[HN Gopher] Gridfinity: Unofficial Wiki
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       Gridfinity: Unofficial Wiki
        
       Author : rcarmo
       Score  : 74 points
       Date   : 2022-12-09 09:18 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (gridfinity.xyz)
 (TXT) w3m dump (gridfinity.xyz)
        
       | nullstyle wrote:
       | This community may be more oriented towards the OpenSCAD port,
       | gridfinity rebuilt: https://github.com/kennetek/gridfinity-
       | rebuilt-openscad
       | 
       | The fusion 360 source files from the original project are a
       | little jank when it comes to making customizations given AFAIK
       | how fusion 360 operates. The port I've linked is much simpler to
       | use when it comes to producing STLs for your own customized bins.
        
         | cge wrote:
         | Be sure to note that, like gridfinity, this is not open source
         | by commonly accepted definitions, as it is CC-BY-NC-SA. In this
         | case, it's even less appropriate, because it is code with a
         | licence both specifically not intended for code and is not at
         | all compatible with open source licences.
        
         | monkmartinez wrote:
         | I would agree.
         | 
         | I would also search for 'gridfinity' on printables, yeggi, and
         | thangs. There are master collections that download into neat
         | folders with thousands of options, pick a base, pick a few
         | bins, then slice it up and print. Soooooo goood!
        
           | demeyer1 wrote:
           | Agreed. The shear volume of permutations out there now may be
           | adequate for many beginners that aren't yet comfortable with
           | 3D design clients.
        
         | rcarmo wrote:
         | The OpenSCAD version is insanely flexible and I generate all my
         | bins from there.
        
       | jehb wrote:
       | Two comments, unrelated.
       | 
       | 1) I love the Gridfinity system and have printed several drawers
       | worth of organizers using parts I've found in this system.
       | 
       | 2) It's not actually open source, though. Almost every part I've
       | found, especially those by the original creator, are Creative
       | Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.
       | This is not an open source license. That's not a criticism of the
       | project, or of the license, it's just not actually open source.
       | "Noncommercial" is a limitation on redistribution.
        
         | noname120 wrote:
         | 2) It's open source, as in software with an open source. But
         | it's not "OSI Certified" open source software.
         | 
         | The term "open source" is not trademarked. It's high time well-
         | meaning people stopped appropriating the term and pedantically
         | corrected people who use the term outside of their own narrow
         | definition.
        
           | commoner wrote:
           | Gridfinity is source-available, not open source. The commonly
           | accepted definition of open source includes the freedom to
           | redistribute without discrimination against certain types of
           | use.
        
             | GuB-42 wrote:
             | For me, open source means that sources are available to the
             | end-user, that's all. What you describe is free software
             | (as in freedom). Open source is typically also free (as in
             | freedom/libre) and free (as in beer), but it is not always
             | the case.
             | 
             | Here is an article by Richard Stallman about the difference
             | between free and open source:
             | https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-
             | point....
        
               | commoner wrote:
               | The page you linked to clearly states that "open source
               | means that sources are available to the end-use, that's
               | all" is a misunderstanding:
               | 
               | > However, the obvious meaning for the expression "open
               | source software" is "You can look at the source code."
               | Indeed, most people seem to misunderstand "open source
               | software" that way. (The clear term for that meaning is
               | "source available.") That criterion is much weaker than
               | the free software definition, much weaker also than the
               | official definition of open source. It includes many
               | programs that are neither free nor open source.
               | 
               | Stallman then advocates for the term "free software",
               | which he says would avoid this misunderstanding. A more
               | comprehensive summary of the history of the terms "free
               | software" and "open source software" can be found on
               | Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_term
               | s_for_free_sof...
               | 
               | According to the FSF, the only software that is open
               | source but not free is "tivoized (tyrant) devices" which
               | "contain nonfree executables made from source code":
               | 
               | > Among all programs that are open source, only a
               | minuscule fraction are not free. If the bottom row were
               | drawn to scale, its text would have to be in a tiny font,
               | perhaps too small to read.
               | 
               | https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-open-overlap.html
        
         | GravitasFailure wrote:
         | "Open Source" gets weird with physical objects, though, since
         | functional elements aren't covered by the copyright system
         | software licenses rely on. Copyright would apply to decorative
         | elements and the name plus trademark on the name, but unless
         | there's a patent the functional elements are public domain.
        
           | jehb wrote:
           | Yeah, it does. To be clear, I'm only referring to the license
           | of the files themselves. In absence of a patent or trademark,
           | the "system" is effectively unlicensed. So, "free" might be a
           | better descriptor anyway.
        
             | GravitasFailure wrote:
             | One of these days we may get same terminology around open
             | source stuff, though I suspect that's the same day hell
             | opens an ice skating rink.
        
       | sheerun wrote:
       | I fish for something like Gridfinity but supporting converting
       | into a case so I can easily move around "workbench" without
       | worrying everything will fall out
        
       | bobleeswagger wrote:
       | 3D printing helped me tackle my perfectionism in an effective
       | way. You fail fast and iterate faster as you get more printers. I
       | have a lot of home projects which never get finished because
       | there's always something missing. Even if my CAD and printing
       | skills are rookie, I can finally finish these projects and clear
       | my head.
        
       | demeyer1 wrote:
       | Super excited to see Gridfinity on HN, it introduced so many new
       | people to 3D printing as well as introductory 3D design.
       | 
       | It's simple, modular storage that is practical and really grounds
       | 3D printing in a genuinely practical use case.
       | 
       | To provide anecdata on how big gridfinity has become - it's the
       | #1 search, every week on Thangs.com, which is the largest 3D
       | model search index available (over 14M models, and search volume
       | is ~ 1 search every 1-1.5 seconds on Thangs). (1)
       | 
       | Gridfinity is literally more popular than Christmas in this
       | community. And it's been the top search term for a long time. (2)
       | 
       | There are entire subreddits dedicated to it. (3)
       | 
       | Zack, the guy who started it, is a genuine treasure of a human as
       | well. Check out his YouTube channel (4), he recently built a
       | Google Glass like device - and then shared all the designs,
       | openly.
       | 
       | Disclaimer: CTO, CPO, co-founder at Thangs.com - total 3D design
       | and 3D printing zealot
       | 
       | (1)
       | https://twitter.com/Thangs3DSearch/status/160156271186268160...
       | 
       | (2)
       | https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hv4FBexbf6isW57j063H...
       | 
       | (3) https://www.reddit.com/r/gridfinity/
       | 
       | (4) https://www.youtube.com/c/ZackFreedman
        
         | fimdomeio wrote:
         | Wasn't Alex chapel that started this?
         | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHFK5sY8ToE
        
           | demeyer1 wrote:
           | Good share!
           | 
           | I believe Zack started Gridfinity, but I don't know who the
           | very first designer was that built a modular storage system
           | for the 3D printing community.
           | 
           | I'll say this - the Gridfinity community is, from my POV,
           | unique in how they've taken this and really run with it as a
           | crowd sourced concept.
        
           | rcarmo wrote:
           | Not the same thing, and not the same approach altogether.
        
       | lathiat wrote:
       | For an introduction to the project see this video from the
       | original creator Zach Freedman: https://youtu.be/ra_9zU-mnl8
       | 
       | (Short version its an open and free expandable 3D printable
       | modular storage system with modules to fit everything from screws
       | to soldering irons and SD cards)
        
         | JKCalhoun wrote:
         | Your short version cuts to the point but I have to say Zach is
         | probably the most entertaining nerd I subscribe to on YouTube
         | and his wit-packed, teleprompter-speedrun videos are worth a
         | full watch (IMHO).
        
         | neilv wrote:
         | I first went to the Web site, but couldn't tell what it was.
         | 
         | So started this video, but it's 21 minutes of high-noise
         | entertainment.
         | 
         | Jumping around, I got about 21 seconds of information, and
         | guessed at the rest.
         | 
         | It looks like some kind of 3D-printable physical storage
         | containers/compartments that fit to a grid, like desk drawer
         | organizer trays.
        
           | Forge36 wrote:
           | Yes that's pretty much it
        
           | travisporter wrote:
           | That's what the first paragraph of tfa says.
           | 
           | Also YouTube is mainly for entertainment so that shouldn't be
           | a surprise.
        
           | chaostheory wrote:
           | Both the intro and commercial take about 4 minutes
           | 
           | The guy makes his STL freely available. The least anyone can
           | do is to fully watch his video so that the YouTube algorithm
           | won't punish him
        
             | neilv wrote:
             | The least anyone can do is to not waste their time, and let
             | the video rightly be punished.
        
               | bioemerl wrote:
               | I don't understand, the guy explains what's going on
               | within the first minute
        
               | walls wrote:
               | Then he should turn that one minute into text and add it
               | to the website.
        
               | cloakedcode wrote:
               | Front page of the site:
               | 
               | > Gridfinity could be your workshop's ultimate modular
               | storage system to keep you productive, organized, and
               | safe. It is free, open source, and almost 100% 3D
               | printable.
        
               | panzagl wrote:
               | These comments remind me of watching 'Chopped' where
               | someone overcooks a fish by like, a minute, and the
               | judges get so offended and go off about the food being
               | 'inedible' How dare someone expect me to comprehend a
               | sentence or watch a 5 minute video...
        
       | monkmartinez wrote:
       | I have been printing these containers like a madman. They are
       | really, really good.
       | 
       | I organized our junk drawer in the kitchen with them and I was
       | basically hailed as a rockstar by the family. we had these little
       | baskets from ikea that did a decent job, but now we have
       | dedicated battery storage, pencil/pen trays, thumb drive holders,
       | odd/ends screws and bolts, etc. I am currently printing a jewelry
       | system for my daughters earrings, rings and necklaces. I am
       | relatively certain my wife will want one when she sees it in
       | action.
       | 
       | It is a really cool system that solves some real problems for
       | people like me who dabble in a ton of shit (hobbies).
       | 
       | Zach is hilarious if you ask me, I really enjoy his videos. His
       | discord is very inclusive even for a very rough around the edges
       | guy like myself, its not too in your face.
        
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       (page generated 2022-12-10 23:01 UTC)