Turn a 3D shape into flat slices you cut on a laser or CNC and put together by hand. Pick a heart, a sphere, a dragon egg, a vase, a star, a bear head, a whale, a landscape or your own word, or drop in your own STL or OBJ model. The tool slices it, cuts the slots, names every part, lays the parts out on your sheets and shows the finished sculpture in 3D, with an animation of it going together.
How to use it
- 1. Pick a shape, or upload your STL or OBJ (it never leaves your computer).
- 2. Pick how it goes together: interlocked slices, stacked layers, radial fins with rings, or a twisted stack.
- 3. Set the size and your material, and type the thickness you measured.
- 4. Download the LightBurn file, SVG or DXF, and the assembly guide.
What you can make
- • Interlocked sculptures of hearts, spheres and animals, as gifts or shop pieces
- • Stacked topographic landscapes and bowls from layers of plywood
- • Radial lamps and vases, and 3D words that stand on a base
Make it your own
Fine-tune slices: turn the slices, set the angle between the two sets, or open Edit slices in 3D to pick one slice and drag it, nudge it, add one beside it or delete it. The slots follow.
Download for LightBurn with cut, score and fold lines already on separate layers, ready for your own power and speed. The SVG and DXF open in Illustrator, Inkscape, xTool Creative Space and Glowforge (and CAD for the DXF) for any further fine-tuning. The STL is for a 3D printer or CNC.
Open Customise more for every setting, press Random or Remix for a fresh look, and Copy link to save or share the design. Every design is drawn by the tool, so what you make is original and yours to sell.
Questions
What is a slice sculpture?
A 3D shape cut from flat sheets. The slices either slot into each other like a crate divider (interlocked), stack and glue like a topographic map (stacked), or fan round a centre held by rings (radial). You cut them on a laser or CNC and put them together by hand.
Can I use my own 3D model?
Yes. Drop in an STL or OBJ file (binary or ASCII). It is read in your browser and never uploaded. Broken triangles are skipped, small holes in the surface are closed, and you can tip it over and turn it before slicing.
Which files do I get?
A LightBurn file with every sheet, the cut and the scored part names on their own layers, SVG files for xTool Creative Space or Glowforge, a DXF in millimetres for CAD and CNC, a picture of the sheets and a printable assembly guide (PDF) with the order and a picture of each stage.
How do the slots fit my material?
Type the thickness you measured with calipers. Each slot is cut that wide plus a little play (snug, normal or loose), minus your kerf if you know it. Every slot goes halfway, so the two parts meet exactly, and each slot is scored with the name of the part that goes in it.
Does it replace Slicer for Fusion 360?
It does the jobs most makers used it for: interlocked, stacked, radial and twisted slices from a model, nested on your sheets, in a free page that works on any computer. Pieces that no slot would hold are bridged or left out, and too-thin bits are trimmed so nothing snaps.
Can I sell what I make?
Yes, sell what you make; just don't resell the files as templates or design packs. The starter shapes are made by the tool's own code, and the letter styles are free for commercial use.
Can I adjust single slices?
Yes. Fine-tune slices turns the whole set and sets the angles, and Edit slices in 3D lets you pick one slice and drag it, nudge it, add one beside it or delete it. The slots follow.
If you need a more customisable option or something unique, let us know and we'll add it, usually within days.
Try next: Box Maker, Layered Cutouts.