Wait, for a sec, donāt be so rash. IF, and thatās a big IF, they can come up with and open controller board, that simply mimics a Form2 controller board, and has all the same features, uses the Preform Software, but doesnāt lock you into the sensors, then Iād be interested.
If on the other hand, this will turn a Form 2 into cheap DLP printer that relies on open software like Cura or whatever, then no. The reason why we paid the extra money is the software. Itās the Preform software ease of use and flexibility that makes the FormLabs printers unique, no the hardware.
Imagine being able to put a tank in, not worry about silly errors like is the tank the correct tank is it in or not, then have a generic cartridge dispenser that you can simply tell it what resin you have based on profiles YOU can create, enable or disable the heater or wiper as you want/need? Now that would be nice.
But wait⦠Do we really need a piece of hardware to do that? NO, it could easily be done if FormLabs chose to open up the software, and make public the information on their profiles, which would allow 3rd party vendors to create optimized resins.
But then again, thatās not in FormLabs financial interest is it? Competition is an ugly word in their vocabulary.