Toolpath housekeeping: how do I edit, duplicate, delete, and recalculate toolpaths, and how does the Toolpath Tree work?

The Toolpath Tree

Calculated toolpaths stack at the bottom of the Toolpath Tab. Each entry has a checkbox (show or hide that toolpath in the 3D View) and an icon showing the tool type used. The up/down arrows reorder toolpaths. Order matters, since it drives both preview order and the cutting sequence when saving multiple toolpaths. A draggable divider resizes the list, and right-clicking any toolpath opens the housekeeping menu (edit, rename, duplicate, recalculate, group, delete).

Edit

Double-click the toolpath name (or select it and use the edit option) to reopen its strategy form. The vectors associated with the toolpath are automatically remembered and highlighted, so you can see exactly what it cuts. Change parameters, then click Calculate. Edits do nothing until recalculated.

Duplicate

Creates a copy in the list with an index number appended (for example, "Cut out - 1/4 inch End Mill (1)"). Handy for making a roughing and finishing variant of the same strategy. Duplicating an imported PhotoVCarve or Cut3D toolpath also duplicates its grayscale positioning thumbnail in the 2D view.

Delete

Removes the selected toolpath. Deleting a group asks whether to keep or remove its contents.

Recalculate All

Forces every toolpath in the list to recalculate. Use it after editing the artwork vectors or changing the material block. The classic symptom is a preview that still shows the old design. The right-click menu offers finer grades: recalculate selected, visible, or all.

Grouping and sheets

Right-click to create groups or group all visible toolpaths, then drag toolpaths between groups. Groups are sheet-specific. In multi-sheet jobs the Sheets Filter dropdown shows one sheet or all (inactive sheets faded), and the Copy To / Move To commands transfer toolpaths between sheets. Two-sided jobs list top and bottom toolpaths separately.

Pro tips

• Order the list the way you machine: engrave and carve first, profile cut-out last, and the saved order is right.
• After a Job Setup change, run Recalculate All before trusting any preview.
• Group by tool to preview a whole tool's work at once. See also "How do Toolpath Templates and the Vector Selector work in VCarve Pro & Aspire for automation and reusable workflows?" for reusing strategies across jobs.