Now came the part that made Elias nervous: the Toolpaths. A mistake here meant a broken bit or a ruined piece of cherry.
He selected a 3D Roughing toolpath with a 1/4" ball nose end mill. This would strip away the bulk of the wood, leaving a "stair-step" version of his art. Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
He chose a "Circular" cross-section. Suddenly, the flat lines on the screen rose like dough in an oven, forming a soft, organic 3D relief. Phase 2: Adding the Texture Now came the part that made Elias nervous: the Toolpaths
He clicked Verify . On the screen, a virtual tool zipped back and forth, slowly revealing the hawk’s eye and the intricate weave of the knot. No red collisions. It was perfect. Phase 4: The First Cut This would strip away the bulk of the
Elias uploaded the G-code to his router. He clamped the cherry wood tight and hit "Cycle Start."
He defined his Art Model Manager settings, creating a workspace that matched his 12x12 inch wood block.
For the fine detail, he chose an Art Finishing toolpath . He swapped the tool for a tiny 1/16" tapered carver.