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https://github.com/iridiumio/polycut

Polycut is a tool designed to import SVG files and convert them to 2D GCode to run on 3D Printers that have blades/pens/knives/foil stampers or other tools attached. It also directly supports uploading to a networked 3D Printer via Klipper. Think of it as an alternative to buying a Cricut if you already have a 3D Printer.
https://github.com/iridiumio/polycut

3d-printing dotnet dotnet-8 drawing foiling plotters svg vinyl-cutter windows-11

Last synced: 11 days ago
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Polycut is a tool designed to import SVG files and convert them to 2D GCode to run on 3D Printers that have blades/pens/knives/foil stampers or other tools attached. It also directly supports uploading to a networked 3D Printer via Klipper. Think of it as an alternative to buying a Cricut if you already have a 3D Printer.

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README 

          



If you've already got a 3D Printer, you shouldn't need to buy a separate Cricut or Silhouette machine.
 



Polycut is a tool designed to import SVG files and convert them to 2D GCode to run on 3D Printers that have blades/pens/knives/foil stampers or other tools attached. It also directly supports uploading to a networked 3D Printer via Klipper. 

 



 





  

   




 



Download Here



# Features



### Drawing Canvas:

- Import multiple SVGs, arrange and scale them (currently you need to have them grouped how you want in advance as groups can't be separated yet) with a resizable/rotatable cutting mat to help line things up

    - Support for any size 3D printer bed since all we really need is the bed dimensions; right now the default is named `Ender 3 S1` at 235x235mm but you can adjust and save the dimensions to anything; proper adding/editing names is planned.

- Draw basic shapes (line, ellipse, rectangle, path) and text elements directly onto the canvas (best used for creating cutout lines for easier weeding of vinyl)

- Objects can be resized and re-positioned as needed. I do however recommend using a program such as `Inkscape` to actually create your SVGs exactly how you want them, and then using PolyCut as the slicer



### Tool Modes:

- Cutting mode - generates outline paths for a drag knife or cutter (e.g. Roland Vinyl Cutter); importantly, has configurable swivel offsets that account for the blade's diameter, to ensure sharp corners remain sharp.

- Drawing mode - generate paths and fills in a hatch / crosshatch pattern

- (More modes planned, though editing the settings of the above two modes can allow for foiling and embossing as well)



### Generators:

There are two generators currently included with Polycut; `Polycut.Core` and `GCodePlot`

- **Polycut.Core**: Created for Polycut, but still experimental. It supports cutting and drawing, and most importantly, it can process text elements without having to convert them to paths first. However it has a few drawbacks for now:

    - Even if a shape does not have a fill in the SVG, it will still be filled

    - Complex shapes can cause problems with cutting/drawing accuracy.

- **GCodePlot**: Created by @arpruss, with a few tweaks by myself that haven't made it into the base repository yet. This is a more tried-and-tested generator with more consistent results.

    -  but importantly it **cannot** handle text elements that haven't been converted to paths first. 

There are other features that are supported by one or the other; these are appropriately enabled/disabled when you switch between the two.



### Preview

- 2D rendering of toolpaths including a preview mode that renders the lines in the order the 3D printer will process them (at 20x speed)

- Note: This gets laggy **very** quickly if you have intricate designs or you set the precision too high

- GCode preview also shows estimated time and total drawing/cutting length. These details are also visible to Klipper



### Export

- Save to GCode file, or

- Send to a networked 3D printer using Klipper/Moonraker. Other services should be relatively straightforward to implement if requested. No support for password-protected Moonraker instances so far though

    - Option to auto-start running the file after upload



### Monitor

- Simply takes the provided URL from the export tab and renders the webpage; handy for monitoring Klipper from within the app rather than opening a separate browser



 



# Requirements

- Windows 10 v1809 or higher (Windows 11 required for Mica effects).

    - Technically it could work as far back as Windows 7 but I haven't tested it.  



 



# Additional Screenshots





   

  




# Background

I have a 3D printer. I wanted to get into bookbinding, which utilises a lot of vinyl designs that typically require a Cricut, Silhouette or similar vinyl cutter that costs as much as a 3D printer. A 3D printer is already a perfectly good 3-axis system, capable of <200 micron cutting/drawing precision.

General solutions do exist for creating GCode from SVG files already - You can convert SVGs to GCode from within Cura, but it doesn't account for the diameter of a swivel blade, and thus corners are never crisp; Inkscape has its own inbuilt GCodeTools but it is extremely kludgy; InkCut looks to be nice, but it refuses to run on my PC. 



GCodePlot by @arpruss is an excellent extension to Inkscape - by far the best I found (and in fact, you can use it from within Polycut) but on its own, it isn't quite *smooth* enough. You have to chop up a 12" cutting mat to fit on a standard 3d printer bed, and you never quite know where to line everything up. First I created a [template](https://github.com/IridiumIO/PolyCut/assets/1491536/dd7d9973-3343-4935-85e9-bdc71f112550) for Inkscape that had a [pre-chopped cutting mat in it](https://github.com/IridiumIO/PolyCut/assets/1491536/623fe8d8-3cfd-4ae9-a5e2-e2841f8a1561). Then modified GCodePlot to allow exporting from Inkscape's export menu, added support for ignoring hidden/locked layers, and added Moonraker upload support. That should have been enough for me.



But then I got ambitious...



### Tutorial on setting up Klipper to quickly swap between 3D printing and non-printing modes 

[Klipper Setup.md](https://github.com/IridiumIO/PolyCut/blob/master/Klipper%20Setup.md#klipper-setup)



### 3D-printable mount for holding swivel blade/pens

If you have an Ender 3 S1 or other printer that can take [this hotswap mount](https://properprinting.pro/product/creality-ender3s1-simpletoolchanger/), then you can [get my current vinyl cutter holder here](https://www.printables.com/model/741765). 



Otherwise, you'll find vinyl cutters on Printables/Thingiverse. I *strongly* recommend using one that has a spring in it, because a 3D printer bed is nowhere near level enough for the accuracy needed to consistently cut through vinyl. A spring will allow a bit of flexibility and pressure to keep the blade in contact with the cutting mat. 



# Issues and Planned Features

[See the document here](https://github.com/IridiumIO/PolyCut/blob/master/PolyCut.Core/Issues.md#issues)



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