Yes, I am young so that’s probably helpful for learning how to use
the program so quickly.
James White, appreciate your concern about commercial use of
Autodesk 123D but actually one can use it to create something and
sell it if they want to. It works like this. If you have the free
account, anything you create is shared and published in their data
base to encourage others to pay for 3d printing. You can still use
your item for selling as spelled out in their rules. Yes, when I said
"personal project", I really meant it. As in I am wanting to create a
anchor chain for myself out of Argentium. Everything I make on there
will only be printed through Shapeways which I think has a
relationship with Autodesk. But if you upgrade to premium account,
then everything you create is not published and is yours alone.
Here is the wording: "Any 3D model that you create with our 123D
applications and share to our 123D Gallery CAN be used for
commercial purposes, regardless of whether you upgrade to our 123D
Premium membership.
The reason is that we want to encourage and reward users who share
their work with the larger 123D community."
This is the most brilliant idea I’ve ever heard of when it comes to
commercial VS non commercial use of a product. It encourages more
people to print 3d items and in they end they make more money and no
one is bothering to sue each other. I guess lawyers will hate this
idea.
But like you said, the quality of the printed design may be better
if you purchase a more serious program like Blender or Maya to create
3d models.
So very serious jewelers would be encouraged to purchase software
like that because when they print those items they will need less
cleanup perhaps after printing in the high resolution resin.
But for small time guys like me, it’s simpler to just use any 3d
modeler, then use Shapeways to print the item in polished bronze for
a metal master for only 20 dollars… then do any final
sanding/polishing before making a mold.