How do I use Two Rail Sweep to create a picture frame and a full sign face in Aspire?

Overview

Two Rail Sweep's most practical real-world applications are picture frames and decorative sign faces. Both use closed vector pairs as rails, but they differ in one key option: whether you fill the center. For how the tool works in general and for fixing twisted sweeps or stretched corners, see the entry on how Two Rail Sweep works.

The Core Mechanic: Closed Vector Rails

For frames and signs, both rails are closed vectors, typically two concentric rectangles, two offset ovals, or any two closed shapes where one sits inside the other.

• Outer rail: The outside edge of the frame or border (larger shape)
• Inner rail: The inside edge of the frame or border (smaller shape)
• Cross-section: The profile that sweeps between them (molding profile, bead, ogee, etc.)

The 3D component is created in the space between the two closed vectors.

Getting Cross-Sections from the Clipart Library

You do not always need to draw your cross-section from scratch. The Clipart tab can hold open-vector molding profiles:

1. Open the Clipart tab and browse to a molding profile folder, if your installed clipart includes one
2. Double-click a profile to bring it into the 2D view
3. Right-click the imported shape and choose Move to Layer to keep your workspace organized
4. Use this as the cross-section, no drawing required

The cross-section must be an open vector, so check that the profile you import is open.

Workflow A: Picture Frame (Hollow Center)

A picture frame uses two closed vectors with the center left empty, so only the border profile is created.

Step 1: Prepare the Vectors

1. Draw your outer closed vector (the outer edge of the frame)
2. Draw an inner closed vector inside it (the inner edge of the rabbet or lip)
3. Use Offset to create them at a precise distance if needed (for example, the outer rectangle, then offset inward 0.75" to get the inner rail)
4. Import or draw your cross-section profile

Step 2: Set Up Rails in Two Rail Sweep

1. Click the outer closed vector first
2. Hold Shift and click the inner closed vector
3. Click Use Selection. The first rail turns red and the second turns green
4. Check that the direction arrows on both rails go the same direction (both clockwise or both counterclockwise). If not, right-click one and choose Reverse Rail
5. Check that the start nodes are at the same relative corner on both rails. If not, right-click a node on one rail and choose Make Start Point

Step 3: Attach the Cross-Section

1. Select the molding profile cross-section in the 2D view
2. Click on the rail at the start position (for example the bottom-left corner of the rectangle)
3. The cross-section attaches and a preview appears

Step 4: Handle the Corners (Critical Step)

Aspire connects points at the same proportional distance along each rail. Without corner correction, the cross-section can stretch around the corners instead of breaking cleanly.

Automatic method (recommended):

1. Right-click the attached cross-section's preview position
2. Click Add To All Rail Nodes
3. Aspire places copies of the cross-section at every pair of nodes on both rails
4. The frame now has clean, properly mitered corners

Requirement: Both rails must have the same number of nodes for this to work. If your outer rail has 4 nodes and your inner has 6 (from extra edits), edit the node count to match before sweeping.

Manual method (maximum control):

1. In Node Edit mode, split both rails at each corner
2. You now have 4 separate open line segments per rail
3. Run Two Rail Sweep on each matching pair of parallel segments separately
4. Four separate sweep components, one per side, join at the corners

Step 5: Apply

• Leave Fill center of inner closed vector rails UNCHECKED for a frame (you do not want the center filled)
• Click Apply
• Result: a full frame with the molding profile sweeping around all four sides

Workflow B: Sign Face (Filled Center)

A decorative sign face uses the same setup as a picture frame but fills the center, creating a complete raised sign panel with a molded border in one operation.

Steps 1 to 4: Same as Picture Frame

Set up the closed vector rails and cross-section exactly as above, including corner correction.

Step 5: Enable Fill Center

• Check Fill center of inner closed vector rails in the Two Rail Sweep form
• Click Apply

What this does: After creating the border sweep, Aspire finds the height that the cross-section forms on the inner boundary and fills the enclosed interior to that height, creating a flat raised panel that connects to the border profile.

Result: A complete sign face component with a molded decorative border all around and a flat raised center panel ready for text or artwork to sit on top.

Adding text or art: Place lettering or relief components on top of the sign face using Add combine mode. The flat center of the sign face acts as a platform.

Scaling the Panel Before Sweeping

Scale the panel shape up to your desired sign size before running the Two Rail Sweep:

1. Select the panel shape
2. Hold Shift while dragging a corner handle to scale from the center
3. Set the size you want (for example 10" by 6")
4. Then select both the scaled shape and the offset inner shape as your rails
5. Scale the cross-section proportionally if needed to match the rail width

Scaling before sweeping gives you predictable results, because the molding profile will be proportioned to the sign size.

Comparing the Two Workflows

Troubleshooting: Swap Rail Order

If the molding profile is sweeping inward (toward the center of the sign) when it should sweep outward toward the frame edge, or vice versa:

• Click Swap Rail Order in the Two Rail Sweep form
• This swaps the red and green rail assignments, flipping which direction the cross-section hangs
• Click Apply to see the corrected result