In Easel click on the “grid of squares” icon in the toolbar. A list of apps will appear. Some apps require an object to be selected on the canvas, these apps appear as “disabled” unless you have something selected (inlay is one of those).
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Would like to try this but don’t know how to get this app. I’m a noobie just learning. Thanks for any help, much appreciated.
Frank
I am new to using Easel. How do you create 2 different jobs while using the Inlay Generator? I want to cut the pocket in one material, then cut the inlay in another as you did here.
Thanks
I simply imported my files into two different projects and titled them accordingly for quick reference as I am making these all of the time. For me it is better that I have two separate projects because I have 52 items in each, and since I don’t want to recreate my pockets and inlays over and over again I just keep them in place. Now for a simple one item cut there really is no need for multiple projects. Just set your pocket up to cut (material, depth, and all of that) and set your inlay to a cut depth of zero, this basically makes it as though it weren’t even there. Then once your pocket is done, switch them. Set your inlay up and clear your pocket. Or you could delete them in-between as you can easily recreate them with the generator. Just a tip, if you set objects to a zero cut depth it helps to put them off the workspace and onto the blue areas so that you can more easily find them later.
I will give that a try. Thank you and good work.
WOW! How did I miss this thread for 15 days??? Doing inlays is one of the major reasons I bought the X Carve in the first place! When I first saw the Drunken Woodworker’s video about doing the weiner dog inlay with a Shapeoko 2, I decided I needed to have that in my life. But as I got used to my machine and got settings dialed in I was reading lots of people having troubles doing similar projects and I was bummed.
So I tried this new function out and it works like a charm! It made a super tight inlay (perhaps too tight) and I can’t wait to incorporate this into my next few projects.
Thanks guys!
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Great quote 
Feel free to post a pic of your inlay project!
My jaw dropped when I first saw the announcement of this app. My first thought was how difficult could it be doing it the old fashioned way? Cut outside the line on one and inside the line on the other and whammo, instant inlay. Evidently, it’s a tad more complicated than that. I too have numerious inlay projects floating around in my head. Once I master the ones with the round bit, I’ll start pondering v-bits and all the projects they make possible (i.e. Times New Roman).
V bits would be great for myriad reasons, but for me it requires a large investment in software that I’m not ready to make just yet.
F-engrave is free. 
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I can’t make sense of how this would be possible so I’m just throwing it out there to see if you have any ideas. I’ve been cutting inlays very successfully using a 1/4" bit, which is fine for the negative fill because it removes more material per pass, but for the outline it would be really nice to use an 1/8" bit since it would cut down on wasted material and I feel like I could step the speed up a touch. What do you think. Is there a way to do the fill with a 1/4" bit and the outline with an 1/8"?
I really like this app, but ran into a problem as follows. Perhaps I am expecting too much.
All was in order, Easel was working fine, using the “inlay” app and “detail cut” option to do a maple leaf (for rough a 1/16" bit, for detail a 1/32" bit). Then on to my next inlay project and had trouble, the spindle would not move.
Did a reboot of computer. I use Firefox (never had a problem with Easel). Went through carve steps to final steps re spindle, raised spindle OK, started spindle OK, confirmed spindle start OK, next is start carving, but spindle turned off and did not move from its home position.
In trying to figure the problem I decided to cut the inlay project item (a maple leaf) without using the inlay app or the detail cut option, and the program worked normally. Returned to the project that gave me the problem and it did not work, same as noted above.
Next step was to try eliminating the detail bit option and rerun using the Inlay app. This time it worked with no detail bit option.
Is this some sort of bug or limitation to the app? Should we not expect to use the detail bit option with the inlay app? Am I misreading how detailed we can cut using the single bit size setting in the app’s bit choice menu, ie. one size bit only?
Bob
Load up the project, use the Inlay and Detail bit functions, and then go to “view toolpaths.” What do you see?
I see the two leaves, the one is the pocket, the other is the outline with tabs.
When I generate toolpaths I get two paths, 1st one is generated in red and contacts the pocket only, then one is generated in green and contacts the pocket as well as the inlay, but jut at the bottom of the stem.
I have shared the file Easel - maple leaf inlay and pocket so you can see it
Does anyone know how to set Easel up to do an 1/8" Pocket in 1/2" material then do the fiil/inlay piece in 1/8" material on the same setup? I have some beautiful 1/8" walnut that I want to use as an inlay on 1/2"maple but I can’t figure out how to set two separate depths of material to cut on the same setup. I hope I can do this with Easel.
I would set the material as 1/8" even with your 1/2" material. Then cut your pocket as needed, mount 1/8" walnut and thru cut with tabs. If your not cutting thru the material it really doesn’t matter how thick you tell Easel it is. Another way is to change material thickness when you change materials. 1st way is what I use. Just my thoughts anyway.
Thanks Jeff. when I hit carve and confirm the material depth, that is indexed off the waste board right? If I have a piece of 1/8" sitting beside a piece of half inch the depth of cut is important. I want 1/8" depth on both but one is sitting 3/8" higher than the other. I thought of blocking the 1/8" up to the same height as the 1/2" but that’s more work than doing two runs (one for the cutout the other for the pocket). I’m pretty new to this so when it comes to doing multiple layouts for one project it makes me nervous.
I usually don’t have both boards mounted at the same time, but if you do, just zero Z on 1/2" piece and cut 1/8" pocket, zero Z on 1/8" piece and cut thru with tabs. Don’t forget to “0” cut each piece your not going to cut before you start. You can call all materials 1/8" even tho you have 1/2" board for pocket part. You are only going to be cutting down 1/8". Hope this makes sense. I find a setting of .005 tolerance works good for inlays in wood, also make sure you set the correct bit size.
Cool. I can set up once the just zero the bit twice. Then just change the depth of the cut for the off piece to zero. That eliminates it from the tool path? Or will it run the shape “in the air”?
When you “0” cut a piece, it won’t even try to cut it. It’s like it’s not even there. Hope this helps.