I've wondered about this a long time now...
When I plan out my fabric and cuts, I draw it on paper. Which is, ok. But, I have a half drop repeat pattern, and it would be so much more efficient to have the pattern appear on a screen, and then allow one to drag and drop blocks representing the various panels of a piece.
Is there such a thing? At least for us re-upholsterers?
I'm sure there is in factories. Anything that would do what you ask would only be written for computer aided cutting along with design. I would guess it could cost upwards of tens of thousands though. If you find something affordable please pass it along.
There are youtube videos where a stack of fabric, 20 or 30 layers, are cut at once with a computer aided cutter. It is fascination.
Leather companies, like Rolls Royce, lay the hide on the cutting table, a scanner scans the hide entering the information into the computer. The computer now knows where every flaw and defect is. The computer cuts out as many parts as possible avoiding the flaws and defects.
For me in my shop, I lay the fabric on my cutting table getting it square both warp and weft. Then I use magic markers or chalk to mark my pieces.
I would think you could do a half drop this on paper. Just draw the lines on the paper to represent the half drop. The half drop creates half drop "boxes" around the vertical and horizontal repeats. Draw these off set boxes on your paper with dimensions and you should be good to go.
gene
Yes, it's one of these things that is probably not very hard to make, they just don't do it because there aren't enough people to buy it.
For example, there is specialty yoga scheduling a class software now, because there are so many yoga studios.
But yes thank you Gene, that probably is way I could do it. I will have to see if I can find those RR videos.
CAD systems have been in use for years - over 20. To gain that use in your small business -- well it just
isn't justifiable.
First there has to be space to house the equipment, then the equipment, you know the rest.
Doyle
Yes, Rhino cad. Free for 3 months, then around $900 to purchase. There is other software also. You can buy a carlson, autometrix and other plotter cutter tables that will take the cad and cut material. That will set you back around $65,000