What's New in Easel

Faster V-Bit Toolpath Generation

Toolpath generation just got a turbo boost! Easel now generates V-bit toolpaths 30% faster on average.

Spend less time waiting and more time iterating on your design.

Share project photos directly from your phone

When sharing your projects to the Easel gallery, you can now attach photos directly from your phone by scanning a QR code. This eliminates the need to email or transfer photos to yourself and then upload them to Easel.

The publishing screen now shows a QR code:

Scan the code with your phone to choose photos from your library or take a new one:

After selecting photos and clicking "Send to computer," your photos will pop right into the desktop carousel image picker — ready to be reordered, featured, or removed before publishing.

New Toolpath Simulation Controls

The toolpath simulator got a complete refresh!

In this new version of the simulation controls, you can isolate and preview the tool paths for any individual bit with one click — all in one cleaner, less cluttered control bar.

The timeline also now features color-coded sections for each pass, allowing you to quickly see how much of the total carve time will be taken by each one.

You can also now quickly select a playback speed from a dropdown menu:

There's also a new button to close the tool path simulation and return to a clean design preview.

Finally, the new controls work the same in 3D workpieces:

Workpiece names & notes in editor

Easel's design editor now shows your workpiece's name and any notes you've entered, and lets you edit the name and notes right there without leaving the design:

Notes are a great way to leave reminders for yourself about how to carve, assemble, or finish your project, or to give tips or instructions for other Easel users when you share a project or publish to the Easel Gallery.

Rapid Connect from Browser (Early Access)

Easel can now directly connect to your CNC machine without the need to install any software (the Easel Driver). This means you can now connect from more devices, including Chromebooks and older Mac or Windows computers.

Note: This functionality has completed early access testing and is now available to everyone.

How to Use

If you are using Chrome, Edge, or Opera and do not have the Easel Driver installed, you will get a new screen when you click the Carve button that looks like this:

This will open a list of ports where you can authorize Easel to connect:

Automatic Reconnect

Some machines identify themselves uniquely to your computer and Easel will reconnect to them automatically. Others will ask you to re-authorize the connection each time you plug in. You still have the option to install the Easel Driver if your machine falls into the latter category.

Firefox and Safari Not Supported

This feature relies on behavior only available in Chromium-based browsers (e.g. Chrome, Edge, Opera). Firefox and Safari are NOT supported.

Already Have the Easel Driver?

If you've already installed the Easel Driver but want to use the new rapid connection functionality, you have the option to uninstall the Easel Driver.

GRBL ESP32 support

We have added Grbl ESP32 as an option for all machines. Grbl ESP32 is the Grbl port that ships with certain controllers, including XPRO. The option is marked as "(Beta)", just like FluidNC.

You can select this controller and motion method when setting up your machine.

Freehand Drawing

You can now draw freehand shapes directly in Easel, giving you a faster and more natural way to create custom geometry. Just select the Freehand tool from the Pen Tool dropdown and start drawing on the canvas.

As you draw, your strokes are automatically converted into editable paths. You'll see a live preview as the line follows your cursor, making it easy to sketch fluid shapes or rough ideas without worrying about precision upfront.

When you release your cursor, the shape is finalized and you can adjust it like any other - move nodes, refine curves, or apply sharp corners. This makes it easy to go from a quick sketch to a polished design.

Give it a try and see where it takes your designs!

Simplify shapes

You can now simplify shapes in your design to reduce the number of points, making transformations easier and toolpath generation faster. Just right-click a shape and choose Simplify from the menu.

In the Simplify modal, you’ll find a slider that lets you control how much the shape is simplified. Drag it to the right for a more aggressive effect. As you adjust it, you’ll see a live preview along with before-and-after point counts.

When you click Apply, the selected shape will be replaced with the simplified version.

For even better results, try using the Separate option first to break a shape into smaller parts, then simplify each one individually.

Simplification works especially well with natural, organic, or smooth shapes. For more technical designs with sharp edges, it may introduce some distortion. It’s worth experimenting to find the right balance.

Try it out today!

Resume Carve for 3D Designs

Resume Carve now works for 3D designs. Available to Easel Pro subscribers, it works just like Resume Carve for non-3D designs.

Step by Step Walkthrough

To resume a carve that got interrupted, first select the "Resume Carve" option from the new dropdown option on the "Carve" button:

This will launch a carve walkthrough much like the one you're used to, except that there will be a new step to select the starting point for the carve right before you kick it off:

Warning: When starting a carve in the middle, it is important to exercise extra caution to make sure you are choosing a safe starting point.

Offset Linked Measurement Lines

Linked measurement lines can now be offset from their original positions. This makes it easier to continue designing while keeping measurements visible but out of the way.

How to use it:

1. Create a linked measurement line (a line that connects the bounding box edge of one volume to another).

2. Click the linked measurement line to select it.

3. Drag it in the direction you want to offset it.

The measurement will stay linked to the same volumes while not getting in the way of your design.