Capture the world in 3D using your Camera using 123D Catch on your desktop, web or iPad!

Autodesk 123D Catch is a technology where you take photos with your digital camera and then using cloud computing it constructs a textured 3D mesh model. There are three new flavors of this delicious 3D treat - one for the Windows desktop, one for the Apple iPad, and one web hosted version you run in a browser.

The desktop version of Autodesk 123D Catch contains some changes from the previous version such as a new My Corner where your projects are stored and the Gallery feature where you can share and explore other peoples creations.

There is now a mobile version for the iPad version named 123D Catch Mobile and available free in the Apple App store (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/123d-catch/id513913018?mt=8). Autodesk 123D Catch Mobile currently supports the iPad 2 & 3 as they both have a camera. You launch 123D Catch Mobile and then simply tap the screen to take a picture in series around the object you wish to capture. It takes only about 20-30 photos for most objects and then uploads those to the server to process.

Here is a photo of me on 123D Catch Mobile on my iPad 3 capturing some 3D textured models of ancient rock art sites in Southern Utah. I climbed up the rock wall like a mountain goat holding an iPad and stood precariously on the ledge to capture the petroglyphs.

Capturing a 3D model of a special decorated VW bug.

One of my favorite features of 123D Catch Mobile besides it being on my mobile device is that once your 3D models are created you can use the built in iPad gyro combined with your fingers pinching to orbit and view the object.

For more complex and higher resolution model captures I would suggest using a standard digital camera and the desktop version of 123D Catch but having a mobile version of 123D Catch is very convenient and fun.

There is now a web hosted version of 123D Catch so that almost anyone that can get on the web can use 123D Catch. This is really useful for those on a Mac as there is no current Mac native version of 123D Catch. The web hosted version of 123D Catch requires that you use the Google Chrome browser or the Chrome extension for IE. http://apps.beta.123dapp.com/catch/

You can also take the 3D models you create and use them in animations in 3ds max or Maya or other 3D software, make a 3D print on a MakerBot or even send them to Autodesk 123D Make (also free) and create a pattern to build a real object from cardboard, acrylic or plywood. Yes imagine your own head as a 6 foot tall cardboard sculpture.
 

See my post today on 123D Make  http://bit.ly/KLSCxU 

Spread the word and capture the world around you!

Happy Capturing!
Shaan

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