Help & How-To

Quick Start

Foam Maestro helps you design custom foam tool inserts for your CNC. The basic flow is:

Adding Tools (Photo Flow)

Taking the photo

1. Lay a measuring tape flat at the bottom of the frame, horizontal.
2. Place the tool above the tape, touching or near it. The tool should sit flat.
3. Use a light-colored surface for best results (white or light gray works great).
4. Take the photo from directly above, keeping the camera level.

After upload

The app processes your photo automatically:

• Background removal -- isolates the tool from the surface
• Scale detection -- reads the tape markings to calculate real-world dimensions
• Silhouette extraction -- converts the outline to a polygon

Confirming the tool

Before saving, you can adjust:

• Name -- what you call this tool (e.g., "Holzher Tape Gun")
• Buffer -- extra clearance around the pocket (default 3mm, adjust for tighter/looser fit)
• Depth -- measure the tool's thickness with a caliper. This isn't used in the DXF, but shows up as a reference when you set up the VCarve toolpath.
• Rotation -- allow or lock rotation when placing on a canvas
• Contour smoothing -- on by default, smooths jagged edges for cleaner VCarve paths

If scale detection fails

Sometimes the tape isn't readable (glare, angle, poor contrast). When this happens, the app asks you to provide a known dimension manually. Measure any part of the tool you know (e.g., "the handle is 6 inches") and enter it.

Working with Canvases

A canvas represents a physical foam board. It has a label, dimensions, and a record of every tool placed on it.

Creating a canvas

1. Click "+ New Canvas" on the home page
2. Enter a label (e.g., "001 - Edge Bander Station")
3. Enter width and height in inches (or mm)
4. Click Create

Canvas actions

• Copy -- duplicates the canvas with all placements unlocked, useful for starting over without losing the original
• Delete -- permanently removes the canvas and all its placements
• QR Code -- each canvas card shows a QR code that links to the phone upload page, handy for adding tools on the spot

Categories

Organize your tool library into categories (e.g., "Hand Tools", "Power Tools"). Click "+ Category" in the tool library section. Right-click a category pill to rename or delete it. Tools can be reassigned using the dropdown on each tool card.

Canvas Editor

Click a canvas label to open the editor. The sidebar shows your tool library, and the main area is the canvas.

Placing tools

• Drag and drop -- drag a tool from the sidebar onto the canvas
• Auto-place -- click the "Auto-Place" button on a tool card to let the system find the first available spot
• Tools can be repositioned by dragging them on the canvas
• Rotation snaps to 90-degree increments

Finger holes

Select a placement and click "Finger Hole" in the toolbar to add a finger-lift cutout. The hole appears at the center of the tool by default. Drag the green circle to reposition it. The finger hole exports as a separate circle in the DXF so VCarve treats it as its own pocket.

Undo / Redo

Use Ctrl+Z (undo) and Ctrl+Y (redo), or the toolbar buttons. Works for placing, moving, and deleting tools. After an export, the undo stack is cleared to prevent accidentally undoing locked placements.

Locking

When you export, the included placements are permanently locked. They turn gray and can't be moved or deleted. This is intentional -- the foam is already cut. You can always add new tools to a canvas alongside locked ones.

Exporting DXF Files

Three export options are available in the canvas editor sidebar:

VCarve Pro Workflow

This section walks through importing your Foam Maestro DXF into VCarve Pro and setting up the toolpath.

1. Import the DXF

1. Open VCarve Pro
2. Create a new job matching your foam board dimensions
3. File > Import > Import Vectors
4. Select your exported .dxf file
5. Vectors should appear at the correct scale (inches)

2. Set up the pocket toolpath

1. Select all the pocket vectors (silhouettes + finger holes)
2. Open the Pocket Toolpath panel
3. Set the Cut Depth using the depth reference from Foam Maestro's export summary
4. Select your end mill (typically 1/4" flat end mill for Kaizen foam)
5. Calculate the toolpath

3. Cut the foam

1. Secure the foam board to your CNC bed (tape, clamps, or vacuum)
2. Zero your Z-axis to the foam surface
3. Run the toolpath

4. Optional: back label

1. Flip the foam board over
2. Import the back-label DXF
3. Set up a shallow pocket or V-carve toolpath (just enough to mark the surface)
4. Run it -- your board is now labeled on the back

Tips & Troubleshooting

Photo quality

• Natural light or bright overhead light works best
• Avoid shadows falling across the measuring tape
• A white or light-colored surface gives the cleanest background removal
• Keep the camera directly above the tool, not at an angle

DXF import issues

• If vectors appear too small or too large in VCarve, check that your VCarve job is set to inches (Foam Maestro exports in inches)
• If vectors appear in the wrong position, use Edit > Select All and then Align to Material Center

Foam types

• Kaizen foam (FastCap) -- black top layer over red core. The most common for tool inserts. Missing tools are instantly visible.
• Standard PE/EVA foam works too, but lacks the contrast layer

Buffer settings

• Default 3mm buffer works well for most hand tools
• Increase to 4-5mm for tools with rubberized grips (they compress when inserting)
• Decrease to 1-2mm for precision tools that need a snug fit

Keyboard Shortcuts