McGuire Search

I am always interested in attempts to improve the Input into search.  In this case Autodesk hit it right on.
Searching for parts can be incredibly difficult unless you know exactly what it’s called or have a part number.  Autodesk’s newly updated Visual search is featureful and actually works! 

http://labs.autodesk.com/blogs/its_alive_in_the_lab/?category=85

First when going to the page you are presented with 4 methods of searching.  No text searching aloud!

GREAT lets Crank this baby up and see how she runs.
A doodle seemed like the coolest place to start so….

I freehand a drawing of an L-pipe.  (Horrible, I know. I am no Artist)

Note that there is no search button on the panel where you doodle. This was a little disconnected but They are kind enough to explain this in there text above the doodle area.

Search away!

Success!!!  There’s my L-pipe.  Although it wasn’t the first result is the L-pipe I was looking for was close to what I needed. Arguably the first result was closer in appearance to my doodle. J

I tried a J hook and found a wing-blot. I imagine that this would only get better as content is added.

 

One Day I hope to walk into a Home Depot and instead of asking a sales person for a Part that I don’t know the name of I can just draw it and get back search results of every item in the store!