I cut the same product every week. How do I set it up so a new order is drop in the artwork and recalculate?

The idea

Three features do the work together. A job template holds the material size and setup. Layers with fixed names say what each vector is for. Toolpaths saved with automatic vector selection find their own vectors by layer every time they are recalculated. Once that is built, a repeat order is: open, place artwork on the right layers, recalculate, save.

Build it once

1. Set up the job the way you really run it (size, thickness, Z zero, XY datum).
2. Make one layer per operation, named for the job it does, for example Pocket, Drill, Cutout.
3. Create each toolpath. In the toolpath form click Selector..., set the Geometry Filters (closed vectors, open vectors, or Only Circles with a diameter and tolerance for drilling) and the Layer Filter, then check Associate with toolpath before closing. The form now reports Vector Selection as Automatic. Calculate.
4. Order the toolpaths in the list the way they should cut.
5. Choose Toolpaths > Templates > Save All Visible Toolpaths as Template. The automatic selection rules are stored in the template.
6. Choose File > Save As Template to keep the empty job as a job template (.crvt or .crv3dt). Opening it never overwrites the original; it behaves like a new file.

Run it each week

1. File > New file from template.
2. Import or paste the artwork and move vectors to the named layers.
3. Load the toolpath template if the toolpaths are not already in the file, then use Toolpaths > Recalculate All Toolpaths. Each toolpath selects whatever now matches its filter.
4. Preview, then save the toolpaths.

When layers are missing

Loading a toolpath template into a file without its layers opens the Missing Layers for Template dialog. You can have the layers created for you, delete the toolpaths tied to missing layers, or load them as they are. The delete option lets one large master template serve several products: operations that do not apply to this job simply drop out.

Pro tips

• In a multi-sheet job the template offers to apply itself to every sheet, and the toolpaths are prefixed S1-, S2- and so on. Hold Ctrl while clicking Open to apply all toolpaths to all sheets even where a layer is empty on some sheets.
• Right-click a toolpath for Recalculate, Recalculate Visible or Recalculate All when you only changed part of the job.
• Selecting vectors by hand in a toolpath form turns automatic selection off for that toolpath, so edit the layer contents instead.