I’m looking at Taiyaki’s new FishCAD system.
The company previously released an innovative Text to 3D service, which we examined a few weeks ago. The concept of that service was to not only generate a 3D model but also get those designs manufactured through a 3D print service.
Now the company has released an associated service, FishCAD.
It’s a browser-based 3D modelling tool that can include a range of both standard and unusual tools. It includes the basic modelling tools like resizing, rotating, etc. You can import STLs, SVGs, and work with them from within FishCAD.
However, there are some AI features also available in the FishCAD environment.
It’s possible to draw a simple sketch and have it extruded into a component that can be integrated into the model. The resulting extrusion can be tweaked using the regular modeling tools.
The company’s Text to 3D service is also integrated. You can type in a text prompt, and after a short delay, FishCAD produces the 3D model.
But the integration is somewhat limited: the AI-generated model must be downloaded and then imported into the growing model in FishCAD. But it does work, sort of.
I tested this feature by asking for a hat for my imported head sculpture. The generated hat was very high quality, and it was easy to import it.
Objects can be easily moved around, but I found that FishCAD still has a few bugs: resizing imported models sometimes messes up and results in overly small models.
But what about exporting these models? While you can send them to Taiyaki’s manufacturing service, perhaps you want to print them yourself.
For this, you must combine the elements, using their Boolean feature.
However, I found that the boolean features sometimes make a bit of a mess, so there’s some work to do on this front by Taiyaki.
After combining my sculpture, the AI hat, a base cylinder, and some wings, this is what I received. It’s missing some geometry, for sure.
Clearly, Taiyaki has some bugs to work out, but I like where this is going. It’s like having some cool AI tools right in your CAD tool.
Currently, the FishCAD service is being offered free to the public, but it’s likely they will introduce a subscription fee of some sort. They don’t offer a clue as to what that might be.
I believe that when Taiyaki fixes the bugs, this could be a great tool for many people, especially those without a CAD background.
For now, you might want to check out FishCAD.
Via FishCAD
