LaserBoxTools

A FreeCAD workbench for designing laser-cut boxes and enclosures. Create parametric tabs, slots, and living hinges on your 3D models for easy laser cutting and assembly.

Video tutorial: How to use basic features

Features

• Basic Box — Create rectangular box pieces with configurable dimensions
• Tabs — Add parametric finger tabs along edges for joining panels. Supports tab count, width, depth, taper, margins, and optional hook profiles
• Slots — Generate slots along edges to receive tabs from other panels. Configurable slot count, length, depth, and gap width
• Living Hinge — Create flexible hinge patterns (e.g. straight elements) along edges for foldable designs

All features work on selected faces and edges of your Part or PartDesign bodies, with optional auto-update when parameters change.

Requirements

• FreeCAD (tested with FreeCAD 1.x)
• PySide (included with FreeCAD)

Installation

Option 1: Addon Manager (recommended)

1. Open FreeCAD
2. Go to Tools → Addon Manager
3. Search for "LaserBoxTools" or "Laser Boxes"
4. Click Install

If this workbench is not yet in the Addon Manager repository, use manual installation below.

Option 2: Manual installation

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Copy the entire LaserBoxTools folder into your FreeCAD Mod directory:
   • Linux: ~/.local/share/FreeCAD/Mod/ (or ~/.local/share/FreeCAD/v1-2/Mod/ for FreeCAD 1.2)
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\FreeCAD\Mod\
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/FreeCAD/Mod/
3. Restart FreeCAD
4. Select the Laser Boxes workbench from the workbench dropdown

Usage

1. Create or open a Part or PartDesign model
2. Switch to the Laser Boxes workbench
3. Select a face or edge on your model
4. Use one of the tools:
   • LBBasicBox — Create a new box piece
   • LBTabs — Add tabs to the selected edge
   • LBSlots — Add slots to the selected edge
   • LBLivingHinge — Add a living hinge along the selected edge

Adjust parameters in the property panel or task panel. Enable Auto Update to refresh the geometry when you change values.

Project Structure

LaserBoxTools/
├── Init.py              # Module initialization
├── InitGui.py           # Workbench registration
├── laser_boxes_locator.py
├── src/
│   ├── lasermakebox.py  # Basic box creation
│   ├── lasertabs.py     # Tab generation
│   ├── laserslots.py    # Slot generation
│   ├── laserlivinghinge.py
│   └── laserhelper.py   # Shared utilities
├── dialogs/             # Qt UI files
├── Resources/icons/     # Tool icons
└── LICENSE

License

This project is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1 (LGPL-2.1). See the LICENSE file for details.

Credits

• Copyright (c) 2022 EskiBrew