123D Catch, by Autodesk, allows you to use 2D photographs, taken at various angles, to create a 3D model that you can edit, export, and 3D print. This process is called photogrammetry. There are 3 different versions of 123D Catch, all of them are free.

123D is Autodesk’s collection of entry-level 3D apps. From web-based design apps to tablet-based digital sculpting. 123D Catch is the capturing member of the family and is available for iOS, Android and Windows.

123D Catch Online

The online version allows you to upload 20 to 40 photos. Then the images are processed and automatically turned into a 3D model in the cloud. Once finished, you can orbit, pan and zoom your model with the view tools. You can also prepare your model for fabrication with cleanup and healing tools. Then export an STL or OBJ file for 3D printing.

123D Catch Mobile App

Autodesk 123D Catch is a remarkable piece of software that allows you to stitch together a number of photos in order to create an explorable 3D model. Autodesk 123D Catch uses images taken at. 123D is Autodesk’s collection of entry-level 3D apps. From web-based design apps to tablet-based digital sculpting. 123D Catch is the capturing member of the family. Trusted Mac download 123D Design 2.2.1. Virus-free and 100% clean download. Get 123D Design alternative downloads. 123D Catch, by Autodesk, allows you to use 2D photographs, taken at various angles, to create a 3D model that you can edit, export, and 3D print. This process is called photogrammetry. There are 3 different versions of 123D Catch, all of them are free. 123D Catch Online.

The 123D Catch mobile app for your iPhone or iPad is similar to the online version. The big difference is you can use your mobile device to take the pictures and manipulate your 3D model. After taking the pictures of your subject, you upload the images to the Autodesk servers where they are processed and turned into a 3D model. This process generally takes a few minutes. Autodesk then returns the 3D model to your mobile device where it can be viewed, cleaned up and stored. You can also 3D print models taken with your mobile device.

123D Catch for your PC

123d Catch For Mac

123D Catch also comes as a download for your PC. The download isn't available for Mac at this time. The desktop program is more robust than the other two versions and offers more features. With this software, you can create animations, use the 3D print feature to optimize your models for 3D printing, and more.

All of the 123D Catch applications are available at https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/123d-apps. You will be required to set up a username and password with Autodesk in order to fully use 123D Catch, regardless of what version you choose. When you sign in with Autodesk, you will also have access to and be able to participate in the Autodesk community.

As a member of the community, you can share files with other members and view and download their creations.

Once you export a file from 123D Catch, you can import the model into one of Autodesks' other applications including 123D Design and 123D Make where you can edit and make changes to the object.

123D Catch is one of the easiest ways to create a 3D model from a real object. And you don't need experience in CAD to prepare the model for 3D printing.

To learn more about the latest in 3D Printing, check out our 3D printing.

So how to support all the possible client computing devices? The solution for web-based cloud computing applications is naturally to have a web-based client. While waiting for a Mac release, Autodesk brought out a version that runs from your browser. With no Mac version in sight, this is the option for me.

Testing the Web version of 123D Catch :

To take it for a spin, I choose photos from a motorbike while travelling in Thailand. Just a set of 32 photos - each is about 3200x2400 pixels and 2.5 mb in size. I was hoping that the dusty old Honda Wave wouldn't have too many reflections which are hard for photo-geometric applications like 123D Catch to handle. In other words, an old, rusty and dusty motorbike might 'catch' more easily than a shiny new motorbike.

The first step : go to 123D Catch and log in. After that, select the web-based version. Here a start screen appears with the basic options. I start a new project and chose add images.

Yes, it is easy - I just select the pictures from my finder window and drag them to the 123D Catch dialog in Chrome. The web-app generates thumbnails for me to see which pictures have been loaded and lets me add more pictures. When all the pictures have been added, I select 'finish' and Catch starts to upload and process my photos. I just go back to work on my computer while I'm waiting.

I did close the browser window while the first photo upload was running. Since it had not finished, I had not saved the project. It wasn't possible to go back to the upload, so I just restarted a new project and a new upload. Then back to work on something else.

When uploading photos, Catch gives you a status bar for feedback. When on a reasonable internet network, this works as expected. Working on a slow internet connection at first, I noticed two problems. The less important problem was that the status bar didn't really provide useful feedback.

The more important problem was that I could not finish the upload of the photos. I tested on 2 connections. One internet connection was via 3G and not the fastest connection either. The other was an ADSL connection, but with slow performance. Both worked fine for email and surfing. I watched as about half of my photos uploaded (monitoring the upload data stream) and then the upload just slowed to almost nothing, and then to nothing at all. It did this repeatedly. I was only able to upload the project when I changed locations and moved on to a large city with a different network.

The upload completed in a short time and Catch gives you a dialog to add information before processing. One section is for naming, tagging, and categorizing your project which is particularly useful if you plan to share the project in the 123D Catch Gallery online. The second option is to define the resolution of the model to generate, low resolution or high resolution. Naturally, the latter takes more time and creates larger models.

Once you send the project for processing, the work is done on the Autodesk servers. You are able to continue with other work on your system such as creating another project. 123D Catch lets you know that your project is processing. You can see this in 'my projects'. When it is complete, then you can open the project, download the model, and continue to work with your 'catch'.

Results

In this motorbike project, I used 32 photos. The results were interesting with the first version, but there were many surfaces which were incomplete. 123D Catch has a plugin application for repairing the surfaces that you can download and install. The plug in is relatively simple to download and to install. The toolbar for the plugin is added to your browser window and it allows you to analyse your model and to do basic repairs on the geometry. What is missing in the web version but available on the PC version is the tool for improving the stitching of the photos. The stitching tool allows you to provide data for photos which increases the correlation between images and allows 123D Catch to create more accurate 3D models from the photos.

The web version plug in allows for analysis of the surfaces and provides some healing tools. It will be interesting to investigate the implementation of these tools. The Honda Wave model needs a lot of fixing on the left side of the motorbike and the stitching tools on the PC version might help in that case. The front tire, for example, has the ground from the other side of the motorbike as part of the front tire - smeared in the same geometry as the spokes. Admittedly difficult to calculate, the stitching tool may have helped remove the problem.

Summary

In the end, my first test used a limited (32) number of photos on a fairly complex object and the results were interesting but of limited use. I would need to add more photos, use higher resolution photos, or perhaps render for a high resolution model. None is possible once you have rendered the model. I will retest with the same photos at higher resolutions and also retest with selecting the high-resolution model-generation option. The web version allows everyone to 'Catch' their photos, but the web version has issues with photo uploading and a limited tool-set.

Issues

• I found one 'catch' in the user interface which was a little troubling.

When returning to 123D Catch later, I wanted to launch a new project. It seemed natural to go to 'my projects' and to find the option for 'create a new model' in whichever manner Autodesk would propose that. But that option is no where to be found. I looked and searched through all the options within my projects. Then I loaded the Honda project to check the options. After loading the project, the 123D Catch menu (in the upper left corner) pulls down and proposes a new project. There I click and the familiar new project dialog appears. In the end, it is only on the very first screen after login or on the model screen where you will find the 123D Catch menu for starting a new project. Knowing that Autodesk has the ability and the resources to check usability, I find this oversight in the interface inexcusable.

• Uploading photos is not reliable.

And it is not just that the photo upload fails, it is also the problem that you do not know if Catch is still uploading or if Catch has stopped completely. The interface indicates that the upload is still progressing even though the transfer has stopped. I could verify this by watching the option when reviewing your projects.

Tools : There are analysis and surface healing tools. The stitching tool from the PC version is missing.

123d Catch For Mac

Last year, Stéphane Gantelet provided us with an article on his video 'Go Home View' created with 123D Catch. Stéphane 'caught' an entire apartment in photos and created the video. Read about his experience here on CADplace.