Anybody want to help me with a project?

I need one or more volunteers with some 2D design experience to preview the Laser Design Basics tutorial before I post it…let me know if it’s clear, if you understand it, if it agrees with what you think happens, or if I’ve forgotten anything important.

And keep in mind, this is written for people who are looking at vector design for the first time.
It’s going to bore you to tears because you already know this stuff.

It’s just a few general definitions, and concepts, and it should span all the major 2D design programs, so I’m not wanting it to be specific with things like calling a line a Stroke versus an Outline.

(Over the next few months (i hope) there will be little individual tutorials for the three (four?) major 2D programs for specific tasks, but those are going to have to be tested before posting, and I’d prefer to let other folks who have more experience than I do help with those, or write them entirely if they are feeling generous.)

This one is just kind of a basic overview that might be helpful to those with no vector design experience yet. (Little things that no one explains anywhere that can knock months off the learning and understanding process.)

If you’ll let me know you’re interested in taking a look below, I’ll add you to a Private Thread later tonight where you can view it, and post your recommendations.

(And if one or two of the Staff members doing the designing for the catalog would like to take a look at it to see if I’ve got the concepts correct…I’d greatly appreciate it. It won’t take you long to run through it. I’d rather not post it if I’ve got some concept totally wrong…honestly, I’m totally guessing in a few places at this point.) :smile:

edit: And I’ve got to go out for a while, so I’m not ignoring you if I don’t respond until tonight…thank you!

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I’m in if you want me.

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Wait, wait, wait… you still don’t work for Glowforge?.. :yum:

This will be really helpful, and there is a real dearth of simple overall info out there (still a newbie and I regularly have those - “Well that would’ve been helpful to know!” moments).

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:relaxed: Thank you! I’ll set it up later tonight when I get back!

Most of my career has involved helping turn complicated more-or-less technical stuff into english. Dunno if that’s what’s called for here, but if so…

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Chuckle! No, and I’m not pathologically helpful either. (I’ve been described that way…multiple times. By my own family even…)

It just occurred to me that we’ve got a forum full of experts sitting on their hands at the moment, and in a few months, that won’t be the case. By then, they’ll all be too busy playing with their new toys to answer a lot of questions for the newbies.

So picking your brains now makes sense. (At least it seems logical to me to build a bit of a knowledge base that new users can be directed to, instead of having to answer the same question literally thousands of times.)

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Awesome, yes it is! Thanks! :relaxed:

I hope it gets a lot of traction. I fear that a number of new users may miss learning about design/files/lasers/cnc etc. and confuse any learning curve necessary in the overall field with shortcomings with the Glowforge. (And now I am picturing a kid I knew who threw a fit over riding my son’s bike while visiting. “I don’t like this bike. It doesn’t work right.” Kid couldn’t ride any bike!)

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That would be a great service to everyone. Two things make me less productive in churning out product: still a novice with design software and trying to document everything.

I’ve been working with image editing software this week (GIMP) to tweak some engraves of been working on. I’m least familiar with that so eventually some bitmap/raster/photo processing stuff will be helpful too.

Once you have a good file, the Glowforge knows exactly what to do with it, every time!

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Doesn’t just have to be a couple of people either, if you have ideas for what you’d like to see in a write-up, let me know, I’ll add your name. Eventually I want to pull all of the tutorials into a Master Reference List - maybe broken out by Design Program.

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You got it in one! That is exactly why I’m pushing this now, while we have time to do something about it.

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I’ll be glad to look it over. I have some familiarity with some of the 2D tools (primarily Illustrator and Photoshop) but am only a hobbiest, not an expert. So if that is the perspective you can use, count me in.

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I have some very basic self-taught knowledge about vector designing, but am still very much in the learning and practicing phase. If I can be of help, I would be glad to participate. Thanks for doing this.

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I can’t promise I will have computer time this evening, but I’m happy to look over it if I do

Yes, I need it! (Your input!) :relaxed:

Absolutely! (And I’m self taught too…you might be the only one to understand me! ROFL!)

Thanks ladies! :smile:

And gents! :smile:

I’m about to have to head out, but please, anyone who wants to get involved in what could be a very entertaining process, comment somewhere below and I’ll add you to the Private Thread…you can even cuss me out and call me an idiot there and I promise not to care.

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I’d love to help.

I would also be happy to help

I’d be glad to take a look.

I’d like to take a look if you want another set of eyes

I’d be happy to help.