You're welcome.
I quite agree - I experimented with the demo's of quite a few CAD packages when we first started making our own hardware at work. IMHO, the speed and simplicity of modelling in SU more than compensates for the hassle of export "tweaking". (plus we have the friendliest and most helpful user forum, and all those incredible Ruby guys "upgrading" the software on a daily basis! Hint, hint )
Here's a few other little tips that may help when designing for laser...
The 'underside' of parts will have a slightly wider kerf due to the way that the laser is focused. So export your outlines looking towards the side where the dimensions are most critical, especially for thick materials (> ~3mm).
If cutting or engraving text, always convert to vector outlines, as fonts often do not translate well.
Don't be tempted to butt parts up against each other to save space; leave a gap of a mm or two. 'Shared' cut lines will often get cut twice, and can spoil the edge of the first part if it moves slightly after being 'released' from the sheet.
Many small laser firms these days are using cheaper imported Chinese machines, and the software for these is often rather arcane and works in non-standard ways - for example our "LaserCut" software treats colours as different 'layers' but doesn't recognise genuine layers within the source file.
As a designer, how are you supposed to know this? So it seems odd to me that the guys who program the machines do not offer to optimise files at their end - a reasonable fee for an 'expert' to do this could be cheaper than paying the designer to spend hours revising their files until they hit on something usable!
Hope your project comes out well,
Trog.
