War and Peace:
Thanks to all of you who tried to put it in language I could understand. But I’m still confused because I’m 80 years old. I’m not only in the fourth quarter, I’ve heard the two-minute warning. And I have a ‘system’ I’ve been working on for a couple of months and hope to upload it today. It would mean enough to me if a zillion people download it. Please rip me off! I won’t complain! Obviously, I wouldn’t turn down an earned roll of filament here and there.
I hope to do it today. I have all my files, over a hundred I think. I need a few more photos and a write up that people might understand. And that will be key as it is mightily confusing at first glance.
Since getting into the 3d world, I’ve uploaded a few files here and there. I was never even sure that I was doing it right because I didn’t always understand the language. Words like ‘cover’ and ‘app cover’ and their different aspect ratios totally baffled me. And then there was ‘raw’ files and .3mf files.
I think it’s accurate to say that every file (maybe ten in total) that I ever uploaded went mostly unnoticed so that the reward value from MW and Printables and everyone else hosting free models would entitle me to maybe four inches of filament! And if I’ve earned that, no one has said so.
And that gets me back to uploading my ‘system’ to MW. This time I have the benefit of ChatGPT to help me (hopefully) to do it right and position me for some real interest. I’d love to see that before I head for the big locker room in the sky. My adult kids and grandkids and great grandkids could point to it and think I made a tiny little splash in my life even if it was only one.
As to the originality of it, or whether it steps on someone’s toes, I hope it doesn’t cause a stir except in a good way. Zach recently Freedman recently made a big speech encouraging sharing. But I have low expectation based on 80 years of unremarkability so it’s more likely to get a laugh than downloads leading to rewards.
And if you say it’s a total rip off of something already out there, something that has taken off like a rocket, just remember, I don’t claim to be particularly clever. It’s just a tweak that seems much needed and the system of which it is tweaked will remain as strong as ever.
So today will be the first time I mention it. And it is… drumroll please: GridLessFinity. It works great in my shop, but one will ever say “Why didn’t I think of that? This must have been thought up by one of Elon’s uncles.” No, none of that. It’s just a little something that a few people might find a use for.
And while on the subject of usability, that’s all I care about. No dragons, no fidgets, just something useful. I hope a few of you will see it as qualifying for that term: useful.
