Faces A/B and grain
Face A and face B
Section titled “Face A and face B”Every panel has two faces:
- Face A — the front, visible from outside;
- Face B — the back, interior.
On carcass panels face A points outwards: left on the left side panel, up on the top, back on the back panel.
Faces are used wherever it matters which side of the panel something happens on:
- the Face of a hole, cutout and rabbet — see Holes and Cutouts;
- the Glue face — see Gluing;
- joints pick a face or an edge of the panel — see Joints and hardware.
When a panel is open, the A and B camera views show the face head-on, and the other panels are see-through.
Edges a, b, c, d
Section titled “Edges a, b, c, d”Looking at face A, the panel’s edges are:
| Edge | Side |
|---|---|
| a | top |
| b | bottom |
| c | left |
| d | right |
Edge bands, rabbets and the camera views use the same letters — see Edge bands.
Material
Section titled “Material”A panel has one material: Material tab → click the material name and choose it from the list (or Add from database). The material sets:
- the panel’s thickness — which is why the Thickness field in the form is greyed out;
- the look of both faces — Faces · from material shows face A and B with the same material.
Faces are not set separately per panel. More on materials: My materials.
Grain direction
Section titled “Grain direction”For materials with a wood pattern, the direction of the grain matters. Panel form → Properties → Grain direction: choose Height or Width. Each choice shows the panel’s size in that direction.
The grain direction sets:
- how the texture is turned on the panel in the 3D view;
- which size is the length in the cut list — the grain always runs along the length of the board.
The app sets the direction by itself, usually along the longer side of the panel. Change it e.g. when the grain on drawer fronts should run horizontally.