New Free Fusion 360 Subscription Types

Autodesk recently announced their Fusion 360 Hobbyist/Startup subscription has been replaced with Fusion 360 for personal use and Fusion 360 for startups . While both new subscriptions remain free, the details for eligibility and qualification have been clarified and should be encouraging to any who might be looking to tap into a this well-established yet burgeoning product.

Of course, eligibility for Fusion 360 for personal use includes any individuals doing home-based non-commercial manufacturing and fabrication, but eligibility might be especially interesting to those who engage in a “Hobby Business”. The qualification details state if you are generating less than $1,000 USD in annual revenue, then you are exempt from the non-commercial requirement. In other words, if you are making less than $1,000 USD a year in your hobby business, then you are eligible to use Fusion 360 for personal use. And if your public-facing web content generates more than $1,000 USD in annual revenue, then Autodesk would love to explore partnership opportunities with you.

Eligibility for Fusion 360 for startups is a bit more predictable, but again with greater clarity of definition. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees, and generating (including parent entities) less than $100,000 UDS in total annual revenue are the basics for eligibility. However it also requires your business to have venture-backed, angel-backed, or bootstrap startup status.

In the six years since its release in November 2012, these interesting adjustments to the Fusion 360 business model foster genuine opportunities for many more to use the product. Both the Fusion 360 for personal use and Fusion 360 for startups are available for a 1-year term, and approval is required for renewal. Also, with the Fusion 360 commercial subscription at $495 / year still being a very reasonable option, the other major CAD platforms should be taking notice.

3D CAD models... from NASA

Having a resource for accurate ready-built CAD models certainly saves time. From hardware fasteners to specific product designs, more and more suppliers are providing 3D models of their products either directly from their sites, or through community contribution sites that host supplier-certified models.

Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) concept
courtesy of NASA

So it should be no surprise that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is doing the same by providing 3D CAD models of the many technological marvels that have traveled the sky and beyond.

Currently the NASA 3D Resources site is hosting over 300 models that range from A (AcrimSAT) to Z (Z2 Spacesuit), and include the full array of manned, unmanned and satellite programs. Files are primarily available in obj format, and they are in the process of converting models to stl format for 3D printing.

Therefore, whether your interest is driven by design, curiosity or nostalgia, NASA 3D models are certainly an intriguing resource to living history.

Onshape... opens its doors with a CAD pre-production offering

Onshape Incorporated  has just opened its doors, albeit slightly with a fresh and updated website providing a glimpse into this new company and the excitement they are bringing to the CAD community. With a welcoming and transparent view of the team and credentials, the company includes a robust mix of industry veterans in the fields of engineering, marketing, sales & support, user experience & product definition, along with a variety of interns getting in on the ground floor of something substantial.

Among the early surprises is the offering to be considered for an early access pre-production version of Onshape. The criteria to be considered includes a willingness to share details of your real design project, keep all information about Onshape confidential, and that you don't work directly or indirectly for a CAD vendor or reseller. If interested, you may want to hurry since the offering will be limited to a select number of design teams.

For what you might be giving up in this pre-production arrangement, you gain by receiving free early product access, technical support, the opportunity to steer the development of Onshape, and recognition / credits towards the production release.

No doubt the CAD community at large is eager to see and hear more about this new product, as the original pioneers of SolidWorks develop Onshape further, for as they say... "the world has changed."

[The post "Onshape... opens its doors with a CAD pre-production offering" appeared first on CAD Graphics BlogWorks]

HomeByMe... imagine, design, and share 3D housing projects

As a CAD service provider, it's always exciting to learn of new products that can extend one's repertoire of 3D services.  Especially when the new products announced are part of the ever expanding 3D Experience platform of Dassault Systemes. Among the new DS product offerings announced during Monday's General Session at SolidWorks World 2014 in San Diego, California USA, HomeByMe merits attention and is now available to users in a beta release.

HomeByMe is an online 3D space planning service to imagine, design, and share housing projects. With HomeByMe, you can create an entire home in 3D and experiment with thousands of products and textures before sharing your project.

Powered by 3DVIA, it's easy to sketch a home. With a simple yet effective interface, external and internal walls can be placed and arranged, along with doors, windows, additional floors, and stairs. Essentially, everything you might need to transform a vision into a 3D reality.

As SolidWorks users know well, we are accustomed to the many facets of mechanical design projects. But to keep things fresh, it can be rewarding to take on the occasional 3D modeling project of a home, deck, or other entity, be it personal or for business. Yes, HomeByMe is certainly a convenient means to develop a 3D home design, furnish it, decorate it, and render it. All in the comfort of the 3D Experience platform!