GCrafter - CNC & Laser Cutter Design Reimagined for Makers, Pros and Perfectionists

GCrafter projects are organized in layers. Each layer has a specific job, and each one gives you a different level of control over the final design.

The basic structure is:

Project
Project Items
Parts
Components

A project can contain one or many project items. Each project item contains parts. Each part can contain components.

1. Project

The Project is the top-level container for everything you are building.

Think of it as the folder, record, or shared container for the full design. It holds the project name, description, sharing settings, and all of the items that belong to the project.

A project can be something simple, like a single box, or something larger, like a cabinet with drawers, shelves, and other related pieces.

Project Settings

Name

The project name is the main title of your design.

Use a clear name that will help you recognize the project later.

Examples:

Shop Drawer Organizer
Client Display Stand
Tool Cabinet Prototype
Laser Cut Gift Box

Description

The description is a place to add notes about the project.

You can use it to describe what the project is for, what material you plan to use, what still needs to be changed, or any other detail you want to remember.

You can also use hashtags to help organize your projects.

Examples:

Prototype for the office drawer inserts. #drawer #organizer #6mm
Client sample for countertop display. #client #display #laser
Cabinet test build using 12mm birch. #cabinet #cnc #birch

Private

Private controls whether the project appears in the public gallery.

By default, projects are private.

When a project is private, it is not shown publicly. This is useful for client work, personal experiments, unfinished designs, or anything you do not want listed in the gallery.

Allow Cloning

Allow Cloning controls whether other people can copy the project into their own library.

When cloning is allowed, someone else can use your project as a starting point and adapt it for their own needs.

This can be useful for shared templates, community examples, teaching files, or projects you want others to build on.

Private URL

A Private URL is a shareable link to the project.

You can use it when you want to show the project to someone without making it public in the gallery.

Common uses include sharing with:

A client
A collaborator
A student
A shop partner
Someone reviewing the design before cutting

2. Project Items

A Project Item is a distinct object inside a project.

If the project is the overall container, project items are the individual things being built within it.

For example:

A cabinet project might have separate project items for the cabinet body, drawers, and shelves.
A chair project might have separate project items for the seat, legs, and foot stool.
A storage system might have separate project items for bins, dividers, and trays.

Each project item is unique. It can have its own size, material, cutting method, and part settings.

What Project Items Control

Project items are where you define the main setup for an individual object.

This includes:

Overall width
Overall height
Overall length or depth
Material
Material thickness
Cutting method, such as CNC or laser
Finger sizing for width, height, and length
The general structure of the item

For example, one project item might be cut from 6mm birch plywood on a laser, while another item in the same project might be cut from 12mm birch plywood on a CNC.

This lets one project contain multiple related objects without forcing them all to use the same material or settings.

Project Items Are Starting Points

Settings at the project item level give the item its default structure.

However, those settings do not permanently lock every part into the same configuration. Parts can inherit these values, but many of them can also be changed later at the part level.

This means you can set up the overall design quickly, then customize individual parts only where needed.

3. Parts

A Part is one physical piece of a project item.

If you are making a drawer, the parts might include:

Front panel
Back panel
Left side
Right side
Bottom panel

If you are making a cabinet, the parts might include:

Left wall
Right wall
Top
Bottom
Back
Shelf
Door

Parts usually inherit their basic position, size, thickness, and finger joint settings from the project item. This keeps the design consistent and makes it easier to resize the overall item.

Overriding Part Settings

Although parts inherit from the project item, they can be customized individually.

You can override settings such as:

Position
Size
Finger counts
Rotation
Material thickness
Corner radius
Edge extensions
How the part intersects with other parts
Whether screw holes are enabled
Layout rotation
Layout flipping on X or Y

This is useful when one part needs to behave differently from the rest of the item.

For example:

A drawer front may need an overhang.
A cabinet back may use thinner material.
A side panel may need screw holes.
A lid may need rounded corners.
A part may need to be rotated or flipped for sheet layout.

Parts and Layout

Parts are also important when preparing the project for cutting.

Layout options help control how each part appears in the exported 2D cut file. These settings can affect how parts are arranged, rotated, flipped, or prepared for your CNC or laser workflow.

4. Components

Components are custom edits or additions applied to a part.

This is where PartLab fits into the hierarchy.

A part starts as a generated shape, but components let you modify that shape or add features to it.

Examples of components include:

Text
Circle cutouts
Holes
Slots
Decorative shapes
Custom openings
Reshaped edges
Modified profiles

You can use components for small changes, like adding a screw hole, or for larger changes, like reshaping an entire part into something more custom.

Multiple Components on One Part

Each part can have many components.

For example, a drawer front might include:

A text label
Two mounting holes
A handle cutout
Rounded decorative geometry
A custom edge shape

Components allow a part to move beyond the default generated box shape while still belonging to the larger project structure.

How the Layers Work Together

The hierarchy is designed to keep projects organized while still allowing detailed control.

A simple way to think about it:

| Level | What it Represents | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Project | The full design or collection | Tool Cabinet |
| Project Item | One object within the project | Drawer |
| Part | One physical piece of that object | Drawer front |
| Component | A custom feature on the part | Handle cutout |

Example: Cabinet with Drawers

A cabinet project might be organized like this:

Shop Storage Cabinet

├── Project Item: Cabinet Body
│├── Part: Left Side
│├── Part: Right Side
│├── Part: Top
│├── Part: Bottom │└── Part: Back
├── Project Item: Top Drawer
│├── Part: Front
│└── Component: Handle Cutout │├── Part: Back
│├── Part: Left Side
│├── Part: Right Side
│└── Part: Bottom
└── Project Item: Bottom Drawer
│├── Part: Front
│├── Component: Text Label
│└── Component: Handle Cutout
│├── Part: Back
│├── Part: Left Side
│├── Part: Right Side
│└── Part: Bottom

In this example:

The whole cabinet is one project.
The cabinet body and each drawer are separate project items.
Each project item has its own parts.
Individual parts can have components added in PartLab.

Why the Hierarchy Matters

Understanding the hierarchy helps you decide where to make changes.

Use the Project level for organization and sharing.

Use the Project Item level for the overall size, material, thickness, and joint setup of each object.

Use the Part level when one physical piece needs different settings from the rest of the item.

Use Components when you want to customize the shape, add features, or modify a specific part in PartLab.

This structure lets you start with broad settings, then refine only the details that need special attention.

Project Hierarchy