Resources

The original list of resources and tools for plotter and drawing robot enthusiasts

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Categories (and count of resources)

Commercial Plotters Plotters available for sale

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Title Description URL View
AxiDraw Simple, modern, and precise pen plotters. Use Coupon "PENPLOT" to get 10% off any order. https://axidraw.com/ Go
Makelangelo 5 Makelangelo 5 is a beautiful picture drawing robot. The Makelangelo can draw up to A1 sized pictures on a window, whiteboard, or easel with Sharpie or dry-erase markers. https://www.marginal... Go
Line-us Line-us is an portable internet connected robot drawing arm. https://www.line-us.... Go
Makeblock XY Plotter XY Plotter Robot Kit is a drawing robot that can move a pen or other instrument to draw digital artwork on flat surface https://www.makebloc... Go
Joto Dry erase plotter https://www.joto.roc... Go

DIY plotters and projects 3D printed, laser cut, or other home-made machines for drawing

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Title Description URL View
Open source turtle robot Open source turtle robot made with 3D printed materials and some circuits https://www.thingive... Go
ExtruDraw Extrusion-based Plotter A plotter/drawing machine that uses 20x40mm and 20x20mm aluminium extrusion for both structure and linear guides. https://www.thingive... Go
DIY Drawing Robot 3D printed Drawing robot. It is powered by an Arduino Uno controller, uses a CNC Shield, and GRBL firmware. The approximate cost to build this drawing robot is $100. https://www.thingive... Go
Unofficial archive of plotters In this forum post you will find a roundup of plotters and drawing robots from around the world. http://www.polargrap... Go
MidTBot Very small DIY plotter that you can 3D print and put together. https://github.com/b... Go

Community Where the party's at

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Title Description URL View
A huge list of resources A list like this one (an inspiration) https://github.com/b... Go
Subreddit For Plotter Art Subreddit For Plotter Art https://www.reddit.c... Go
DrawingBots Twitter Twitter account for Plotter enthusiasts (coming soon) https://twitter.com/... Go
DrawingBots Discord A place to talk about drawing robots and challenges https://discordapp.c... Go
DrawingBots Facebook A place to chat about drawing robots, share designs, links, etc https://www.facebook... Go
PlotterFiles Hundreds of Free SVG files for plotters and other 2D CNC machines https://plotterfiles... Go
My AxiDraw – 5 lessons learned An article for people thinking about buying an AxiDraw. 5 dos and don'ts taken from author's experience https://www.jakub-an... Go

GCode Generators SVG to GCode generators

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Title Description URL View
openjscam TPLang (with modifications) -> G-Code in pure JavaScript https://github.com/m... Go
Halftoner and Reactor Two interesting free software packages (Windows only) https://jasondorie.c... Go
3dwriter.io Converts text to postcards and written gcode 3dwriter.io Go
gcodeplot Converter for SVG and HPGL to gcode for a 3-axis GCode machine https://github.com/a... Go
HTML Canvas to gcode Draw in canvas with javascript and export a gcode file https://github.com/l... Go

SVG Generators Tools that produce SVG files

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Title Description URL View
Patternodes A tool for creating graphical vector patterns, animations or illustrations using a node-based interface where you define a sequence of connected nodes that describe the design, each representing graphical elements, changes or repetitions. https://www.lostmind... Go
Differential Growth Experiments Series of visual experiments in JavaScript exploring the topic of differential growth as a method for generating interesting 2D forms https://github.com/j... Go
WaveFormer Turns audio recordings into a drawing https://www.misha.st... Go
Letters with QuickDraw SVGs and designs made with QuickDraw dataset http://frauzufall.de... Go
TemplateMaker Create designs for unique boxes, custom enclosures. Can be used with LaserCutting https://templatemake... Go
InkRays Circular designs generator http://thoka.net/ink... Go
MakerJS JavaScript library for creating and sharing modular line drawings for CNC https://maker.js.org... Go
Medieval City Generator Generates maps of imaginary medieval cities https://watabou.itch... Go
Map path generator Generates maps of the world https://pixelmap.amc... Go
Mandala Generator Creates Mandala designs http://mandalacreato... Go
Spiral Generator Generates Spirals with noise https://www.openproc... Go
Moire Patterns Some Moire patterns made with D3 https://codepen.io/m... Go
SVGUrt A few tools for creative image -> SVG conversion https://svgurt.com Go
Curved Polygons Generates Curved polygons https://codepen.io/m... Go
Delaunay Triangulator Image 2 Delaunay triangulation https://snorpey.gith... Go
Ln (3D line art engine) 3D Line Art Engine https://github.com/f... Go
CanvasSketch A framework for making generative artwork in JavaScript and the browser. https://github.com/m... Go
SquiggleDraw Processing app to create an SVG based on the brightness of an image transformed into sine waves. https://github.com/g... Go
SquiggleCam Browser tool for fast image -> squiggle drawing conversion https://msurguy.gith... Go
StippleGen Software that can create stipple drawings and “TSP art,” from image files https://github.com/e... Go
PenKit Tools for pen plotting in Python https://github.com/p... Go
Image 2 Hilbert Upload an image to generate a single line (Hilbert Curve) representation of it https://shooshx.gith... Go
Vectorizer A different kind of Spirograph http://blackholedesi... Go
Spirograph Spirograph made with Processing https://github.com/r... Go
MazeGenerator Creates SVGs of Mazes http://www.mazegener... Go
Kolam Generator Generates Kolam artworks https://www.openproc... Go
AsciiArt Image to ASCII generator https://pixlab.io/ar... Go
SpiralRaster Image to Spiral Raster generator http://paperjs.org/e... Go
Generative Artworks Some generative art generators made with Processing https://github.com/d... Go
City Generator Makes imaginary cities that look hand-drawn https://www.openproc... Go
Turtletoy Website where your can create SVG's using a minimalistic Turtle graphics API https://turtletoy.ne... Go
Juicy GCode Haskell tool for SVG 2 GCode conversion https://github.com/d... Go
SVGPath Transforms SVG Path Transformation library https://github.com/f... Go
Scribble Generator Drawbot_image_to_gcode_v2 https://github.com/j... Go
Circuit generator in 35c3 style Generative circuit generator in 35c3 style by Bleeptrack https://35c3.bleeptr... Go
Flower Generator Flower Generator from Bleeptrack https://blptrck.uber... Go
Linedraw Convert images to vectorized line drawings for plotters. https://github.com/L... Go
Scribbleplot Processing scripts to create different plottable versions of images https://github.com/b... Go
DullBits Drawbot Generates scribbly g-code from images http://dullbits.com/... Go
LumberSharp Stylized 3d scene to SVG conversion for plotting, inspired by Escher's woodcuts. https://github.com/d... Go
StippleGen (OSX port) A port of Evil Mad Scientist's StippleGen Processing app to full desktop Java https://github.com/f... Go
Mandala-esque Generator A Web Based tool for making of mandala-esque plotter pieces https://jan.jarfalk.... Go
ttf2hershey This tool converts the common True Type Font (.ttf) files to Hershey font format https://github.com/L... Go
Halftoner and Reactor Two interesting free software packages (Windows only) https://jasondorie.c... Go
Processing Boilerplate Processing Boilerplate with Gcode Export https://sighack.com/... Go
Tinkersynth Virtual machine to generate cool art and download SVGs. It lets you create unique generative art by making serendipitous discoveries through experimentation. https://tinkersynth.... Go
WEIR A System for Making Generative Systems from @inconvergent https://github.com/i... Go
VPype The Swiss Army knife of vector graphics for pen plotters https://github.com/a... Go
fawkes This package provides an R API to control the AxiDraw pen plotter https://fawkes.data-... Go
Peak Map Make a ridge line chart from any region on Earth https://anvaka.githu... Go
Sandify SVG and GCode generator for single line drawings https://sandify.org/ Go
Components AI Experimental computational design platform for exploring generative space https://components.a... Go
DeepSVG A Hierarchical Generative Network for Vector Graphics Animation. https://blog.alexand... Go
Single Line text creator Type text and export to single stroke SVG for your plotter! https://www.template... Go
SVG Cropper Browser based tool to crop SVGs using a rectangle, circle, polygon or custom shape. https://msurguy.gith... Go
PlotterFiles Hundreds of Free SVG files for plotters and other 2D CNC machines https://plotterfiles... Go
Contour Map Creator Create contour maps https://contourmapcr... Go
Elixir SVG generator Elixir SVG graphics library and art scripts to draw with a pen plotter. https://github.com/s... Go
SVG Peck Minimalist vector tool for pen plotter artists https://github.com/S... Go
lineboi3000 lineboi3000 is a way cool graphical interface for drawing, painting, adding EFX, and then sending your designs to a pen plotter or creating animations https://github.com/l... Go
Single line fonts Fonts suitable for plotters or for laser cutters / engravers and CNC milling. Perfect for creating plottable text! https://www.singleli... Go
new STL Terrain Generator Generates STL 3D file of area on the map. https://touchterrain... Go

Algorithms R&D and innovations for drawing robots

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Title Description URL View
TSP Solver TSP Solver algorithm for optimizing pen travel https://bitaesthetic... Go
SVG2Gcode (Python) Python tool for converting SVG to GCode https://github.com/H... Go
SVG2Gcode (Python) Another SVG2GCode conversion tool https://github.com/S... Go
Centerline Tracing Tutorial Tutorial on making line artworks http://cleversomeday... Go
Penkit Optimizer Command-line tool for optimizing and visualizing the drawing order of SVG graphics for pen plotting. https://github.com/p... Go
SimplifyJS JS script for simplification of SVG lines http://mourner.githu... Go
PX2SVG Converts raster images to SVG, using color-run optimization. https://github.com/m... Go
FEngrave F-Engrave is a text or image to g-code program http://www.scorchwor... Go
Scribbleplot Processing scripts to create different plottable versions of images https://github.com/b... Go
DullBits Drawbot Generates scribbly g-code from images http://dullbits.com/... Go
Line Clipping Algorithm The Cohen-Sutherland Line Clipping Algorithm https://sighack.com/... Go
Medial (and Scale) Axis Transform library Medial (and Scale) Axis Transform library - SVG focused https://mat-demo.app... Go
Article about Generative art and plotters On fine art and generative line drawings https://www.tandfonl... Go
Algorithm for tiling of polygons A technique for tiling the plane with regular polygons https://observablehq... Go
Skeleton Tracing A new algorithm for retrieving topological skeleton as a set of polylines from binary images https://github.com/L... Go
Components AI Experimental computational design platform for exploring generative space https://components.a... Go
SVG Cropper Browser based tool to crop SVGs using a rectangle, circle, polygon or custom shape. https://msurguy.gith... Go

Supplies Pens, inks, papers

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Title Description URL View
Exact Vellum Bristol, 11" x 17", 67 lb/145 gsm, White Exact Vellum Bristol, 11" x 17", 67 lb/145 gsm, White, 94 Brightness, 250 Sheets (80213) https://amzn.to/2UM4... Go

Plotter Control Software Software Solutions for controlling drawing robots

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Title Description URL View
AxiDrawJS "A complete solution for controlling AxiDraw via local server and browser application Comes with generators for a map, terrain and Lorenz attractor" https://github.com/u... Go
Axi Unofficial driver software for AxiDraw https://github.com/f... Go
saxi saxi is a tool for interacting with the AxiDraw drawing machine by Evil Mad Scientist. It comes with an easy-to-use interface, and is exactingly precise. https://github.com/n... Go
Processing Boilerplate with Gcode Export I had written up this Processing boilerplate for generating Gcode for my cheap chinese plotter based on GRBL. https://sighack.com/... Go
Makelangelo Software Makelangelo software that provides a beautiful, intuitive interface to drive your polargraph drawing robot https://github.com/M... Go
Processing Boilerplate Processing Boilerplate with Gcode Export https://sighack.com/... Go
fawkes This package provides an R API to control the AxiDraw pen plotter https://fawkes.data-... Go
new AxiDraw Figma Plugin Easily control an AxiDraw drawing machine from Figma. Prepare your vector art and send it to the plotter in one click. https://www.figma.co... Go

Data for design generation Collections and repositories of designs or data that can be used for making designs for plotting

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Title Description URL View
TheDoodleLibrary Some line drawings as SVGs https://www.thedoodl... Go
Geometric artworks 3D prints that could be converted to SVGs https://www.thingive... Go
Circuit Board designs Circuit board designs can be drawn with plotters https://github.com/g... Go
Icons for maps Various open source map icons https://github.com/t... Go
TheNounProject Millions of vector icons https://thenounproje... Go
Single Line Fonts Fonts that are working well for plotters, drawing robots and laser engraving http://www.imajeenyu... Go
Some free DXF designs Lots and lots of ready to plot vector designs https://www.scan2cad... Go
Dimensions.Guide Dimensions.Guide is a comprehensive reference database of dimensioned drawings documenting the standard measurements and sizes of the everyday objects and spaces that make up our world. https://www.dimensio... Go
ttf2hershey This tool converts the common True Type Font (.ttf) files to Hershey font format https://github.com/L... Go
Contour Map Creator Create contour maps https://contourmapcr... Go
Single line fonts Fonts suitable for plotters or for laser cutters / engravers and CNC milling. Perfect for creating plottable text! https://www.singleli... Go

Articles Magazines, Writings and articles about pen plotters

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Title Description URL View
24 Plotter Comparison of 1994 Article Comparing specs and prices of 24 plotters https://bit.ly/2XMeZ... Go
From Lettering Guides to CNC Plotter A Brief History of Technical Lettering Tools https://www.typotheq... Go
My AxiDraw – 5 lessons learned An article for people thinking about buying an AxiDraw. 5 dos and don'ts taken from author's experience https://www.jakub-an... Go