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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: June 12th, 2023

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  • We have a few Tuxedo computers and some other Linux brands at our company and are generally happy about them. Cheaper devices have a less than perfect keyboard (though I liked the one on the slimbook) a worse camera and microphone (though some are very ok).

    I’m very happy with these Linux devices. The few makes for which we needed parts also supplied them but sending the device their way for repair took longer than we’d have wanted.


  • Cool! This was interesting to see.

    On the design: It looks like it could be good for laser cutting but I doubt it will do more than CNC engraving wood. Would love to be proven wrong. I think the screws are too close and the leverages too large to be solid enough for cutting. We cpuld simulate it to verify the weak spots. No problem for plotting and laser cutting though. I was surprised by the deflection of the Indymill which has more metal parts.

    On the CAD file: I could easily find my way in the file. I generally constrain more (also importing shapes from other Bodies) which makes it more automatic but also more error prone and harder to calculate. It will be interesting to see an assembly of these parts too.

    Looking forward to updates from this build.




  • Best I know of is TechDraw but that may not be as automated as you’d like. You essentially take the shapes and label the dimensions you want to show. Shapes/dimensions can be refreshed, likely also through a macro for multiple sheets if you need that.

    I don’t know the UI by memory but the flow is along the lines of: create TechDraw sheet; set scale; import shape; choose views of shape (top, front, …); add dimensions. This can be exported and printed.

    I think you can also save the current view of a sketch (save image or such in the menu?) but have not tried it and don’t know how repeatable that is and if you’ll run out of coloured ink in no time.

    Looking forward to look at your attached designs!


  • If you’ve made multiple bodies, you can place them by selecting the body in the tree view. Then open the scary property view, open the data tab, Base, Placement, Position.

    You can scroll to roughly put things in position but I’d use a formula in there so you can model in place and have a visual for each configuration.

    If you want to reuse a body for left/right you could make a clone or start thinking about the assembly workbench

    The data tab contains interesting info. Open it from time to time so it feels less scary. It allows to set the properties from a pad or update constraints from a sketch quickly. Moving a sketch around can be strange though as the axes are relative to the sketch’s coordinates.



  • That’s great!

    I’d create one body (the blue icon) per shape you want to cut. You can reference the same spreadsheet.

    If you want to reference geometry from another body, activate the body where you want to use it (doubleclick in the hierarchy), select the face of the other body, and use the subshape binder (the green icon with red dots I think). Calculating everything from the spreadsheet is the more stable option.

    Looking forward to see what you come up with if you choose to share it.


  • There is now a default assembly workbench. You don’t need it for this. It is mostly handy to verify your design.

    Assuming endless possible values: set up a spreadsheet, define an alias (top right) for the relevant values, and use that in your sketches and extrudes.

    You could model the various bodies in place in the right orientation and make do without any assembly as there are moving parts too. The new assembly workbench is nice to use though so it’s worth trying it out.



  • You can manually edit the gcode to see if printing white first works out better. Then search for a more repeatable solution if you often re-slice.

    Manipulating gcode looks intimidating the first time but it’s really not that crazy. Cura adds comments to the gcode and you can look up the codes otherwise, I expect Pusa Slicer to do the same. You want to move the whole printing sequence of the white nozzle before the printing sequence of the second black one on the first layer. Keep the setup (heating etc) before that.



  • Congrats on the 10 year anniversary!

    Some employers don’t care. After 10 years you’ve likely shown to provide value without being horrible towards others. We still try to do something but being small sometimes things fall through the cracks.

    Given you’re on Lemmy, you likely wouldn’t appreciate an Alexa device or Chromecast.

    What would you have appreciated? What are the sort of gifts are not overly specific but would still be suitable?