Flatterer Add-on prepares your Blender scenes for laser cutting

Have you ever wanted to turn your 3D designs into laser-cuttable shapes? Look no further than Flatterer, a free Blender add-on created by Sybren Stüvel. This powerful tool easily exports boxes, enclosures, and other made-for-laser-cutting designs to SVG.

Flatterer comes with a .blend file that includes an example box, illustrating how the add-on is meant to be used. Among its features are the ability to automatically pack SVG shapes, engrave marked edges, and expand cuts to correct for laser width (kerf compensation). It also aids in setting up the scene for millimeter precision and adding a solidify modifier for material thickness. However, it should be noted that Flatterer does not currently support slicing of 3D models.

Flatterer Options

To install Flatterer, simply download the add-on and install it through Blender's preferences. Once installed, users can access a panel in the 3D Viewport side-bar for export settings and options. These settings, such as laser width and material length, can be adjusted for each blend file.

Flatterer also includes a variety of packing options, including the ability to sort shapes by different criteria and the option to rotate shapes by 90 degrees. Additionally, a "Exclude from Export" option is available for individual objects, allowing users to select all objects and export only the desired shapes.

2D design of a laser-cuttable part.

Overall, Flatterer is a valuable addition to any Blender user's toolkit, making the process of turning 3D designs into laser-cuttable shapes much more efficient and streamlined. For a full list of features and instructions for usage, check out the Flatterer software page on Sybren's site.