www.KitGuitarsForum.com

If you are running Vectric software such as Cut2D Pro, VCarve Pro, or Aspire there are two free gadgets that instrument builders may find helpful.

Acoustic Guitar Body Form Gadget: This is used to create layouts for guitar body forms. A number of standard sizes are available in the dropdown. You can also modify the vectors before cutting. For example, if you want a Martin D body, but you'd prefer the wait to be a bit narrower you can node-edit the vectors to your specifications.

Fretboard Gadget: It works with Vectric software V9.5 or greater. This Gadget lays out a chromatic fretted finger board. It is intended for guitar but it will work for anything that needs chromatic frets from mandolin or ukulele to and electric bass guitar. (of course you can delete the extra frets for dulcimers or other diatonic instruments).

The fret and board layout is defined parametrically using the scale length(s) and number of frets. It supports standard/single scale or fan/multiscale fret layouts.

The board outline may be based either on the width of the strings at the nut and saddle, or set by specifying the width of the fret board at the nut and 12th fret. Options allow for a zero fret or cut line at the nut.

The gadget then generates the 2D drawing/vectors of the fret board outline, the frets, and slots if selected. Running in Aspire, the gadget also generates a 3D component for carving a radius either flat (no radius), single simple radius or a compound radius. The 2D vectors and 3D model provide design pieces needed to create the toolpaths for carving a complete radiused fretboard.

Very cool.

I use Vectric but have always just drawn what I needed.

I've not used gadgets - where do you get them? I've not logged on to their site in a while, guess I should go look.

Thanks!

Found the gadgets on the Vectric forum.

I've been away long enough that they've updated to a Version 12.

I'm not seeing much reason to pay for the update, at my VCarve desktop level.

I've not used gadgets - where do you get them?

Vectric-written gadgets are available at: gadgets.vectric.com
Gadgets are short LUA programs. The software Developer Kit is available on the Gadgets site.

Gadgets are not supported on Cut 2D Desktop or VCarve Desktop

User-written gadgets are shared on the forum. The links in my first post should take you to the Vectric Forum thread that contains the gadget.

Jim has written a number of non-guitar gadgets that are available on his web site: www.gadgets.jimandi.com

rcnewcomb wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2024 3:35 pm Gadgets are not supported on Cut 2D Desktop or VCarve Desktop

I knew there was a reason I hadn't dug into those guitar gadgets before - I'm a VCarve Desktop user.

Thanks Randy. I'll try them out. I've created a 3D fretboard with frets that I can reprogram just by changing the scale length. The radius can be changed just by inputting the radius as well and it'll recalculate. I made it based on a YouTube video that I found and it's a Fusion360 program. I've found that just importing the Fusion DWG/DWX from Fusion doesn't always import into Vectric with the same proportions as the original file, but I've been able to resize it right, so there are drawbacks to the FUSION360 files.

I will most definitely check this out! Thanks again.

I had not looked at gadgets until this thread was posted. This is pretty cool. Haven’t gotten into the fretboard gadget yet but the body gadget is great. The creator set it up for the finished sizes. You can add extra kerf for a “rough” cut out by changing the cut option to outside and adding an “offset”dimension. I use a 1/4” which gives me plenty of “adjustment” room.
Great tool!