InkScape/OpenSCAD cookie cutter maker

thingiverse

Create cookie cutters using Inkscape/OpenSCAD! Instructions I had issues using the cookie cutter creator from here http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3433 when I'd create really complex files. It worked great for simple cookie cutters and is the inspiration for this script. His is far easier to use than this, but this will work on complex files and create a clean STL file as a result. While I could clean up the files produced by the original program using Blender/NetFabb, this process too a while. I also had issues where the resulting cookie cutter would only be one strand of filament thick which didn't cut cookies very well. This attempts to resolve all of those issues. Install Inkscape Install Better Better DXF plugin (http://tim.cexx.org/?p=590) Install OpenSCAD You need the Better Better DXF plugin since openSCAD supports only a certain type of DXF and Better Better supports layers which this scad script will need. In InkScape create a new document and draw your cookie cutter with the polygon tool (pencil) On a new layer named "baseoutside" copy your base layer and scale your output up to something your hand can easily fit on. (I use 140%) On a new layer named "baseinside" copy the base layer again and scale downward to get a thickness for the base (I use 75%) On a new layer named "cutterinside" copy the base layer and scale this down just slight bit (%5) On a new layer named "cutteroutside" copy the base layer and scale it up just a slight bit (%5) The script does a difference between your layers to find thickness of blade and the support. It then uses 2 parameters to set the height of each. The produced file should be a solid STL. Issues: 1) If things are not lining up when you load into openSCAD, delete that layer in inkscape, recreate it and save again. This seems to be a problem with the DXF export. I also had issues when I resized the document I would need to recreate each layer. 2) If layers are not appearing, make sure you are using Better Better DXF (it supports layers!) 3) I have a makerbot cupcake so my bed size is limited. I found that by setting the document size in Inkscape to 95x95 then keeping my largest layer of the cookie cutter inside of that would allow me to print the cutter and use the skirt feature of Slic3r without trouble. Notes on development: Initial attempts were to do the scaling off one layer completely in openSCAD, the openSCAD DXF converter plugin lets you get dimensions which was useful but it would randomly place your imported file somewhere in the work area. When scaling it seemed to include the much larger area in the scale and this made alignment problematic. If you have a solution, let me know! I implemented this by using 4 sets of polygons that were generated by a script off the base polygon. I found this method much easier and it allowed me to produce cookie cutters with ease.