Between the Lines

Using Generative Design to Design a Bike Stem

There is an article published by SolidSmack explaining Autodesk’s Generative Design technology named Dreamcatcher developed by Autodesk Research. The article discusses Autodesk Pier 9 Artist in Residence Che-Wei Wang using Dreamcatcher to design an optimized 3D printed metal bike stem. In Dreamcatcher the user is not just a modeler or CAD designer but sets the design constraints such as initial geometry, loads, and material properties and then the designer selects the best output design from a series of results that... Read more →

What is Generative Design

I was surprised when the computer using Autodesk’s generative design technology Dreamcatcher mimicked nature’s optimal designs. When we were researching the next evolution in design, we found that computers could iterate design options for strength, material usage, and cost for an engineer and designer faster than the the engineer or designer alone. We ran a design on a quad rotor UAV and generative design software returned what was almost identical in form to that of a flying squirrel. To me... Read more →

Autodesk Forge Developer Conference Keynote

If you were unable to attend the Autodesk Forge Conference this week, you can still watch the keynote on YouTube. Forge is powerful set of cloud services, APIs, and resources for developers to quickly create the data-centric apps, experiences, and services that power the future of making things. Read more →