Alex Gibson - edumaker
@alex.edumaker.net
I'm here to make your #3dprint innovation happen.
Director of Edumaker Limited;
Project manager, technologist, 3D printing consultant;
Rabbit hole speleologist
Director of Edumaker Limited;
Project manager, technologist, 3D printing consultant;
Rabbit hole speleologist
Chase it all down with a Berocca for the full house.*
*Not medical advice
*Not medical advice
November 20, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Chase it all down with a Berocca for the full house.*
*Not medical advice
*Not medical advice
Some part of his mind, where the empathy should be, is hardwired to seek strength or weakness and attack it or try to flatter and use it to his advantage.
It disgusts you and me, and it will be the last part of his mind to let go.
It disgusts you and me, and it will be the last part of his mind to let go.
November 20, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Some part of his mind, where the empathy should be, is hardwired to seek strength or weakness and attack it or try to flatter and use it to his advantage.
It disgusts you and me, and it will be the last part of his mind to let go.
It disgusts you and me, and it will be the last part of his mind to let go.
I went to an independent [private, but not Eton posh] boys school in the UK. Bullying was horrific, and I was the perfect target. I'm fine now.
But I remember an English class on Lord of the Flies where classmates force-identified me with the character 'Piggy'.
We are ALL 'piggy' to this grotesque.
But I remember an English class on Lord of the Flies where classmates force-identified me with the character 'Piggy'.
We are ALL 'piggy' to this grotesque.
November 20, 2025 at 12:35 AM
I went to an independent [private, but not Eton posh] boys school in the UK. Bullying was horrific, and I was the perfect target. I'm fine now.
But I remember an English class on Lord of the Flies where classmates force-identified me with the character 'Piggy'.
We are ALL 'piggy' to this grotesque.
But I remember an English class on Lord of the Flies where classmates force-identified me with the character 'Piggy'.
We are ALL 'piggy' to this grotesque.
#3Dprinting derp here.
3D printed buildings are usually a terrible idea.
But actually, one sensible application for robotic building is to prepare the ground for, and potentially add customisation to, mostly modular pre-fabricated buildings.
Any actual 3D printing should be as minimal as possible.
3D printed buildings are usually a terrible idea.
But actually, one sensible application for robotic building is to prepare the ground for, and potentially add customisation to, mostly modular pre-fabricated buildings.
Any actual 3D printing should be as minimal as possible.
November 17, 2025 at 4:34 PM
#3Dprinting derp here.
3D printed buildings are usually a terrible idea.
But actually, one sensible application for robotic building is to prepare the ground for, and potentially add customisation to, mostly modular pre-fabricated buildings.
Any actual 3D printing should be as minimal as possible.
3D printed buildings are usually a terrible idea.
But actually, one sensible application for robotic building is to prepare the ground for, and potentially add customisation to, mostly modular pre-fabricated buildings.
Any actual 3D printing should be as minimal as possible.
Interesting. Video game assets on general are a nightmare to 3D print, as they only need to look good on a screen.
November 16, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Interesting. Video game assets on general are a nightmare to 3D print, as they only need to look good on a screen.
Oh absolutely. If you can fix the real cause upstream in Blender, do!
Unfortunately as powerful as Blender is, it remains a major offender for producing non-manifold STL files I receive to 3D print - so I would always check its output.
3D builder used an open source engine from the OG Netfabb BTW.
Unfortunately as powerful as Blender is, it remains a major offender for producing non-manifold STL files I receive to 3D print - so I would always check its output.
3D builder used an open source engine from the OG Netfabb BTW.
November 16, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Oh absolutely. If you can fix the real cause upstream in Blender, do!
Unfortunately as powerful as Blender is, it remains a major offender for producing non-manifold STL files I receive to 3D print - so I would always check its output.
3D builder used an open source engine from the OG Netfabb BTW.
Unfortunately as powerful as Blender is, it remains a major offender for producing non-manifold STL files I receive to 3D print - so I would always check its output.
3D builder used an open source engine from the OG Netfabb BTW.
Try opening in Microsoft 3D builder (used to be included in Windows 10, may need to download elsewhere now).
Import, then save as OBJ.
It's pretty good as a fix-all for common issues like this.
Import, then save as OBJ.
It's pretty good as a fix-all for common issues like this.
November 16, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Try opening in Microsoft 3D builder (used to be included in Windows 10, may need to download elsewhere now).
Import, then save as OBJ.
It's pretty good as a fix-all for common issues like this.
Import, then save as OBJ.
It's pretty good as a fix-all for common issues like this.
Just need a sound mixing desk in front of you.
November 16, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Just need a sound mixing desk in front of you.
I would, and I have.
November 16, 2025 at 11:54 AM
I would, and I have.
#3Dprinting (technically invented in the 1980s but took over my life since 2012)
Google Maps. I literally don't know where I would be without it.
Technology has by and large made life massively better and longer for the average human on planet Earth, overall - despite all the obvious abuse of it.
Google Maps. I literally don't know where I would be without it.
Technology has by and large made life massively better and longer for the average human on planet Earth, overall - despite all the obvious abuse of it.
November 16, 2025 at 11:53 AM
#3Dprinting (technically invented in the 1980s but took over my life since 2012)
Google Maps. I literally don't know where I would be without it.
Technology has by and large made life massively better and longer for the average human on planet Earth, overall - despite all the obvious abuse of it.
Google Maps. I literally don't know where I would be without it.
Technology has by and large made life massively better and longer for the average human on planet Earth, overall - despite all the obvious abuse of it.
This is unnecessary and downright evil in either case :(
It's a snake oil vending machine. People are automating the con, and critical thinking is in dire short supply.
It's a snake oil vending machine. People are automating the con, and critical thinking is in dire short supply.
November 15, 2025 at 5:39 PM
This is unnecessary and downright evil in either case :(
It's a snake oil vending machine. People are automating the con, and critical thinking is in dire short supply.
It's a snake oil vending machine. People are automating the con, and critical thinking is in dire short supply.
And this coming from someone motivated, running a core piece of software in my business on RISC OS... i'm not against diversity in any sphere, but it adds cognitive load to keep up to date across many platforms. Pi OS looks basic on the surface but it's the same underneath and runs on everything.
November 15, 2025 at 10:15 AM
And this coming from someone motivated, running a core piece of software in my business on RISC OS... i'm not against diversity in any sphere, but it adds cognitive load to keep up to date across many platforms. Pi OS looks basic on the surface but it's the same underneath and runs on everything.
I believe you and trust your experience.
But that's THE problem Linux has, still, after all this time. I have heard of elementaryOS but wouldn't have named it if you asked me for 5 Linux distros, and if I used it on my desktop it would be subtly different to PiOS on my edge devices - that's work.
But that's THE problem Linux has, still, after all this time. I have heard of elementaryOS but wouldn't have named it if you asked me for 5 Linux distros, and if I used it on my desktop it would be subtly different to PiOS on my edge devices - that's work.
November 15, 2025 at 10:09 AM
I believe you and trust your experience.
But that's THE problem Linux has, still, after all this time. I have heard of elementaryOS but wouldn't have named it if you asked me for 5 Linux distros, and if I used it on my desktop it would be subtly different to PiOS on my edge devices - that's work.
But that's THE problem Linux has, still, after all this time. I have heard of elementaryOS but wouldn't have named it if you asked me for 5 Linux distros, and if I used it on my desktop it would be subtly different to PiOS on my edge devices - that's work.
I've picked Raspberry Pi OS, because for me consistency between platforms beats any other feature in making a business transition. As a Linux dabbler, maintaining the same trusted, consistent experience from my edge computing as I try to use Linux daily is worth forgoing a polished veneer.
2/2
2/2
November 15, 2025 at 9:44 AM
I've picked Raspberry Pi OS, because for me consistency between platforms beats any other feature in making a business transition. As a Linux dabbler, maintaining the same trusted, consistent experience from my edge computing as I try to use Linux daily is worth forgoing a polished veneer.
2/2
2/2
The perennial problem remains: which Linux desktop?
Many are great. None of them quite has the depth of coherence that Windows retains despite Microsoft's best efforts to self sabotage, and to fix this requires a huge amount of unsexy work on the last 5%
Ubuntu or Mint?
1/2
Many are great. None of them quite has the depth of coherence that Windows retains despite Microsoft's best efforts to self sabotage, and to fix this requires a huge amount of unsexy work on the last 5%
Ubuntu or Mint?
1/2
November 15, 2025 at 9:41 AM
The perennial problem remains: which Linux desktop?
Many are great. None of them quite has the depth of coherence that Windows retains despite Microsoft's best efforts to self sabotage, and to fix this requires a huge amount of unsexy work on the last 5%
Ubuntu or Mint?
1/2
Many are great. None of them quite has the depth of coherence that Windows retains despite Microsoft's best efforts to self sabotage, and to fix this requires a huge amount of unsexy work on the last 5%
Ubuntu or Mint?
1/2
Super abundant clean energy would solve a LOT of problems, and it's already possible with the political will.
As a first step we need to decouple energy unit costs from the futures market for fossil gas, so that people and companies are incentivised to literally make hay while the sun shines.
As a first step we need to decouple energy unit costs from the futures market for fossil gas, so that people and companies are incentivised to literally make hay while the sun shines.
November 7, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Super abundant clean energy would solve a LOT of problems, and it's already possible with the political will.
As a first step we need to decouple energy unit costs from the futures market for fossil gas, so that people and companies are incentivised to literally make hay while the sun shines.
As a first step we need to decouple energy unit costs from the futures market for fossil gas, so that people and companies are incentivised to literally make hay while the sun shines.
Possible use:
Guantanamo Bay but for malignant narcissists.
Guantanamo Bay but for malignant narcissists.
November 7, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Possible use:
Guantanamo Bay but for malignant narcissists.
Guantanamo Bay but for malignant narcissists.
