Obsessed with Cuttle: Parametric CAD for prototyping, producing, and procrastin
Cuttle is a user-friendly parametric CAD tool for CNC laser cutting, supporting all skill levels with tutorials. It encourages creative experimentation and is actively developed to enhance user experience.
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Cuttle is a web-based parametric CAD tool that has become a primary creative outlet for users interested in CNC laser cutting. The author shares their experience of learning to use the CNC laser cutter at a local makerspace, transitioning from manual tools to programming for design. Cuttle stands out for its user-friendly interface, extensive tutorials, and a supportive community, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users. The author has utilized Cuttle for various projects, including creating decorative bookends, a doorbell chime cover, and music box punch cards. The tool allows for exploration of patterns and shapes, enabling users to parameterize designs and experiment with different configurations. The author highlights the joy of using Cuttle for both practical prototyping and creative exploration, noting that it can be addictive due to its engaging nature. While Cuttle has some limitations, it is actively developed, and the author appreciates its potential for creativity and problem-solving. Overall, Cuttle has proven to be a versatile and enjoyable tool for design and prototyping.
- Cuttle is a user-friendly parametric CAD tool ideal for CNC laser cutting.
- The platform supports both beginners and advanced users with tutorials and templates.
- Users can create and customize a variety of projects, from practical items to artistic explorations.
- Cuttle encourages experimentation with design parameters, enhancing creativity.
- The tool is actively developed, addressing limitations and fostering a vibrant user community.
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10 commentsFrom a programmer's perspective, you can think of Cuttle as a direct manipulation vector editor (like Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator) that can be driven with parameters and JS code where you need it.
Unlike my previous research projects, this is a commercial startup mostly catering to laser cutting small businesses, though you can use it for anything where you want a 2D vector editor + some programmatic capabilities.
I'll try to answer questions that come up in this HN thread.
Thank you for sharing your work Hannah! Very cool stuff!
But then COVID and moving house put an end to that. I’d love to recreate something similar at home - but at a budget.
Does anyone have a low cost laser cutter that actually works? It seems like there’s an increasing number of Chinese ones out there, but quality and capabilities are unclear.
> with an exceptionally shallow learning curve
I'm used to long learning time to incorrectly described as steep, but I haven't seen shallow used as short.
Time to officially deprecate steep and shallow, and use short and long instead.
Is it normal in the states? And is it full of cool projects?
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