HI all - I would like to design my own mechanical objects (cranes, planes, cars, clocks etc) for laser cutting as kits. I can buy designs from the web sure but i’m interested in the process from concept to cutting rather than using someone else’ ideas.
So some internet time gives many ideas but I’m wondering if anyone is using Fusion to design using CAD and then export to LB for cutting. Maybe LB can do the whole thing but I can’t seem to get my head around how to draw in 2D for 3D obects with moving parts.
Fusion 360 is one of many 3D cad programs where you draw the profile in 2d then extrude it to 3d. Lightburn can only deal with the 2d so the 3d is used for checking how parts assemble. It’s a lot of work that may not be needed on simple mechanisms.
The free version of fusion is limited to ten parts so it’s not a good package for 2d work. Yes you can do the 2d work in Lightburn as it’s a pretty decent 2d design package.
I switched from Fusion 360 to FreeCAD when AutoDesk started manipulating the capabilities a couple of years ago and it too works great for 3D and 2D CAD. As for making laser cuttable designs one method is to design in 3D and then do projections(slices) of the 3D design for laser cutting.
Another method would be use a 3D printer slicer on the 3D object(STL) and set the layer thickness to your desired slice thickness to get model parts to export and then import into the laser cutter.
You’ll have to add your own tabs and interlocking elements if needed. I’ve not run across a do-all tool to make things like you see you can purchase for assembly which look laser cut.