How do I preview a painted or laminated board so the carved areas show the wood underneath? (Surface Color in)

What it is

Version 12.5 added a Surface Color choice to the Preview Toolpaths form. It paints the uncut top face of the material block with a color you pick, while everything the cutter removes shows the material underneath. That is exactly how a paint-then-carve sign, a color-core plastic sheet or a laminated panel looks after cutting.

The four coloring choices on the form

Under Machined Area Color the form now offers:

• Material Color: carved areas use the same material as the block. No contrast.
• Surface Color: the uncut surface is painted with your chosen color and covers the material color there. Cut areas show the material.
• Global Fill Color: all machined regions are painted with one color (the paint-fill look).
• Toolpath Color: each toolpath gets its own fill color, shown as a small square next to its name in the toolpath list. Choosing No Fill shows that toolpath in the material color.

Steps for a painted-surface preview

1. Calculate your toolpaths and open Preview Toolpaths.
2. In the material section choose Use Material and pick the wood or plastic that will show in the cuts (or Use Solid Color for a color core).
3. Select Surface Color and pick the paint or cap-layer color.
4. Click Reset Preview, then Preview All Toolpaths.
5. Use Save Preview Image to export a BMP, PNG, JPG or GIF for a customer proof.

Choosing between Surface Color and fill colors

• Painting the blank first and carving through the paint: use Surface Color.
• Carving first and paint-filling the letters: use Global Fill Color or Toolpath Color.
• These are alternative settings in the Machined Area Color group, so pick the one that matches the finishing order you will really use.

Pro tips

• You can add your own material image through the material list (Add new texture) to match a specific board. The documentation recommends an image of about 1000 by 1000 pixels.
• The preview does not check paint adhesion or chipping. Test cut on scrap before promising a crisp painted edge.
• See the entry on toolpath simulation and preview for animation and quality settings.