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Engrave

In one sentence: Follow selected edges or a ShapeString text object at a constant Z depth for engraving text, logos, and decorative patterns.

Overview

Workbench: CAM
Menu: CAM → Engrave
Command: CAM_Engrave
Shortcut: none

Generates a toolpath that follows selected edges or a Draft::ShapeString (text) object at a constant Z depth. The tool traces the path without varying depth — for variable-depth engraving, use V-Carve.

Intuition

Engrave is the simplest engraving operation: the tool traces each edge or letter outline at a fixed depth. It is fast to compute and produces crisp outlines at shallow depth, suitable for ID marks, part numbers, and simple logos.

When to use it

  • Engraving text (part numbers, serial numbers) using a Draft ShapeString.
  • Tracing a 2-D logo or decorative outline at constant depth.
  • Scribing reference marks onto a part.

When NOT to use it

  • For variable-depth engraving that fills wider regions — use V-Carve instead.

See also