Not to be contrary but plenty of us find the Pro to be quite useful. Sure the pass through isn’t super thick but it does allow for larger than the machine projects. It’s also pretty easy to cut layers that then can be glued up thicker.
But the real value for me has been the expanded temperature range and the faster throughput of jobs - even a little faster means a lot over a lot of projects.
It’s too bad you can’t find a use for the Pro’s features.
I can commiserate with you about Snapmarks - maybe more so since my old unit had them but my replacement doesn’t.
A question. I know, the chance to get a answer is very little, but its worth a try
Do we know, how many (percentage) of the machines out there received the snapmark-feature?
I almost stopped using my gf because I hoped to get the feature soon to have a chance to use the gf better in interaction with other tools. Perhaps use the marks also as reference for milling, etc (never hade big issues, so I hope, the calibration-data is good enough to get some marks soon.)
Few months ago (pre-SM), I did a lot of sheets of business cards with cutting and etching, and just used magnets to mark the corners for the paper so could reload each sheet in the same position (and margins enough a little shift OK).
Something you could maybe try: I notice you have a lot of resinous discoloration around the Snapmarks and that might be confusing the searching routine. I would try a lighter score, one that doesn’t leave much residue. All the ones I have done that work, were done that way.
Have to admit, the Snapmarks make it a lot easier. Made a jig to do three tap handles at a time. Before Snapmarks I included an alignment rectangle in the tap handle file for placement (used a masked tap handle shaped piece of scrap in the jig). Would sometimes need two test runs to get the design centered. But after that everything would be aligned, as long as the jig wasn’t moved (held down with magnets to the floor) and the head wasn’t bumped. After the Snapmarks were enabled I remade the jig to include a little blank space for the Snapmark fiducials.
Build your jig to exact measurements and your engrave file to the same. Once any point between the two is aligned, everything will be aligned.
It does mean that if something goes horribly wrong you might screw up all the jig handles. That’s why I do 3 instead of six at a time.
Had a tree fall across the power lines a few days ago and the voltage fluctuated but didn’t go completely out. For some reason that threw the GF motion off. Can’t quite figure out how it happened. It’s as if the computational part of the unit continued but there wasn’t enough juice to actually energize the stepper motors.
Has only happened once so that makes it anecdotal.
Thanks for adding this function to my machine. Thanks for developing this feature!!
Just in time! I will take my GF and show the magic of glowforging at a local craftshow and this will make it much easier!!
Waiting for Glowforge to deliver this is another lesson in patience. I also have found myself wanting to vent on the forum, and most often keep my comments to myself. If we’ve learned anything, Glowforge as a company is not very organized, does a terrible job at communicating with clients, and is painfully slow at software enhancements. But we all still come here to share and learn and love our little laser cutters. I can’t even imagine the pains people who paid during the initial kickstarter went through and had to wait years. But this is pretty normal for start ups who are growing, and there isn’t anything we can do but wait and hope they eventually deliver on these enhancements.
I was one who got the email that said that I had snapmarks available, but unfortunately it was assigned to one of the 3 machines that failed and I had to return. When I asked to get it transferred to my current machine, they said it doesn’t work that way. That’s not my fault, and thanks, BTW, for getting my hopes up! That’s just an example where they don’t think things through, and probably could have eliminated that snafu with a bit of planning. Will we get snapmarks, passthrough functionality, and any of the promised designs in their marketing video? Probably. Eventually. Maybe. I’ll make jigs in the meantime, waste material, and continue to love my for what it can do for me now.
I have one referral. He’s a fantastic artist and uses the glowforge as part of his business workflow.
I am just a goober with a laser. I’ve had snapmarks for a long time and I love how great my pencils work out. I have 4 really great snapmark jigs that are reliable and perfect for my hobby use.
My referral, though, doesn’t have snapmarks. He should. It would save him time and money. It would slick up his process. My heart knows how wretchedly unfair it is, and I want him to have it. Doesn’t stop me using them and loving them; but I really know what you mean. I’d love for the snapmarks to go out universally to everyone. They’re slick.
Late yesterday I learned that the boffins at Glowforge had given my machine the superpower of Snapmarks. I promptly reviewed the megathreads started by by dan and jules. Read them twice until I thought I understood them. Fired up the GF app just to check out the magnet.
First thing this morning I used Inkscape to make a Snapmarky jig for aluminum luggage tags. Scored & engraved a sheet of 50-point chipboard. Inserted the blank luggage tag. Adjusted the engrave settings. Clicked the magnet. Waited a bit. Pressed the button. Bullseye. Flipped the tag over. Repeat.
Perfect positioning will never get old.
Keep your wheel, your sliced bread, your printing press, your steam engine. We just entered the Snapmark Age.
You know…I’m trying to decide whether to show pictures or not of some of the things that have been done with the Snapmarks…I know it’s important to keep up everyone’s enthusiasm for them so Glowforge doesn’t decide to just can it, but I also know it would be pretty “sukky” to not have it yet.
So…let’s do a quick public opinion poll just for kicks.
If you do not have Snapmarks installed yet…
Yes please, I want to see pictures of the things everyone is making with the Snapmarks.
No, it will make me too angry to see it when I can’t use it yet.
Are you kidding me? I don’t have time for this - just sign me up for the Snapmarks already!
0voters
I’ll let it run through the weekend until Monday at 5:00 PM (CST) and abide by majority decision.
I think I would have wanted to see them too, but I know some folks might not. (And if it’s gonna cause heartburn for folks, I’m not gonna do it. Life’s too short.)
I think I’m in a very small community… I have the feature active, but it’s not working.
I’m very happy to see what people are doing with the Snapmarks right now. I’d think that keeping enthusiasm and demand high will help to add some fuel to this particular project’s fire at GF HQ.
Might want to ask them to remove the returned once so it doesn’t happen again. I had a return and had them change the names for me and while they were at it they removed the old one.
Over 550 posts about the details that will all make more sense once I have it, So now when I finally do get it that will be a long slog to glean the extra infi from it.
I wanna be picked (yeah like everyone else doesn’t…I know). I have some things I want to make for our Makerspace to sell for our fundraiser but I need the use of the pass through.
I also have a LONG bedroom project I want to do and some things for the wedding which both need the passthrough…snapmarks …it sounds like might be the interim solution.
(never hade big issues, so I hope, the calibration-data is good enough to get some marks soon.)
for what it can do for me now. 
