Ben SychaDec 31, 2023
Gina Häußge

New tool in the house! After circling one for years now, I finally pulled the trigger on a vinyl cutter/plotter!

It's a Silhouette Portrait 3, only a small one, but the important part is that I can use it with Open Source tooling & local only*, thanks to the combo of @inkscape & the inkscape-silhouette** extension!

Lots of ideas swirling around in my head about stickers, shirts and such, but for now I've given it a face! 😄

* Fsck this cloud only subscription crap!

** https://github.com/fablabnbg/inkscape-silhouette

GitHub - fablabnbg/inkscape-silhouette: An extension to drive Silhouette vinyl cutters (e.g. Cameo, Portrait, Curio series) from within inkscape.

An extension to drive Silhouette vinyl cutters (e.g. Cameo, Portrait, Curio series) from within inkscape. - fablabnbg/inkscape-silhouette

GitHub
Dec 30, 2023 at 1:13pmWeb
Show threadMoritzDec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape Would love to hear your thoughts on this specific model after you've worked with it for a while. Looking for a good plotter model for our makerspace, which can be used via FOSS toolchain.
Show threadGina HäußgeDec 30, 2023
@preya I'll try to remember 😅
Show threadtjhowseDec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape I'll keep this in mind for next time someone I know is talking about buying a Cricut. Good to know there are open (ish) alternatives to that nonsense.
Show threadAndrew Lewis WorkshopDec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape cool - me too! Exciting times.
Show threadKenneth HenderickDec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape yeah, I wish I had done that research before I bought our cricut. Stupid cloud software ☹️
Show threadconcretedogDec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape I LOVE that extension. Such great work!
Show threadDJGummikuhDec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape love the eyes!
Show threadSaguaro LynxDec 30, 2023

@foosel @inkscape

Perhaps @geekmomprojects might appreciate this.

8- )

Show threadOfficially Tara 🕷️  🌹Dec 30, 2023

@foosel @inkscape oooh this is exciting! last time i had attempted to look into it, it seemed like every option was super locked down and there wasn't a cutter that would work with a fully open source tool chain.

gonna have to put this on my list now

Show threadRobee? Na! 🌈Dec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape Oooh interesting! I have been thinking of a cricut for ages but maybe this is a better option!
Show threadGina HäußgeDec 30, 2023

@RobeeShepherd That is definitely a better option because cricut is locked down AF, to a point I'd not even touch with a ten foot pole.

They tried to pull this stunt a few years ago: https://hackaday.com/2021/03/15/cricut-decides-to-charge-rent-for-people-to-use-the-cutting-machines-they-already-own/ and given they are cloud only I wouldn't trust them to not go through with shit like that in the future.

Cricut Decides To Charge Rent For People To Fully Use The Cutting Machines They Already Own

UPDATE: Hackaday was contacted by a PR company claiming to represent Cricut. They clarified that machines are not deactivated upon resale, but the new owner will need to set up their own online acc…

Hackaday
Show threadRobee? Na! 🌈Dec 30, 2023
@foosel Thank you! 💜
Show threadJim P.Dec 30, 2023
@foosel @RobeeShepherd I've had a Cricut for years and the software is definitely the worst part. I've been plotting (har) to get a Silhouette for a couple years now when this breaks or when they decided to enshittify the Cricut software even more.
Show threadRobee? Na! 🌈Dec 30, 2023
@jimp @foosel So many different models! Why have one when you can be actively selling five 😢
Show threadGina HäußgeDec 30, 2023

@RobeeShepherd @jimp I simply went with the smallest 😅 Cuts A4/letter width (and for vinyl with backing pretty much endless length, no cutting mat needed for that).

I figured if I get into it enough to want to be able to cut wider stuff I can always still buy a Cameo later.

Show threadElena ``of Valhalla''Dec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape oh, no. the need for a proprietary cloud service to use them was one of the thing preventing me from WANTING one of those things :D
Show threadGina HäußgeDec 30, 2023
@valhalla Sorry not sorry 😂
Show threadMark FraserDec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape Would something like OctoPrint work with the Silhouette? So you could print from anywhere on your network.
Show threadGina HäußgeDec 30, 2023
@mfraz74 No idea and not something I'll look into - jobs themselves run so fast and need work after anyhow that it wouldn't really help at all, and I also want to have hobbies without having to involve work 😉
Show threadFritz AdalisDec 30, 2023

@foosel
OctoCut when?

(Kidding, you need a break.)

Show threadGina HäußgeDec 30, 2023
@FritzAdalis Indeed I do, and unrelated hobbies 😉
Show threadDavidDec 30, 2023
@foosel @inkscape hold the phone, there's an inkscape plug-in for silhouette machines? That's brilliant! We have a Cameo and I never even considered that an open source interface might exist for it. Thanks for sharing!
Show threadconcretedogDec 31, 2023
@astrovore @foosel @inkscape It's a great extension... it also works with other machines based on the graphtec firmwares so things like the robocut etc. Really great bit of opensource!
Show threadFox LeeDec 31, 2023
@foosel Thank you for the extension link! I dig my Silhouette machine but have zero love for their very mediocre software. Really excited to know there's an alternative!
@inkscape