The MakerGear Website - input requested

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Jules
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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by Jules » Wed Jul 13, 2016 7:31 pm

rpollack wrote:@tallslenderguy - the Printed Object Showcase is full of projects printed by M2 owners...that is about as real as it gets.
That's good for those shopping around who choose to join the forum......I tend to agree with tallslenderguy here, it would also help to have a Gallery of just the pictures on your web page, where anyone can see them.

Thumbnails or a slide show....with some (or all) of the pictures of finished objects from the Printed Object Showcase here on the forum rounded up into one place. It would be a great selling point to show what it can do, and if they are interested in details you can direct them to join the forum and start poking around.

IMHO, there's a ton of fantastic projects on the forum, but it takes too long to see them all, since each one is in a separate thread. Gathering them all together in an eye-catching "easy-to-access" format would drive a lot more business this way, I suspect.

My two cents, for what it's worth. :lol:

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rpollack
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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by rpollack » Wed Jul 13, 2016 9:02 pm

@jules - agreed for the new website. I meant as a way to find photos now.

Rick

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Jules
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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by Jules » Wed Jul 13, 2016 9:03 pm

Ahhh! Gotcha! :D

tallslenderguy
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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by tallslenderguy » Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:01 pm

Jules wrote:
rpollack wrote:@tallslenderguy - the Printed Object Showcase is full of projects printed by M2 owners...that is about as real as it gets.
That's good for those shopping around who choose to join the forum......I tend to agree with tallslenderguy here, it would also help to have a Gallery of just the pictures on your web page, where anyone can see them.

Thumbnails or a slide show....with some (or all) of the pictures of finished objects from the Printed Object Showcase here on the forum rounded up into one place. It would be a great selling point to show what it can do, and if they are interested in details you can direct them to join the forum and start poking around.

IMHO, there's a ton of fantastic projects on the forum, but it takes too long to see them all, since each one is in a separate thread. Gathering them all together in an eye-catching "easy-to-access" format would drive a lot more business this way, I suspect.

My two cents, for what it's worth. :lol:

Thanks Jules,
You get it, and I'd guess your input is worth more than two cents on this forum. I've found you to be an awesome contributor to this community just in the short time I've wandered its streets.

@rpollack
You and MakerGear have my utmost respect. I built and ran a small (14m) service company for 20 years, so from a smaller place of experience, I instinctively cringe at the idea of putting myself out there like you are doing. I think you're really brave and patient (and maybe a little crazy lol) to ask for input. I know companies do not have unlimited resources and must weigh, pick and choose, where to invest their efforts and money.

You and, those who have been doing this for awhile, have a different point of reference than people who are new to 3d and are interested in jumping in. Stuff that's familiar to and assumed by you may not even be known to me. This is not a perfect analogy: you not only have a Toyota dealership, you run the company that makes the car. My going to your web site is kind of like going to your dealership. I tell you I'd like to see one of your cars and what it can do and you point me to a neighborhood of people who have bought Toyotas and tell me to go see what their cars can do. I don't think that's bad, and I'll likely do that on my own as part of my decision making process. On the other hand, If I walk into the Honda dealership across the street and they say: "let me show you the car you're interested in and all it can do," they will likely get my business. I'm not asking either to teach me how to drive, I just want to know as much as I can about the car and what it can do before buying it. I don't think the onus for doing that should be on the buyer.

Since MakerGear has printed using all the settings and materials it can use, why not snap a pic show us what you have been able to do as experts (with the appropriate disclaimer that results may vary based on level of expertise lol)? Anyone buying a printer is ultimately buying prints, so most would likely appreciate a demonstration. High quality, clear, large pictures (cannot rely or expect consistent, quality controlled info or pics in a forum setting, you gets what you gets) of prints from the printer would go a long way towards providing that. Maybe have two side by sides, one at the lowest setting and another at the highest, using each of the different materials the printer can print in. Samples of the smallest detail print and the largest the printer can make would also be awesome. I've spent ridiculous hours looking for stuff like this and it's turning into a blur. It's like trying to put a puzzle together with the pieces scattered and hidden all over the house. Having the pieces all in one place would be more than useful.

Thanks for reading this lol.
Best wishes.

tallslenderguy
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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by tallslenderguy » Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:03 pm

rpollack wrote:@jules - agreed for the new website. I meant as a way to find photos now.

Rick

oh... just disregard my last post :roll:

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Jules
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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by Jules » Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:51 pm

tallslenderguy wrote:
Thanks Jules,
I've found you to be an awesome contributor to this community just in the short time I've wandered its streets.
I certainly do appreciate that, but keep in mind....I'm nothing more than a documentarian. About 99.9% of what I pass on, came from the fellows who helped me to get started! (Can't take any credit here.)

We stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us. I'm just paying it forward. (Going for those karma points.)

Once you get your M2 (What are you waiting for? ;) ), you can do the same for the people who come after you. :D

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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by tallslenderguy » Thu Jul 14, 2016 2:05 am

Jules wrote:
tallslenderguy wrote:
Thanks Jules,
I've found you to be an awesome contributor to this community just in the short time I've wandered its streets.
I certainly do appreciate that, but keep in mind....I'm nothing more than a documentarian. About 99.9% of what I pass on, came from the fellows who helped me to get started! (Can't take any credit here.)

We stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us. I'm just paying it forward. (Going for those karma points.)

Once you get your M2 (What are you waiting for? ;) ), you can do the same for the people who come after you. :D
Karma points are highly underrated. It's the fact that you take the time and energy to "pay it forward" that impresses me more than content... though I appreciate the content too.

I still haven't decided between the M2 and two other printers, both have fantastic support communities. I read somewhere that it crosses the bounds of this sites etiquette to talk of or compare other printers, so I haven't mentioned them, but that's where I'm at right now. I'm testing for a professional certification in the next two weeks, so I'll prolly wait till then so I won't be distracted while I study. :-)

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Jules
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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by Jules » Thu Jul 14, 2016 2:19 am

That takes some serious discipline! :lol:

Well good luck! :D

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insta
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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by insta » Thu Jul 14, 2016 2:57 am

tallslenderguy:

The problem with manufacturer-supplied (and even fanboi/fangurl-supplied) photos is that those will always be the absolute best. The i3s can run at the same 100-micron resolution the M2 does. Who's to say they wouldn't put a 0.2mm nozzle on, and run at 30 micron layers? If they do it once, now they can put "Z resolution: 30 micron" in the featureset. Does MakerGear now do the same thing? Nobody prints at 30 micron for real-world applications, unless they're using resin.

Also, how many times will an i3 (or Rep2-clone, or whatever) successfully finish a print at 100 micron? How fast can they run? You can hit 100mm/sec easily, the motors will turn that fast. Will the cheap belts hold up? The cheap linear bearings? Will the frame wobble with the direction changes? (the answer to that one is yes) Those answers are why the M2 costs more, and they're not things you can really photograph :)

That said, it seems like your decision is setting in, and it seems like you're choosing correctly...
Custom 3D printing for you or your business -- quote [at] pingring.org

Slipshine
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Re: The MakerGear Website - input requested

Post by Slipshine » Thu Jul 14, 2016 3:46 am

When I was shopping for my M2 there was one saying that put things in prospective for me. There are 2 types of 3d Printers. One for teaching you 3d printing through constant adjustment. One for making 3d prints. The M2 is the later.

I have no Idea how to work it in. But it mattered to me. Now granted that was 4 years ago but I feel it still applies.

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