Interactive Digital Fabrication Machine Control Directly Within a CAD Environment

Abstract

Interactive fabrication aims to close the gap between design and fabrication, allowing for rich interactions with materials and reflection in action. Drawing from craft practice, we contribute software that enables real-time control of digital fabrication machines from a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) environment. Our software not only allows interactive control of toolpath geometry, but also enables the control of machine parameters such as speed, acceleration, or jerk. This creates new opportunities for toolpath and material exploration. We evaluate our software with a professional glass artist on a custom digital fabrication machine that can accommodate multiple tools such as brushes, engraving bits, or microscopes. Finally, we reflect on implications for machine control.