Comments

1. 
   ScarletJim | Aug 20, 2020 11:12am | #1

   Great tip Dave. Would welding the path have any benefit?

2. 
   mrossk | Aug 20, 2020 12:22pm | #2

   Vey nice, Dave, thanks!

3. 
   DaveRichards | Aug 20, 2020 12:53pm | #3

   Thanks gentlemen.

   Jim, welding the path would make it easier to select the path especially if you have a long path that you can't easily see as you might have in a room into which you are adding crown molding. With the path welded, you can select it with a single click.

4. 
   Blue_Rocco | Sep 07, 2020 07:54pm | #4

   Wow, Once again I learn something I can use on almost every model I make. Imagine making a rain gutter on a house. This is Great. I could put all my pths on one tag and my gutters on another and do ALL my paths first. Thanks again to Fine Woodworking and Dave.

5. 
   user-6952762 | Oct 26, 2020 09:43am | #5

   Hi, Dave thank you for lot of Tips!
   Do you have some ideas how to split this molding component in 3, so that you get correct cut list with dimensions. Is there "component split tool"?

6. 
   DaveRichards | Oct 26, 2020 12:53pm | #6

   There isn't really a good extension for this. Generally I find it easiest to draw in any missing seam lines that the miters with the Line tool. (Since the surfaces on the top and bottom edge of the crown molding are horizontal, for example, they don't get miter lines during the Follow Me process so those lines need to be drawn in.) Then I use a left to right selection to select one "stick" of the molding and make it a component. Then repeat for the next "stick". In the case of the moldings on the cabinet here, I would only make components for the molding pieces on one side and the front. The pieces for the opposite side would be copied from the first and flipped in the red direction to make mirrored instances. That would mean that the cutlist would show a quantity of 2 side crown molding pieces. Also since they are instances of the same component, if you changed the depth of the cabinet, you would only need to edit one side crown to adjust the length for both of them.

   By the way, when you select only some of the connected geometry to make a component, you want to ensure the Replace Selection with Component box is ticked.

   I hope that makes sense.

   -Dave

1. 
   user-6952762 | Dec 07, 2020 08:26am | #8

   Thank you again for quick answer and good tips about left to right selection, copied second side molding and Replace Selection in Component box.
   Taavi

7. 
   DaveRichards | Oct 26, 2020 01:03pm | #7

   Although outside the scope of this blog post, there is an option that is worth looking into. That is an extension called Profile Builder 3. It's got some excellent features. One of them is the option to make individual components of the molding during its Follow Me process. The extension isn't free but is worth the small cost.

   I didn't cover it in the post because I wanted to show what is possible with just native tools.