Woven 3D relief panel walkthrough in Vectric Aspire

Oct 13, 2026 Last reply: 1 day ago 3 Replies
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The detail that caught me off guard is the maker's claim that the whole process takes only a few clicks. A woven 3D relief sounds like heavy modelling work, yet the tutorial presents it as a short, routine sequence.



It begins with vector preparation in 2D CAD. The relief profiles are two sine wave lines set out of phase with each other. The toolpath vectors are evenly spaced horizontal lines with short vertical ticks, and vertical drive rails cross those horizontal lines in the arranged geometry. Once the geometry is imported into the CAM environment, the Extrude and Weave function is opened: the vertical drive rails are selected, then the wave profile, and that generates a woven 3D mesh. The horizontal lines are then picked to serve as the cutter toolpaths. A Profile Toolpath is set up with a cutter matching the relief width, and the option to project the toolpath onto the 3D model is switched on. A 3D simulation shows an end mill running along each horizontal trajectory while conforming to the relief, and from there the toolpath is ready for machining.



The tutorial opens and closes on the physical result: a prototype panel machined from MDF carrying an undulating, woven ribbon texture.



Some context worth having: the maker spent many years in ArtCAM and only recently began learning Aspire. Aspire felt easy after ArtCAM because the principles are very similar, though ArtCAM still seems simpler to them. This was also a first attempt at this kind of operation in Aspire, worked out intuitively while going along. One loose end remains: Aspire was left out of the post title, and that title can no longer be corrected.


Choosing plain horizontal lines as the toolpath vectors looks like the smart move to me. It keeps the 2D stage easy to read, and the woven shape comes out of the Extrude and Weave step rather than from drawn 3D work. The few-clicks claim fits that simplicity nicely.

I would like to know how the MDF prototype was actually cut. Were the horizontal paths taken in one depth pass each, or in several stepdowns? Also, what cutter diameter ended up being used, given that it matches the relief width?

A variation worth trying: change the spacing of those horizontal lines, since they define the cutter center paths. Tighter spacing should produce a denser woven texture, and the same short workflow would still apply. A run in a hardwood instead of MDF would also be interesting for comparing how the relief surfaces come out.

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