What did you make for your FIRST Glowforge project?

[evansd2]

There are a bunch of inkscape tutorials out there. Go through them in order, they’re designed to help you learn step by step:

Illustrator - older version?

Inkscape can definitely seem clunky, the UI isn’t as refined to look at, but it does do most things pretty well. There’s a great series of tutorials out there: http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/index.html This guy is pretty good at explaining the nuts and bolts stuff you’ll need to work with the glowforge, nodes, paths, etc. Illustrator is better at centerline traces, but other than that, I’ve never found myself unable to do something that I needed.

There’s a bit of a minimum complexity problem here. If you want to start designing your own things, then you’re going to have to figure out an editor.

If you want to just cut and engrave things without the design side, that’s where the GF store comes in. The designs they have for sale and free work well right away, especially when using proofgrade materials.