Using the Autodesk 3D Print Utility

You'll need a 3D scene open in 123D Catch with a model that is cleaned and ready for export. Go to File in the menu and select 3D print. Follow the download and install instructions for the utility. Once the initial installation has been completed, the program can be accessed from the menu.

We will proceed as follows:

The A3DP Utility provides an easy solution for preparing a model, as follows:

There are other options available in the utility, but they're not useful unless the model is exported for printing for one of the specified commercial machines, such as the MakerBot Replicator 2 (which is the default setting). These options are as follows:

Even with limited options, the A3DP Utility acts as an efficient tool in preparing models ready for slicing. A convenient feature of this utility is that it also works as a standalone program. Any .obj file, whether it is processed by 123D Catch or a 3D modeling program, can be loaded into the A3DP Utility, and it can be repaired and exported.

When the A3DP Utility processes a model ready for printing, it also automatically decimates the model, that is, it reduces the polygon count of the mesh. This enables more efficient printing, but at the cost of losing detail. Let's compare the original model of the statue after 123D Catch processing and the same model after it was processed with the A3DP Utility.

The original 123D Catch model has a polygon count of 151950, and the model processed with the A3DP Utility has a polygon count of 18670. This is a great difference, and it can be clearly seen in the preceding comparison. This is something to keep in mind when a higher-resolution print is required for finer details.