In CAD

GrabCAD Workbench Launches. CAD File Viewing & Versioning For Engineers and Design Teams.

2 Mins Read

Two weeks ago, GrabCAD launched Workbench. It’s not the worn countertop in your Grandpa’s garage. Rather, it lives on the internet surrounded by the warmth of Amazon’s S3 secure server architecture. More specifically, Workbench is the revamped version of GrabCAD’s project collaboration platform that adds a new interface, viewing of all major CAD file formats, secure sharing of files, versioning, revision control and, low and behold, a pricing model. Yes, GrabCAD has forayed into the world of freemium business models with three tiers of pricing – Professional, Team and Enterprise. Team and Enterprise details and pricing are yet to come, but the free Professional level (currently in closed beta) allows unlimited projects, unlimited collaborators, unlimited storage and mobile access. Are your collaboration woes solved?

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In FAB

Matterform's Photon 3D Scanner is a Point Cloud of Beauty

3 Mins Read

What would you do if you love lasers, 3d modeling and had an obsessive-compulsive knack for software development and uber-functional design? You would design and launch a 3D scanner that made all other 3D scanners look like shop-class throwbacks. We like the cost of DIY scanners and the resolution and scan area of some high-end scanners, but for quick, desktop, on-the-fly scanning of everyday objects, we’re simply in love with the Photon 3D Scanner from Matterform. As you may know, their Indiegogo campaign is nearing the final days and, having blown past the $81k goal, they’re prepping to provide 1,100+ backers a stylish new gadget for their desktop scanning needs.

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In 3D CAD TECH

The Massive, Six-legged Hexapod Robot You Can Ride

3 Mins Read

I know a lot of people who would let out a blood-curdling scream if you told them a ‘Mantis’ was on their shoulder. Especially, if their shoulder was being pinned down by this massive beast. The Mantis Robot is the creation of designer Matt Denton. It’s no ordinary robot and he’s no ordinary designer. Matt runs Micromagic Systems, an animatronics studio in Winchester, Hampshire UK. If the Artisan’s Asylum made an impact with Project Hexapod, Matt just increased the cool factor 10 fold and added the possibility of hexapod combat.

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In FAB

BotObjects Announce World's First Full-Color 3D Printer… for the Desktop

6 Mins Read

There’s so much news coming out on 3D Printing this year, it’s becoming difficult to both cover it all and separate out the wheat from the chaff. With printers being announced every other week, new materials and reports of acquisitions, it’s no surprise that 3D printing is getting the coverage it has. Throughout all of these, there are a few truly innovative products that stand out–Inspired by all who have come before, but innovative nonetheless. The 3Doodler is one exciting new product launched this year. Another is the ProDesk3D from botObjects. They announced the product today and, though we have yet to see a working version, if it works it will change 3D printing forever. Why? It’s a full-color desktop 3D printer that prints using 5-colors of un-adulterated PLA filament. We talked with co-founders Mike Duma (CTO) and Martin Warner (CEO) to find out more about how this machine will work and when it will be available.

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In REVIEWS

HP Z1 All-In-One Workstation [Review]

9 Mins Read

Do you ever imagine a day where you won’t have a computer tower tucked up under your desk? Cords wadded in the corner next to a year-old corn chip/skittle/dust bunny mass that escaped the reach of the occasional vacuum cleaning. Granted, the box creates a cozy, warm home for your feet during a cold winter, but if all the workstation you needed was packed into a container the size of a 30″ screen atop your desk, would you be ok with that? The HP Z1 is such a machine, released a year ago this month by HP. We take a look at the footprint, the functionality and see if it packs the punch of a typical workstation tower setup.

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