Lesson Eight: Fancy Corners

This lesson shows how to combine a CutArt into the corners of a Template design to make fancy corners with a fancy V-Groove around it.

This also displays how to make an alternative design.

First we need to make sure we are designing the layers in the correct order for these instructions.

On the FrameShop Main Page, click Admin and stay on the Defaults tab.

Under Layer Direction select Bottom Up if it is not already set to that.

Click Save and return to the Main Page.

• You can change this back to the original setting later if desired.

Place a 8 x 10" #101 Rectangle Template on the FrameShop Design Editor. 

Right-Click on the opening and select New Guide from Other.

On the Add Other Guide screen, click the checkboxes for Add at Top and Add at Left .

Enter 3/4" for each value.

Click the OK button.

The Guides are placed. 

On the Openings tab, click the Add CutArt button.

On the Browse Content screen, select the desired CutArt and click the Select button.

Click on the Properties tab.

Change the CutArt size to 2x2" or to the desired Size.

Move the CutArt to the Upper Left Corner and Snap it to the two Guide Lines we placed earlier.

Bring the design into Trace via the Right-Click Menu* or from the Cut Preview Screen.

• *If you use the Right-Click method, hold down the CTRL key and select the Opening and the CutArt before selecting Convert to CutArt. 

We will create and use Reference Lines to Mirror our corner design.

Click on the Line button on the Trace and Draw tab.

Right-Click on the Center Point of the Top Outside Line.

Right-Click on the Center Point of the Bottom Outside Line. The Vertical Reference Line is drawn.

Right-Click on the Center Point of the Left Outside Line.

Right-Click on the Center Point of the Right Outside Line. The Horizontal Reference Line is drawn.

We could place Guide Lines again at the Center of the mat.

Drawing them manually allows you to select the Center of the Opening, which might not be at the same position of the Center of the Mat, especially if the Opening has been moved.

Click Edit > Break all Intersections.

The Intersections are now broken where each element crossed over each other.

Click the Edit radio button.

Hold down the CTRL key and click on each segment making up the Upper Left-Hand Inner Quadrant, highlighted in Red. 

Zoom In if it makes it easier to select the Lines.

Click the Join button.

The segments are Joined together to create a single object, highlighted in Red.

Now we’ll do the Outside Quadrant.

Hold down the CTRL key and click on each segment making up the Upper Left-Hand Outer Quadrant, highlighted in Red.

Click the Join button.

The segments are Joined together to create a single object, highlighted in Red.

Hold down the CTRL key and click on each of the unwanted Lines in the Upper Left-Hand section, highlighted in Red.

Click the Delete button.

The unwanted Lines are deleted.

Zoom Out if necessary, and hold down the CTRL key and click each of the Lines that make up the original rectangle.

• Take care not to select any of the Reference Lines.

Hit the Delete button.

The unwanted Lines are deleted.

Hold down the CTRL key and click on the Interior and Exterior of our new Corner to select them.

Click on the Mirror button.

Now we will draw the line that we will Mirror the selected objects along. 

Right-click on the Top of the Vertical Line.

Move the cursor and Right-click on the Bottom of the Vertical Line. 

The corner will be Mirrored Horizontally. 

Now we’ll Mirror it Vertically.

Hold down the CTRL key and click on the Interior and Exterior of both of the Upper Corners to select them.

Click on the Mirror button.

Now we will draw the Line that we will Mirror the selected objects along.

Right-click on the Left of the Horizontal Line.

Move the cursor and Right-Click on the Right of the Horizontal Line. 

The corners will be Mirrored Vertically. 

Hold down the CTRL key and click on each of the Reference Lines to select them.

• You may need to Zoom In to select the small Lines between the layers.

Click on the Delete button.

The Reference Lines are deleted.

We want to Join the segments in the design so that we can Trace it.

Click Edit > Auto Join Segments.

• The segments are now connected as Joined objects.

We didn't make any changes to the CutArt itself that would require us to retangify the Arcs (such as moving a point), so there is no need to Tangify it or Convert Arcs to Splines.

Click on the Set Bevels tab.

Click on the Top Layer which is displayed topmost of the Layer List. 

Click on the outer shape to select it.

Click on the 45° V-Groove Set button.

The Outer object is Traced as a V-Groove.

Stay on the Top Layer. 

Click on the Inner Object to select it.

Click on the 45° Bevel Set button. 

The inner object is Traced as a 45° Opening.

Click on the unused Layer to select it.

Click the Remove button.

The unused Layer is removed.

Save the CutArt. You may get a message stating that this design contains objects that do not have an assigned bevel type. This refers to any leftover arcs and lines that we didn't trace. Click Yes that you wish to continue.

Load the CutArt.

Cut the CutArt.

Optionally, you can also bring the CutArt straight to the Cut Preview from Trace.

The Fancy Corners design is completed with a ornamental opening and a decorative V-Groove around it.

You can achieve a completely different look by Tracing the same design differently.

Add a layer in the Layers section for each layer of matboard you want to trace. 

Trace the V-Groove layer as the Top Layer opening.

Trace the original opening layer as the Bottom Layer.

Now the optional Fancy Corners design is completed as a two layer mat with fancy corners.

Save the CutArt.

Load the CutArt.

Cut the CutArt.

Optionally, you can also bring the CutArt straight to the Cut Preview from Trace.