I have been reviewing a few new tools and services offered now that allow you to extend your investment with 3D engineering tools like Autodesk Inventor.
The first one is a service offered by Protomold (www.protomold.com) that allows you to send them a 3D CAD model and they will create some short run tooling to produce real useable prototype plastic parts. So for years now you have been able to get rapid prototype STL like models created quickly but they have been made out of special material that is not very strong or similar to what you require. From the sounds of it Protomold will create a soft tool very quickly (3 Days) that they can run some parts with the actual material you need.
Then if you need help reverse engineering a item or bring creating a real life environment for designing within. Z Corporation has come out with a very nice self positioning hand 3D scanner. The ZScanner 700 as they call it scans an object and they brings in a point cloud that can be surfaced and used. Check it out at www.zcorp.com.
Dan
