Features
What the generator does — a hands-on guide
MOLLE Generator draws a panel from parameters: size, PALS grid, slots, windows, outline (including from a photo or DXF), castellations, handle, mounting holes — and gives you a cut-ready file or an order with a price. Below, every feature with a catalog example you can open and adapt.
01
The interface: three zones
Left — parameters grouped by section (size, grid, slots, windows, outline, castellations, handle, perimeter, holes, technology, cost). Centre — the drawing at true proportions with dimension lines, a grid and a colour legend: black outline, blue slots, orange windows, red holes. Bottom — the summary: size, number of slots, windows and holes, cut length, price and the geometry check.
Top — UA/EN, mm/inch, the template library, a link to the current configuration, reset, SVG export, DXF download and “Order”. Everything redraws instantly.
02
Presets: one-click start
Six starting points above the parameters: MIL-SPEC 1.5″×1″ (standard PALS grid), “With windows” (lightened), “Wide”, “Narrow strip” (a single column of slots), “Castellated”, “With handle”. A preset sets every parameter — then change what you need.
Tip: The mm/inch switch converts all fields; files are always in millimetres.
03
Panel size: by dimensions or by cell count
Two modes. “By dimensions” — you set width and height, the generator fits the maximum number of columns and rows. “By cell count” — you set columns and rows and the size is derived from the grid plus margins; that gives a panel for exactly the pouches you need.
“Margin X/Y” is the field from the edge to the first slot. “Outline gap” adds a frame outwards (the panel grows) or inwards (the grid shrinks) — handy when the panel must sit in a case-lid recess or a door pocket.
04
PALS grid: pitch and row content
The PALS standard is 38.1 mm between columns and 25.4 mm between rows; every MOLLE pouch fits it. The pitch can be changed, but compatibility is lost — the generator does not forbid it, it warns through the web check.
“Row content”: slots only (classic panel), alternate slots and windows (lighter and cheaper, windows double as tie-down points), windows only (a lattice for hooks and clamps).
05
Slots: shape and size
Shape — “pill” (stadium, the strongest, no sharp corners) or a rounded rectangle with its own radius. 32 mm long and 6 mm wide fits 25 mm webbing in two layers; for thick webbing or Kydex clips go to 7–8 mm.
As you change values the generator recalculates the web between slots and shows it in the bottom row — the main strength parameter.
06
Lightening windows
Windows between slot rows remove up to a third of the weight and material, and so of the price. Width, height and corner radius are set; windows centre themselves between slots. In metal they also shorten cutting time.
07
Outline: corners and shape
Four options: a fillet with one radius or a separate one per corner, a 45° chamfer with its own size, square corners, “capsule” — fully rounded ends. Separate radii matter when one side of the panel meets a wall and the other a rounded lid.
08
Castellated edge
Notches or tabs around the perimeter with pitch, width, depth and rounding. Notches inwards — for webbing that wraps the panel (top case, case lid, trunk); tabs outwards — for joining two panels or locking into a foam insert. Placement: all four sides, top/bottom only or sides only; on a custom outline — straight runs only or the whole edge.
09
Outline from a photo: scale by an A4 sheet or a tape
“📷 Outline from photo” in the “Outline” section opens a 4-step wizard: photo & scale → outline → cut-outs & mounts → check. Photograph a window, a recess, a case lid or a door — ideally square-on — and set the scale in one of several ways.
“1 size” — draw a line along a known dimension (tape measure, part edge) and type it in mm. “2 sizes” — width and height separately, if the photo is slightly angled. “A4 / A3 / Letter / Card” — put a sheet or a bank card in the frame and mark its 4 corners: the generator corrects the perspective. “Custom” — any rectangle of known size.
Tip: Shoot as square-on as you can and from a distance — less distortion. For long parts “2 sizes” or an A4 sheet in the plane of the opening is the most reliable. “▶ Try on an example” walks through the whole process on a ready photo.
10
Outline editor: a CAD-style tool ribbon
All tools sit on top, grouped by function. “Draw”: polyline by points, a ready rectangle with W × H and radius R, an oval. “Joining points”: polyline, spline or smoothing. “Selected point”: sharp corner or fillet R, plus “All sharp / All smooth / All R”. “Modify”: simplify with a tolerance in mm, delete a point or a shape, redo the outline.
“Snaps” place points precisely: a grid with a step in mm, 90°, and “To edge” — a point snaps to the contrasting edge in the photo. Shapes can be moved, duplicated, rotated and mirrored; Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y work on any keyboard layout. Step 3 adds cut-outs, no-slot zones and mounting points; step 4 checks the size and the edge clearance.
The finished outline goes back to the generator, and “✏️ Edit outline” on the drawing reopens it — even without the photo, on a millimetre grid.
11
Your own outline from DXF — with castellations
If the outline is already drawn — “Import outline from DXF” in the “Outline” section. The largest closed contour becomes the panel edge, inner closed contours become cut-outs (layer CUTOUT), circles up to Ø12 mm become mounting points with solid material around them. The slot grid, windows and holes are laid out inside your shape.
Castellations work on any outline. “Straight parts only” places teeth on straight runs; “Whole edge” follows curves too, perpendicular to the edge. “Gap from corners” keeps teeth away from fillets. Click an edge on the drawing to remove or return teeth on that run. Slots next to notches are dropped automatically, and the teeth go into the DXF, 3D print and the price. Perimeter slots are off for a custom outline.
Tip: DXF in millimetres with a closed contour (polyline, lines with arcs, or a circle); remove extra layers before importing.
12
Carry handle
A handle cut-out in the upper part of the panel: width, height, top web and gap to the grid. One or two handles. A panel with a handle lifts out of the trunk with the gear on it — an organiser.
13
Perimeter slots
An extra row of slots, or alternating “slot + hole”, along the edge with offset and pitch. Used for straps, lacing, clamping the panel to a tube or mesh, and as side mounting for a magazine organiser.
14
Mounting holes: grid or custom rows
Holes for bolts, screws or rivets. “Grid” mode — columns × rows by pitch or from centre; “Custom rows” — any number of rows, each with its own hole count, Y position and X pitch. That reproduces factory mounting points of a vehicle or a case.
“Keep body around holes” removes slots and windows next to a hole so the fastener head sits on solid material.
15
MD173 mount
A dedicated hole type for the MD173 quick-release mount: a Ø17.4 mm hole and a Ø5 mm hole 20 mm apart — the sizes are fixed by the hardware, only the angle of the small hole changes (0° — right, 90° — top, then counter-clockwise). The panel comes off without tools.
16
Technology: thickness, kerf, sheet
Material thickness feeds the web check. “Kerf” is the cut width of the bit or laser; with compensation on, contours are offset so the finished part has the nominal size. The maximum sheet limits the panel — the generator warns when it does not fit.
Here you also toggle centre dimensions and the coordinate grid on the drawing — they do not affect the file.
17
Geometry check
After every change the generator checks the design: closed contours, web between slots not thinner than the material, holes not too small for the cut and not outside the outline. A green row means “ready to cut”; yellow is a warning with the exact figure to fix.
18
Templates: the catalog library and your own designs
“Templates” opens the library: every catalog panel by section (vehicles, moto, bike, garage, safe, medical, cases) with search and filters by type, tag and size. “Open” loads the design into the generator — then change anything.
Missing a panel — “Suggest a template”: draw it, say in the comment which product or vehicle it is for, and we add it to the catalog for everyone.
20
Export: DXF, SVG, 1:1 PDF
“Download DXF” — an R12 file in millimetres, contours on layers OUTLINE / SLOTS / HOLES so you control the cut order. “SVG” — a vector file at real size: save, open in a new tab or copy the text. “Print / Save PDF” in the “Cost” section — a 1:1 drawing with a description and a check ruler for printing and drilling through the template.
Tip: For some catalog designs the author disabled free download — only ordering is available; such a panel is marked with a lock.
21
Price and ordering
The price is computed from area and cut length and stays visible in the bottom row while you edit. “Order” opens the form: name, phone, city and Nova Poshta branch, material (3 mm ABS; 2 or 3 mm powder-coated steel; anodised aluminium), quantity, payment — an invoice to a company or online. The DXF and the drawing are attached to the order automatically.
FAQ
Do I need an account?
No. The generator and the catalog are free. DXF/SVG/PDF for your own designs download instantly; for some catalog designs the author enabled “order only”.
Which file for what?
DXF (R12, mm, layers OUTLINE / SLOTS / HOLES) — for CNC routers and lasers. SVG at real size — for laser software and Inkscape. PDF 1:1 — print at 100% and drill through the sheet; the 100 mm check ruler shows whether the printer scaled it.
The panel does not fit the sheet
The maximum sheet is set under “Technology / display”. Make the panel smaller or split it in two — the 38.1 mm grid lets panels butt together without losing pitch.
What is “web thinner than material”?
The distance between neighbouring slots is smaller than the material thickness — such a web breaks under vibration. Increase the pitch, shorten the slot or take thicker material.
Can I order in another material?
Yes: in the order form pick 3 mm ABS, 2 or 3 mm powder-coated steel or anodised aluminium. The price is recalculated automatically.