I would say “automatic reordering” is too advanced sounding. But the software I have will definitely cut from the inside out, or smallest to largest. Which almost always cut the perimeter last. So it’s a thing. And not overly complicated.
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That’s a great idea! cc @hopper
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Yes I use the open source PyCAM for milling and that does the outlines last. It has to because the parts would definitely move. And it has to know which are outlines and which are holes to offset the kerf in the right direction.
I also wrote my own code for 3D printing and do outlines first, then holes and then infill. It isn’t hard to code but in both cases it relies on the winding order to decide if a loop is an outline or a hole. So it does rely on the CAD program producing the correct winding order.
It would be harder without the winding order but I think still possible by analysing which loops are inside others.
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My wish list item for March is an update on manufacturing. Specifically, were “hundreds of units per month” manufactured in the month of February, as planned?
The other question is “how will you determine whether the schedule has slipped, and if it does, will you tell us? And when will you tell us?”
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I cant believe its been 2 years and we still don’t have ours yet! And no one has attempted to create a sign like want to.
You’d be wrong. That bridge made the violin sound like absolute garbage. You could theoretically MAKE the bridge I suppose out of maple, but it wouldn’t be of any use as is. Would require a trained luthier to make it sound good.
I disagree, but your are entitled to put as much negative spin as you want into your statements.
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Trained experts are always the last to accept technological innovations that make their magic accessible and replicable by the untrained.
Technology levels the playing field. The highly trained and the artists will always have better results than the untrained relying on technology. But the delta shrinks with every iteration and often the difference can only be appreciated by others similarly trained and gifted. For everyone else, it’s a leap forward when they can do something without 10,000 hours of practice and achieve acceptable results.
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Not sure where you’re getting this stuff from. Why would making a bridge only be a theory? And, speaking from years of experience, you absolutely do not require a luthier to make a bridge that makes a violin sound fantastic. Sorry… I managed instrumental music stores for many years. I just don’t understand why you’ve said what you have.
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I don’t understand that either. That doesn’t mean I know anything in particular about the craft, but the physics tell me the bridge function is to support, separate and perhaps help transmit resonance of the strings to the body.[quote=“willcfc, post:148, topic:5986”]
That bridge made the violin sound like absolute garbage.
[/quote]
I am in no position to doubt your skill, feel free to educate me. I love learning stuff 
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You’re completely correct! 
I’m certainly not saying that there isn’t skill in properly shaping a bridge to the body. And I’ve never made a bridge from scratch… always worked with established blanks. I’m quite certain there are ranges of “proper” (subjective) measurements if one were to make one from scratch. I’m not talking about all that. Just about getting an average bridge to having an instrument sound great.
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As a rule, around here, we establish our knowledge by showing what we can do. Not by telling others that they don’t know what they are doing.
How about you make two bridges, one just fitted, the other one tuned. Make a video showing how it is tuned and what the difference in sound is?
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Found this link that touches on a few nuances of bridge shape and placement - http://blog.sharmusic.com/blog/bid/90625/Violin-Bridges-The-Details-Matter
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I see by @mpipes post there is a high degree of precision involved. Nuances like how much of the string’s periphery extends above the bridge crown, and bridge base contact.
However, the demonstration of the Glowforge’s scanning ability to reproduce basic geometry on the spot is impressive, which was the idea behind the post. Not to replace the expertise of musical instrument craftsmen.
Still, I don’t have the ear of a dog, and I’m not cultured enough, so I doubt I could discern the difference. 
Thanks for the link @mpipes
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@willcfc I think this would actually be fascinating. I love exploring the effects of dimensions and tolerance and this sounds like a unique practical application. How much does a tiny change like the depth of the spot the string sits or how restricting of side to side movement really affect the sound quality. Could blanks be quickly cut with something like the glowforge and then fine tuned by an expert such as yourself or is there something critical in the process that means you have to start from scratch and do the whole process by hand? I’m incredibly musically challenged so I apologize for my ignorance in advance
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Well that’s radically more helpful than telling us we don’t know enough to know what we don’t know
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It’s not a right/wrong thing, it’s more of a sliding scale, knowing how each variation affects the sound, and how to achieve the sound YOU, the player, wants to achieve. You can have two identical bridges that will produce completely different sound because the violins will have slight variations from each other.
Just make sure the bridge is in the correct physical location otherwise the pressure from the strings will crush the violin. All other aspects are tunable to preference, knowing how to tune to the preference is the art.
Haha! Yeah… I started playing violin at age 5 but despite having not played in 25 years, it’s one of my favorite instruments and I got this notion that I should build my own violin out of carbon fiber. Because my life is not frustrating enough building a car from scratch, I want to add tuning a hand-built instrument into the fray. LOL… So anyway, I had already started some basic research on the subject.
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It seems like this conversation got off track and the point was lost. Someone showed up with a broken violin and in a couple hours @dan was able to get her going again. Even if that was just temporarily its pretty amazing. I don’t think @dan was working on a luthier replacement machine. And to the untrained ear of Liz who had just recently decided to learn the violin, it probably sounded amazing and will be just fine until she can work on a permanent replacement. Take a breath @willcfc no one is trying to replace you.
Great job @dan. Can’t wait to get my Glowforge!
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Oh that NEVER happens on this forum! 
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