What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

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koirat
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 5:24 pm

What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by koirat »

My current workflow looks like that:

I go to the draft and select body/bodies.
Next set view to top and Modification->Shape 2D View.
Next I move all the 2D shapes so they don't intersect also I try to align them to optimize space usage.
Next I select all the shapes and File->Export to dxf


My dreams workflow:
- I can select multiple parts or groups not only Bodies but I will have 2D shape created for every body separately. (currently when i select Part I get 2D shape for the whole part)

- Shapes will not intersect and will be packed relatively tight. (Like automatic UV unwrapping (with islands) in 3d modeling software)


Any Tips ?
drmacro
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Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:35 pm

Re: What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by drmacro »

My laser uses gcode, so sketch, Path workbench, generate gcode, import gcode to laser control, burn
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Spock: "...His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
koirat
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 5:24 pm

Re: What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by koirat »

I don't have a laser cut device and companies want dxf, sometimes they provide online cost calculator that is using dxf format.
So I need dxf In the end, but the question is how fast can I generate it. My current workflow is slow.
drmacro
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Re: What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by drmacro »

koirat wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:45 pm ...
Any Tips ?
You may be expecting too much magic...

:mrgreen:
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Spock: "...His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
user1234
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Posts: 3345
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2016 5:08 pm

Re: What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by user1234 »

https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Arch_Nest

But in real live, the parts are arranged by hand.
koirat wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:45 pm My dreams workflow
This is a technical forum, so dreams and magic are not relevant here. Ideas or conception are relevant.

Greetings
user1234
koirat
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 5:24 pm

Re: What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by koirat »

Unfortunately ArchNest gives me an error:
Executing conformity tests ... One of the shapes does not contain exactly one face. Aborting
So I guess it will not work for shapes prepared for laser-cut.
drmacro
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Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:35 pm

Re: What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by drmacro »

user1234 wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:31 pm https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Arch_Nest

But in real live, the parts are arranged by hand.
koirat wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:45 pm My dreams workflow
This is a technical forum, so dreams and magic are not relevant here. Ideas or conception are relevant.

Greetings
user1234
As far back as the 1980's there was nesting software for sheet metal manufacturing. They take a list of the shapes to be cut and arrange them so as to minimize waste, required clearance, etc.

I know of nothing like that in FreeCAD, but several software programs do appear in a web search.

But, they probably require 2D geometry files as input.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Spock: "...His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
chrisb
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Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:14 am

Re: What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by chrisb »

Path workbench has a dxf postprocessor. Try it and see if your dream has already come true.
A Sketcher Lecture with in-depth information is available in English, auf Deutsch, en français, en español.
koirat
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 5:24 pm

Re: What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by koirat »

chrisb wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 6:16 am Path workbench has a dxf postprocessor. Try it and see if your dream has already come true.
I have a macro that is selecting all the visible bodies so I can batch 2DView them, I already made first step to walk a path of my dream.
For now I'm satisfied, experimenting with new workbench right now will harm the time of my work.
skintigh
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2022 3:56 pm

Re: What is the optimal workflow for lasercut.

Post by skintigh »

This website nests your SVGs. But it wants everything to be "children" and it ignored all of my gears... much like every feature in FreeCAD does...

https://svgnest.com/
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