Lesson Nine: Doily

This lesson shows how to create a simple Doily shape.

This also describes how to make an alternative design by adding Layers to it.

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 one Layer 4 x 5" #506 Star Template on the FrameShop Design Editor.  

Click on the Properties tab.

Click on the Parameters tab.

Change the No. of Points to 6.

Change the Spikiness to 0.

Change the Mode to 2. 

Change the Line Length to 2.

Place a one Layer 2.75 x 2.75" #102 Oval Template in the top portion of the Polygon.

• The circle will create the petal of the Doily.

Move the circle so that it lines up with the Top of the Star Template.

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 both openings before selecting Convert to CutArt. 

We will add some Alignment Lines that we will use to Mirror the circle.

You can Mirror the circle without the Alignment Lines, but adding them will help illustrate the process.

Click the Line button on the Trace and Draw tab. The Draw radio button is automatically selected.

Right-Click on the center point of one of the Lines of the Polygon. 

Right-Click on the center point of the opposite Line of the Polygon.

The Line is placed.

Do the same with the other sides of the polygon, Right-Clicking and Snapping to the Center Point then Snapping to the Center Point on the opposite point.

Make sure that the Circle crosses over the Lines a little in order to have the Mirrored version of the Circle overlap.

If it doesn't, either make the Circle larger or Offset it to make it larger.

Click on the Edit radio button.

Hold down the CTRL key and click on the Circle.

Click the Mirror button.

Right-Click on the point where the Upper Left Line begins.

Right-Click on the end of the line at the Lower Right Side.

The Circle as been Mirrored using the Line we drew as the axis.

Click on the new Circle. 

Click the Mirror button.

Right-Click at each end of the Alignment Line.

The Circle has been Mirrored using the Line we drew as the axis.

Repeat the process by selecting the next Circle, clicking the Mirror button, then snapping to each end of the Alignment Line.

The Circle has been Mirrored all the way around the design.

Now we want to Break All of the Intersections where all segments in the design intersect with other segments.

Click Edit > Break all Intersections.

The Intersections are now Broken where the objects crossed over each other.

We will now Join all of the segments that will make up the opening of the design.

Hold down the CTRL key and click on the each of the Left Side Arcs of one of the Broken Circles.

Click the Join button.

The Arcs are joined together as a single entity.

If the Arcs don't connect as expected, you might have missed an Arc.

• Click the Undo button, reselect the Arcs and click the Join button again. 

Hold down the CTRL key and select the Arcs of the next Broken Circle.

Click the Join button. 

Continue selecting the arcs that make up each of the Broken Circles and Joining them until you have Joined each of the outside Arcs.

Hold down the CTRL key and select all of the newly joined Arcs. 

Click the Join button.

The Arcs are now one connected entity.

• Optionally, you could carefully delete the unwanted lines and arcs then use the Join and Close buttons to connect the arcs together.

Click Edit > Convert Arcs to Splines. 

• The splines can be tangified with less distortion, which will give a smoother cutting path for the design.

Click on Edit > Tangify all Circuits.

• This makes each arc tangent to each other for smoother cutting.

Click on the Set Bevels tab.

Click on the Doily opening.

Select the desired Bevel Type then click Set.

The outside of the Doily turns the color of the Bevel Type selected and is now traced.

NOTE: We removed the unused lines for clarity. This step is optional—feel free to do the same if you prefer.

Save the CutArt. You will get a message stating that this design contains objects that do not have an assigned bevel type. This refers to the leftover lines and arcs 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 Doily design is completed.

For an optional design, you can Offset the Doily we created to add additional layers.

You will perform the same steps that we did back in Lesson One: Adjust an Object Freehand.

Move the design further into the screen if necessary in order to be able to see the Offset Layer.

Select the Doily.

Leave the Reveal value at .25".

Click the Left < Offset Circuit button.  

The Doily is now offset to create the second Layer.

The new Offset created an outside layer, but the arcs overlap in the corners.

We will have to Explode this new layer to edit it.

Click on the new layer to select it and click Explode.

The new layer will be exploded into the individual arcs that created it.

Now click the Auto Join Segments button to join the segments that can be joined.

If you move your cursor, you will see that the small arcs that make up the large arcs are now connected together, but the large arcs are not connected together because they cross each other.

Now we will select each of these Arcs and click Break to break them where they intersect.

If you move your cursor, you will see that each arc is now broken where they cross each other.

We will now Join all of the segments that will make up the outside Layer of the design.

Hold down the CTRL key and click on the each of the Arcs that make up the outside layer of the design.

Click the Join button.

The segments of the outside Layer are now Joined to create one object.

NOTE: We removed the unused lines for clarity. This step is optional—feel free to do the same if you prefer.

We could repeat these same steps to add a third Layer using a 1/8" reveal by Offsetting the outside object by .125".

Depending upon the Template, the size, the Parameters, etc., you may not need to Explode the elements before Joining them together if the Offset connects together neatly in the corners.

Click on the Set Bevels tab.

Click Add twice to add two new layers that we can trace the new layers onto.

Click on the Top Layer.

Click on the outside doily opening.

Select the desired Bevel Type then click Set.

The outside of the doily turns the color of the Bevel Type selected.

Click on the Middle Layer.

Click on the middle doily opening.

Select the desired Bevel Type then click Set.

The middle of the doily turns the color of the Bevel Type selected.

Click on the Bottom Layer.

Click on the inside doily opening.

Select the desired Bevel Type then click Set.

The bottom of the doily turns the color of the Bevel Type selected.

The design is now fully traced.

Save the CutArt. You will get a message stating that this design contains objects that do not have an assigned bevel type. This refers to the leftover lines and arcs 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 multi-layered Doily design is completed.