Face frames can get a bit complex and the way the software handles face frames can be confusing at first. It was done this way to allow the maximum flexibility but it can also cause confusion when first learning the software.
The source of this confusion come from the fact that certain face frame components such as top and bottom rails and left and right stiles are controlled by parameters in Construction Settings and not controlled in the Face Frame Editor. These can be changed by going to Construction Settings and not even using the Face Frame Editor.
Other components such as mid-rails and mid-stiles are handled as “Add” type parameters. That is, unless they were highlighted before entering Construction Settings, existing mid-rails and mid-stiles do not change when these parameters are changed.
This is where the Face Frame Editor comes in because that is where face frame components are added and their position adjusted. These are primarily mid-stiles and mid-rails but top and bottom rails and left and right stiles can also be added should they have been deleted before.
As for positioning face frame components, the outside parts, top and bottom rails and left and right stiles are positioned with respect to the cabinet in Construction Settings. Only the positions of mid-rails and mid-stiles are adjusted in the Face Frame Editor.
It might be easier if you think of the Face Frame Editor as the Mid-Rail/Stile Editor and consider the outer frame as part of the cabinet just like the sides, deck and top.
We will start with the outer frame.
The outside frame consists of a top and bottom rail and a left and right stile. With respect to this outside frame the Face Frame Editor has only three functions. First, you can delete any of the frame components. Second, you can add a component back after you deleted it and finally, you can change the overlap. Normally, the stiles extend over the edges of the rails. You can change this in the Face Frame Editor by right clicking on the joint you want to change and selecting Face Frame Options – Toggle Overlap.
The rest of the changes to the outside frame are done in Construction Settings. It doesn’t matter if Construction Settings is accessed from the Main page of the Cabinet/Assembly Editor or from the Face Frame Editor.
In Construction Settings, let’s first look at settings for the entire face frame.
Under Cabinet Attachment you are given two choices, Butt Joint or Blind Dado. This specifies how the face frame attaches to cabinet box. Currently, only the butt joint is supported even if you check Blind Dado. In the future, a blind dado will be available on the front edges of the cabinet to attach to a slot cut into the face frame, but not right now.
Construction determines how the face frame components attach to each other. The Butt Joint specifies the length of each component with no additional length for joinery and assumes some type of mechanical fastener such as pocket screws. If you select Mortise Tennon, then the Depth dimension is added to the length of any part on which a tennon is needed. This addition, however, is only done in the CNC output. Cut lists and part lengths only reflect the actual part to part dimensions that you would see with a butt joint.
The final common dimension for the face frame is the Thickness which is found on the second page of Face Frame Settings. Only thicknesses of existing board stock material are available for selection and once you select a thickness, only board stock with that thickness is available for selection as a material. The software assumes that all face frame components are the same thickness.
A convenient Define Materials button at the bottom takes you directly to the materials area of Settings/Preferences where you can add board stock material for your face frame. It is common to get here and need a different width material and this button saves some time.
On Page 2 you will notice a Display Finish – Common with Door checkbox. Normally this is checked and the face frame will take on the same color and texture as the doors selected. Face frame finish will also change when you change doors. If you want the face frame a different finish than the doors, uncheck this and the face frame will be the texture and finish assigned to the board stock the frame is made from.
We are now ready to look at the outside frame itself.
There are three things you can control for each component, its relative length, its position with respect to the cabinet and the material it is made from, which defines its width.
Let’s start with its relative length. A face frame component is supposed to be a certain length. This length is defined by the width of the cabinet and the width of the parts it mates with, etc. and this length changes as the cabinet or other items change. By using a thing called an “Inset” you can make the component longer or shorter than its normal length. Since it’s called “Inset” a positive number insets it or makes it shorter. A negative inset then, makes it longer. In a lot of these settings it is important to remember that you can use negative numbers and reverse the effect.
The position with respect to the cabinet is controlled by a parameter called “Outside Scribe” that is except for the bottom rail where this parameter is called “Deck Float”. Deck Float is a little different as you will see.
Outside Scribe is essentially the distance the face frame extends past or outside the edge of the cabinet. For example, a quarter inch Outside Scribe for a top rail means that the top edge of the top rail is a quarter inch above the top of the cabinet. The left and right stiles were also extended a quarter inch to keep the frame in tact.
Here again, we can use negative Outside Scribes to move the component toward the inside of the cabinet.
Deck Float is a bit different since it refers to the top edge of the bottom rail with respect to the top of the deck. If you set a quarter inch Deck Float the bottom rail will extend a quarter inch above the surface of the deck. Again, you can use negative numbers to lower the bottom rail.
Now let’s look at the Face Frame Editor and the addition of mid-stiles and mid-rails.
The material and settings for mid-stiles and mid-rails are established in Construction Settings. Then, in the Face Frame Editor we add them and adjust their position.
This area works like the Shelf Partition Editor in that we highlight the area, add the part and adjust its position.
Simply click to highlight the open area. The highlight only looks at the face frame and ignores shelves and partitions inside the cabinet. Then pull the list down for the Add and click on the item you want to add. This is normally a mid-rail or mid-style.
If you want more than one and want them different from each other, add the first, go to Construction Settings and make the changes and then return to the Face Frame Editor and add the second one.
The mid-rail or mid-stile can be moved by clicking on it to highlight it and the while holding the Shift key moving it with the left mouse button. The only reason you might want to move it this way is to get it near a shelf or partition. If you get it near a shelf or partition you can then adjust its position by adjusting the float number. This float number will only appear if the rail is near the shelf or partition.
Another way to adjust the mid-rail is to highlight the opening above or below it. Then you can adjust the opening height in the box at the upper left.
Note that to the right of this adjustment box is a button under the word “Adjust” that changes from Top to Bottom to Both. This determines what part moves to obtain the height you set. With only one mid-rail, obviously if you highlight the top opening you can only adjust the bottom which is the mid-rail. In some cases, however, you may be adjusting openings between mid-rails and this feature becomes important.
This same thing works with mid-stiles, except you may be adjusting the width of the opening also.
Another important feature is the ability to highlight more than one opening and Equalize them. If you highlight two or more adjacent areas and press Equalize, the overall height of the combined highlighted areas remains the same but the mid rails or stiles are adjusted so that all openings are equal height.
To delete a face frame part, highlight it by clicking on it and either press the Delete button or press the Delete key. Note that you can highlight more than one part by holding the Ctrl key while clicking.