I'm getting a Glowforge Laser cutting machine

So, what's this all about? Well, as many of you may know, I've been a Prusa 3D printer guy for awhile now. And I've also recently gotten into MSLA resin printing. So, to round out my maker lab, I've decided to get a Laser cutter-- and after 60 hours of research, I decided to get a Glowforge. There are certainly pros and cons, and I won't go into them here, but let's just say I weighed things carefully, and especially considered ease-of-use since I want my 26 yr old daughter to also work with it.

As I started to look into the tools for creating designs and objects for lasercutters, I noticed a pretty large hole with regard to 3D modeling. Most all is done using 2D vector programs like Illustrator, Inkscape, Affinity Design (my fave) and a host of other dedicated "cutting" programs. I did find a number of "box generators" online, but they only create rectangular boxes. I wanted to have a bit more control. And one of the big issues you very quickly figure out is understanding how to adjust the "tabs" for the thickness of material. 

Ideally, you want these parts to fit snuggly together, but the width of the laser "cuts out" just a tiny bit of material, and so if the tabs and the slots are exactly the same size when drawn up, the tab will be somewhat "loose" in the slot. Adjusting for that is a trial and error thing. Not to mention there are also times when the material thickness isn't as advertised. 

So, the solution is a non-destructive process where you can continually adjust for kerf width and material thickness. Create your complex box, and then adjust those settings later. So, I did find a great and not well known, or well-used or well-documented addon and spent some time trying to figure it out with little success. Finally, the author, Dr. Sybren A. Stüvel, helped me understand what he was trying to accomplish. Still, by itself it wasn't as non-destructive as I wanted. But, by adding an interesting Boolean workflow, I was able to get to exactly what I wanted-- and thus the video.

BTW, I owe you guys a video for the new materials-- they're great. We have a sale coming up on BM on Wednesday, so I'm trying to get the last parts of QSHOT2 out the door before then-- but right after I'll get to that new material tute-- it's a wonderful material and folks seem to like it quite well, once the understand how to use it!

Best to all, Chipp