Plugin for adding laser cutter tabs

jonbowen234 · 8 Nov 2013, 19:51

I spend a lot of time making tabs on stuff so I can fit them together after they have been laser cut. It's rather annoying. I've spend to some time looking for plugins but I have not been able to find one that works. I did find Slots 4 Tabs but it doesn't seem to work in the new version and appears to be rather old. I'd like to get something that automatically makes the tabs but I can work with something that works like Slots for Tabs or even just one that allows me to intersect components without switching to Pro.

Any ideas?

Dave R · 8 Nov 2013, 20:02

Have you tried the Flattery plugin?

BTW, you don't need the pro version to make intersections.

jonbowen234 · 8 Nov 2013, 20:15

I have flattery but the tab function doesn't work on 3D solids. I like to rough in my pieces and then add the tabs but flattery creates more work in the process and I can't specify lengths/squareness. It just takes the entire line segment and adds a tab. I need something to add like 5 tabs equal distance from each other and equal size along this parts edge.

Also I need to intersect components not faces. Intersecting faces is a nightmare to clean up and not worth the time. I want to overlap two components and then intersect them without ever breaking the components up. Then I could make keys with the tab pattern in them and create the first piece then mate it to the second and intersect again.

Slot 4 Tab would be really close to what I need but it's not working and the thread has not been updated since 2010.