Creation Engine: Autodesk Wants to Help Anyone, Anywhere, Make Anything

Under Bass’ leadership, Autodesk has become the most prominent tech company so far to commit to a vision of the future in which makers–basement hobbyists, bootstrapped startups, boutique manufacturers–aren’t just a cultural force but a profit center too.

Call it the Big Make: the pivot point when the maker movement, served for years by homely startups and open source projects, has grown large enough to catch the attention of serious and publicly traded players. "Some people see it as a niche market," Bass says. "They claim that it can’t possibly scale. But this is a trend, not a fad–something seismic is going on."

By Bob Parks

Full Story: http://www.wired.com/business/2012/09/ff-autodesk-and-the-big-make/

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Formlabs Creates a Low-Cost, Light-Based 3-D Printer

Desktop 3-D printing has largely been the domain of extrusion-based machines like MakerBot’s Replicator and homebrew RepRap designs. While this process’s print size, speed and quality have improved over time, it still lags behind the capabilities of pricier, professional stereolithography devices, where UV light cures incredibly thin layers of resin to create objects on par with manufactured goods.

By Joseph Flaherty

Full Story: http://www.wired.com/design/2012/09/formlabs-creates-a-low-cost-light-based-3-d-printer/