Thank you, and please be patient

[henmedia]

layerling is growing faster than I expected. More people use it every day, and with them come more bug reports, more ideas and more questions here. Thank you, that is what I hoped for when I started.

I work on it at a high pace: on 16 October alone there were five releases. Still, it is getting more than I can answer at once.

If your post waits for an answer, it is not forgotten. I read every one of them, and I answer every one. My way of working is built around exactly that. It can take a while, because I try to put things in order: first what stops you from working or loses your work, then what helps many people, then wishes and ideas.

What helps me most:

• One topic per post, and a look at the existing ones first; a thumbs-up on a post that is yours too is enough.
• For a bug: the version (it is in the footer), the browser, the steps, and the design as a .lyl file. The Report a bug button in the footer makes a ZIP with all of it.
• No need to write again to remind me; I see the new messages.
• If you can build something yourself, a pull request is welcome: CONTRIBUTING.md says how.

If layerling is useful to you and you would like to help me keep this pace, there is a small page for that: https://layerling.com/support.html. It is very welcome, and thank you for every kind word that comes with it.

[WagnerBoyzRacing]

Keep up good work Hen. Your killing it. Probably pulling your hair out but your doing amazing! Thank you for all your doing stefan!

-WagZ-

[BigToyBox]

Is there a plan to create the ability to bring in an editable STEP file?

[henmedia]

@BigToyBox welcome, and thank you for the question. layerling opens STEP files already: drop the .step or .stp file in the import window. The body keeps its exact CAD geometry, so you can chamfer, fillet and hollow it, cut holes in it and move it, and the STEP export writes it exactly again. What it does not keep is the recipe the file was made from: there is no feature tree with sketches and dimensions to change afterwards, as in Fusion 360 or FreeCAD, because a STEP file usually does not carry one. Which of the two did you mean, or is there something in a STEP file that you could not change? If you tell me what you tried and attach the file, I can look at it.

If layerling is useful to you and you would like to support it, there is a small page for that: https://layerling.com/support.html

[BigToyBox]

The one thing 3D printer hobbyists need is more tools to edit one of the millions of STL and step files out there... for example snapping to the center of a bolt hole on the imported body. Personally I convert STL to STEP and then jump into Shapr3D or Fusion to modify the part.
I have decades of CAD experience and 15 years of 3D printing experience and can whip out parts from scratch quickly, but when I am asked about 3D printing, most people feel that without CAD skills they will never be able to use a 3D printer to make parts. They want to start from a STL or STEP they find online and modify it slightly to suit their application. Parametric generators are booming but the need to edit one of the millions of existing item out there is real. Exposing them to Shapr3D, Fusion, or Freecad is overwhelming for a non CAD hobbyist. Layerling is a fantastic tool. Thank you. I will be recommending it to new hobbyists instead of TinkerCAD.

[henmedia]

@BigToyBox thank you, that is a clear picture of who needs this, and thank you for recommending layerling to new hobbyists. Changing a part that someone found online, a little, to fit a purpose is a use I want to work well.

For your example, there is a way today to snap to the centre of a bolt hole: click the round edge of the hole with the tape measure, then press the crosshair button under the measurement, Mark the middle as a reference point. The point sits in the centre of that circle, on an imported mesh too, and a shape that you drag snaps to it like to a corner. I have not tried it on parts like yours, so if it does not work well on a file of yours, tell me which one.

[makinglayerschannel]

I think you're a victim of your own creation. This project blew up and blew up fast. I think sketchforge-3d had a similar issue, but he got overwhelmed much faster.

If I may offer a suggestion: I think you've outgrown this format (github discussion groups). I think it's time to move to a ticketing system such as Jira (I am not a fan of Jira, so I'm not suggesting a specific product). I'm NOT a programmer, but have worked with SaaS products from a support perspective and think I understand the workflow (I may not!).

I'd suggest setting up a bug ticket type and a feature request ticket type. Both need to be well-defined as to the requirements. If a ticket is submitted that doesn't meet the requirements, you kick it back and have the user provide the needed information.

I would also suggest that you slow down the releases and make each release larger, but less frequent. The pace you are working at will crush you.

I say all of the above from a place of support and appreciation. You are crushing this project; I don't want it to crush you.

[henmedia]

@makinglayerschannel thank you, I take this as it is meant. You are right that the pace is high, and I am glad you see it from the support side.

Some of what you describe exists already: bugs go through an issue form that asks for version, browser, steps and the design, and the Report a bug button in the footer builds the ZIP with all of it. Ideas and questions stay in the discussions on purpose, because many people add to them with a thumbs-up and comments. For the releases: I ship small and often because a fix reaches you the same day, but I hear that it is a lot to follow.

[MartinShake]

Hen you are absolutely killing it! Pace yourself! I have never seen an app develop at such a speed!

Look after yourself!

Martin

[henmedia]

@MartinShake thank you, that is kind of you. I will pace myself, and I am glad the speed shows.

[TootEmCarMan]

Firstly I have to say what a fantastic bit of work Layerling is, it has made my 3d designing soooooo much sleeker and easier. Well done indeed sir! :)

Had an idea for the future that you may want to perhaps think about. Layerling as fantastic as it already is would benefit from a companion program "Sliceling".

Layerling because of it's name and it's many well thought out features already "feels" like it is tilted toward 3d printing rather than general CAD so "Sliceling" would be the slicing on the cake (deliberate word play there).

I also agree with Martin, make sure you don't burn yourself out.

[henmedia]

@TootEmCarMan thank you for the kind words, and for the wish that I look after myself. A "Sliceling" is a nice name, but slicing is a big field of its own and layerling does not do it: the slicers you already use, like OrcaSlicer, Bambu Studio or PrusaSlicer, are very good at it, and layerling hands over to them with a 3MF or STL export. If you'd like to support the project, a small donation is very welcome.

[somatesthasia]

Hey man, I just wanted to say thank you. Layerling is everything I've always wanted but never knew I needed.

[henmedia]

@somatesthasia thank you, that is lovely to read. I'm glad layerling turned out to be the tool you were missing. If you run into something that doesn't work or you'd like to see, just open a new post.

If you'd like to support the project, a small donation is very welcome.

[somatesthasia]

I did! Then I came to say thank you directly. It wasn't a big donation, but I hope it buys you a fancy coffee or something :)

[henmedia]

@somatesthasia oh, then thank you twice, and sorry for the extra donation note, I hadn't put the two together. Every donation counts, and a fancy coffee is exactly what keeps the releases coming. ☕