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A comment on Mechanical Watch. Parent comment

Re:Mechanical Watch by graphe on Monday December 11, 2023 @11:41AM (#38602105)
They’re not complex, just easily taken apart and meant to be repaired by humans. The software isn’t particularly complex either, the reason for their surge recently was due to patents expiring for additive manufacturing. https://futurism.com/expiring-patents-set-to-improve-3d-worl...
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Re:Mechanical Watch by bluescrn on Monday December 11, 2023 @11:52AM (#38602209)
Yeah, I suppose the software to control the printer is the relatively straightforward bit, the complex part is the software that slices the model and converts it into an efficient set of G-code commands for the printer. (That and the software used to create 3D models to begin with...)
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Re:Mechanical Watch by graphe on Monday December 11, 2023 @12:22PM (#38602482)
That isn’t complex either. There was no reason besides patents that 3D printing could have been a reality decades ago. Simple math is all you need and gcode isn’t just 3D printing it’s also for CNC, something that was able to be done around that time.
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