Like most of SAIC’s campus, the Advanced Output Center will be undergoing major changes to our operations in order to create a safe environment for people using the lab and our staff. These changes can be found here.
Laser Cutting:
- Reservation system
- Walk-in services for laser cutters has been restored.
- While you can walk-in, it is still advisable you make an appointment. These reservations will be made through the Acuity system. Once you have made the reservation in acuity, show up as close to that time as possible and check in with the staff in the front room, who will check out safety glasses for you and tell you which machine you are on.
3D Printing:
- Papercut Job Submission
- The AOC will be switching from google form based job submission to the new Papercut printing service. The full canvas course on how to use Papercut is available here: https://saic.instructure.com/courses/3021228
- Staff Run Ultimakers
- The Ultimakers in the AOC will be staff run devices for the Fall 2021 semester to limit the amount of people in the lab at any time. Ultimakers can be accessed through the Papercut print system.
- At this time users will no not need to provide their own filament. The AOC will provide filament at a comparable cost to last semester, but instead of buying a whole spool, patrons will only be charged for what they use, by weight. Like all AOC 3D printers, you will be informed of the price of your job before printing and you will need to transfer funds from your Papercut account to the AOC before printing will begin.
- 3D Print Pick Up
- When your job is completed, staff will communicate the completion and 3D Prints will be stored in the lockers outside the AOC. Check your email for details of the locker assignment and combination.
3D Scanners:
- Reservation system
- Walk-in services for laser cutters has been restored.
- Like the laser cutters, 3D Scanners are still free to use (as long as you have the certification) but reservations will be made through Acuity now and can no longer be made over the phone or in person.
PC Computer Lab:
- Open Access 24 hours a day when school is open.
- The computer lab is open and available anytime the building is currently open.
Staff Consultations:
- Online only by appointment through Acuity.
- Since patrons will no longer be able to stop in the lab to ask our staff questions about any of our services, the AOC will be offering digital staff consultations. These sessions will be conducted via Zoom and can be signed up for through Acuity. Consultations can be used for questions about any of our equipment or just general advice on how to execute a project.
Hours:
- Potential for Inconsistent Hours
- Hours may also change at relatively short notice due to illness or safety concerns, which may cause certain equipment to be unavailable that day. We will notify all effected patrons if this occurs.
- Midday Closure
- In order to give our staff enough time to properly maintain the equipment and take a lunch break, the AOC will close from 12pm to 1pm everyday except Saturday. There will be no reservations available in the lab during this time.