How To Design & Export A Laser Cutting File From Blender 2.83 | Tutorial |(Blender To Laser Cutter)

A video showing you how to do a simple design in blender 2.83 to then export it for laser cutting. Blender is starting to become an incredibly powerful and versatile tool for a myriad of things. This video will show you how to go about designing and setting offset for laser cutting in blender, as well as how to export the outline of an object for laser cutting.

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Time Stamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:13 - What This Video Is about
1:06 - Modeling Finger Joint Box
10:46 - Adding the Laser Kerf Offset
12:07 - Creating Final Surface Method 1
12:52 - Creating Final Surface Method 2
13:52 - Creating Final Surface Method 3
15:50 - Manual Nesting
17:10 - Exporting Using Outline2SVG
18:25 - Vector editing Final touches
19:08 - Closing Notes

[noahlevine]

It's so fortunate that you just happen to have videos for my shop needs. You're really a wonderful resource.

[cephi_sui]

Great video. One thing that I did run into though is that to use the key shortcut for auto boolean ctrl + shift + [-], you have to have the bool tool add-on enabled. Also the key is numpad minus, not the normal one. Bit confusing, but I got there eventually.

[gbo_typc]

i did install outline to svg (the most recent version, in dec 2023) but i don't have all the parameters you have in your "outline to svg" tab.

so i can't set the camera up to the size we want for the svg file or change the DPI value

[nerro]

Are you going to make more tutorials using Blender to design mdf cuts?
In particular I want to know how one would use Blender to create cuts of complicated 3D shapes, like model vehicles for example.
Or even if Blender is a good software to make them and if I'm better off learning something else like rhino 3d.

[Oleksandr_Minakov]

I have a rule, if the object is symmetrical, I first add a mirror modifier. And then I model half or a quarter.

[ThatGuy-gook]

I'm curious have you done any wood relief pieces using the Glowforge? If so does Blender allow you to make 3D images into reliefs?

Thanks and great tutorials.

[pikaplorp]

Great Videos! I'm completely new to blender and am learning so much. I keep running into a problem in this tutorial around the 5 minute mark, where you use the bool tool to cut out the finger joints from the plane. For some reason the bool tool won't work for me. Either the 10 rectangles disappear leaving a flat plane or the rectangles will only cut out a few of the joints. I've started the tutorial from scratch several times and can't figure out where I've gone wrong. The only Idea I have is that I'm working on a mac and version 2.90.1 of blender. Any ideas what might be going wrong?

[thaaer_shaabo]

how shift +ctrl+ - make boolean operation ?

[Sebastian-Florin]

Hi mate! blender 2.92 why doesn't the command work: ctrl & shift - ? when I give the command, ctrl &shift -, the plan disappears and I don't cut it if I don't subdivide before applying the order. if I make a subdivision, the corners come out rounded. thank you!!!

[phoeberia]

So.. when I hit ctrl + Shift + - it makes everything invisible, I have the Bool Tool enabled too.

[claudiaviruenas]

ctrl + shift +(-) ?
I can not implement this command, it does nothing can you support me

[fritzmarsden]

Could there be a reason why when I press ctrl + alt + - it doesnt remove the rectangles from the sheet?

[rbettsx]

Love your videos on 2D /3D offsetting, and exporting outlines. Very handy indeed. Your lessons are very nicely produced, and address an important niche.

As you said, there are many ways to skin a monkey. In this one, again, I personally think there are some Blenderish approaches which could save me a lot of time. Not right or wrong: it's just the way people from different backgrounds think. If it were me, I wouldn't see any need for Booleans or arrays at all.

Working in the flat, I would just make precise edge loops, using either Edge > Subdivide, or Ctrl-R, or Knife, and snapping, winding up with a rectangular face cut by a grid of edges in the right places. Maybe I would duplicate chunks. Then I would just delete appropriate faces to make fingers, sockets, holes, and separations of parts, all derived from the same edges across all parts, so guaranteeing a fit. You could even colour them differently while working so you could see what you're doing.

Booleans in a polygonal modelling system are twitchy. They have a lot of work to do. In their most general use, they have to find intersections of surfaces, which is much more than you want, in most cases where I've seen you use them. Knife Project is a powerful alternative, which can be constrained, and project cuts through 2D or 3D objects. It can also project grids, or networks of edges ( with 'Faces Only' deleted ) through other surfaces. You never have to worry about coincident faces, etc.The disadvantage: the tool is destructive. It would be great to have a modifier version.

If I was starting out in Blender, with CAD-type applications in mind, I would want to be very familiar with that tool, along with Limited Dissolve, and all their options.

I really hope I'm not being a PITA. I'm hoping to make a payback for the things I've learned from you. I wouldn't comment at all on content that wasn't worth it.

[ShakuOkami]

Thank you for the video, it was useful! I wonder if it is also possible to accurately connect the parts of the box in the bledder?

[АзизШодиев-иж]

I really enjoy every video of your channel

[SkyfishArt]

Trully is a shame that Blender doesn't have proper support for SVG. Both the grease pencil lines and splines look humanly conceptually similar to vector formats, it's so strange that it is so clumsy and hard to get workflows between blender and inkscape/illustrator. I would easily switch to blender from inkscape/illustrator if it was able to export and import SVG for use with laser cutters / cnc / 3d printing without all the hassle.

[arteturka]

hi,
how can i turn a 3 d image for cutting in cnc laser?

[sajedulislamsakib]

can I import SVG file with color on blender???

[AderGotardo]

Downloaded the Outline SVG 0.0.9, I guess, and this opitions about camera setup and DPI doesn't show in the Blender. What version is that Outline SVG?

[Hello_there_obi]

Thank you for this video - I used to have access to Solidworks and I must say - Blender's way of extrude cutting seems insanely convuluted and dumb to me. I'm sure this is the best way to do it but my god so many steps just to cut a few square teeth!