Getting started
Do I need a CNC machine?
No. Shadow Forge produces the files; how they get cut is up to you.
Plenty of users send the DXF to a commercial foam shop or a local maker space. If you do own a
router or laser, the files are ready as-is.
Do I need to know CAD?
No — that is the entire point. If you can lay tools on a sheet of paper
and take a photo, you can cut a shadow board. There is no sketching, no constraint solving, and no
drawing of outlines by hand.
What do I need to start?
A phone, your tools, and a sheet of paper.
Use any standard size — Letter, A4, Legal, Tabloid — or set a custom size for bigger layouts. There is
no special background to buy or print.
What if I do not have a good camera?
Any phone from the last decade is fine. Because the app
scales from the paper's known size and corrects perspective once you mark its corners, you do not need
a tripod, a lightbox, or a steady hand.
Tracing & accuracy
How accurate is the trace?
Accurate enough that pockets fit first try. The paper's known size
gives the app an exact scale, and marking its corners lets it correct perspective and lens distortion,
which is where naive photo-tracing goes wrong. You can always nudge a point by hand — most people
never need to.
What is kerf, and why do I care?
Your cutter removes material as it travels — that width is the
kerf. Cut an outline exactly and the pocket comes out oversized by one kerf and the tool swims.
Shadow Forge offsets every outline by the kerf you set, so it fits.
Why does it round my corners?
A router bit cannot cut an inside corner sharper than its own
radius — it is a circle. Rather than let your machine improvise, Shadow Forge fillets contours to
your bit radius so what you see is what gets cut.
Can I trace something that is not a tool?
Yes. It does not know what a wrench is; it traces
outlines. People have done it for instruments, camera gear, medical kits and firearms cases.
Files & machines
What files do I get?
Three, from the same trace: a DXF of the kerf-offset,
filleted cut line; an STL of the 3D foam pocket; and a PDF
ANSI-B shop drawing with a bill of materials, balloon callouts and a QR code.
Will the DXF open in my CAM software?
It is a standard DXF of closed polylines with no
self-intersections or stray segments, which is what CAM packages want. Users run them through
VCarve, Fusion 360, LightBurn, Mastercam and Rhino.
What foam does this work with?
Any closed-cell foam you can cut — PE, EVA, polyurethane,
Kaizen-style layered foam. You tell Shadow Forge the thickness and pocket depth; it does the rest.
Can I sell trays I design with this?
Yes. Files you export are yours, with no royalty, no
attribution requirement, and no extra licence — whether you cut them yourself or have a shop cut
them for you.
Privacy & account
Do you upload my photos to the cloud?
The tracing, offsetting and mesh generation all run in
your browser — the geometry never has to leave your machine to be computed. If you are signed in,
your library and drawers sync to your account so you can pick up on another device. Read the
Privacy Policy for specifics.
Can I use it offline?
The geometry engine is client-side, so the work itself does not need a
server. Signing in and syncing do.
What happens to my work if I cancel?
You keep every file you have already exported — they are
yours, with no licence attached. Your library is preserved; resubscribe to Basic or Pro any time to
keep editing. See Refunds & Cancellation.
Will my trial auto-charge me?
No. The Trial does not take a card and will never convert on its
own. When your 7-day trial ends, you choose Basic or Pro to keep going.