A pave band: a row of stones all round

WhereCAD/CAM tab > Rings section > Rings panel. See Rings.

Doleave the size on UK M. Set Profile to Flat, Width to 3.00 and Depth to 2.00. Leave Taper off and click Build Shank.

You should seea flat-topped band named CJ_Shank_Flat_M, 3 mm wide. A flat top gives every stone a level seat, with 0.85 mm of metal either side of a 1.3 mm stone.

WhereCAD/CAM tab > Gems section > Gems panel. See Gems.

Doleave the cut on Round and the stone on Diamond. Click the W field and type the width.

Type1.3

You should seethe readout beside the cut’s picture shows a round of 1.3 mm.

Wherethe Gems panel > Place & Guides sub-panel > the Spacing box. See Place gems.

Doclick the 0.15 preset. Then set Surface Offset to -0.30.

You should seeSpacing reads 0.15 mm. The negative offset sinks each girdle 0.30 mm under the surface, the house seat depth for pave.

WherePlace & Guides, the Symmetry while placing box.

Doclick Polar, then click Y beside the word About.

You should seea Count field and the row About with the buttons X, Y and Z, and Y chosen. Y is the ring’s own axis, so the stones will go round the finger.

Wherethe 3D view, mouse over it.

Dopress Numpad 7 for the top view, then press Home.

You should seethe band as a long strip across the view.

Wherethe 3D view.

Doclick the band so it is the active object, press Shift+G, then aim at the middle of the band’s top.

You should seea pale blue stone under the mouse and blue ghost stones round the whole ring. The read-out in the status bar includes “Polar 6/360 about Y”.

Wherethe 3D view, whilst placing.

Dopress + (or =) to add stones until the ghosts turn red, then press - once.

You should seeevery ghost blue. At a count one too high every ghost turns red together, because the stones would come within the spacing of their neighbours. The count in the status bar is then the most stones that fit.

Wherethe 3D view.

Doleft-click, then press Enter.

You should seea full ring of stones, all the same size and standing square on the surface. The status bar says “Placed 1 gem(s)”, then the number of twins.

If it goes wrongCtrl+Z undoes the whole run in one step. Start again from Step 6.

WhereCAD/CAM tab > Setting section > Claws. See Claws.

Dofind the Place Claws settings box at the foot of the panel and leave Style on Pave claw and Snap on Gap. With the mouse over the 3D view, press Alt+C and aim at the gap between two neighbouring stones.

You should seea small claw standing in the gap and blue ghost claws all round the ring. The polar settings are the same ones you used for the stones.

Wherethe 3D view, whilst placing.

Dopress D so the claw’s diameter fits the gap. When the claw is green and the status bar says “OK”, left-click once, then press Enter.

You should seea claw in every gap. The preview is green when the claw bites each stone by the right amount. Amber means it bites too little and red means it bites too far.

WherePlace & Guides, the Select box, then the Outliner.

Doclick By Trait to select every stone. In the Outliner, hold Ctrl and click the band’s name so the band is the active object.

You should seeevery stone selected and the band active.

WhereCAD/CAM tab > Setting section > Cutters & Seats. See Seats.

Doclick Make Cutters.

You should seea cutter under every stone, in the CJ Cutters collection.

Wherethe Cutters & Seats panel, Cut Metal.

Dowith the stones selected and the band active, click Cut Metal.

You should seethe seats opened in the band. The status bar begins “Cut” and a count, and says “result manifold” when the cut body is sound.

WherePlace & Guides, the Gem Map box, then CAD/CAM tab > Check section > Reports & Checks.

Doclick Stats. Then click Run Standards Check in the Standards box.

You should seeStats gives the count, the total weight in carats and the tightest gap, which should be no less than the 0.15 mm you set. The check lists any finding, worst first. Pave Gap, 0.10 mm by default, is the least gap it accepts.