Useful first: Draw your first rectangle
Offset creates a new closed outline while preserving the original. An inward offset can define a recess; an outward offset can add a border. CAD offsets are separate from CAM cutter compensation.
Try it in Cadivari
Choose the source
Open the rectangle project. Press O or click Offset, then hover a rectangle edge. Click when the complete boundary highlights.
Choose the direction
Move inside the rectangle to preview an inward offset, or choose Inside in the Offset panel.
Set an exact distance
Enter a positive distance of 20 mm. Inside and Outside control the direction; you do not need a negative number.
Create the second profile
Click Create offset or click the canvas to commit a valid preview. Enter confirms the typed distance but keeps the preview open. Save both rectangles.
A small exercise
Offset the 160 × 96 mm rectangle inward by 20 mm. Keep the original outer rectangle and the new inner rectangle.
What you should see
A 120 × 56 mm inner rectangle sits 20 mm from each outer edge. It is a separate editable object.
Things to look out for
- An inward offset is blocked if it collapses the boundary.
- Do not offset by the cutter radius to compensate a toolpath. CAM handles cutter compensation separately.
Check your understandingDoes the new outline replace the original
No. The source stays in the drawing and the offset is a separate object. Generated freeform offsets do not automatically follow later source edits.
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Go deeper in the knowledge base
Instructions checked against the Cadivari 0.3.0 source and knowledge base on 2026-09-16. Lesson revision 1.