DESIGN SOFTWARE

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All my panels were designed using CorelDRAW.

I still use a very old version, CorelDRAW X7, only because my employer had a licence for it, and I don't fancy paying a $60 monthly fee when I don't need all the newer features. 

Coreldraw is very easy to use, and it can save your files in multiple different formats, however I save my cutting files in .DXF so LaserCad can open them and send them direct to my the K40 Laser Cutter.

I also save a copy in .PDF format for easy 1:1 printing of paper templates as placeholders. 

Both versions of all my panels are available in the download section.

All of my 3D files i designed in FreeCAD. It is totally open souce, and free (hence the name).

I had never designed anything in 3D before, and I was introduced to it for the first time ever when I purchased the cockpit plans from Flim and he provided a link to it for viewing his included files. 

I downloaded FreeCAD and messed around, before I started watching a heap of YouTube tutorials to learn the basics. Before I knew it i was making 3D files for printing from scratch.

FreeCad will save files in multiple formats. 

I save mine in .STL, then import them into Cura before slicing and exporting the .gcode to the 3D printer.

LaserCad is the software that came with the DSP upgrade i installed on my K40 Laser Cutter. 

I'm not sure on pricing, as it came on a USB with my laser cutter hardware with a single use PC locked licence already activated, with no email or registration required.

It seems like fairly capable software, however I have never really used it for anything other than importing a .DXF file, setting the cutting power and speed and hitting 'print.' 

It seems like you could design a panel using basic shapes directly in the software, but I have never tried it. 

All of my panels are designed in Coreldraw, saved as .DXF file, imported to LaserCad and then sent directly to the K40 machine via a USB cable.

Ultimaker Cura is free open source software by Ultimaker that slices 3D files. There are other free alternatives, but I have never tried them because Cura has always worked for me.

I design all my 3D prints in FreeCad, save them as an .STL then import them to Cura.

The software slices the 3D files into layer, adds support structures where it needs to, then exports it as a .gcode file that any 3D printer can read. This file then tells the printer where to move it's head, at what speed, and what speed and temperature to pump out molten plastic. 

You can save the .gcode file to a USB drive or SD card and stick it into the printer, or I send it direct to my Raspberry Pi over WiFi and can print it using its web based interface.