Snowflake
Detailed six-pointed snowflake crystal with intricate branching patterns. Perfect for seasonal and holiday projects.
Recommended stock size
This relief is portrait, roughly 4:5. It scales to any size, so pick a board that fits the proportions. Common cuts:
Carve depth is up to you. Most reliefs look good between 1/4" and 1/2" deep.
Project ideas for the Snowflake
- •Ornaments and gift tags
- •Holiday signs and door hangers
- •Coasters and small gifts
- •Seasonal decor for the mantel
Wood: Basswood and birch ply are cheap and clean for ornaments. Maple for nicer keepsake pieces.
Finish: White paint sanded back over a stained base reads great for winter pieces, or keep it simple with an oil finish.
Bits: A 1mm or 1/16" tapered ball nose handles most seasonal detail. Rough with a 1/8" ball if the piece is deep.
How to Use This Heightmap
- 1. Download the heightmap. Click the download button to get the 16-bit PNG file.
- 2. Import into your CAM software. VCarve, Carveco, and Aspire all support heightmap imports. Look for "Import Bitmap", "Component from image", or "Model From Bitmap".
- 3. Scale to your stock. The heightmap scales proportionally. Set your desired width and height, and the relief depth will adjust automatically.
- 4. Generate toolpaths. Use a ball-nose bit for best results. Start with conservative settings and test on scrap first.
What's a heightmap? It's a grayscale image where brightness represents depth: white is high, black is low. Your CAM software reads this image and creates a 3D toolpath. This file is a 16-bit PNG for maximum detail.
Snowflake heightmap FAQ
What software opens the Snowflake heightmap? +
Any CAM tool that imports a bitmap or grayscale relief. Vectric VCarve and Aspire, and Carveco, all do it natively. Look for "Import Bitmap", "Component from image", or "Model from image". If you model in Fusion 360, you can bring in the relief once you convert it to a mesh or STL.
Is this an STL file? +
No, it is a 16-bit PNG heightmap, which is what most CAM tools actually want for a relief. They import it directly, and if you specifically need an STL, the same software converts a heightmap to STL in a couple of clicks.
Do I need to invert the grayscale? +
Usually not. Our heightmaps are white-is-high, the standard most software expects. If the relief imports inside-out, just toggle the invert option on import.
How big can I carve the Snowflake? +
It scales to any size, the proportions are about 4:5. Common cuts are 6 x 7", 9 x 10", 12 x 13.5". Depth is yours to set, most reliefs look good between 1/4" and 1/2" deep.
What bit should I use? +
For seasonal relief detail, a 1mm or 1/16" tapered ball nose handles most seasonal detail. Rough with a 1/8" ball if the piece is deep.
Can I sell what I carve? +
These files are free for personal, non-commercial use under CC BY-NC-ND. Carve them for yourself, your home, and as gifts. Reselling finished carvings is commercial use the license does not cover, we are working on a commercial-license option, so reach out if you need one.
Details
- Category
- Seasonal & Holiday
- File Format
- 16-bit PNG heightmap
- Resolution
- 850 x 964 px, portrait
- File Size
- 579 KB
- License
- CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Free for personal use
- Creator
- CNC Dad
What you get
- One 16-bit grayscale PNG heightmap. 850 x 964 px, 579 KB.
- White is high, black is low. your CAM software builds the 3D toolpath from the brightness.
- No STL or gcode. you generate toolpaths for your own machine, bit, and stock.
Cutting this?
Next step
How to carve 3D reliefs: bits, stepover, feeds
Next step
Dial in feeds and speeds for your machine
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