I would like to see the pass through slot in action. Are there any videos you guys can share/make for us? I know i’m not the only one that is anxious to know! Please Glowforge!
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I second that thought. Would love to see a larger project that utilises the pass through function.
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third. as im still on the fence about the upgrade to pro i would love to see it in action. assume its because the software hasn’t been written/finished yet. but once it is id love to see it action!
True @reevesjack85 - we’re working on the Basic software to get it shipshape first, since Pro includes all Basic functionality.
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I’m just going to put this suggestion out there, and if Dan and the Glowforge designers see it, read it, think about it, then I’d be very happy. Here goes: I am a woodworker/engineer/photographer. Say I want to make a dresser for one of my nieces/nephews, or future grandchildren, and say I wanted to etch a design in corner of a drawer that is longer than 20" (for argument’s sake). Of course the drawer face would be made from 3/4" stock (traditionally, not 1/4" sheet glued onto the face). It would be very convenient if the Pro’s opening were to accommodate 3/4" thick stock at least (or maybe 1"), with the inside tray removed. Can this be incorporated into the Pro model before the design is finalized (I really don’t know if the mold has been already)? I guess I can keep the work piece either 20" or shorter, or figure out how to incorporate the 1/4" limitation into my projects, I thank you for taking the time to read this.
Don’t have the time to search Dan’s posts right now but with very polite words he’s has previously said, No. There were more than one reason the limit was 1/4". Would have to be GF 2.0
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Do you remember what the reasons were?
If I remember correctly safety was probably the biggest one. Yeah, I know… But if their original target audience was not the industrial and technical user market then selling something kids and really stupid people could get their fingers into would be a nightmare. Obviously the same design thought went into the lack of a removable bottom to accommodate even taller material. Now I’m reading between the lines for the following but by the time the 1/4" pass through limitation posts started, the design and plastics process seemed to be too far along to change and maintain the original schedule. Also the pro design and the basic share a lot of physical features. For instance they both sit on top of the filter unit. Changing one might require a change to all three designs. Even though the changes might be what we consider minor it would require a big project impact. If you think the screams about the 1/4’ limitation is loud, can you imagine the problem with delaying the units 2 to 6 months to accommodate starting over on plastic molds. It would surprise me if GF 2.0 didn’t address these issues but that’s not something I’m willing to wait for.
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Wow, according to what you wrote, someone who is willing to spend up to $4000 on a laser engraver and does woodworking or makes stuff in general (and owns a CNC machine, a 3D printer, and dangerous machines like a table saw, routers, etc.) is either going to allow kids to touch the machine or stick their fingers into it, or is someone who is too stupid to deserve buying the machine in the 1st place. I realize that a stray laser could damage ones eyes before one can react or look away if they are indeed stupid enough not to wear laser-safe glasses and put into place other safety precautions. Anyhow, I see that this is a dead issue (because of the way people are thinking about it), so I’ll let it go for now. I am perfectly happy with the interior work area dimensions for most of the projects that I plan to employ the laser for.
See this post from Dan:
Might be possible to do what you mentioned with appropriate safety measures in place
We’re really torn on if we want to upgrade to the pro version or not. I like the idea of the cooling system, but I would feel more comfortable spending the extra money if I could see an example of the pass through and how it works. Is the pass through feature still in development? If so, will the pro-versions be released later than the basic versions? Mainly I want to see how the material feed/alignment feature works. In fact I would love to see that in respect to laser cutting both sides of a material as well. Thanks for all the work y’all are doing! Exciting stuff!
As of a week ago the Pro pass through capabilities were not completed, so no videos are available. GF needs to complete core functionality before moving on to the pass through. No one in the community yet knows the production order. So far Dan has only said that the production lines can handle both at once. Not that they will be. We’ve had confirmation on that. He has been very cautious about predicting the production order or dates. Info could change any day given that he is working on another announcement. And assembling the GFs shouldn’t be dependent on the S/W being ready.
I guess I’m curious if those that order the pro model will be sure to see some pass through examples prior to shipping and have the opportunity to downgrade to the basic. I understand some people are concerned about ship dates, but I always assume extra time is needed for start ups. I just don’t want to miss out on the pro version, but don’t feel comfortable spending that extra money without seeing it in action. If we could get some assurances of examples prior to the shipping of the pro models I’d feel much more confident upgrading.
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At this point, our focus is delivering on our existing promises to our backers. Any time someone asks me to predict if something in the future is going to happen I have to default to “no, I won’t commit to that happening,” because every new commitment, no matter how small, adds risk to our prior commitments. And nothing’s more important than delivering the great product we promised you, as quickly as possible.
So even though a pro passthrough video is kind of a no-brainer, and I very much understand your point, I’m not going to make any promises. We’ll do our best but it might get lost, because the only guarantees we’re committing to are what we promised already.
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How much of shipping depends on all of the software features are working anyway? It would seem that what really needs to happen is getting the Hardware solid. Motion control should be a no-brainer X-Y-Z They aren’t reinventing the wheel here. Optics and cooling are hopefully pretty well completed. Being able to vary the power to the laser, and set depth of focus. I would be quite happy to receive a GF without being able to use the Pass-through slot upon delivery, or even being able to vary focus on the fly, as long as those features would be enabled as soon as the software was ready. Is shipping the Pro with only Basic functionality initially worth getting it a few months earlier than it would if we waited for ALL of the software features to be added? I personally would think so.
Oh, that Print button, that needs to be nice and shiny and cool, hopefully they get that working soon!
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Was the pro model not included in the kickstarter? We didn’t discover your product until after your initial jumpstart, so I assumed that what is ‘available’ now was also available then. If not then that makes a lot more sense why the pro questions keep getting brushed aside. I understand your focus on perfecting the basic functions and even not making any new promises that may not happen or get forgotten along the way. I can truly appreciate that you’re trying to ensure you’re staying true to your word.
Pro model was not in their original plan as I understand it. None of the Pro features is mentioned in the promo video. It looks like the upgraded optics and 45w tube were added. The Molds for the case needed to be designed well in advance, at 11 tons injection molds made of tool steel, and chrome finished are not trivial things! So the pass through was added, but it looks like originally, it was only going to be useable if the material could be rolled up inside the printer, and that there wasn’t going to be a pass through slot at all. From what I gather now, the unroll and scoot functionality won’t be a part of the Basic software, although it seems it may have been added to the list for a future release. People also are accustomed to extras on their crowdfunding projects, so they gave us some bells and whistles to agonize over.