My Machine
After making my initial enquires I had a number of conversations with HPC Laser in the UK however after weeks of being fobbed off about when I might actually get my hands on a machine, I gave up on them and ordered a machine from a Strong Signs DigiTech via eBay. The machine cost 649 UKP plus 270 UKP for shipping by airmail from China. It arrived within the week however I also had to pay 117 UKP in VAT and import duties.
Strong Signs DigiTech describe my cutter as a HX-40A however you will see VERY similar machines from other sources with different names. From what I've seen they are all, what is generally known as a Rabbit 40. This is worth knowing because although there appear to be slight differences between different suppliers' offerings, any information that you find about one, can probably be applied to the others.
Software
My cutter came with NewlyDRAW software however you'll see this being given different names by other suppliers too. It controls the cutter and you can draw things with it. But, from what I've seen on the web, most people use it to import .dxf files that they've created using other software.
I wanted to use Google SketchUp so that any of my buddies on TerraGenesis who would like something cut can send me a SketchUp file, made using the free version. Of course the .skp files need converting to .dxf so they can be imported to NewlyDRAW and I thought I might invest in the pro version, which can do this. However, as it was the only functionality that I needed from the pro version I went in search of, and found, a freeware plugin allows SketchUp to save .dxf files. The plugin is in the form of a Ruby script which can be downloaded from here:
http://www.guitar-list.com/download-software/convert-sketchup-skp-files-dxf-or-stl
and should be copied, on a Mac, to:
Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp 7/SketchUp/Plugins
After doing that, an extra option appears on the SketchUp's Tools menu.
The plugin for making .dxf files has handled everything I've thrown at it so far however it does seem to have a quirk whereby there are occasions when it just refuses to work until I quit SketchUp, and reload it.
Two other plugins that I'm using (and that I paid a small amount for) are Flatten.rb and LinearLength.rb, both of which came from http://www.smustard.com/. Flatten squashes selected objects onto the Z plane and is a great help in turning a 3D object into shapes that can be cut from sheet. LinearLength calculates the total length of selected lines which, for a design that is to be laser cut, indicates the total length of cutting that the laser will do. A useful figure to have for costing purposes.
Another SketchUp plugin that I'm currently experimenting with, for unfolding objects, is available here:
http://sketchuptips.blogspot.com/2007/08/plugin-unfoldrb.html