there is a pretty good chance that two groups of people:
the group containing people who know a lot (or wish to know a lot) about making patterns for sewing clothing and
the group containing people who have any idea (or care) about the definition of “vector font” and “raster font”
intersects almost not at all
Yeah but when they do, these are super fantastic enthusiastic creative people. They “get” this project and see all the things it can be.
and they are fun to banter with as well. Though I still think we want to tweak the wording a bit because many in the target audience would find vector font and raster font confusing. Or maybe find a functional label for them - one which evokes the difference. I don’t recall exactly where, but Keith showed somewhere the issues with different classes of printers and why the fonts were the appropriate choice for printers. For those who do not care to understand the difference in mechanics in a laser printer and an ink jet it might be easier to have a UI that has checkboxes of printer classes or actual printer names and use those to preselect font types. And for those who like to experiment with everything, include an override so that they can prove to themself the usefulness (or not) of a type of font on a printer or plotter.
…or even call them ‘standard fonts’ and ‘plotter fonts’. If users don’t understand the latter, they will default to what they know: ‘standard’. It just struck me that an awesome way to get some publicity would be if someone put together a drawbot/vertical plotter/polargraph/etc. and printed patterns on large sheets of paper. One of those could probably churn out a full pattern in less than ten minutes.
I was thinking the same re standard(filled vector) fronts vs plotter(stroke) fonts.
I was thinking conventional flat-bed plotters, but in general driving BIG plotters to make a pattern layout would be something. That’s partly why I mentioned Hershy fonts, so that “pattern/construction” directions could be put on a plotted pattern as well… (even though you could do most modern “filled” fonts can be drawn as outline vector if needed… Hmm…)
Once Val is more mature, I think that it would be a great idea for someone to develop software and a kit to allow folks to print their patterns anywhere they have a free wall, then crowdfund it.
I assume you mean a kit for a plotter?
Hmmm…I see EurikkaPLOT.
Errr… in fact once you are able to build and drive a plotter to draw your patterns, you are able to build and drive a laser cutter to cut your parts… I tried that, and I can tell you that cutting with scissors became boring since then! 
Perfect and fast cuts is great!
That’s why I use Eastman cutters - several rotary & a 12" straight blade… keeps me on my toes while keeping my fingers on my hands. 
the weekend I spent looking into various 3d modeling tools that led me to blender, makehuman, and valentina I also saw a video of someone who was building their own plotter very inexpensively by creating the rendering firmware themselves and 3d Printing the plotter bracket. The pen stablized by the bracket and moved by a system including three pulleys.
Here are a few parametric 3D modeling solutions that might interest you: Antimony, OpenSCAD (which runs Thingiverse’s ‘Customizer’, and Featurescript.
http://openjscad.org/ is cool as well. Both it and OpenSCAD are very appropriate for parametric design of geometric shapes, but modeling “organic” shapes implies using advanced features. Regarding OpenSCAD (the one I know best), have a look at hull(){shape1,shape2}, and import(‘2D_shape_modeled_in_Inkscape.dxf’) and $children/children() features. I made a tutorial that could more or less illustrate what can be done with these, the “serial huller” I presented could be used to model a chest, for example. Modéliser un objet 3D avec OpenSCAD
BTW, I haven’t set up a build environment. Could one of you compile 32 & 64-bit Antimony binaries for WIndows?
I think that’s what you are looking for.
I just came across a Kickstarter project that looks perfect for drawing large patterns if you aren’t into building your own drawbot: Scribit.
Gods, my friend got a cutting plotter for the money 
@Krolich - What type of cutting plotter? I’d like to know the make & model, and what your friend uses it for, plus if he has a review of it.
Sorry, I wasn’t ignoring you just couldn’t find where I put the info)
One important note should be made: the person I’m speaking about lives in China, so you will have to add shipment and customs to that, but she got it for around $500. I know people in Russia who work with affordable plotters of this maker but we are not that well acquainted to just ask about details
That’s the model page of the plotter, my friend’s got the widest 1200mm option http://www.mi-ka.com.cn/en/c537.html
I make patterns for the machine all the time, you have of course to mind some details but it’s not difficult. Here is my cheat-sheet:
The layout should be max 1120mm wide instead of 1200
The layout better be no longer than 1500 mm. I usually keep it remotely square-shaped to be safe
Small details should be placed near the end that’s cut last
Here is an example of what we make with the machine and a small wip of my layout for 3 sizes
You can see pen lines on the pieces, they are made with this plotter too, you have to change pen/knife by hand for that.
P.S I might’ve allowed myself a little hyperbole about the price in the previous massage, sorry 
