the new Intuos4 Wireless graphics tablet. The Intuos4 Wireless builds on the already enormously successful tablet range and offers professional users, without the budget for a Cintiq 12WX or 21 UX, an extra step up in high quality design interfacing.

What Wacom say:

“The ideal pen tablet for on-the-go professional creators of digital content.

“Wacom today announces the Intuos4 Wireless professional pen tablet, a highly-anticipated product featuring Bluetooth wireless technology. The new Intuos4 Wireless is aimed at digital content creators such as photographers, designers and artists who seek the freedom of wireless technology as well as the control and comfort benefits inherent in Wacom??s professional range of pen tablets. The liberating experience of being able to move about the room and work “unattached” from a computer also makes the Intuos4 Wireless an excellent tool for use at a collaborative work session. In addition, the medium-sized Intuos4 Wireless fits easily into most computer laptop bags, offering an ideal input solution for mobile creative professionals.

“By combining the successful Intuos4 pen tablet design with Bluetooth wireless technology Wacom is able to provide users with the flexibility and freedom to work in the most comfortable way for drawing, editing, painting, retouching or general computer work. The Intuos4 Wireless meets the intuitive nature and overall experience offered by the Intuos4 brand.”

The?Wacom Intuos4 Wireless is available from?Refuelled.com

Autodesk Consulting and BOXX Technologies Deliver First Turn-Key Rendering Solution

Last Updated on Thursday, 9 December 2010 09:02 Written by DCD Admin Tuesday, 9 February 2010 09:01

Solution Provides Small to Mid-Size Visual Effects Companies with Configurable and Scalable Solution to Meet Rendering Needs BOXX Technologies, an innovator in high-performance computing systems for visual effects, post-production, graphic design and advanced visualization, together with Autodesk, Inc., a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software, today announced the introduction of RenderFarm on Wheels (ROW), the world??s first turn-key dedicated rendering system. In developing ROW, BOXX engineers worked closely with Autodesk Consulting, an embedded services division helping customers address business problems and optimize operations.

??We have a global team with expertise in a broad range of industries??

??We have a global team with expertise in a broad range of industries,?? said Doron Helfman, director of Worldwide Manufacturing Consulting at Autodesk. ??We are keenly aware of the rendering issues businesses are facing. ROW helps to resolve many of those issues, requiring no IT department and arriving with unparalleled software and hardware support from Autodesk Consulting and BOXX.??

A complete, turn-key rendering solution, ROW is founded on a unique combination of hardware, software and support. The base model ROW hardware configuration features five Intel??? Xeon???-based renderBOXX modules, neatly fitted into a 24-unit mobile rack, complete with master node, storage, network switch, display and keyboard. BOXX also equips ROW with professional applications, including Autodesk??? creation software (Autodesk??? Maya??? and/or Autodesk??? 3ds Max??? software), real-time visualization capability (Autodesk??? Showcase??? or Autodesk??? Opticore??? Studio software), queuing software with PipelineFX QUBE!???, and rendering through mental ray??? or V-Ray??? software.

??RenderFarm on Wheels is an innovative combination of up to 60 Intel Xeon processor 5500 series machines, together with rendering animation software and support services,?? said Anthony Neal-Graves, general manager, Workstation Group, Intel Corporation. ??The bundle delivers a new way to gain quick and easy access to dedicated visualization and rendering solutions, while enabling users to accelerate their creation of 3D models, animations, renderings and compositions for the most demanding game, film and television projects.??

The third pillar of ROW rendering is the BOXX partnership with Autodesk Consulting. The relationship provides expert, on-site hardware and software support, especially valuable for those with limited experience using dedicated rendering solutions. The highly configurable ROW can be customized to meet current rendering needs, while remaining flexible for expansion as workflow increases.

??Most small to medium-size businesses have limited IT resources, if they have any at all,?? said Shoaib Mohammad, director of marketing and business development at BOXX. ??ROW provides them with the ultimate solution, requiring only Ethernet and power, with full support by Autodesk Consulting and BOXX.?