Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 6, 2012. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
123D Catch is a cloud-based service based on a principle similar to 3D photogrammetry. A series of photos showing the object from all sides is analyzed and converted into a 3D model by means of algorithms. It is not prescribed which camera was used to create the image series, although an SLR camera automatically produces higher quality and makes processing more efficient. Only cropping in image-editing programs should not be carried out.
As the next step, the user downloads the program and uploads the image series to the Autodesk 123D Catch cloud by means of this client. It then performs the conversion and allows saving in common formats such as OBJ or DWG. Alternatively, it can additionally be saved as a video including animation.
Useful tutorials that explain all steps in detail, as well as the download, can be found on the official Autodesk 123D Catch page. The software is available in three ways: on the one hand, the Windows client can be downloaded, the software can be purchased in the App Store, or the web interface can be used directly.
A brief introduction to 123D Catch:
