A utility to map extruded lines/objects/shapes to STL files. For example, say you have an STL of a curved vase. You want to add a spiral to it. So you place the photo of a spiral on the object. The utility lets you decide where on the STL it’ll be placed, then you can decide the extrusion depth (positive or negative).

Possibly including some type of LLM, too. So you can import your STL, then type something like “picture of the Simpsons in the style of ancient Greek amphora vase paintings.” It’ll appear as line art on the 3D object

Note that I don’t need this, myself. You want to work on something interesting, so I thought for a few minutes and came up with this. :)

OP wasn’t asking about layer height, only nozzle diameter.

I love seeing folks support the community like this.

“Here’s everything you need to make your own, OR if you can’t make one we’ll sell you one.” Best of both worlds.

Are you experiencing any issues with your current setup? I ask because, you’re right, things are moving really quickly.

If you aren’t having any problems, it might be worth watching the marketplace for a while before upgrading your hot end. Especially if you want a multi filament system, you might eventually want to buy an additional printer.

I also run an Ender 3 V2 v2.2. it prints TPU pretty well without a direct drive upgrade. I’m still running the original hot end. No auto-leveler, no dual-Z kit. I upgraded the main fan, the springs, and the extruder. I added a Z stabilizer.

I’ve printed quite a bit with it - PLA, TPU, PETG. So, the original hardware can accomplish quite a lot without major upgrades.

I’m not saying this to dissuade you from upgrading. Upgrading is fun!

I’m saying this in case you don’t realize how much the printer can accomplish without upgrading. The 3v2 is a beast. Is it perfect? Heck no.

But you didn’t mention anything about being unhappy with the output. So it may be worth tinkering more with what you’ve got before you start swapping more parts.

Every distro sucks to someone.

I tried Mint on one of my laptops, and it broke as soon as I installed any updates. It also didn’t properly support the laptop’s graphics.

Manjaro installed perfectly and runs flawlessly. No issues.

So, as always, different distros for different computers for different folks.

The best distro? One that he’ll be able to use easily. One that will get him to actually LIKE the experience.

You don’t want to teach him a lesson by giving him a miserable experience.

You want to teach him a lesson that will let you say “I told you so” for the rest of his life.

Manjaro is pretty easy to use and seems to have good hardware compatibility. A variety of Ubuntu flavors also can mimic Windows and work really well.

Haha, I get it. No offense taken.

I don’t disagree. But for better or worse, most people don’t think that much about their software.

Folks like us who do? We can make informed decisions.

Folks who don’t? Canonical’s experiments are probably still better than dealing with Windows 11 or macOS.

You’re not wrong, but there’s also value in exploring different ways to do similar things. That’s what’s great about Linux.

Some of Canonical’s efforts may lead to failure, but that doesn’t mean they are a waste.

I tried installing LXLE - and in spite of multiple attempts, it simply refuses to install the boot files into the boot partition. 🤣

So I suppose it’s getting a different flavor, after all

I appreciate your response. it’s good to know I’m safe running what I know. And cerement gave me some good info so I can learn more about different distros. :)

Thanks for all this info. It’ll help me catch up, I’ll check out your links.