Autodesk brings integrated electronics with conductive ink printing for FDM

This is really cool. Might need to see about integrating this

 

That's nice, but being on Autodesk's back I don't see this going as far as community projects go.

The major issue in my mind is that Autodesk software is traditionally bulky, and actually has Linux capability that Autodesk only provides to industrial-level consumers (like game studios) and have even neglected to provide links for newer versions (although the old links could be used to find the new ones as they use the same name schemes). Warning: spoilers contain boring supporting rants.

Spoiler

They could quite easily make the Linux version work on non RPM-package-using Linux distros, or at least offer even a non-functional/demo install (that did not work until a serial is entered) that would allow tinkerers to make install scripts that did not chew up one of your license versions at each attempt at an install to fix your script.

They also don't seem too keen on fans/consumers either, at least I've had a bad experience with them on Android. Bottom line of this story is that how they handled their apps on the play store have completely undone all of the admiration I had for them that was built up from them offering free student versions of their software.

Spoiler

So the story here is with Sketchbook. First they made Sketchbook mobile which only worked on phones I bought that. They also made a few iterations of free versions of mobile. Then they made Sketchbook Pro for tablets, I bought that too. Then recently, they made a new free version that worked on both mobile and tablet, with many of the features paid for if you had the previous 2 versions, plus some very basic features ripped out you have to pay like $3.99 as an in-app purchase to get back.

Support claims that the expansion pack pays for them redesigning the UI, making it work on mobile and tablet, and adding a few extra features. They expect past customers to pay a 3rd time for what they already paid for, on the same price as new customers. They won't even give you a discount on the expansion (having bought 2 previous versions) besides for some coupon for a year subscription for the pro features on Android/iOS/browser (when most people only care about Android only with unlimited usage.

So I can continue updating, what's the issue? The versions I own will fall out of service and likely not be compatible with or optimized for newer versions of Android. They also have a very similar paid app, "Sketchbook Ink" which is vector, which would not surprise me if they made a new expansion pack or even completely new paid Sketchbook app that combined raster and vector (or even making the soft strokes vector, or re-interpreted as vector?) in order to get more money out of people, screwing over the people who bought ALL 4 of the previous apps.

Bottom line, Autodesk is not poor and not stupid. I've always thought of them as Adobe but more caring. When they made Sketchbook mobile they *had* to have known that a tablet version would be needed in the future, and should have probably released mobile/tablet versions as one purchase. They also likely made UPWARDS of $2M USD off of the Mobile version alone, so they likely had a huge profit. They likely made hundred (if not thousands) of dollars off of apps per day just on new customers, really a get-rich-quick scenario, I don't really see why they chose this money-grubbing path that they did. Thier PR team HAD to have anticipated that it would not go over well with customers! (If not, they really are quite daft)

Done with the ranting: this is the first I've heard of Autodesk Spark since when it was announced last year. Is it even out? I definitely see this as a failure if Spark does not support Linux (for the "Maker" community) and if Voxel8 does not sell their nozzle system/conductive ink. I'm not going to want to need to buy a completely new 3D printer to need to switch over to Windows just to design/print any of these circuits.

Is the conductive material as good as real solder? I mean, it LOOKS just like it, as if it is some sort of solder epoxy. If this is the case and it is level with making PCBs, my dad (an electrician) will likely be interested if it's cheap enough (<$500).

 

Yup it seems like paste is the best way to do electronics printing.

 

$9K. I see. Yeah, this is going nowhere. Where's this cost coming from? A printer that size should be around $1K, and the solder epoxy itself or the nozzle for it should not be THAT expensive? What's driving the cost up? That has to be to cover R&D (possibly failed ventures in the past, too) no way it costs that in parts.

For $9K only fairly rich people with high interest in designing their own circuits would want to buy it. I'm sure most people are just going to wait for someone else to sell something similar for much cheaper. Possibly a standard groove-mount nozzle as well instead of an entire printer.

 

Patents are expensive and they're trying to recover the cost. Pretty slimey but that's just how things seem to progress (or lack there of)

 

Open source is the only way the human race will progress. Patents create stagnation.

 

Something like 90% of patents are never even used.

 

If their idea to recoup legal fees or R&D by jacking the price of materials+manufacture up by 5 times or more, they almost guarantee they won't get it back. You make more customers and thus more money with a lower price point. Upping the price a bit will make you more money from most of the same buyers, but the further you push it the more you lose, eventually getting to a place where you lose more money from lost sales than you gain from the price hike.

Companies only get away with price jacking if they have a near-monopoly (like Adobe+Autodesk in software) or have a good "brand identity" and a technically-inept group of followers who put style over functionality/cost/maintenance and have a disposable income (Apple, Alienware, Lamborghini, Beats by Dre, etc). A no-name company is not going to be successful at it, especially with this, so they're really setting themselves up to fail IMO.