3 ms·

While my comment was a bit glib, new features do have a tendency to introduce complexity & bugs on seemingly entirely unrelated parts of software. If CUPS is go

While my comment was a bit glib, new features do have a tendency to introduce complexity & bugs on seemingly entirely unrelated parts of software. If CUPS is going to make a big push on integrating 3d printing, I'd bet you that it causes more than one bug with the normal 2d printing, even if it is a compile-time option. I just hope that the 3d part of CUPS is easily removable... I'd hate to see it part of the common user experience, CUPS already has a reputation for a complex and bewildering UI as-is.

jfoster 11y ago
Couldn't this argument be used against adding any new features to any established software? I agree that adding new features will introduce new defects. Should we allow fear of new defects to define what software should do?
TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
> While my comment was a bit glib, new features do have a tendency to introduce complexity & bugs on seemingly entirely unrelated parts of software. This is true. Given CUPS's modularity, I think this won't add too much complexity, though. > I just hope that the 3d part of CUPS is easily removable... I'd hate to see it part of the common user experience, CUPS already has a reputation for a complex and bewildering UI as-is. I don't imagine it affecting the normal user experience at all. 3D printers are still printers and presumably configured similarly.
- Vendan 11y ago
  meh, the only similarities between 3d printers and "normal" printers is the word printer in the name and the fact that they are output devices. 3d printers have much more in common with 3 axis CNC machines then with printers. In fact, the control code that many hobbyist 3d printers use is actually based on the control code used by CNC machines.
  - makomk 11y ago
    There are 3 axis CNC machines out there that use the Windows printer spooler, believe it or not.
  - zokier 11y ago
    I thought that too first, but actually they do seem quite similar. Main difference from computers point of view is that paper printers take in postscript and 3d printers take in gcode. Of course the printer itself is completely different but that is all quite opaque to the computer.
    - Vendan 11y ago
      If you want to be that pedantic, there is little difference between a monitor and a printer. There are a lot of configuration differences between 3d printers and normal.

jfoster 11y ago

Couldn't this argument be used against adding any new features to any established software? I agree that adding new features will introduce new defects. Should we allow fear of new defects to define what software should do?

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago

> While my comment was a bit glib, new features do have a tendency to introduce complexity & bugs on seemingly entirely unrelated parts of software. This is true. Given CUPS's modularity, I think this won't add too much complexity, though. > I just hope that the 3d part of CUPS is easily removable... I'd hate to see it part of the common user experience, CUPS already has a reputation for a complex and bewildering UI as-is. I don't imagine it affecting the normal user experience at all. 3D printers are still printers and presumably configured similarly.

Vendan 11y ago
meh, the only similarities between 3d printers and "normal" printers is the word printer in the name and the fact that they are output devices. 3d printers have much more in common with 3 axis CNC machines then with printers. In fact, the control code that many hobbyist 3d printers use is actually based on the control code used by CNC machines.
- makomk 11y ago
  There are 3 axis CNC machines out there that use the Windows printer spooler, believe it or not.
- zokier 11y ago
  I thought that too first, but actually they do seem quite similar. Main difference from computers point of view is that paper printers take in postscript and 3d printers take in gcode. Of course the printer itself is completely different but that is all quite opaque to the computer.
  - Vendan 11y ago
    If you want to be that pedantic, there is little difference between a monitor and a printer. There are a lot of configuration differences between 3d printers and normal.