Autodesk PipeDreams - Integrate Electronics into 3D Prints Easily

[Brian_Krassenstein]

Have you ever wanted to easily create 3D prints which you could then place electronics into easily? Well, Autodesk is working on a software called PipeDreams which could make this pipe dream a reality. The software easily allows the user to integrate tubes within 3D prints for various electronics, conductive inks, wires, sensors and lights. Although the software is still a research project, it is certainly something that interested me. More details on Pipedreams can be found here: http://3dprint.com/17845/autodesk-pipedream/

What would you make with Pipedreams? Will this software be available soon? Below are some examples of what can be 3d printed:

[Geoff]

This would be handy to be done automatically, currently it's a matter of manually doing it all for me, and while it's not really a hard thing to do, once it's printed unless you got your conduits right, it's back for another print. I am working on a TRON light cycle night light which has about 50 LEDS's in it, it's based off this thingiverse model I did for dual extrusion.

The biggest pain is pre-placing all the LED holes in the right places, making the clear filament make light travel up the bends towards the places it needs to go, plus all the wiring...


If you use the thingview on the first STL in this, you will see all internal modelling that doesnt even get seen, it takes ages.. if there was a program to make that simple I'd buy it.
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:410395