The two horizontal slots are both air intakes and must have at least 1 inch of clearance. Pure speculation in my part, but I’m betting on a custom U-shaped adapter with the filter (I ordered Basic+Filter, btw).
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I don’t think this is correct. I’m pretty sure the filter will be connected via the same exhaust port on the back. A short U-tube will connect them.
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@takitus I read a post where @Dan said it was designed to function connected to the bottom as we see it in the Tech Specs picture.
Sorry. Maybe im misreading. To clarify what I’m saying the glowforge will sit on top of the filter, but the connection between the two will be through a Ushaped vent tube coming out of the exhaust port into the filter.
Looking at the bottom of my glowforge, there’s no other place for them to transmit data or airflow for the most part. There’s an air intake under the button. There’s also a speaker there that might be used, but I doubt that.
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Re: air, you’ll want some clearance in the back and on the right for “breathing room” (I don’t have exact numbers for you unfortunately).
For the passthrough, the front and back are slotted with a flexible curtain, so it does not protrude at all.
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It’s actually a U-bend that connects them in the back (the aforementioned macaroni comment). The filter intake is directly below the Glowforge exhaust.
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Can they be separated? For example can the filter be placed under a counter with the GF on top and connected with a longer duct.
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Hmmm interesting question. I’d like to know as well.
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I had asked that question and was told that the filter must be placed directly under the Glowforge. 
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Isn’t there some kind of connector set to tell the filter when to work?
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I believe that there is because the filter is powered. 
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Past comments from Dan:
Can you have the filter and main unit separate?
…to which Dan replied:
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Thanks @takitus (and @scatterbrains) for digging this up. I missed the whole macaroni connection things. Will edit above.
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@Dan thank you for your quick response in this matter. Do you think it would be possible for you or your crew to show the world the way a GF Pro + Air filter actually connects via pictures and/or video? I feel that doing so would slam shut the door on any more questions on the matter.
Since we haven’t seen any connectors on the side edges of the Glowforge, I would bank that if any of the pre-release forgers were to take a bottom shot of their unit (Basic or Pro), they would see a multi-pin electronic connector (perhaps under a plastic cover) which aligns with the Filter it sits on top of… much like a docking connection.
Speculation on my part - by “nontrivial” means, you could make a custom wiring harness to extend it further. Because there’s an elbow for the ducting to interconnect the filter to the forge, there’s no vertical hole connecting the two units for air filtration.
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There are other potential methods for the Glowforge to communicate with the filter:
- Via the speaker (although unless the Glowforge has a microphone, it’d be one-way, so this isn’t likely)
- Bluetooth (just speculating that the Glowforge board may have a bluetooth chip)
- WiFi (if the filter has its own WiFi)
You forgot to mention the highly trained gerbil! 
There’s some very specific reasons why you’d not want to have an exhaust filter controlled by wireless… namely, if you can’t wirelessly connect to the device to turn it on/off/regulate speed, then you’re adding yet another mess to the whole “why doesn’t my Glowforge want to print?”
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Oh, I don’t disagree! But then again, those same reasons apply to the laser cutter itself, and yet here were are 
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Hello,
I know my question is already answered somewhere deep down this amazing forum but I can’t find it 
does anyone know (specially those fortunate ones who have one already) how much our baby gf weights??? If you can put it down on kilos I’ll be eternally grateful! 