Autodesk open sources Linux-based 3D printer
Autodesk has open sourced the electronics and firmware of its resin- and DLP-based Ember 3D printer, revealing it to run Linux on a BeagleBone Black clone.
In releasing the design of its Ember 3D Printer under open source licensing, Autodesk has revealed a mainboard that runs Linux on a customized spin-off of the BeagleBone Black hacker SBC. In March, the company published the recipe for the printer's "PR48" Standard Clear Prototyping resin, and in May, it followed through by open sourcing its mechanical files. As promised, Autodesk has now opened up the BeagleBone Black based electronics and firmware.
Like the resin details and mechanical design, the electronics were released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. The firmware is being shared using a GNU GPL license. Electronics files were provided separately for the printer's four main boards, each of which is now detailed with design files, schematics and PCBs, bill of materials, approved vendor lists, and assembly drawings. An SD card image is available to run on a standard BeagleBone Black for evaluation and prototyping.
(Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2015, @03:51AM
A GNU printer? It's like Stallman's lifelong dream come true.
Free as in Freedom, Chapter 1: For Want of a Printer [oreilly.com]
Now let's see how many of you ignorant Linux assholes never read the book and refuse to follow the link.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2015, @04:44AM
His dream is not a printer, it is a world where information is freely shared. Stallman won't stop his impossible quest until everything from toasters to supercomputers are written with free software as their basis. He will likely die of toe fungus prior to that point.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2015, @05:02AM
Could be worse, it could be a electronic dildo running proprietary software.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2015, @05:18AM
"By Q4 2010, Android became the best-selling smartphone platform."
"As of November 2014, 485 or 97% of the world's fastest supercomputers use the Linux kernel."
Mission Accomplished. You so fucking happy it wasn't GNU Hurd, right? Stallman can choke to death on his own toejam now. GNU/Linux is the fucking greatest. We trust Linus with our shit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2015, @09:05PM
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday September 25 2015, @04:01AM
...I have a dream
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2015, @05:21AM
How long would it take you to recover the purchase[1] price?
...compared to being profitable on Day 1 like this recently-retired architect who found that he only needed FOSS. [googleusercontent.com] (orig) [linuxmint.com]
[1] It's a long-term lease these days isn't it?
(No pretense that you own any of it.)
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2015, @10:40AM
I have a solution
https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Category/Business/cad [fsf.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2015, @11:30AM
There's this as well.
Comparison of computer-aided design editors [wikipedia.org]
FOSS stuff has blue squares.
-- gewg_
(Score: 2, Interesting) by WillAdams on Friday September 25 2015, @12:22PM
Another list:
http://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/CAD [shapeoko.com]
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Friday September 25 2015, @03:28PM
I go over that list about once every 3 years in hope of something that you could do real work on. The major CAD suites have so much invested in them that the alternatives really just cannot keep up.
Until Solidworks or a direct competitor to Solidworks (like Autodesk Inventor) is available on Linux I won't be able to switch. Maybe the web based services like OnShape, but I'm not holding my breath.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2015, @04:02PM
There is varicad, which, while not open is available on linux and when you buy it you own it forever and only have to pay if you want an upgrade. It's fairly comparable to solidworks (I have 9 years of experience with solidworks, and I do prefer solidworks, but I'm done with windows so I use what is available). There's a 30 day trial you can download for free (as in beer only, obviously)- maybe give it a shot.
http://www.varicad.com [varicad.com]
I keep hoping for freecad to make it just a little farther but it's really rough in some places (as most alpha software is). It's still come a long ways and I have some real hope for the project.
(Score: 1) by WillAdams on Friday September 25 2015, @04:06PM
Depends on the style of work and one's patience and expectation.
Certainly, BRL-CAD can do real work (but I find it mystifying and way more than I need) --- curious as to how it doesn't meet your needs.
Mostly I do simple stuff, but aside from Windows and Macromedia Freehand have been using only opensource software for my work: http://www.shapeoko.com/projects/project.php?id=154 [shapeoko.com] (done using Inkscape, F-Engrave, Fontforge and MakerCAM)
(Score: 3, Informative) by richtopia on Friday September 25 2015, @07:37PM
I haven't given BRL-CAD much effort as it appears very command line driven. Just glancing through the webpage, I see many shortcomings. No STEP import export is like stepping back into the 90's. I don't think it supports parametric modeling either.
It is really hard to keep up with the major players. Even if you ignore the open source/Linux/free requirements, the small players also struggle to keep up. Switching from SolidWorks to BobCAD is also like stepping back in time (although BobCAD has made some major improvements recently). But I'm talking about software that is eight grand as my baseline.
I've come to terms with a lack of open source CAD offerings. I'm just disappointed that the major players do not support Linux.
(Score: 1) by WillAdams on Monday September 28 2015, @12:51PM
Thank you.
I guess the takeaway from this is that I would probably get good value (and my son would be thrilled by) my spending $20 on the Solidworks license offered to U.S. Veterans?
(Score: 3, Informative) by edIII on Saturday September 26 2015, @12:20AM
Maybe, but Autocad can go fuck themselves. Not sure if anyone around here is old to remember when they had a vibrant 3rd party developer network..... before they kicked everyone out and assumed IP rights over *everything* 3rd Party and incorporated into their new version.
I'm going to trust them to participate in a community in *good* faith?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAAAAH!!
I have a dream too. Autocad executives homeless and drinking Ripple wine....
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by nukkel on Friday September 25 2015, @05:13AM
But can it print itself?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by richtopia on Friday September 25 2015, @03:34PM
I'm curious if the open source nature of this product will result in competitors. It looks like the license is CC share alike, so commercial derivatives should be allowed (IANAL).
The biggest open source aspect for me is the resin. I was fully expecting the razor blade model for this printer, as the resin is always so expensive. If 3rd parties can produce resin and keep the price down, this printer ensures its longevity and competitive pricing.