Disney Releases Open Source Software for Public Computational Toy Design

Let it be known. Disney gets it.

Disney has released software that enables anyone with the equipment, skill - and patience - to design mechanical toys of their own. This might seem counterintuitive to those who believe that the entertainment behemoth's interests lie in controlling the sale of items they manufacture and sell for their own profit.

Disney, however, sees its markets' evolution in somewhat more expansive terms than that. The company understands that leveraging its brand by approving the development of toys and related software more affordable than some of its own products may be is a sensible investment in future growth. People are going to buy or make such contrivances anyway so it is to Disney's advantage to have them do so with tools bearing its branded seal of approval. This creates good will, underscores the value of its own products and gives people the incentive to move up to its own stuff when they are able to do so.

A secondary benefit may be that people will share their ideas with Disney, giving it access to concepts and markets it might otherwise miss. This is precisely the sort of creative thinking that will enable Disney to continue to connect with consumers while building its franchise. JL

Ross Brooks reports in PSFK:

The mega brand has made it possible for anyone to design their own cartoons and toys using open source software.
Learning how to build your own mechanical toy isn’t an easy task, normally something resigned to the world of professional engineers. That was true until Disney released a set of software that makes the design process accessible to people of all ages.
The first piece of software can take a drawing of an articulated character and produce a type of animation that pre-dates video and film – gear-driven mechanical characters, such as a dancing clock, a galloping horse or a person pushing a heavy load.
The other set takes digital characters that are without form, rather than articulated, such as jelly monsters, plants and jiggling buildings, transforming them into elastic figures that can simulate the movements of your digital designs.
Apart from making this type of design accessible to the general public, it also opens up the number of possibilities for professional designers as well. That’s because even though mechanical characters have been part of the toy industry since the 19th century, the design process is still largely trial and error, even for the experts.
Once you’re happy with the design of your characters and how they move, you can use 3D printing to produce a physical representation of your design – testament to your new engineering skills!
Even though the characters are restricted to cyclical movements for the time being, the software is a huge step towards designed mechanical characters that are able to interact with their environment and perform more complex movements.
Mechanical Characters Design