Autodesk will release its own 3D printer, as well as a software platform.
Autodesk has unveiled its own 3D printer, as well as a software platform called Spark that it hopes will be the Android of 3D printing. Autodesk is well known for its 3D-design software, but is now expanding into printing. But rather than simply release it's own hardware, both the "Spark" software platform and the printer will be open designs for anyone to use.
CEO Carl Bass told the BBC the aim is for Spark to be an "operating system" for 3D printing, in the hopes that other manufacturers will use it the way Android is used across smartphones. He compared the Autodesk printer to the first Google Nexus phone, saying his firm was trying to "kickstart" the market.
"Spark will be open and freely licensable to hardware manufacturers and others who are interested," said Bass in a blog post. "Same for our 3D printer – the design of the printer will be made publicly available to allow for further development and experimentation."
The Autodesk printer uses a different technique than most on the market. Rather than use an extruder - melting plastic and spraying it via a nozzle to create the desired shape - it will use stereolithography, which uses lasers to harden layers of plastic resin.
That means the Autodesk printer can make more complicated items, and also lets it use a wider range of materials, whereas most 3D printers are limited to a single type of plastic. "The printer will be able to use a broad range of materials, made by us and by others, and we look forward to lots of exploration into new materials," Bass added.
Bass said Autodesk was working with hardware makers to "integrate the Spark platform with current and future 3D printers", but didn't name any companies.
The Spark platform and the 3D printer will be both be available later this year, but Autodesk didn't reveal specific dates or pricing.
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Steam's new streaming service lets users beam games from one device to another in the home.
Steam has released its in-home streaming feature, allowing users to beam games running on one PC to other computers on the same network. The service, which was previously in beta, means that gamers can have a 3D game running on a high-end PC in a back bedroom, and stream it to a relatively low-powered laptop in the lounge, for example.
Autodesk has ported FBX Review, its free tool for reviewing 3D assets, to Macs and iOS devices. The new versions preserve the features of the original Windows release, and add a few new ones for good measure. Fast, lightweight asset previews on the moveOriginally released last year, FBX Review imports data in standard 3D file formats, including FBX, 3DS, OBJ and Collada; and common mocap data formats.
As fits a games-focused tool, assets can be viewed in a DirectX 11-based viewport, complete with dynamic tessellation, image-based lighting and all the standard texture maps; and animation playback is supported. Navigation follows similar conventions to Maya, but the UI has been specifically designed for use with touchscreen controls.
Support for ZIP files and geometry cache data.
Features new to this release - as well as the Mac versions, they’re in the new 1.2 release for Windows - include support for ZIP files containing separate models and textures, eliminating the need to bake texture data. Users can also now change the focus of the perspective camera by double-tapping or double-clicking. And if you’re working on a desktop machine, you also get support for geometry caches, including both Maya and 3ds Max’s native caches and data in Alembic format.
Available now for free on all platformsBoth the Mac OS X and iOS versions of FBX Review are available as free downloads from Apple’s App Store. You’ll need to be running OS X 10.8 or higher for the desktop version and iOS 7 or higher for the mobile version.
Autodesk’s Wes Adams demonstrates the original version of FBX Review to Windows Phone Central. Autodesk has just released new versions of the free asset-review tool for Mac OS X and iOS devices.
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Microsoft just debuted its Surface Pro 3
Tablet that's a little larger and a lot more robust than most tablets on the market, making it suitable to use as a laptop. The specs are great, said Laura DiDio, principal of ITIC. "They fit with what business users want - a lighter, more agile and more powerful mobile device. With a screen size of 12 inches diagonally, instead of the 10.6 inches of previous models. It is also thinner, at 0.36 inches, and weighs a mere two pounds.
The Surface Pro 3 will sport such business-essential software as Photoshop, which has been adapted to be compatible with the device's hardware.Its chief selling point, though, is the Surface Pro 3's ability to serve as both a laptop and a tablet, Microsoft said. Users can write on it with a pen like they would with an old-school pad and pen; they can secure it on their laps to work while en route to a meeting; or they can use it as they would a laptop.
To that end, Microsoft made a number of tweaks, including upgrading the kickstand so it can accommodate a range of angles, all the way back to 150 degrees. Earlier iterations only offered the user two different slants. It is also offering an updated cover that is thinner to protect the screen. Finally, the keyboard has an improved trackpad. For business users, these tweaks could add up to a potent argument to make the shift to a Surface Pro.
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Microsoft Surface Pro 3
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The new kickstand means it can be better incorporated into an office setting, he added.
Pricing for the Surface Pro 3 line, which will include five models, begins at US$799. The entry-level version will have 64 GB of storage, 4 GB of RAM and an Intel Core i3 processor. The top model will market for $1,949 and come with 512 GB of storage, an Intel Core i7 processor and 8 GB of RAM. The specs are great, Laura DiDio, principal of ITIC, told TechNewsWorld. "They fit with what business users want -- a lighter, more agile and more powerful mobile device." That said, it is by no means certain that the Surface Pro 3 will be any more popular than its older siblings have been.
The first Surface was introduced with a splash in 2012, but it went on to post lackluster sales. The second model came out last October and received an equally tepid market reception. Microsoft made much of the Surface Pro 3's ability to go head to head with the MacBook Air during the demo, but that might have been a waste of time, DiDio suggested. "Microsoft just doesn't have the same cachet as Apple." Microsoft has gotten something of a bad rap for its hardware, and in the case of the Surface, it isn't deserved, Charles King, principal analyst with Pund-IT, told TechNewsWorld. "Obviously, the Surface has not performed as well as Microsoft had hoped it would," he said.
Microsoft is taking something of a risk with this design, King added. "Not everyone thinks bigger is better for a tablet," he noted. On the other hand, "maybe the market does need a new approach or style," King said. Is the Surface Pro 3 different enough from other products to make a difference? "You can argue form factor differences and so on, but a two-pound, 12-inch Surface Pro looks a lot like many Ultrabooks out there," King said.
"Boldness comes at a price," he noted, "and with this device, Microsoft is now a direct competitor with many of its PC OEM partners."
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Calling it "the most remarkable confrontation ever to take place inside a computer game," EVE Online developer CCP Games has released a new video recalling the battle at B-R5RB. Developer hyperbole aside, the January conflagration—which began with a missed bill payment—does shine a light on the story-generating possibilities of an MMO long known for its undeniable complexity.
"The battle of B-R5RB raged for over 20 hours, involved tens of thousands of players, and witnessed the destruction of over 3,000 ships, including 75 Titans," reports CCP in the video below. "One third of all Titans ever lost in the 10-year history of EVE: Online."
As is often true with most skirmishes and conflicts, there are usually two sides to every story. Perspective and context with regard to these kinds of massive battles is just what I hope to see surface in the upcoming history book of EVE being produced by Andrew Groen. Perhaps there's a quirky story or two about that day that hasn't been told yet. You can hear Groen talk with a pair of veteran EVE alliance and fleet leaders in a recent episode of the Three Moves Ahead strategy gaming podcast.
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