Thanks to Autodesk's new design tool, you may soon be able to 3D print a 3D printer.
In partnership with Voxel8, Autodesk is developing Project Wire, which provides gadget makers and printing enthusiasts a way to create 3D printable electronic devices.
"We believe future electronic devices will be printed rather than assembled," Karl D.D. Willis, principal research engineer at Autodesk, wrote in a blog post. "Fabricated layer-by-layer as a single object, rather than assembled from separate parts."
Powered by the Spark printer software, Project Wire makes layout, design, and print preparation "very simple," according to Autodesk, which boasts key features like a 3D component library, surface and in-plane drawing, and multi-material slice preview.
Perhaps most notable is the ability to design and print circuits that were previously impossible to build. With the Voxel8 printer, wires can be routed in three dimensions, components can be embedded inside prints, and each circuit can be customized.
"Although 3D printing is often associated with throw-away plastic 'trinkets,' together with Voxel8 we are looking to make functional printed devices a reality," Willis said. "Today we are starting with electronics by enabling the design of 3D wires embedded in printed models."
Tinkerers can expect access to Project Wire and the release of the Voxel8 printer later this year; an exact timeline has not been revealed.
"The fundamentals of how we fabricate electronic devices are changing. New software tools are needed to design for new hardware capabilities," Willis wrote. "Through our partnership with Voxel8, we are excited to see how the electronic designs of tomorrow can be created today."
Check out the Voxel8 printer in action in Autodesk's video above.
Autodesk last year partnered with Microsoft to add its free 123D Design application to Windows 8.1, allowing users to push 3D printing files directly to the printer for construction.