The AI DXF editor, called Part Editor in the app, is CUTL's in-browser tool for drawing, fixing and preparing flat parts. You open a DXF, start from a ready-made shape, or let the AI draw a part from a photo or a description, then adjust anything by hand. When the part is ready you save it to your library, add it to a project, download it as a DXF or convert it to a 3D STEP model. No CAD seat and no install.
Whatever you draw is the flat blank: the piece of sheet the laser cuts. The editor never adds or subtracts bend allowance, so if you only know the finished (bent) sizes, work out the flat size first.
Four ways to start
The start screen asks How do you want to start? and offers four cards.
| Start card | What you give it | Coins |
|---|---|---|
| Upload photo | One PNG or JPEG, max 2 MB, of a part or a sketch on paper; AI traces it into a part | 200 |
| Describe it | Type what you need, for example "a bracket with 4 mounting holes", and press Generate | 200 |
| Pick a shape | A common flat laser-cut part with your own sizes (see the table below) | Free |
| Upload DXF | One .dxf file, max 1 MB, of your own drawing | Free |
Whichever card you pick, the part opens in the same editor. If the server refuses to start, for example because the balance is too low, its message is shown for a few seconds.
Pick a shape
Click a thumbnail, fill in the sizes (in mm) in the dialog with its live preview, and press Generate. All shapes are flat plates; to get a bent bracket, start from a rectangle and add bend lines.
| Shape | Sizes you set |
|---|---|
| Rectangle | Width, Height |
| Rounded plate | Width, Height, Corner radius (up to half the shorter side) |
| Disc | Diameter |
| Ring | Outer diameter, Inner diameter |
| Hexagon | Radius (corner), the across-corners radius |
| Triangle | Side (equilateral) |
| L-bracket | Width, Height, Thickness (the width of the L's legs, not the sheet thickness) |
| Mounting plate | Width, Height, Hole diameter, Hole inset (four corner holes) |
| Slotted bar | Width, Height, Slot length, Slot width |
| Flange | Outer radius, Inner radius, Hole diameter, Bolt-circle radius, Hole count |
Sizes that do not fit together are marked Invalid value and the dialog stays open. On a Flange, check yourself that the bolt holes do not overlap the inner hole: that case is not checked.
What happens to an uploaded DXF
- A file in inches is converted to mm. A file with no units is read as mm, so an inch drawing saved without units arrives 25.4 times too small. Check one dimension with Measure straight away, and if it is off, use Scale to size.
- Blocks are exploded into their shapes. Lines, polylines, arcs, circles, ellipses and splines are kept.
- Text is dropped, so part numbers or marking text drawn as text are lost. Dimensions and hatches are not part geometry either.
- Centre lines are removed. Dashed, hidden and dotted lines become ordinary cut lines: delete them, or redraw them as bend lines.
- Very large files are refused.
If something could not be shown, a banner lists what was dropped (for example text or images) or warns that a group was rotated in the source file and may be misplaced.
Photo, sketch or description to a part
You do not need an existing DXF. Give the AI a picture of the part, or describe it in words, and it draws the geometry for you. Each AI start costs 200 coins.
Do
- Photograph parts flat, well lit, and square to the camera for the cleanest trace.
- Set the size from a real measured dimension, then check a second one with Measure.
Avoid
- Quoting straight from a blurry or angled photo without a review.
- Skipping the manual check on fine detail such as small holes or tight corners.
Editing in the browser
Everything is in millimetres. X grows to the right and Y grows upwards, with 0,0 at the bottom-left corner of the sheet (a red crosshair). The sheet grows by itself to keep a 5 mm margin around the drawing, and Fit canvas to part moves the drawing to 5 mm from the corner, so coordinates can shift: measure between features, not from 0,0.
Hover any toolbar button to see its name and key. Undo and Redo go back up to 200 steps.
Drawing tools
Pick a tool from Shapes ▾ or press its key. Each tool opens a small panel where you can type exact values instead of clicking, and Enter places the step.
| Tool (key) | How you draw it |
|---|---|
| Line (L) | Start, then end; or type Length and Angle |
| Polyline (P) | One click per corner; double-click or Enter to finish open, click the first point to close |
| Circle (C) | Centre, then Radius |
| Rectangle (R) | Two opposite corners, or Width and Height |
| Ellipse (E) | Centre, then Radius X and Radius Y |
| Arc (A) | Centre, start point, end point (drawn clockwise) |
| Slot (S) | Both end centres, then Slot width |
| Polygon (G) | Centre, then Sides and Radius |
| Bend (K) | Two points on the part's outer edge (see Bend lines) |
In the Point box you can type 20,35 (absolute), @50,0 (relative to the last point) or @40<90 (distance and angle). Angles count counter-clockwise from the X axis.
Changing geometry
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Trim (T) | Cuts a line or arc end back to the nearest crossing; on a circle it removes the clicked part |
| Extend (X) | Grows a line or arc end to the nearest edge it can reach |
| Break (B) | Splits an edge where you click, or into a number of equal parts |
| Fillet / Chamfer (F) | Rounds or cuts the corner where two separate Line shapes meet |
| Mirror ▾ | Flips the selection in place, or mirrors it (or a copy) about an axis you click |
| Offset (O) | Draws a parallel copy at a set Distance, outward or inward |
| Array ▾ | Row of copies with a step in X and Y, or Ring of copies around a centre |
| Combine shapes ▾ | Weld (union), Subtract or Keep overlap (intersect) for closed shapes |
| Duplicate, Merge | Copy the selection; join a chain of open pieces into one polyline |
| Scale to size | Type a new Width or Height for the whole drawing or the selection |
| Make even & symmetric | Cleans up a traced or AI part: straightens edges, evens out holes and corners, makes it symmetric |
| Ready-made parts ▾ | Inserts one of the ten Pick a shape parts into the current drawing |
| Edit nodes (N) | Drag, add or delete the corners of a line, polyline or bend line |
Move, resize and rotate a selection with its handles, or type exact moves, rotations and sizes in the Properties panel on the right. With nothing selected, Properties shows the drawing's Cut length and Area; treat both as rough figures (holes are added to the area, not subtracted).
Guides, snapping and measuring
- Guides ▾: drop a Vertical guide, Horizontal guide or Parallel guide at a typed offset. Guides are construction lines and are never saved or exported.
- Snap settings ▾: snap to Endpoints, Midpoints, Centres, Intersections, Grid and Guides (all on by default). A green diamond shows a snapped point. Constrain to horizontal/vertical keeps lines level; hold Shift to switch it the other way.
- Measure (D): click two points to get a distance in mm. Measurements are temporary and never exported.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Does |
|---|---|
| V · N · Q · H | Select · Edit nodes · Select similar · Pan |
| L · P · C · R · E · A · S · G · K | Line · Polyline · Circle · Rectangle · Ellipse · Arc · Slot · Polygon · Bend |
| D · B · T · X · F · O | Measure · Break · Trim · Extend · Fillet/Chamfer · Offset |
| Ctrl/Cmd+Z · Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z or Ctrl/Cmd+Y | Undo · Redo |
| Ctrl/Cmd+D · Ctrl/Cmd+C / V · Ctrl/Cmd+A | Duplicate · Copy / paste · Select all |
| Delete, Backspace | Delete the selection |
| Esc | Cancel the shape in progress, then leave the tool |
Bend lines
The Bend tool marks where the flat blank folds. You set the part's material, grade, thickness and K-factor once, and each bend's direction, angle, inner radius and optional bend deduction. A bend line that does not fully cross the part, or has an angle outside 10° to 170°, turns red and blocks Convert to STEP. The full walkthrough, and the parts the conversion refuses, are on DXF to STEP.
Saving and exporting
Every action takes the drawing as it is on screen, so you do not need to save first. Save is the button itself; the other three are in the ▾ menu next to it (Export).
| Action | What you get | Coins |
|---|---|---|
| Save | Opens Save to library (Name, Article, Material, all optional). The part becomes a draft in your library, tagged Editor | 100 each time |
| Download DXF | The DXF file downloads when ready | Free |
| Add to project | Pick an Existing project or create a New project; the part is added and opens there, priced like any project part | 100 each time |
| Convert to STEP | A 3D model in your STEP library, opened for review | Free |
Pricing happens when the part reaches the library or a project, not while you edit: Save and Add to project calculate it like any other drawing. To lay the part out on sheets, add it to a project and run nesting there (see Nesting).
What the exported DXF contains
- The cut geometry in mm, at nominal size: no kerf, lead-ins or micro-joints. Your cutting software adds those.
- Each bend line on its own layer named
CUTL_BEND_<id>, with a dashed line type. The direction, angle, radius and K-factor are not in the file; they are stored with the part in CUTL. Check the bend layers in your cutting software before cutting so they are not cut. - Guides and measurements are never included.
The Material in Save to library is the library's material, used for pricing. The material and thickness on the bend lines are separate and are not copied across, so make them match.
STEP files
Convert to STEP is free and builds a folded model (with bend lines) or a flat plate extruded to the sheet thickness (without). The STEP file cannot be downloaded from the app yet: you view the model in its review in the STEP viewer, where you can measure it and share it.
Limitations
The Part Editor is a flat-part editor. It does not have:
- a check for open contours, self-crossing outlines or duplicate lines (a quick test: Offset on the outline says Only closed contours can be offset if it is open);
- text, dimensions or engraving, and no layers other than cut, bend line, guide and measurement;
- parametric sizes or constraints after drawing;
- hems, reliefs, rolled bends or flanges on flanges (only straight bend lines);
- kerf, lead-in or process settings, or nesting inside the editor;
- more than one part per drawing.
Fillet and chamfer only work between separate straight Line shapes, and a traced outline cannot be rotated, trimmed or filleted until the Rebuild outlines option of Make even & symmetric turns it into lines and arcs.
Next steps
Once a part is saved or added to a project, lay it out on sheets in Nesting. To turn a flat part into a 3D model, see DXF to STEP. For how coins are charged, see Coins & billing.