Box laser cutting software share

I create most of my designs for laser cutting in Inkscape but over time I also collected a list of useful file generators for laser cutting. In this post, I want to share those with you.

All of the generators in the list below are browser-based so you don’t need to download and install any software. They are also all free to use for private projects without any need for registration.

Boxes

Boxes are a great example of projects where generators come in very handy. While it is not difficult to design a simple box, things can quickly become time-consuming when you start adding finger joints or internal dividers.

MakerCase is a free web tool for designing custom project cases. It is very simple to use. When you enter the dimensions and material thickness of your box, MakerCase generates a 3D model that can be rotated on the screen. I really like the 3D preview because you can directly see how your box is going to look like.

There are three different options for joints: flat, finger and t-slot. Once you click the “Download Box Plans” button you can customize your file or example by selecting line colors and line weight. There is also the possibility to specify kerf compensation.

Download File Type: SVG or DXF

Boxes.py is an open-source box generator. It comes with a library of all kinds of boxes –  not just rectangular boxes but also boxes with rounded corners, hinges and more. In addition, you can also design other objects such as shelves, drawer inserts or living hinge patterns.

The possibilities with this tool are huge. If you want to dive into the more advanced settings there is some learning curve. I find parts of the descriptions for the settings not intuitive. It takes some time to discover what changing a certain setting will mean for the end result.

Boxes․py is free software licensed under GPL v3+.  There is also an Inkscape plug-in for Boxes.py and you can use Python code to create your own generators.

Download File Type: AI, DXF, GCODE, PDF, PLT, PS, or SVG

Make a box does exactly what its name says. It has a very intuitive user interface and produces nice boxes with symmetric finger joints.

Download File Type: PDF

A nice little generator for creating files for laser cut boxes. Not the most beautiful user interface if you ask me but it is working very well and there is a live preview of your drawing, so you can see what you will get.

You can choose between different box types like for example open or closed box. It is also possible to create boxes with a slope and add dividers to a box.

Download File Type: DXF

All of the previously mentioned generators are mainly for making boxes out of wood, acrylic or a similar material. This one is different. Template Maker is a collection of customizable templates for paper boxes.

There are some premium templates that require a payment to be downloaded but most of the templates are free to use under a Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 License.

Download File Type: PDF, SVG and DXF

Gears

With a laser cutter, even the complex profiles of involute gears are easy to cut once you have a vector drawing for the gears you want to create. The difficulty lies with creating the drawing for the gears. Manually creating a drawing for functional gears is quite complex and time-consuming. Because of this most CAD software for technical drawings come with some sort of gear generator.
If you don’t want to use a CAD program and just need some meshing gears, the following online generators are for you.

Involute Spur Gear Builder is an open-source, browser-based utility for calculating and drawing gears. The tool also supports internal gears and rack and pinion assemblies. Many parameters such as circular pitch or pressure angle can be configured.

Download File Type: DXF

Choose between and rectangular, triangular, circular and hexagonal mazes. Free to use for private projects and you can buy a license for commercial projects.

Download File Type:  PDF, SVG, PNG

Other File Generators for Laser Cutting

Some other file generators that don’t fit in any of the categories above

Make your own jigsaw puzzles without having to draw every single piece.

Download File Type:  SVG

A  free and open-source online tool for nesting – i.e., arranging multiple parts to use as little material as possible.
There is also a free to download app with advanced functionality available: Deepnest.io

Do you know of any other online generators for laser cutting? Let me know in the comments and I will add them to the list!