Automatically Slice Your 3D Model for Lasercutting

A free plugin for SketchUp that turns a 3D model into a stack of contours.

Slicer3 is a handy, free plugin for Google SketchUp that does pretty much what it sounds like. It will take any solid 3D model and turn it into slices that follow the contours of the form.

This plugin has a myriad of uses, because the slices can be customized any way you want. You can change the axis to make the stack go in any direction, the thickness of the slices to match the material you’re using, and the spacing to make more or fewer slices.

If the thickness and the spacing are equal, you can make a solid, stepped form like a contour map such as the one in the image above. Slicer3 even has the ability to lay out all the pieces flat on the modeling surface (bottom image). Read more about it on the SketchUp blog.

We mentioned a fairly similar plugin awhile back called Slicemodeler. Look at our earlier post to compare. On minor disadvantage of that one is that it requires a donation of at least $10.

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Sounds like a very handy plugin!

Jon @ WoodMarvels.com

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