A decade or so ago there was a toolchain for using SketchUp and a plugin to take 3D objects and convert them to something like this:
I don’t think that’s feasible anymore because of changes to SketchUp and the plugin being abandoned (I welcome correction if wrong) and AutoDesk’s old tool for making them has been discontinued.
Is there a modern toolchain folks are using to build things like this? I’ve got some projects for my M4 in mind and want to do some preparation and learning ahead of time.
I’m working on a 3D modeling program that will be able to do this really easily, but it won’t be ready for several months 
Roger roger, I’ll look forward to seeing it!
While it isn’t being maintained anymore, you can still use Autodesk’s Slicer for Fusion 360. I’ve used it extensively when making flat pack furniture without issue within the past couple of years. Otherwise, I think Rhino/Grasshopper has some similar solutions as well.
There is a Sketchup Plugin called Face SVG by Marving Greenburg that will export a face to an SVG. It is designed to use with the Shaper Origin but I am sure it can be adapted to this.
Eagerly awaiting. I’m wanting to create forms for trailer fenders that would ideally look like the examples.
I have been searching for the same thing. I played with Kiri:Moto a few weeks ago for long enough to get the feeling it could be used… if you’re willing to do the manual work of adding the slots. For my laser I was going to slice an object first on X, then on Y axes, save as SVG and then edit in Lightburn to add slots. I later found this kiri forum post describing roughly what I imagined.
From older forum posts it looks like some owners of previous generations of Maslow owners used it to varying degrees of success and frustration for basic CAD functions.
Kiri Moto is more for the CAM step as I’ve seen it.
one way to do it in onshape/fusion would be to create the shape for your 3d
structure, then position boards within that shape and do a boolean operation to
cut the boards down to stay within that shape.
you would still need to make the slots, but that could be more boolean
operations.
David Lang
Not that you aren’t already busy beyond belief, but I too am interested in your 3D modelling program for this reason. Any word whether we may see this program in the foreseeable future?
I feel like I’m playing Hot Potato with CAD/CAM software because of their functionality and features at the budget range. Plus, I’d rather purchase software with (in)direct support for Maslow4!
Until then, I’ll dig into Fusion and its slicing tool a bit more…
Check out https://www.luban3d.com/ they have free trial to try it.
No affiliation, but have used it for the trial period to do this
Another recommendation for Luban3d!
@Thunderscreech, I’m late to this, but it’s the thread I wish I’d found a year ago.
I made sculptures with Slicer for Fusion 360 for years, and when Autodesk retired it I missed it enough to build a replacement. It’s called Lamina, and it’s free and open source: Lamina — free Slicer for Fusion 360 alternative: 3D models into flat cut parts
@reevesl, the workflow you sketched (slice on X, slice on Y, then add the slots by hand) is what it does for you. Load an STL, pick interlocked, type your sheet thickness, and both families come out with the slots already cut, each one as deep as that crossing needs. Stacked layers on dowels, radial slices and ribs along a curve are in there too.
For a Maslow: set a 4 x 8 sheet and it nests the parts on it, and there’s dog bone relief so the inside corners of the slots actually close up with a round bit. It doesn’t make toolpaths, though. You get a DXF or SVG and take it into whatever CAM you already use.
CGDrummer on the hot potato: it’s AGPL, so nobody can pull it or put it behind a subscription, me included.
It runs in your browser (nothing gets uploaded) or on your own machine. It’s very new, so there are bugs I haven’t met yet. If something comes out wrong, please tell me, nothing is too small.
Holy buckets, this sounds amazing. I look forward to trying it out!
Once I finally finish my 4.1 upgrade and dialing in my upgraded hourglass frame (looking forward to sharing that with the group) I foresee some big three-dimensional plywood art in my future.
Curious and looking forward to see what you make! Please share the pictures 
Let me know if something breaks or does not translate well from the program to the real world, still quite new and I did not had time to test everything yet.
Oh that’s very nice - I can also imagine there was a decent amount of dev time that went into getting it working right!
Yes took some weeks, and a bunch of printing test models to be sure you can adjust the tolerances in the real world. So far also having good feedback and people are sending interesting bugs.
Feels there is a good potential to become even better
