Inspiring

Question

Is there a Living Hinge Extension?

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
June 5, 2023
6 replies
2627 views

Once upon a time, I used Inkscape to create my living hinge patterns. These are used you cut lines into wood, with a Laser cutter, in such a way where the would can be bowed/curved. There was a simple calculator where you plug in the numbers and it gave you a base pattern/template, and then I just copy it over to illustrator. But the extension no longer works, and the community seems very confused about its current status or its future.

I know that Illustrator has a lot of amazing extensions and add-ons like barcode and QRCode generators, and then theres Astute Manager. But I havent seen and actual Living Hinge Extension? Does anyone know if one exists, maybe under a different name?

This topic has been closed for replies.

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

varxtis,

I am still reluctant to give up.

And I beolieve this is crucial in the quest for a solution, written in your original post:

"There was a simple calculator where you plug in the numbers and it gave you a base pattern/template"

That is why I wrote this in my first reply:

If you can show/describe the calculator, there may be (possibly scripting) ways to recreate something like it, and then apply the triple effect to the outcome.

Or more specifically:

Which options were there?

Which numbers could you plug in?

varxtisAuthor

Inspiring

Can't say...

Recreating the calculator for an Adobe based program would be amazing and exactly what I'm looking for, and id give you every bit of info i could, but I don't remember anything about with regards to dialogue box, calculator fields, or anything like that. I just know you create a plane/square resembling height and width of the material and then input the density of the pattern/lines you need. The density is usually determined based on the users measurements of the curve and the thickness of the material needing to be cut. Those two factors were NOT part of the inkscape living hinge generator.

Just height, width, and then density determined by lines per mm/in.

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

varxtis,

Still believing a scripting could be a solution:

For a viable/optimal living hinge, I believe it is better to have a bit more than just a single density value.

It depends on the tool width with the option of working with different tool widths, and upon the desired properties of the hinge.

It also depends on the gap shape (straight, others).

Obviously, it also depends on the widths of the gaps and the wood in between, whether both are constant or varying gap width and/or wood width.

Therefore I believe it ought to have five inputs, three of which could be either of two, preferably optional so the user could choose:

1) Tool width,

2A) Gap length or

2B) Ratio of gap length to tool width,

3A) Wood length between gaps or

3B) Ratio of gap length to wood length in between

4) Gap shape (straight, others, possibly with multiple values),

5A) Gap distance or

5B) Proportion of (average) gap width to (average) wood width.

All of these inputs can lead to designs corresponding to some of the Haz designs you linked to, but freely established by the user instead of being specific designs to choose between.

Still all of this can be made the way Hans-Jürgen demonstrated, customized for each case, and adjusting values until it looks right, just as with a script (Hans-Jürgen is one of our scripting experts),

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/is-there-a-living-hinge-extension/m-p/13890475#M371328

It may look different in your version/language, but basically you draw one gap, then apply the Effect dropdown, Effect>Distort & Transform>Transform three times to that one gap:

1) Move horizontally by an amount equalling the gap length + the wood length between gaps, and set the desired number of copies to fit your width;

2) Move both horizontally down by half the amount from 1) and vertically by the desired gap distance (at the same time), and set the number of copies to 1;

3) Move vertically down by twice the amount from 2 (double gap distance), and set the desired number of copies to fit your height.

You can then apply the Object dropdown, Object>Expand Appearance to get actual paths for the gaps.

All this works in versions going far back.

With regard to languages, Monika has kindly made this exquisite multilingual page available:

http://vektorgarten.de/illustrator-polyglott.html

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

varxtis,

Even later than Hans-Jürgen (pixxxelschubser) to see this, I believe his answer is exactly the way, to use directly and to elaborate easily and freely on.

If you can show/describe the calculator, there may be (possibly scripting) ways to recreate something like it, and then apply the triple effect to the outcome.

Otherwise, you may be happier if you can restore your old Inkscape/extension, maybe on an older computer (OS).

varxtisAuthor

Inspiring

I admittedly have no clue about the design/scripting behind most scripts or extensions. For whatever reason, Ive never ever been able to get a real handle on understanding them, no matter YouTube vids or how simple they might be. Its the principles that elude me. If someone says "type this:..." I can do it to that extent, but editing, managing, and even reviewing (in a lot of cases) are just beyond me for whatever reason. Calculations mainly. This carries over to everything, including games like StarCraft. My buddy is usuually the one that has to take care of that.

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

varxtis,

With this, "If you can show/describe the calculator", I simply meant how the calculator appears to the user, so one (or more) among us might venture a guess or two about it, maybe leading to ways to obtain the same.

pixxxelschubser

Community Expert

Here is a quick "how to do"

draw your element

add first effect:

add second effect:

add third effect:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to edit?

edit or replace only the first element

all elements change immediately

varxtisAuthor

Inspiring

Ill try this approach asap.

pixxxelschubser

Community Expert

@varxtis

???

pixxxelschubser

Community Expert

Hi @varxtis

have you already tried to create a file with 3 transform effects? That should be enough to create most of the shown "patterns" very quickly - and to edit/modify them even faster.

varxtisAuthor

Inspiring

How was my own explainaition of a living hinge used as the correct answer? It was merely a reply to Monikas question. I did not confirm with myself whether an extention for illustrator is existence or not, when Im the one seeking such extention lol.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Have never heard of any. But in the end it maybe just a graphic. So can you perhaps tell us some more details? Not everyone in this forum is a woodworker.

varxtisAuthor

Inspiring

Sry, ya youre right. My bad.
So, this is what a living hinge is for. Its a pattern engraved/cut into matering like wood, allowing it to become bendable. This can be apply to wood or even acrylic.
These are examples of what the patterns look like in digital software, like inkscape and Illustrator, in the form of paths to be exported to a program like lightburn for comunicating with a laser cutter.
Inkscape used to support an extention that allowed for custom generated hings. More along the likes of the calculations generating lines only. Not really "patterns". But from that I was able to make my own. I even made one that was Zelda themed having swords and shields at the endcaps. Was awesome!

Monika Gause

Community Expert

So apparently no one else knows of such a thing. Me neither.

Maybe the folks at hotdoor.com or babyuniverse.co.jp who both make CAD plugins for Illustrator, know of something.

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