So anyone who knows me in this community, KNOWS that I am an absolute beginner at ALL of this. I mean ALL of this. Glowforge, Lasers, laser designs, any type of designing software, the whole sha-bang. I am probably one of the most inexperienced people that has EVER joined the Glowforge Community. Very quickly after receiving my Glowforge, I became very frustrated and very obsessed with trying to dive straight into the deep end without knowing how to swim. I couldn’t even upload a premade design into the GFUI. I didn’t even know what GFUI meant until about a week ago! LOL! Any term used, any software that has to deal with GF lifestyle that you can think of- I had probably never even heard of. Much less knowing how to manipulate it or even understand. Every piece of advice I was given, sounded like PigLatin to me. You can see for your self that I am speaking the truth HERE !! I was LOST! And I am definitely not very experienced, still. But I am learning. Now I can move around freely in software, I can design a box on my own. I can make a sign. I can do several things. (Which I cant wait to share the pics of my things when I get back to my shop because I forgot to take pictures and share. I am having some problems with some things now, but I am hoping that cleaning my machine yesterday cleared it up. BUT… I wanted to leave one of the biggest sources of help BESIDES my peeps from Glowforge Community because THEY were the biggest help leading up to my “ah-ha lightbulb moment”. I can not begin to tell you how much help they have been. Not just to me, but to every single person that shows concern along the way and needs help. These people are AMAZING!! But the first one that was a huge help to learning to piddle around in Inkscape was This Inkscape Tutorial. It starts very basic and shows you how to make all of those options disappear on Inkscape Interface, leaving only one row of tools being displayed, making it look much less disturbing. Then he walks you through each of the first group of tools. Describing each one as well as showing you how each of them works. Then, adding the next group of tools in order to walk you through slowly. It breaks it down in a way that is a lot less overwhelming for someone who is completely new to all of this. LinkedIn.com and Lynda.com require a subscription, but you get a free trial and it is more than enough time to go through all the tutorials you want to that have to deal with laser design.
Next, would have to be the class I took on Inventibles that will teach you how to do several things. Including DESIGNING YOUR OWN FILES! This helped me TREMENDOUSLY!!
Ok, now this next one is one that I haven’t gotten to experience fully yet. You do have to have a trial membership for it, too. And Adobe Illustrator as well in order to follow along like I want to.
I found all of these by googling “Learn laser design”, “Laser design for complete beginner’s”, “online classes for learning how to design for laser cutting”, and I could go on and on and on for days here. But I am sure you get the drift!
I am not real sure where this post belongs. I chose to put it in Glowforge Tips and Tricks but before I posted it, I received a warning that anyone who might be a “non-regular” yo Glowforge does not have access to this section. So I might need to post it in another Area. So it might be posted to two different areas here.
And last but definitely the most helpful would be your fellow Glowforge Community Members! They will stay up all hours of the night with you sometimes just to help! (I am not recommending you to ask them to do so) I am only telling you of my experience!
Now, with all of that being said…
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY FELLOW GLOWFORGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS!!
Even though you all already know, I am gonna tell yah again! Yall are the BOMB.COM! And it is the most comforting feeling to newbies when we are in the midst of our temper tantrum, poor- poor pitiful me, I wanna give up but I can’t, desperate, emotional break down. It helps! A WHOLE LOT!!! And I must give credit where it is damn well due!!
Also, I feel that Glowforge should do a little research and take note of(which I am sure they can name several from the top of their head) and do something tiny and special for those who are always right on top of every situation putting themselves out on a limb and willingly walking into what can sometimes be a VERY stressful situation and putting themselves out there leaving the door open for some people that don’t have (as my father used to say) any “act right in their lives” and take things out on people who are only trying to help (Which I personally have only seen one situation where someone was being very rude and very unappreciative to the ones who were only trying to help)!
SO… I hope this helps anyone that might have trouble, like myself.