Tree of Life
Tree of life with twisted trunk and spreading branches forming a circle. Timeless spiritual and decorative motif.
Recommended stock size
This relief is portrait, roughly 1:1. 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 Tree of Life
- •Wall art and framed pieces
- •Cabinet door and drawer-front accents
- •Wedding and anniversary gifts
- •Headboard and furniture inlays
Wood: Cherry and maple show off the soft petal transitions. Poplar and basswood are cheap and forgiving for a first pass.
Finish: Keep it light. A matte or satin finish reads more natural on florals than a high gloss.
Bits: A 1/4" ball nose for roughing and a 1/16" tapered ball nose for the petal edges and veins.
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.
Tree of Life heightmap FAQ
What software opens the Tree of Life 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 Tree of Life? +
It scales to any size, the proportions are about 1:1. Common cuts are 6 x 6.5", 9 x 10", 12 x 13". Depth is yours to set, most reliefs look good between 1/4" and 1/2" deep.
What bit should I use? +
For floral relief detail, a 1/4" ball nose for roughing and a 1/16" tapered ball nose for the petal edges and veins.
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
- Nature & Floral
- File Format
- 16-bit PNG heightmap
- Resolution
- 912 x 988 px, portrait
- File Size
- 848 KB
- License
- CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Free for personal use
- Creator
- CNC Dad
What you get
- One 16-bit grayscale PNG heightmap. 912 x 988 px, 848 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
New reliefs, every week
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