In Mozaik 14 you can add faux rail seams to a one-piece (slab) MDF door by copying a door variation, editing the panel's operations, and laying open tool paths positioned with formulas like 2.5*mm in from each edge. Attach each path to a panel tool group carrying a shallow V-groove tool so you can re-tune depth and tool from one library spot. This PAC (Phill Anton Consulting) method works for vertical or horizontal seams and is fully copy-paste-able.
How do I start a faux-seam door from an existing door?
Go to the libraries, then Doors, and open a standard shaker door. Copy it (Phill almost always copies rather than edits the original), then rename the variation — he adds a suffix like "B seam" in parentheses or all caps so it's easy to find. Then click the panel, click Edit, and open Operations to begin adding tool paths.
How do I position the seam lines with formulas?
For each seam, add an open tool path (Tool path → Open). Delete the default points, then position the first point with the calculator (formula entry) rather than a fixed number — Phill stresses this is "the right way" because formulas let you copy and paste the paths and work much faster.
He sets the Y position to 2.5*mm, which brings the line 2½ inches in from the edge (mm is the unit multiplier). Match the other end at 2.5 as well. If your door uses a different rail width, substitute that value — e.g. 2.25 for 2¼″ stile rails. This first line is the easy one because both ends share the same offset.
How do I attach the seam to a panel tool group (and why)?
After placing a path, clicking carefully on the points gives you the option to add a depth/tool association — either attach a tool directly (the basic way) or attach a panel tool group. Phill says the panel tool group is "definitely the way we want to do it" because you can later swap the tool and change the depth very easily from the panel tool group library, instead of editing each path.
To build the group: open the optimizer, go to libraries → CNC tooling → panel tool groups, and add a new group (he names it S00001 and suggests notes like "60 degree, 1/16 deep" to denote it). In the group's tool list, bring in a 60° V tool (green plus), set it to center (easier, especially with profiled tools), and leave it on the center line — the green line represents the open tool path, so a centered tool cuts right on the path. Set the depth (he uses 1/16). Because faux seams are meant to be very shallow, a light depth is normal.
Tip from the video: after creating the group, close the door library and switch between a couple of tabs to "wake it up" so Mozaik registers the new tool group.
How do I apply the tool group to the seam path?
Back in libraries → Doors, on the seam door, click the panel, select a point (or pick one in the points list), leave the depth field at zero since you're using a panel tool group, click Select tool path → panel tool groups, and choose your V joint group (he picks the 00 V joint). In 3D you'll then see the small groove.
How do I make the other three seam lines?
Once one line is correct you can build the rest:
- Duplicate sideways: drag a box to highlight the line, then copy and paste to add more.
-
Mirror on the Y axis: wrap the offset in parentheses as
part w - <value>so the mirrored line sits the correct distance from the opposite edge. -
Mirror to the other side (X): pasted operations come down at the origin; the opposite of
0on the X axis ispart L, so set the X topart L - <value>. - For the last line, he just enters
2.5for both ends — another easy one.
You're essentially making four lines. To shift all of them in from the perimeter at once, change the unit/offset variable. To copy all four lines as a set, the video notes you may need to hide the pocket first, highlight the four points, copy, then unhide and paste onto your target — and to run the lines the other direction you do the opposite of the mirroring above.
How do I change the stile/rail after adding seams?
You can't directly — once you edit that panel, the door's stile/rail is locked. Phill's workaround: copy your operations, reset the panel, make the panel change, go back into the Edit tab, paste your operations again, then re-adjust the seam positions (e.g. a path that was 2.5 may need to become 2 for the new rail). Expect everything to be "a little bit maladjusted" until you re-set the offsets.
How do I change the tool or cut depth later?
This is the payoff of the panel tool group. Go to optimizer → libraries → CNC tooling → panel tool groups, open the group, and change the depth (he bumps it to ¼″ to demonstrate, then dials it shallower). The change updates everywhere without touching the tool paths. Just make sure the chosen tool is actually in the tool set for that panel tool group before cutting.
Bonus: how do I nudge the seam lines left/right?
In panel tool groups, open the V-joint group and use an offset. One quirk: an offset moves some lines left and others right, because each line sits on a different side of the green (path) center line. The fix is to build that tool path from the other side — e.g. swap the offset's sign so the line moves the opposite direction. Phill flags this as a handy tip for getting all four seams to shift together.
Get it done-for-you
You can set this up by hand (above). If you build these regularly, PAC MDF Door Profiles from PAC has it ready in Mozaik. → phillanton.com
Full disclosure: Phill Anton Consulting makes this product.
FAQ
How do I add faux rail seams to a one-piece MDF door in Mozaik?
Copy a door variation in the door library, edit the panel's operations, and add open tool paths positioned with formulas (e.g. 2.5*mm in from each edge). Attach a panel tool group with a V-groove tool so you can re-tune depth and tool later in one place.
Why attach a panel tool group instead of a tool directly to the seam?
A panel tool group lets you swap the tool and change the cut depth in one library location instead of editing every tool path. Phill (PAC) recommends it as the way to do faux seams in Mozaik.
Can I change the door's stile/rail size after I add the seam tool paths?
No. Once you edit that panel you can't change the stile/rail of the door. The workaround per Phill: copy your operations, reset the panel, make your stile/rail change, then paste the operations back and re-adjust the seam positions.