On the ankle-veins of Autodesk announcing they are shuttering T-Splines, they’ve also announced that they’re bringing the family of 123D Apps to the end. Here’s what we know.
The 123D apps are being consolidated into other Autodesk products and 123Dapp.com is being shutdown. Outside of specifying “early 2017” and “access and download your content from 123Dapp.com in the coming months”, there’s no definite date for when the apps, site or your data will disappear forever.
From the 123D blog:
We are making some changes to simplify our Autodesk portfolio and workflows for people everywhere who love to make things. We are consolidating these tools and features into key apps such as Tinkercad, Fusion 360, and ReMake.
Today, we are sharing the news that in early 2017, after we complete this consolidation, we’ll be shutting down 123Dapp.com and turning off many of the apps to new download.
It’s not too clear what is happening with each of the 123D Apps, but there’s hope that many of them will be added to Fusion 360, especially with Fusion 360 coming to the browser next year.
Regarding 123D Make, Scott Moyse says, “it should be in Fusion 360 for sure! It will be a missed opportunity if it isn’t put into Fusion… it should be in Inventor as well!”
Regarding Circuits, Yuriy Sklyar with Autodesk says, “It’ll still be alive and will eventually be a part of Tinkercad”, and regarding 123D Catch, that it will belong to ReMake, and regarding 123D Make, that “It’s going into Fusion.”
Alternative to Autodesk 123D
While we have a general idea about where the features and capabilities will end up, it may very well be worth becoming more familiar with where they may end up. Here are the three apps to look into:
Tinkercad – A free, (Chrome) browser-based 3D design and modeling tool. Currently in beta.
Fusion 360 – All-in-one platform for solid and free-form modeling, analysis and more – Free for startups, hobbyists, enthusiasts and educators. $300/yr Standard, $1500/yr Professional.
ReMake – formerly known as Autodesk Memento, this is an end-to-end solution for converting reality captured with photos or scans into high-definition 3D meshes. – Free for students and educators. $30/mth or $300/yr.
