Windows 10 and Microsoft HoloLens get a shot of 3D goodness from Autodesk

Autodesk today announced they will be collaborating with Microsoft to bring their Spark 3D printing platform to Windows 10, along with the ability to render 3D objects created in Autodesk software directly within Microsoft HoloLens.

If the demos showcased in Microsoft’s recent Build developer conference were anything to go by, their HoloLens wearable mixed reality system will add an altogether new dimension to human-computer interaction. With Autodesk getting into the game, development in this area should get seriously accelerated.

Microsoft is clearly serious about 3D, and Autodesk getting into the game with their announcement of embedding their Spark 3D printing software platform in Windows 10. The aim is to simplify the process of creating and printing objects on 3D printers from Windows 10. Up until now, the process of 3D printing has been less than seamless, with no specific standards being defined in the area across devices, software and platforms. Autodesk will be making their Spark API available for free to the Microsoft developer community. They are also joining Microsoft as founding members of a 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF) Consortium that is aiming to create and support a standardized 3D interchange and printing format.

Steve Guggenheimer Corporate Vice President of Developer Platform & Evangelism and Chief Evangelist for Microsoft

By providing the 3D printing building blocks found in the Spark platform and optimizing it for Windows 10, Autodesk has empowered our global developer community to confidently enter this new world of additive manufacturing.

Autodesk is also working with Microsoft to be able to import 3D models from their modeling software directly into the virtual reality environment of HoloLens. These models, built using Software such as Autodesk Maya and Fusion 360 can viewed directly within the HoloLens mixed reality environment. Being able to study models in this immersive interface should facilitate unprecedented access to the 3D modeling pipeline, reducing creation time in fields like game development, architecture, molecular biology and the like.

Samir Hanna Vice president and General Manager, Consumer and 3D Printing, Autodesk

3D printing is incredibly promising, but also still too complex and unreliable. This relationship is a key step in making 3D printing easier and more accessible to businesses and individuals alike.