I can’t decide whether or not Michelangelo would roll over in his grave or jump for joy if he saw this app. Then again, Michelangelo would probably faint from seeing a light bulb, so who knows how he’d react to tablet applications. In any case, the Sculpt 123D iPad app from Autodesk looks like a really cool way get your hands dirty with an art form that the majority of us have no experience with: sculpting.
You start with a basic shape, like a car or a person, and then get to use different tools to “sculpt” that shape into what you’d like it to be. The app also has stamps that you can adjust and add to sculptures. If there’s something you can’t find in the Sculpt 123D library, Autodesk has that covered too. The app lets you take a picture with your iPad and then stencil in the imagery on a sculpture. So theoretically, you could probably create a pretty life-like sculpture of a friend, or yourself (if you’re in a narcissistic mood).
Let’s say even though you’ve taken pictures and browsed through the shape library a billion times, you still can’t find what you need for this all-important sculpture project. Well, Autodesk has a five extra packs of shapes that can be purchased within the app. Once your project is finished, you can share a screenshot of the masterpiece through Facebook, Flickr, email, or YouTube. “YouTube?” you ask. “Why would I upload a still image to YouTube?” Well, because Sculpt 123D lets you create turntable videos of your final product.
The app is available today for the iPad only, and is free for a limited time in the Apple App Store. Whenever the “limited time” comes to an end, the app will cost $.99. Jump past the break to check out the Sculpt 123D demo video.