Ok, I'll start using components then. Thanks for the help.

@TIG - I like the simplicity of 'components to grid', but how do I get it to work for groups as well as components?

Cut list looks cool, I'll play around with it. I could see it being very useful.

TIG - I think your plugin is simple enough for my needs. As for how the hypothetical plugin could know which way is 'flat', there's a number of methods that it could use. If I'm designing out of 3/4" plywood, one dimension of the object will be 3/4". It could assume that whichever way the 3/4" is oriented "up" is flat. Or, it could just point the smallest dimension up.

Hi everyone!

I've gotten really active in my local Fab Lab, and really enjoy a ShopBot table. For my last couple designs, I mocked them up in SketchUp, then went over to Inkscape to lay out the 2D version. Today, I found a really good source online on how to go from a 3D model to 2D, but I'm missing a step. I like to "assemble" the model virtually first, and I'm having trouble going from the assembled model to the flat layout. What I'd really like is a plugin that takes all selected groups and components, and rotates them and moves them to be flat on the "ground". It would be great if it also drew guides for a 4x8 sheet of plywood (to show you how many sheets a project will need). I've searched the forums and found a couple of plugins that I think will work, but they end up doing a 2D projection or something else that I'm not wanting.

Is there a plugin out there that does what I'm describing?

Thanks!