Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Overview
What's New?
Getting Started
Operation-oriented Machining
Entering the Workbench
Rough Machining the Part
Zlevel Machining of the Outside of a Part
ZLevel Machining of the Inside Walls of a Part
Machining with parallel contours
Checking the results
Creating a Rework Area
Reworking
Generating an NC Output File
Generating an NC Output File
Generating NC Shopfloor Documentation
Area-oriented Machining
Entering the workbench
Defining the areas to machine
Defining the tools to use
Rough machining the part
Sweeping the top surface
Sweeping the side areas
ZLevel on vertical walls
Reworking between contours
Generating an output file
Generating workshop documentation
User Tasks
Recommendations
Selecting Geometry
Using Geometrical Zones
Changing the Tool Axis
Computing the Tool Gage
Roughing operations
Sweep roughing
Roughing
Roughing - Ordering Zones
Roughing - Automatic Rough Stock
Roughing - Offset on Part
Finishing and Semi-finishing Operations
Sweeping
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ZLevel machining
Contour-driven machining
Contour-driven - Stepover Strategy
Contour Driven View and Options Strategy
Isoparametric Machining
Spiral milling
Contouring
Points and Lines Wizards
Reworking Operations
Pencil operations
Roughing rework
Machining features
Defining an area to machine
Defining an area to rework
Offset Groups
Tool path Editor
Editing a point
Editing an area
Split on Collision Points
Transformations
Connecting tool paths
Reversing a toolpath
Approaches and Retracts in tool paths
Packing a tool path
Checking tool holder collision
Creating Geometries
Importing Files
STL Files
Importing Files
Workbench Description
Menu bar description
Toolbar description
Machining Operations Toolbar
Tool Path Editor Toolbar
Machining Features Toolbar
Geometry Management
Minimum Tool Length
Specification Tree
Customizing
General
Resources
Operation
Output
Program
Photo/Video
Reference Information
Sweep Roughing Parameters
Roughing Parameters
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Sweeping Parameters
ZLevel Parameters
Spiral Milling Parameters
Contour-driven Parameters
Pencil Parameters
Isoparametric Machining Parameters
Tool Path Editor Parameters
Machining/Slope Areas Parameters
Macros Parameters
Glossary
Index
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Overview
Welcome to the 3 Axis Surface Machining User's Guide!
This guide is intended for users who need to become quickly familiar with the product.
3 Axis Surface Machining is a new generation product that defines and manages NC programs. 3 Axis
Surface Machining is dedicated to the machining of 3D geometry work parts with 3-axis machining techniques.
It is particularly adapted to the needs of mold, die and tool makers and prototype manufacturers in all
branches and at all levels of industry.
3 Axis Surface Machining offers easy-to-learn and easy-to-use shopfloor-oriented tool path definition for 3-axis
Machining. 3 Axis Surface Machining is based on industry-recognized, leading-edge technologies which offer the
tightest integration between tool path definition, verification and instant cycle updates.
3 Axis Surface Machining covers full design-to-manufacture processes offering functions for:
3 Axis Surface Machining gives you the freedom to choose the working methods that best suit your needs.
The Getting Started chapter contains two sections, one which demonstrates operation-oriented machining
and another which demonstrates area-oriented machining.
Before starting work with Surface Machining, please ensure that you have an open file (CATPart or
CATProduct) and that you are in the Surface Machining workbench (Start > Machining > Surface
Machining).
Area-oriented methodology is useful when you have a complex part to machine and you know in advance
what kind of operation you are going to apply to each separate area.
This approach is of great use when, for example, you are going to machine a "family" of similar parts and
when you have dedicated machines for mass production.
You define the areas on one part, you assign an operation to each area, and then you machine. At the end
you have a program that you can apply to all of the "members" of the "family" at least working cost
because:
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● the machining strategy has already been defined (chosen operations),
● the tool has already been defined,
● only the area need be redefined,
● you know exactly what kind of output you require,
● and as a result the computation can be run in batch to further reduce time loss.
2. Select the area or areas you want to machine with a particular operation.
The only mandatory data for a operation is the area to machine (with the exception of roughing which
requires a rough stock too) and all of the other parameters have default values.
We recommend that you use the default parameters first unless you are sure of the values you wish to
enter.
Compute the operation. If the results are satisfactory, repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 for all of the other areas to
machine.
Use operation-oriented machining when you want to progressively define your Manufacturing Program
operation-by-operation sequentially. Each operation has the area it deals with defined as part of its data.
This approach is useful for single or limited part production because it allows you to define your
requirements step-by-step.
3. Select the area(s) to machine either as the whole part with the contextual menu or as a face or
The only mandatory data for a operation is the area to machine (with the exception of roughing which
requires a rough stock too) and all of the other parameters have default values.
We recommend that you use the default parameters first unless you are sure of the values you wish to
enter.
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Compute the operation. If the results are satisfactory, continue defining the remaining operations for your
Manufacturing Program.
What's New?
Enhanced Functionalities
Roughing
Different machining styles can be applied to pockets and outer parts.
Two Offset on part Tool path styles have been added.
ZLevel
The macros Along a Vector and To a Point are now available for this operation.
The Stepover can be defined by a distance on a contour.
Offset on part
The stock offset can be limited.
Tool Path Editor
The tool path can be displayed using the tool center or the tool tip.
It is possible to insert a point in a tool path.
Geometry can be created on the tool path.
Isoparametric Machining
Air cuts due to collisions with check can be optimized using the Covering mode.
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Getting Started
Before getting to grips with all of the Surface Machining capacities, here are two short step-by step tutorials
that will help guide you through the key functionalities.
You will learn how to use the functions listed below and learn how to define areas on the part to machine, use
specific machining operations on the part and output data.
There are two ways of defining your Manufacturing Program, you can either base it on operation definition or on
area definition. Try both tutorials to see which method suits your working techniques best.
Operation-oriented Machining
Area-oriented Machining
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Operation-oriented Machining
Operation-oriented machining is a method where you define each operation one-by-one. When you define an
operation you decide (using the geometry tab) which areas of the part you want to machine with that
particular operation.
This tutorial teaches you how to:
● define the operations necessary for the machining of the part below,
● run the program to create the tool paths,
● check for residual material,
● rework the unmachined areas,
● and produce an APT file and a workshop document.
This task shows you how to open a part and enter the Surface Machining workbench.
The part surrounded by the rough stock is displayed in the Set Up Editor window along with the Machining specifications.
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3. Select Product1 containing the shape to machine and the rough stock in the specifications tree and display them in wireframe mode using the
Double click Part Operation.1 in the tree. In the dialog box that is displayed click the design part icon.
Select Open-body.1 in Shape to Machine in the tree and double click in the viewer to validate your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
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Then click the stock icon, select PartBody in Rough Stock in the tree and double click in the viewer to redisplay the dialog box.
Click OK to confirm.
The design part defines the reference part that will be used by the application to compute the residual material.
The rough stock is the rough stock for the overall part. Each successive operation works on the residual material that is left by the operation before it in the
Manufacturing Program.
4. Select Manufacturing Program.1 (under PartOperation.1) in the specifications tree to make it the current entity.
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A program must be current before you can insert program entities such as machining operations, tools and auxiliary commands.
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As this operation will use the default tool and options proposed by the program, you just specify the
geometry to be machined.
The status light on the Geometric components tab is red ( ) which means that you must
select the part geometry in order to create the operation.
The dialog box shrinks to allow you to select the part in the viewer.
3. In the viewer, click the part. Double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and to
redisplay the dialog box. The red area in the geometric area is now green to indicate that the
4. Click the sensitive area that represents the rough stock. The dialog box shrinks to allow you to
5. In the viewer, click the geometry that defines the rough stock. The red area in the geometric
components tab is now green to indicate that the geometry has been selected.
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6. Click Tool Path Replay . The tool path is displayed and the display and analysis dialog box is
called up.
7. Click OK. The tool path is erased from the viewer and you come back to the operation dialog box.
Now we are going to use ZLevel machining on the walls of the pocket and the outside of the part.
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This task shows you how to use ZLevel machining for finishing the outside of the part.
To simplify the selection of faces in this task, select Rough Stock in the ProductList and, using the
Hide/Show option in the contextual menu, make it invisible. Then select Shape to Machine in the
Make sure that Roughing.1 is the current entity so that the ZLevel operation will be inserted after it.
2. Call the contextual menu of the sensitive red area that represents the part and choose Select
faces... The dialog box shrinks and the face selection toolbar is displayed.
Select all of the walls that form a belt around the part. Click OK.
The dialog box is redisplayed and the red area is now green.
In the viewer, the edges around the selected faces are highlighted.
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3. Click the check element in the sensitive icon to select the upper face of the part.
4. Go to the Machining strategy tab ( ) and choose Outer part for the Machining mode.
5. The tool path is displayed and the display and analysis dialog box is called up. Click OK.
6. The tool path is erased from the viewer and you come back to the operation dialog box. Click OK
The operation you have just created should still be the current entity. Now we are going to define the
ZLevel machining of the pocket.
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Make sure that ZLevel.1 is the current entity so that this operation will be inserted after it.
2. Call the contextual menu of the sensitive red area that represents the part and choose Select
faces.... The dialog box shrinks and the face selection toolbar is displayed.
Select all of the faces that form the inside wall of the pocket. Clik OK.
The dialog box is redisplayed and the red area is now green.
In the viewer, the edges around the selected faces are highlighted.
3. Go to the Machining strategy tab ( ) and choose Pockets only for the Machining mode.
5. The tool path is displayed and the display and analysis dialog box is called up.
Click OK.
6. The tool path is erased from the viewer and you come back to the operation dialog box.
The operation you have just created should still be the current entity.
Now we are going to define a sweeping operation for the top surface of the part and the bottom
of the pocket.
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Sweeping
This task shows you how to use sweeping for finishing the part.
You are going to define two separate operations one for the top surface and another for the bottom of the
pocket.
Make sure that ZLevel2 is the current entity so that the sweeping operation will be inserted after it.
2. Call the contextual menu of the sensitive red area that represents the part and choose Select
faces.... The dialog box shrinks and the face selection toolbar is displayed.
The dialog box is redisplayed and the red area is now green.
In the viewer, the edges around the top surface are now highlighted.
4. The tool path is displayed and the display and analysis dialog box is called up. Click OK.
The operation you have just created should still be the current entity.
5. Repeat all of the above steps for the bottom surface of the pocket.
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2. In the contextual menu, choose Manufacturing Program.1 object > Tool Path Replay.
Click this icon to go from one operation to the next displaying the computed tool path
after each operation. If any of the operations were not computed with Replay, they will be
computed at this stage.
You can display a photo of how the finished part would look with .
You must compute the tool paths for your Manufacturing Program first.
2. Click the red area that represents the part. The dialog box shrinks to allow you to select the part
in the viewer. Select the part. Double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and
3. Enter a value of 10mm for the Entry diameter and 2mm for the Corner radius (values used in
Be careful not to hit Return while entering this data as that will close the dialog box.
4. Click Compute. This creates a Rework Area which remains the current entity. The areas that we
Reworking
This task shows you how to rework the areas of the part that have not been machined and were there is
residual material.
You must have created a rework area. A rework area is an area that cannot be machined with a given
tool.
you performed another action since), click the Machining View icon and select the rework area
from the list.
1. Click the ZLevel icon and click OK to close the dialog box that opens.
2. In the Machining View window ( ), double click the tool that is associated with the third
ZLevel operation.
Enter a value of 5.
Press OK to confirm the tool diameter and then OK to close the tool definition dialog box.
4. Still in the Machining View window, double click ZLevel.3 to display the ZLevel dialog box.
In the Machining tab, choose Outer part for the Machining mode.
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7. Click OK to close the operation dialog box and Close to close the Machining View.
1. Save your process with File/Save as ... in the directory of your choice (here we have a directory
called models)
Press Save.
2. Select Manufacturing Program.1 in the specifications tree and select Generate NC Code
In the dialog box that is displayed, call your file SurfaceMachining (the aptsource suffix is
automatic). Browse to the directory where you want to save it (here we have chosen to put it in
the same directory as the CATProcess but this is not obligatory).
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The APT file can be read with any kind of text editor.
3 Axis Surface Machining Generating
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This task explains how to generate one file per operation in the Manufacturing Program .
Step 1. is only necessary if you have not already saved your CATProcess.
1. Save your program with File/Save as ... in the directory of your choice (here we have a directory called models)
2. Select Manufacturing Program.1 in the specifications tree and click the Generate NC Code in Batch Mode icon .
Call your file SurfaceMachiningOperations and store it in the same directory as your CATProcess (the choice of directory is not obligatory, you can store your files in the directory of your
choice).
Make sure that the by machining operation option is selected. Click Execute to create the APT file.
The APT file can be read with any kind of text editor.
1. Select the Generate documentation icon . The process documentation dialog box is
displayed.
2. Select the SurfaceMachinist4.CATScript file from the samples directory. Leave "Process" as the
process name.
Choose the directory where you want to store your new file (we have chosen MyFiles, but this is
3. Press OK. Your NC document has been created. Press Close to close the dialog box.
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Area-oriented Machining
Area-oriented machining is a method where you define all of the separate areas you want to machine on the
part before assigning an operation to each one.
The Surface Machining workbench is displayed. The part is displayed in the viewer along with the Machining
specifications.
3. Press MB2 and MB3 at the same time and turn the part round so that it looks like this:
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In the dialog box that is displayed, click the design part icon and click the part in the viewer. Then double click
This step is necessary for the visualization and analysis part of the process.
You might find it easier to select the surfaces if you hide the planes and the machining axis system.
● Select the planes in the tree and use the Hide/Show option in the contextual menu:
The dialog box shrinks to allow you to select the part in the viewer.
3. Click the part in the view. The whole part is selected. Double click anywhere in the viewer to
4. Give the machining area a name. Replace the text in the name box by Whole.
Click OK. You have just created your first machining area.
5. Now create an area on the top of the part. Select the Machining/Slope Area icon. Call the
contextual menu of the sensitive red area that represents the part and choose Select faces... The
dialog box shrinks and the face selection toolbar is displayed. Now select the areas that you see
6. Now do the same for the left side of the part with these faces:
8. Finally, create the last machining area with the 3 faces below and call it Bottom.
9. Check the areas that you have just created in the Machining view . The view should look
like this:
10. Now you are going to create a rework area to use when removing residual material. Select Whole
12. In the dialog box that is displayed, change the Entry diameter to 10 mm, the Corner radius to
13. Press Compute to compute the area. The rework area should look like this on the part:
The next step is to define the tools that you will need to machine the areas you have just
defined.
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1. Select Manufacturing Program.1 in the PPR and then click the End mill tool change icon
If you cannot see this icon, use View > Toolbars and activate Auxiliary Operations.
2. In the dialog box that is displayed, click the box to select a ball-end tool and
confirm with OK.
Click OK
● is ball end,
● has a diameter of 4 mm,
● and is called T3 End Mill D 04.
9. You now have the three tools that you will need to machine the part.
We are now going to move on to the next step where you will rough machine the part.
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5. Press Tool Path Replay to compute the operation. The toolpath is displayed on the part. Press
OK to close the small dialog box that is displayed (bottom right).
1. In the Machining view, select the machining area called Top from the list of areas.
4. Go to the Geometry tab and make sure that Part autolimit is turned on .
7. Now you are going to machine the area called Right. Select it in the Machining view.
● Click here:
3. Go to the Radial tab in the Machining Strategy tab and choose Constant on part in the
Stepover list.
4. Now go to the tool tab and select tool T3 End Mill D 04.
1. Save your program with File/Save as ... in the directory of your choice (here we have a directory
called models)
Press Save.
2. Select Manufacturing Program.1 in the specifications tree then select the Generate NC Code
Interactively icon .
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Call your file SurfaceMachining (the aptsource suffix is automatic). Browse to the directory
where you want to save it (here we have chosen to put it in the same directory as the
CATPRocess but this is not obligatory).
Choose the directory where you want to store your new file (we have chosen MyFiles, but this
is not obligatory).
3. Press OK.
User Tasks
The basic tasks in this section involve creating, editing and managing machining operations and other entities
of the Machining process.
● Recommendations.
● Selecting geometry shows you how to use the sensitive icon in the geometry tab.
● Using geometrical zones shows you how to define and use geometrical areas.
● Changing the tool axis shows you how to change a tool axis from the sensitive icon.
● Design Changes.
● Roughing operations
● Reworking operations
● Machining features
● Importing files
● Auxiliary operations
Recommendations
If you intend to create complementary geometry, before you start a Machining workbench go to Tools/Options
and, in the Display tab of the Manufacturing options, tick the box that allows you to create a CATPart to store
necessary geometry. If you are not going to modify the geometry, then make sure that this box is not ticked.
Before starting Machining workbench, go to Tools/Options and in the Operation tab of the Manufacturing option
and tick the Use default values of the current program box. This will ensure that when a new operation is
created its parameters will be initialized with default values that are appropriate to that operation and not with
the values from the operation just before it.
You should save your CATProcess before generating HTML workshop documentation.
In an operation, if you cannot see the whole dialog box (particularly the OK, Apply and Cancel buttons), exit
your CATIA session and use Settings > Control Panel > Display > Settings to:
Depending on your screen size, you may have to use both of the solutions.
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Selecting Geometry
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation and the
part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now you want to
define the operation to apply to it.
● When you use a boundary of faces to define a limiting contour, if the faces are not perfectly connected then
only the first face will be selected.
● In the face selection wizard, the Polygon trap option does not always select all of the faces inside the polygon
and sometimes selects extra ones, i.e. it goes through the surface and selects faces from the other side of the
model.
● Occasionally, when selecting a complex area on a tool path using either a polygon or a contour, the area
outside the boundary is selected rather than the area inside.
● When using a polygon to select an area on a tool path, display of the polygon before confirmation may be
erratic (it may rise to a point that is not on the tool path itself), particularly around areas where the polygon
intersects itself.
This page includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined. The red status light on
the tab indicates that you must select the geometry in order to create the operation
● Each machining operation offers its own sensitive icon. In addition, the icon is slightly different if you are using
a rework area or a slope area and will have fewer parameters.
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Example: initial sensitive icon for Sweeping the same icon with a rework area
● There is also an Info button that, when pressed, gives the details on the parameters that were defined with the
rework area.
In the Geometric component tab you can define the part to machine (obligatory, the corresponding portion of
the icon turns from red to green once you have defined it).
The other geometric components that you can select in the view (but that are not obligatory) are:
Please refer to the Reference information of each machining operation for more details.
● by clicking the part definition area: the dialog box shrinks to let you select one or several bodies.
Double-click anywhere in the viewer to revert to the dialog box.
● by using the contextual menu of the part definition area:
choose Select faces... to select zones of a body with the face selection toolbar,
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● by clicking on a face definition area and using the face selection toolbar,
● by clicking on a contour definition area and using the edge selection toolbar.
● by passing the mouse over an element definition area:
choose Body(ies) in the contextual menu if you wish to machine a whole part and not just an area
on it,
or Select zones if you wish to select zones.
You can use Offset Groups and Features when defining geometry.
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● The types of selection by default (reached by clicking a sensitive zone) are adapted to the types of the
elements to select (bodies for a part to machine, but faces for check elements, for instance).
● The contextual menus vary also with the type of elements to select.
All of the above planes can be defined by selecting a point or a plane in the viewer.
You can also set an offset on all of the planes using the contextual menu over each plane. The offset can
be either positive or negative and is previewed in the viewer before it is validated.
In the case of imposed planes, the offset value will be applied to all of the planes you have imposed. The
tool will pass through all of the planes defined by the offset and not through the planes that are imposed.
One advantage of this is that if the top surface of the part is flat and you have defined an Offset on part
of, for example of 1mm, you can define the same offset on the imposed planes so as to ensure that
there will be no residual material remaining on the top surface.
5. Use Part autolimit and the limiting contour individually or together to define the area you want to
machine:
In the pictures, the blue outline is the part edge, the yellow part is the area that will be machined, the
6. Once the limiting contour is defined, you can also define the following parameters:
● Stop mode defines which part of the tool is considered at the Stop position, whether it is the
contact point or the tool tip.
● Offset is the distance that the tool that the tool will be either inside or outside the limit line
depending on the Stop mode that you chose.
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You can now either run the operation on the part, store the operation that you have just defined or define other
parameters in the machining strategy, tool data, speeds and rates, or macro data tabs first.
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3. Select the Line button, call the contour you are about to select "MyContour" and click the
Press OK
5. Create a sweeping operation in the tree and select the whole body for the part.
6. Choose Select zones in the limiting contour contextual menu. In the dialog box that is displayed,
7.
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Open the sweeping operation you have just defined. Select this face as an area to avoid:
Select Export in the Area to avoid contextual menu and call it MyPlane.
Press OK. You can now use this surface in the same way as you used the contour above.
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● All geometrical zones that you create can be used in any number of operations.
● The Hide/Show item in the contextual menu does not work for geometrical zones .
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Please note that the Display tool and position options are not available for the definition of a
machining/slope area or a rework area.
To change the tool axis click the Tool axis represented in the sensitive icon (depending on the machining
operation, the representation may change), or use Select in its contextual menu.
You can choose between selection by Coordinates (X, Y, Z) or by Angles. Angles lets you choose the
tool axis by rotation around a main axis. Angle 1 and Angle 2 are used to define the location of the tool
axis around the main axis that you select.
● Feature-defined: you select a 3D element such as a plane that will serve to automatically define the
best tool axis.
● Selection: you select a 2D element such as a line or a straight edge that will serve to define the tool
axis.
● Manual
● Points in the view: click two points anywhere in the view to define the tool axis.
There is also a button that lets you reverse the direction of the axis with respect to the coordinate system
origin.
When available, you can also choose to display the tool and select the position of the tool (default or user-
defined).
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Compute Tool Gage on Assembly
This task will show you how to compute tool gage on assembly and save the associated report.
In this CATProcess, there are two machining operations, Spiral milling.1, that is not computed, and Sweeping.1 that is computed. Note that
Computed refers to the computation of the tool path, not to that of the tool gage.
1. Click on the Compute Tool Gage on Assembly icon . The dialog box is displayed:
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2. Push the Select All button:
● When an operation is active, it is automatically selected and displayed in the dialog box when you open it.
● Use the Reset button to erase the whole selection.
● You can pick operations in the specification tree to add them to the list in the dialog box.
● Use the Activate All or Deactivate All buttons to set the Activate status for all the operations or
● Select an operation in the list and use the contextual menu to set the Activate status for one operation:
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● Use the Compute All button to compute the minimum tool gage for all operations or
● Select an operation in the list and use the contextual menu to compute the minimum tool gage for one operation:
5. The following message appears because no tool path has been computed yet for Spiral milling.1
6. Click OK, exit the dialog box, compute the tool path.
7. Reopen the dialog box, the previous selection is still active. You can restart the computation of the minimum tool gage. The value of the
8. The Report button let you save the information displayed in the dialog box in a .txt file
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In this example,
If you modify the parameters of this operation and recompute the tool path, the Minimum Tool Gage will not be recomputed. You will have to
If you modify the parameters of this operation and recompute the tool path, the Minimum Tool Gage will be recomputed too. If you reopen the
Minimum Tool Gage on Assembly dialog box, the Minimum Tool Gage value will be updated to the new value.
Use this capacity to save time when you are working on operations that require long computation times:
● exit the dialog box, double-click Part Operation.1 in the specification tree.
● enter the part in the first line of the Geometry tab. Click OK and reopen the Minimum Tool Gage On Assembly dialog box. Restart the
computation.
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You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds and macro data.
You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds and macro data.
● a roughing operation,
Sweep Roughing
This task shows you how to insert a sweep roughing operation into the program. Sweep roughing is an
operation which allows you to rough machine parts by vertical planes.
● the tool to use ;only end mill tools are available for this operation,
● the macros. .
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value.
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation
and the part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now
you want to define the operation to apply to it.
Open file Basic1.CATPart then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
A SweepRoughing entity and a default tool are added to the program. The dialog box opens
at the geometry tab page . This page includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the
geometry to be machined.
The area that represents the part geometry is colored red indicating that the geometry is required for
defining the area to machine. All of the other geometry parameters are optional.
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2. Click the red area in the sensitive icon and select the part in the viewer.
Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
3. Press Tool Path Replay. You will see that the top area of the part has been rough machined.
A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment
before 100% completion.
If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will
appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the
contextual menu.
● close the dialog box. When you reopen it, the Ignore invalid faces: No will not be displayed.
● heal the defective geometry and restart the computation. If it is successful the message Ignore
invalid faces: No will disappear.
● ignore the invalid faces. Pick the text Ignore invalid faces: No. It will turn to Ignore invalid faces:
Yes and the computation will continue. The message remains displayed as a warning.
Be very careful when you choose to ignore invalid faces. We recommend that you ignore only faces that
will not affect the tool path. Otherwise this may lead to defective tool paths.
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Roughing
This task shows you how to insert a roughing operation into the program. Roughing is an operation which
allows you to rough machine parts by horizontal planes.
● geometric components ,
● machining strategy ,
● tool data ;only end mill tools are available for this operation,
● macro data .
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value.
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation
and the part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature or an offset group from the list if you have already defined the area to
machine and now you want to define the operation to apply to it.
Open file SurfaceMachining3.CATProduct, then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start
menu.
Then display the model in wireframe mode using the View/Render Style/Customize View command:
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A roughing entity and a default tool area added to the program. The dialog box opens at the
geometry tab page . This page includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry
to be machined.
The red area in the sensitive icon represents the part geometry. It is obligatory, as is the rough stock. All
of the other parameters are optional.
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2. Click the red area in the sensitive icon and select the part in the viewer. Then double click
anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
4. Press Replay to compute the operation. You will see that the part has been rough machined.
A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment
before 100% completion.
If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will
appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the
contextual menu.
● close the dialog box. When you reopen it, the Ignore invalid faces: No will not be displayed.
● heal the defective geometry and restart the computation. If it is successful the message Ignore
invalid faces: No will disappear.
● ignore the invalid faces. Pick the text Ignore invalid faces: No. It will turn to Ignore invalid faces:
Yes and the computation will continue. The message remains displayed as a warning.
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Be very careful when you choose to ignore invalid faces. We recommend that you ignore only faces that
will not affect the tool path. Otherwise this may lead to defective tool paths.
5. If you want to perform another roughing operation, you can use the result of the above operation
You can now select Roughing in the tree as your rough stock for the next operation.
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You must have a part that has a point or a plane defined in the each of the zones you want to select.
3. Click the red sensitive area and select the whole part to be machined.
and select the zones to machine by clicking on the point in each as shown below:
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Press Replay.
Use the Video from last saved function ( ) to check that the zones were machined in the
right order.
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5. Now create another Roughing cycle with the same ordered zones and, in Zone order contextual
Press Replay.
● If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit error message like this one will
appear:
● Notice that the whole part is machined (including the outside of the part) and not only the zones you
ordered.
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2. Select the Creates rough stock icon . The dialog box is displayed
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3. Select the Destination, i.e. select the specification tree body where the rough stock is to be
created.
Pick the part on which the rough stock is to be created. The Part body information is updated
accordingly. A dialog box is updated with the minimum and maximum values that are required in
X, Y and Z to create a box that would surround the part. The default box is displayed in bold dark
lines.
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5. You can also change the axis system used to define the rough stock by clicking on Select and
Offset on Part
This task explains how to create a stock as an offset of the part, for a roughing operation or a simulation .
Open the gets2.CATPart from the samples directory then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
1. Click the Creates a stock by offset icon in the Geometry management toolbar. The dialog box is displayed:
The Limited stock option can be selected to reduce the stock offset:
Original part:
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❍ or with the Select button: select a line to take its orientation, or a plane to take its normal,
5. Set the Level of detail: this coefficient represents the accuracy level of the computed rough stock. The higher the value, the
Number of points: displays the number of points of the computed rough stock, for information.
6. Click Preview to visualize the result and OK to validate the offset: An element OffsetPolygon.X is created in the specification
tree.
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● The output is not an exact offset of the part: details not seen in the offset direction may be omitted.
● The bottom of the result is always flat and situated in a plane above the lowest point of the part at a distance equal to the offset
value.
● The result is not associative.
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You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds and macro data.
You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds and macro data.
You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds and macro data.
You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds and macro data.
You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds and macro data.
● a ZLevel operation
● a contour-driven operation
● how to use view along tool axis or along another axis and contour-driven options.
● a Profile contouring
● the creation of points, limit lines by projection, limit lines by picking to be used as limit line or
engagement points in machining operations.
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Sweeping Operations
This task shows you how to insert a sweeping operation into the program. Sweeping is a semi-finishing and finishing
operation that is used after a part has been rough machine and that machines the whole part. The tool paths are executed
in vertical parallel planes.
● the tool to use ; you have the choice of end mill or conical tools for this operation,
● the macros .
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value.
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation and the part/area
to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now you want to define
the operation to apply to it.
Open file Basic1.CATPart then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
A Sweeping entity and a default tool are added to the program. The dialog box opens at the geometry tab page
. This page includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined. The area that
represents the part geometry is colored red indicating that the geometry is required for defining the area to
machine.
2. Click the red area in the sensitive icon and select the part in the viewer.
Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
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3. in the Radial tab, change the Maxi. distance between pass to 5mm.
4. Press Tool Path Replay. You will see that the top surface and the bottom of the pocket have been sweep machined.
A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment before 100%
completion.
If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the contextual menu.
● close the dialog box. When you reopen it, the Ignore invalid faces: No will not be displayed.
● heal the defective geometry and restart the computation. If it is successful the message Ignore invalid faces: No will
disappear.
● ignore the invalid faces. Pick the text Ignore invalid faces: No. It will turn to Ignore invalid faces: Yes and the
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computation will continue. The message remains displayed as a warning.
Be very careful when you choose to ignore invalid faces. We recommend that you ignore only faces that will not affect the
tool path. Otherwise this may lead to defective tool paths.
Defining macros
The operating mode described hereunder is available for all 3 Axis Surface Machining operations with the exception of the
Roughing operations where only the numeric mode is available, and the ZLevel operations where the three modes below are
proposed, but with a limited number of motion types to avoid inconsistencies.
● the catalog method. are used respectively to save a macro in a catalog and read a macro from a catalog. For
more information on how to save or load an existing macro, please refer to Build and use a macros catalog.
In the Macro Management frame, you will find the list of the type of macro that can be defined for the current machining
operation. For each type, you will find the Status of the geometry, the Name of the macro and the machining Mode
Graphic mode:
By default, you are offered an graphic mode, with macros proposed by the application, the parameters of those you can
edit.
The viewer in the dialog box is updated accordingly, with pre-defined parameters:
Place your cursor on a portion of the macro path. Right click to display the contextual menu.
The parameters dialog box can also be launched by double-clicking a portion of the path in the viewer.
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You can also double-click a label in the viewer. This will start the Edit dialog box of the corresponding parameter.
Once you are satisfied with the settings of a macro, select another one to tune up, or click OK to validate and exit the dialog
box.
Still in this mode, you can select Build by user at the bottom of the Mode list. You can use the following icons to specify
macro paths:
Icon Function
Add Tangent motion
● Feedrate: Allows you to modify the feedrate type associated to the selected macro path by making a selection in the
sub-menu. If Local is selected, you can assign a local feedrate value.
● Parameter: Tunes up the parameters of the macro in the dialog box that is then displayed.
The parameters dialog box can also be launched by double-clicking a portion of the path in the viewer.
When a geometry is required (e.g. Add circular within a plane motion) the geometry is also represented. A contextual menu
is available on this geometry:
You can also double-click a label in the viewer. This will start the Edit dialog box of the corresponding parameter.
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The graph displayed in the viewer of the dialog box is a generic representation of a macro mode. It is not the true
representation of the macro you are using or defining. To check the result of you settings, press Replay.
Numeric mode:
Press this button to switch to the numeric definition mode of the macros.
This button is not available if you have selected Build by user.
The list of the machining modes available is displayed. It is the same as above, with the exception of Build by user.
When you select one mode, its sensitive icon and required parameters are displayed in the viewer :
Set the parameters according to your needs. Use the interrogation mark to display or hide the graphical help.
In the Options tab, you can define the name of the macro and enter a comment.
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ZLevel Machining
This task shows you how to insert a ZLevel operation into the program.
ZLevel operations are finishing or semi-finishing operations that machine the whole part by parallel
horizontal planes that are perpendicular to the tool axis.
● the tool to use ; you have the choice of end mill or conical tools for this
operation,
● the macros .
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value.
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation
and the part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now
you want to define the operation to apply to it.
Open file Basic1.CATPart then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
The ZLevel dialog box is displayed. A ZLevel entity and a default tool area added to the
program. The dialog box opens at the geometry tab page . This page includes a sensitive
icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined.
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The area that represents the part geometry is colored red indicating that the geometry is required for
defining the area to machine. All the other geometry parameters are optional.
2. Call the contextual menu of the red area that represents the part geometry. Choose Select
faces... to select the belt of faces around the outside of the part.
The edges surrounding the selected faces are highlighted. Click OK to confirm your selection.
3. Press Tool Path Replay. You will see that the outside of the part has been machined.
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A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment before 100%
completion.
If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will
appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the
contextual menu.
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Click OK in the Warning box to revert to the main dialog box.
● close the dialog box. When you reopen it, the Ignore invalid faces: No will not be displayed.
● heal the defective geometry and restart the computation. If it is successful the message Ignore
invalid faces: No will disappear.
● ignore the invalid faces. Pick the text Ignore invalid faces: No. It will turn to Ignore invalid faces:
Yes and the computation will continue. The message remains displayed as a warning.
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Be very careful when you choose to ignore invalid faces. We recommend that you ignore only faces that
will not affect the tool path. Otherwise this may lead to defective tool paths.
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Contour-driven Machining
This task explains how to machine an area on a part by using a contour as guide.
● parallel contours where the tool sweeps out an area by following progressively distant (or closer)
parallel offsets of a given guide contour.
● between contours where the tool sweeps between two guide contours along a tool path that is
obtained by interpolating between the guide contours. The ends of each pass lie on two stop contours.
● spine contour where the tool sweeps across a contour in perpendicular planes.
● the tool to use ; you have the choice of end mill or conical tools for this
operation,
● the macros .
Only the geometry and the guide contour(s) (strategy tab) are obligatory. All of the other requirements
have a default value
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Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation
and the part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now
you want to define the operation to apply to it.
Below we are going to see how to do the first of these with a between contours operation on a small area
of a part.
Open file Basic2.CATPart, then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
The Contour-driven dialog box is displayed. The dialog box opens at the geometry tab page
2. Click the red area in the sensitive icon and select the part in the viewer.
Double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
4. Click Guide 1 in the sensitive icon and select these contours in the viewer using the Edge
Selection Toolbar.
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Click Guide 2 in the sensitive icon and select these contours in the viewer the Edge Selection
Toolbar.
Click Stop 1 in the sensitive icon and select these contours in the viewer the Edge Selection
Toolbar.
Click Stop 2 in the sensitive icon and select these contours in the viewer the Edge Selection
Toolbar. So your selections should give you this as an overall result:
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A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment
before 100% completion.
If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will
appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the
contextual menu.
● close the dialog box. When you reopen it, the Ignore invalid faces: No will not be displayed.
● heal the defective geometry and restart the computation. If it is successful the message Ignore
invalid faces: No will disappear.
● ignore the invalid faces. Pick the text Ignore invalid faces: No. It will turn to Ignore invalid faces:
Yes and the computation will continue. The message remains displayed as a warning.
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Be very careful when you choose to ignore invalid faces. We recommend that you ignore only faces that
will not affect the tool path. Otherwise this may lead to defective tool paths.
The result will show you that you have machined between two guide contours delimited at
either end by two others.
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● the tool to use ; you have the choice of end mill or conical tools for this
operation,
● the macros .
Only the geometry and the guide contour(s) (strategy tab) are obligatory. All of the other requirements
have a default value
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation
and the part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now
you want to define the operation to apply to it.
Open file Basic2.CATPart, then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
2. Press MB3 over the red area of the icon, select the part as follows and click OK in the face
selection toolbar to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
4. Go to the Radial tab, select Constant on part in the Stepover list and select the guides and
stops as shown
(Click a label, select an edge and click OK in the Edge selection toolbar. Repeat this step for
each label).
6. Select From guide 2 to guide 1 and push the Tool Path Replay button.
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The result is of an equal distance on the part surface from guide 2 to guide 1
Note the bottom of the machined area and how the paths remain perfectly parallel to each
other but because of the shape of the surface they finish gradually on guide 1.
7. With the same parameters, switch to Maximum on part and push the Tool Path Replay button.
There is a variation in the distance between the paths on the surface but the paths respect both
guide 1 and guide 2. There is no gradual finish on Guide 1 as there was with Constant on part.
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● the tool to use ; you have the choice of end mill or conical tools for this operation,
● the macros .
Only the geometry and the guide contour(s) (strategy tab) are obligatory. All of the other requirements
have a default value
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation
and the part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now
you want to define the operation to apply to it.
Open file FreeFromShape1.CATPart, then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
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The Contour-driven dialog box is displayed. The dialog box opens at the geometry tab page
2. Press MB3 over the red area in the sensitive icon and select this face in the viewer using the Face
Selection Toolbar
4. Click the Guide 1 label and select one edge on the part using the Edge Selection Toolbar.
8. At the bottom of the dialog box, check the Other axis option. Click the oblique arrow of the
sensitive icon and select the edge in red. Make sure its arrow points towards the selected surface.
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Push the Replay button. This will give you this result:
● This is what you get using a Max. distance between pass of 5, Constant stepover and along the
tool axis:
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● However if you look along the tool axis you will see how the same distance is used for the stepover as
in the first operation:
If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will
appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the
contextual menu.
● close the dialog box. When you reopen it, the Ignore invalid faces: No will not be displayed.
● heal the defective geometry and restart the computation. If it is successful the message Ignore
invalid faces: No will disappear.
● ignore the invalid faces. Pick the text Ignore invalid faces: No. It will turn to Ignore invalid faces:
Yes and the computation will continue. The message remains displayed as a warning.
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9. Return to the geometry tab page . Press MB3 over the green area representing the part and
choose Remove.
10. Press MB3 over the red area in the sensitive icon and select the surface below in the viewer. Click
OK in the face selection toolbar to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
12. Click the Guide 1 label and select the top edge on the part. Click OK in the edge selection toolbar
Taking this surface, using a Max. distance between pass of 5, Constant stepover and with the red
edge defined as the other axis will give you this result:
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● This is what you get using a Max. distance between pass of 5, Constant stepover and along the
tool axis:
However if you look along the tool axis you will see how the same distance is used for the stepover as in
the first operation:
13. Repeat the steps 9 to 12 with the surface below, using the Spine option.
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Taking this surface, using a Max. distance between pass of 5, Constant stepover and with this axis
(red axis) defined as the other axis:
● This is what you get using a Max. distance between pass of 5, Constant stepover and along the
tool axis:
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Isoparametric Machining
This task shows you how to insert a isoparametric machining operation into the program. Isoparametric
machining is an operation which allows you to select strips of faces and machine along their
isoparametrics.
● the tool to use ;end mill, face mill , conical mill and T-slotter tool
can be used for this operation,
● the macros .
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value.
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation
and the part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now
you want to define the operation to apply to it.
Open file Basic2.CATPart then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
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An Isoparametric Machining entity and a default tool are added to the program. The dialog
box opens at the geometry tab page . This page includes a sensitive icon to help you
specify the geometry to be machined.
● The area that represents the part surface is colored red indicating that the geometry is required for
defining the area to machine.
● The four points on the area to machine are also obligatory. They are required in order to define the
direction of the isoparameters (from 1 to 2).
● All of the other geometry parameters are optional.
● The tool path will always start on point 1 and finish on point 4. This means that, if your parameters
are set in such a way that, under normal circumstances, the tool path would end on point 3, the tool
path will be computed in such a way as to ensure that it finishes on point 4. In order to do this the last
five passes may be closer together than the others (by 20%).
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2. Click the red part surface in the icon and then select these faces in the viewer.
3. Click a red point in the icon and select the four corner points of the part surface. The part surface
and corner points of the icon are now colored green indicating that this geometry is now defined.
4. Press Replay.
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A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment
before 100% completion.
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Spiral Milling
Spiral machining gives a good surface without having to use a particularly small tool. It gives particularly
good results for areas that are relatively flat. Use this type of operation to optimize machine time by
reducing the stepover.
● the tool to use . The tools that can be used with this type of operation are:
● conical tools,
● T-slotters .
● the macros .
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation
and the part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now
you want to define the operation to apply to it.
Select the Spiral milling icon . A Spiral milling entity and a default tool are added to the
program.
The Spiral milling dialog box opens at the geometry tab page . This page includes a
sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined.
2. Click the red area in the sensitive icon and select the part in the viewer.
Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog
box.
3. Go to the machining strategy tab and make sure that Horizontal area selection is set to
Automatic.
4. Press Tool Path Replay to compute the tool path for the operation.
A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment
before 100% completion.
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If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will
appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the
contextual menu.
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Click OK in the Warning box to revert to the main dialog box.
● close the dialog box. When you reopen it, the Ignore invalid faces: No will not be displayed.
● heal the defective geometry and restart the computation. If it is successful the message Ignore
invalid faces: No will disappear.
● ignore the invalid faces. Pick the text Ignore invalid faces: No. It will turn to Ignore invalid faces:
Yes and the computation will continue. The message remains displayed as a warning.
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Open gets3.CATPart then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
Creating points
1. Click the Points Creation Wizard icon . The dialog box is displayed:
You can switch to another mode during the creation of the points. The new creation mode is taken into
account at the next click.
3. Select the Destination, that is the mechanical part or the Geometrical set where you want to
4. Select the Support, that is the surface or the plane on which you want to create the points.
5. A red dot appears on the Support. Click to create the point at the required place and repeat that
The points are created in the Destination. They can be edited in the Wireframe and Surface
Design workbench.
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1. Click the Limit Lines Projection Wizard icon . The dialog box is displayed:
2. Select the Destination, that is the mechanical part or the Geometrical set where you want to
3. Select the Part body on which you are going to project the sketch of the polyline.
If necessary,
❍ or with the Select button: select a line to take its orientation, or a plane to take its normal,
7. If the option Joins polylines is checked, the polylines are put in a join.
The polylines are created in the selected Geometrical set. If a join has been created, the
polylines are sent to the NoShow while the Join only is visible.
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1. Click the Limit Lines Creation Wizard Icon . The dialog box is displayed:
2. Select the Destination, that is the mechanical part or the Geometrical set where you want to
3. If a complementary geometry part exists, it will be automatically proposed. If you select another
2. Select the Part body on which you are going to create the line:
The lines are created from the projection of the picking positions onto the support body along the
normal to the screen. If you pick a point outside the support body, the projected polyline starts at
the intersection between the support and the line between the first and the second pick:
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Pick the first position again to close the line and start another.
3. If the option Joins polylines is checked, the polylines are put in a join.
4. Click OK to validate the creation. The polylines are created in the selected Geometrical set. If a
join has been created, the polylines are sent to the NoShow while the Join only is visible.
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Reworking Operations
These are the tasks that you will use to rework an area on a part where there is residual material. Before using
one of these operations, compute the areas that you want to rework.
You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds and macro data.
Create a reworking operation:
● Select the Roughing icon,
● Choose a part to machine
● Specify the tool to be used,
● Specify the type of roughing.
You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds and macro data.
Basic tasks illustrate:
● a Pencil operation,
● a Reworking operation
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Pencil Operations
This task shows you how to insert a pencil operation into the program. A pencil operation is one where the
tool remains tangent in two places to the surface to be machined during the cycle. It is often used to
remove crests along the intersection of two surfaces that were left behind by a previous operation.
● the tool to use ; you have the choice of end mill or conical tools for this
operation,
● the macros .
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other parameters have a default value.
Either:
● make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation
and the part/area to machine at the same time,
● or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now
you want to define the operation to apply to it.
A Pencil entity and a default tool have been added to the program.
Select the Pencil icon . The dialog box opens at the geometry page . This page
includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined.
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2. Click the red area in the sensitive icon select the part in the viewer.
Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
3. Press Tool Path Replay to compute the tool path for the operation.
A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment
before 100% completion.
If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will
appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the
contextual menu.
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You must have computed at least one machining operation prior to this one in the Manufacturing Program.
The rough stock used for a program where you insert a reworking operation must be topologically closed,
that is, it cannot be formed by a set of faces.
Roughing rework does not function correctly if you have a rough stock in several parts because the rework
rough stock will be defined as the containment box around them.
In order to simplify the scenario, the sample given below already contains a rough stock.
Select Rough stock in the Product list and hide it using the Hide/Show option in the
contextual menu.
Fully expand the Manufacturing Program. You will see that a first roughing operation has
already been effected. Select that operation.
Select the Roughing icon . The dialog box opens at the Geometry tab .
2. Click the red area in the sensitive icon and select the part in the viewer.
Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
Push this button and choose the tool called T2 End Mill D 5 in the dialog box that is
displayed.
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A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment
before 100% completion.
If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will
appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the
contextual menu.
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● geometry
● machining strategy,
in the dialog box but this is not obligatory as they all have default values.
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Machining Features
Machining features are areas that you define on a part. You may want to define an area where you want to use
a specific type of operation or you may want to define an area to rework because there is too much residual
material on the part.
Besides this, you can also decide to define a specific offset on an area of a part or a group of varied offsets on a
part.
Area to machine
Area to rework
Offset Group
Useful information can also be found in the Using Geometrical Areas chapter.
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Another feature of machining areas is their ability to be divided into horizontal, vertical and sloping areas
and have operations assigned to these areas.
1. Open file DemoRasa.CATPart in the samples directory then select Machining > Surface
2. Click the red area in the sensitive icon and select the whole part in the viewer.
4. Go to the Slope Area tab where you can, if you choose, define a tool to use, the machining
6. Press Compute.
The three different types of area are displayed on the part (Vertical, Intermediate, Horizontal) and are
now listed in the Slope Area tab of the dialog box. By default, they are all displayed.
To hide one or several areas, select the corresponding line(s) in the dialog box and right-click. A
contextual menu appears. Select it to change the visibility status of the area(s).
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If a machining/slope area cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like
this one will appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the
contextual menu.
Click Insertion Level and select Manufacturing Program.1 in the tree. The Assign
Operation parameters are now displayed.
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8. Click each of the areas one after the other and use the Assign Operation box to assign:
9. Press OK.
Three as-yet uncomputed operations are created in the specifications tree. Each one includes
the machining area you assigned it to.
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10. Open the Machining view and you will see that the machining area has been created along with
A slope area feature can be removed , using the Remove Result contextual menu.
● The Hide/Show item in the contextual menu does not work for machining zones (zones created
without the Slope Area option) .
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Once you have machined a part and visually checked it, you may decide to rework certain areas where residual material remains. Defining a rework area
allows you to focus only on the areas where there is residual material and this gain time.
Rework areas defined on a given part can be re-used on another part, with the following limitations:
● This re-usability is possible with a design change (i.e. evolution of the part) but not with a completely different part (from punch to die, for example).
● Re-usability is more uncertain if many manual divisions and/or transfers to other subsets have been carried out for the computation of rework area takes
those cutting points and subsets into account, although they are no longer relevant if the part has changed dramatically, leading to incoherent results
(horizontal areas seen as vertical, for example).
● Those manual divisions and subsets can be removed from the original rework area using the Remove Cutting Points and Delete Non-updated
Subsets buttons. The original rework area can then be re-used on another part, provided the part is only an evolution from the original one.
Before creating a rework area you must have executed a Manufacturing Program.
1. Open gets2.CATPart then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
2. Click the Rework Area icon . Click on the Part area in the sensitive icon and select the part.
3. In the dialog box that is displayed, change the Entry diameter to 10 mm, the Corner radius to 5 mm and the name to Rework.
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4. Press Compute to compute the rework area.
The rework area is created and can be seen in the Machining feature view .
A progress indicator is displayed. You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment before 100% completion.
If the rework area cannot be computed because of invalid faces, an explicit warning message like this one will appear:
This visualization is removed when you close the main dialog box or when you select Remove in the contextual menu.
To edit a rework area, double click its name in the Machining feature view.
5. There is a Load from button at the top of the dialog box that can be used to simplify the creation of a rework area by loading all of the appropriate
Push the button and then select an operation and/or a tool in the specifications tree and/or select a machining area in the Machining view.
No link is kept between the rework area and the selected data (operation, tool..). The Load From button is only an accelerator to define the parameters of
the rework area. It may be necessary to tune up some of those parameters to obtain a correct result.
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6. In the Define tab,
● either click the red area of the sensitive icon and select the part in the viewer. Double-click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection
● use the Face Selection Toolbar to choose the faces that you want to make up the area to machine.
8. Select the tool axis that you used to machine the rest of the part.
Enter the tool data that you used to machine the rest of the part.
If you wish to use a conical tool, enter a positive cutting angle. For an end mill, leave the default value of 0 degrees.
Tolerance
3 Axis Surface is the machining tolerance that you
Machining want to
Version use for the
5 Release 14 rework area. For the sake of speed you should
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machining tolerance in the operation that the rework area is going to be used in. You may decide to use a smaller tolerance in the machining area
and a larger one in the operation, reducing the operation one until you obtain satisfactory results as regards the finish that you require.
Overlap is the distance that you allow the tool to go beyond the boundaries of the rework area and is defined as a percentage of the tool radius.
Part offset is the offset that is computed for the rework area with respect to the part.
Minimum depth filters out areas that you wish to ignore because they are not deep enough.
9. Press Compute.
10. If you find that there are too many areas to be reworked or if you decide to concentrate on only a part of the rework area, go to the Edit tab and
The list of subsets is displayed in the dialog box, with the criterion used for its computation, its display dolor and the number of elements in the
subset. The column Operation indicates whether an operation is assigned to the subset.
An operation is effectively assigned to a subset when an Insertion Level has been defined in Operations tab!
However, creating subsets with the above criteria may not be sufficient. In that case, you can split the subsets manually, by points.
Select one subset in the list, and start its contextual menu. Choose Divide by Points.
● The Add/Remove menu is used to transfer an element from one subset to another:
❍ Select in the list the subset to which you want to add an element,
❍ Choose Add/Remove from the contextual menu,
❍ Select the element you want to remove from the other subset.
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● Push the button to create an new empty subset, then use the Add/Remove menu to fill it.
11. If you want to assign an operation to a rework area, go to the Operations tab.
First, place the cursor in the Insertion Level field and click in the specification tree to define where the operation is to be inserted. The field is
updated and the red arrow disappears while the Assign Operation parameters are displayed.
Now, all the tools used in existing operations are available from the Tool Reference list.
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Use the Assign combo to select one type of operation, set the Stepover value in the field below and click the tool icon to define its axis. The list
of subsets/operations is updated accordingly.
To revert to an automatic step over, push the Auto button. The value is replaced with the label Auto.
● Use the same size of tool in a pencil operation as that defined in the rework area in order to reduce computation time. You can also use a larger tool with
pencil operations.
● If you choose to use a tool that is smaller than the one defined in the rework area, consider the rework area to be simply a set of limiting contours and
use a contour-driven operation.
● If you use a smaller tool with a pencil operation, no tool path will be generated for the rework area.
A rework
3 Axis Surface
● area feature can be removed in theVersion
Machining Machining View,14
5 Release using the Remove Result contextual menu.
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An offset group can contain one or more offset area(s). You can apply an overall offset LINK to an offset group. An offset area is a group of faces (at least
one) with an offset value (with respect to the original part) and a color to identify it.
Offset groups can be used to machine upper and lower dies using a single set of geometry.
● The Offset Group selected in the previous operation is always proposed as default at the creation of a new operation,
● For the first operation of a Manufacturing Program, the last created Offset Group is proposed as default.
● When you modify an operation and change the reference Offset Group, the others operations will not take this modification into account.
● This behavior is independent of option Use default value of the current program defined in the Tools/Options/Machining/Operations tab.
● Offset Global in the upper part of the dialog box is the overall offset that will be applied to the group in general. However, it is applied only to offset
areas in the offset group that do not have their own specific offset.
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● Offset Local in the Create tab is a local offset applied to specific areas.
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● an area that has a specific offset (Offset Local in the Create tab) of 10 mm and
● the remaining area that has no offset assigned to it (this is its original status).
● The thickness of the offset can be negative. If you want to use a negative value, the tool corner radius must be greater than the absolute value of the
offset.
● Offset groups can be used with all operations and rework areas. If you are using a rework area that includes an offset group in an operation, you will
not be able to modify the offset group.
● The same face cannot be used in two separate offset areas in the same group. If you wish to have two different offsets on any given face, you must
create a new group for the second value.
If an Machining
3 Axis Surface offset is defined in the dialog box of the Machining Operations,
Version 5 Release 14 this offset is added to the Offset Global of the offset group.
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● on the first area, you will have the 10 mm Offset Local + the offset defined in the machining operation,
● on the second area, you will have the 5 mm Offset Global + the offset defined in the machining operation
1. Open file Basic1.CATPart then select Machining > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
In the dialog box that is displayed, change the name of the group to Group.1.
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4. Click the red area in the sensitive icon and use the Face Selection Toolbar to select these three faces in the viewer.
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4. Give the area that you have just created an Offset Local of 10 mm.
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Press Apply.
Now, without selecting any part nor face, enter an Offset Global of 5 mm.
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Press OK.
Open the Machining view and you will see that the offset group has been created.
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5. Now revert to the Sweeping dialog box.
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Note that the Offset Group you have just created is proposed automatically.
Reduce the distance between pass and push Replay. You can see that the offset applied to Offset Area.1 is different from that applied to the rest of the
part:
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Press OK.
2. Go back into the Machining view and double click the sweeping operation that you already computed. Once it is displayed, press Replay.
Press Apply.
Before using any of the functions below, you must have computed a tool path.
All of the functions are accessed via the tool path contextual menu once the corresponding operation has been
locked via its contextual menu.
Editing a point
Editing an area
Split on Collision Points
Transformations
Connecting tool paths
Reversing a toolpath
Approaches and Retracts in tool paths
Packing a tool path
Checking tool holder collision
Creating Geometries
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Editing a Point
This task explains how to either move or remove a point on a tool path.
You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity.
You must select points before any modification of the tool path.
1. Open Block.CATProcess.
Expand the manufacturing process completely. Select the Sweeping.1 operation and check
Lock in its contextual menu then select the tool path for the sweeping operation.
● As you pass the mouse cursor over the tool path you will notice that a small white square moves along
● Pull the Distance arrow to the place you want the point to be in the viewer. The distance
between the original position and the current position of the points is displayed as you move
the arrow.
● or enter the coordinates where they should be in the spin boxes. Just as above, an arrow is
displayed as well as the distance from the original position of the points.
● or double-click the word Distance and enter the distance in the box.
Inserting a point
This command enables you to insert a point in the tool path.
1. Once the tool path and the dialog box are displayed, pick a point to select it.
2. One point on each side of the selected point are proposed and visualized by a yellow cross. They
are at the middle of the segment defined by the selected point and the next point on each side.
3. Pick the proposed point you want to create and push the Insert button that is now available:
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Note that the actions of the point 3 above apply the insertion of point too.
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Editing an Area
This task explains how to edit an area on a tool path.
● one point on the tool path and deciding whether you want to use the portion before or after it,
● two points and deciding whether you want to use the part of the tool path that is between the two
points or outside of the two points,
● a contour and deciding whether you want to use the part of the tool path that is inside or outside of
the contour,
● a polyline and deciding whether you want to use the part of the tool path that is inside or outside of
the contour.
You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity.
1. Open Block.CATProcess.
Expand the manufacturing process completely. Select the Sweeping.1 operation and check
Lock in its contextual menu then select the tool path for the sweeping operation.
2. The tool path and the tool path editor are displayed.
The tool path editor has options that let you select an area using:
● one point,
● two points,
● a contour,
● a polyline,
● collisions points,
so that you can then choose whether you what to move or cut the area.
● by selecting one point on the tool path. This selects the portion of the tool path after the
point.
● by selecting two points on the tool path. This selects the portion of the tool path that falls
between the two points.
● by selecting an existing closed contour on the part. This selects the area of the tool path
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that is within the contour.
4. You can swap the selected area by clicking . So if you selected the area with:
● one point the part of the tool path that is before the point is now selected,
● two points the part of the tool path that is outside the two points is now selected,
● a contour the part of the tool path that is outside the contour is now selected.
Clicking the swap icon a second time will give you the original selection.
Use to change the default value of the selected areas. Click it and this dialog box is
displayed:
Depending on the button you pick, you can choose whether the part of the tool path selected is
before or after the single point or inside or outside the two points or contour. Whichever of the
buttons you choose its effect will be applied to the next tool path selection action.
5. Now you can either cut the area of the tool path with or move it with .
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● grab the point at the end of the arrow beside the word Distance and pull.
● You can also double click the word distance and enter a value in the dialog box.
● If you wish to translate the area along an axis other than the (default) tool axis, use the
contextual menu over the point at the end of the arrow beside the word Distance and
choose an axis.
Before cutting an area of the tool path, you can choose to copy this area in the specification tree:
● Push the Cut icon and select an operation in the specification tree. The Copy-Transformation
is created after the selected operation.
● If you wish, you can change the tool of the Copy-Transformation you have created:
When the tool length is an important constraint, it may be useful to split the tool path of an operation in:
● a tool path reachable by the specified tool,
● a tool path reachable by a longer tool.
Select the Tool path under Sweeping.1 and select Split on collision points in the contextual menu.
Extra geometry allows you to add additional geometry to the part in the operation where the tool path was computed. Additional geometry may be a face or a clamp that you would rather avoid using in
the computation and that is not defined in the operation.
● When you select Use part, the part you defined in the operation is used to compute the collision points.
● Collision tolerance defines the distance within which the tool holder is considered to be in collision.
● Offset on tool holder radius and Offset on tool length define the tolerance distances specific to the tool holder radius and tool length.
2. Once you have set the parameters, click Apply. The points in collision appear in red:
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3. Now select a longer tool (T5 End Mill D 10L50) in the New tool list:
4. Click OK.
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5. Now close both tool path using the Connection or the Change approach and retract command.
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This task explains how to apply transformations to a tool path. You can:
● translate a tool path,
You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity.
1. Open Block.CATProcess.
Expand the manufacturing process completely. Select the Sweeping.1 operation and check Lock in its contextual menu then select the tool path for the sweeping operation.
2. Choose whether you want to translate, rotate or mirror-reflect the tool path.
3. Translation
You can also translate the tool path by selecting it in the viewer, clicking either on the approach or the retract and dragging. The contextual menu over the word "distance" lets you choose whether you want to translate the tool path along:
● the X axis,
● the Y axis,
● the Z axis,
● or the tool axis.
and then pulling the tool path. You can also double click Distance and enter a value in the distance dialog box that is displayed.
Click OK in the tool path translation dialog box to validate and exit the action.
Rotation
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Choose Rotation in the tool path contextual menu.
You can define the rotation you want with respect to:
As you move the mouse over the tool path, the elements that can be used for the rotation are highlighted in red. By default the rotation is effected around the tool axis.
Change the angle by double-clicking on the word Angle in the viewer (you can also drag the direction arrow in the viewer). A dialog box is displayed.
Enter the number of degrees you want to rotate the tool path by.
You must have computed a tool path, removed an area and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity.
1. Open BlockB.CATPRocess.
Expand the manufacturing process completely. Select the Sweeping.1 operation and check Lock in its
contextual menu then select the tool path for the sweeping operation.
4. Click OK.
If you want to check the tool path, choose the operation that you used to create it and press Replay. You will see that
the gap in the tool path is now closed.
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You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity.
1. Open Block.CATProcess.
Expand the manufacturing process completely. Select the Sweeping.1 operation and check
Lock in its contextual menu then select the tool path for the sweeping operation
If you want to check the tool path, choose the operation that you used to create it and press replay. You
will see that the tool approach and retract points have been exchanged.
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You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity.
1. Open Block.CATProcess.
2. Expand the manufacturing process completely. Select the Sweeping.1 operation and check Lock in
its contextual menu then select the tool path for the sweeping operation.
3. Choose Change approach and retract in the contextual menu. A dialog box is displayed:
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from the whole tool path or from a polygon that you draw on the tool path.
1. In the Delete frame, in the Filter section, check the appropriate boxes.
2. Then push
● Remove from whole tool path button if you want to remove all occurrences or
● Remove from area inside polygon if you want to remove only the occurrences in a
specific area. You have to define the area by drawing a polygon in the viewer. Double click
2. Select the type of motion you want to use and modify the settings if necessary.
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If you answer Yes, you will add an approach or a retract motion to the whole path.
If you answer No, use the Selection bar to define an area to apply the
approach or retract motion.
4. If you are satisfied with the results press OK. If not, continue to make changes to the approach
Open the Basic1.CATPart in the Samples directory. Select Surface Machining from the Start menu.
Choose the Sweeping icon. Select the whole body as the part to machine.
1. Start by defining a directory for your new CATProcess. It is advisable to create a directory for each
new CATProcess.
Go to the Tools > Options > NC Manufacturing option. Select the Output tab. Enter a
directory for Tool path (first line).
A message is displayed giving you the name of the file created and the name of the directory it
is created in (i.e. the one you defined in the options).
3. You must pack each tool path for each individual operation in order to obtain a CATProcess that
4. When you start the tool path editor on a packed tool path, a message informs you that the tool
path has been unpacked. You will have to pack the tool path again once you are finished.
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When you have a CATProcess that contains a packed tool path and you copy the CATProcess anywhere
else, the file containing the tool path does not follow and the tool path cannot be replayed on the new
computer. Solve this by sending the CATProcess to the new computer via the using the File > Send to
option rather than copying it.
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If you consider the tool with its tool holder, the tool gage is taken into account.
Open the Basic1.CATPart in the Samples directory. Select Surface Machining from the Start menu.
Choose the Sweeping icon. Select the whole body as the part to machine.
Press Replay. This computes a tool path. Select the Sweeping operation and check Lock in its contextual
menu then select the tool path.
Extra geometry allows you to add additional geometry to the part in the operation where the
tool path was computed. Additional geometry may be a face or a clamp that you would rather
avoid using in the computation and that is not defined in the operation.
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● When you select Use part, the part you defined in the operation is used to compute the
collision points.
● Collision tolerance defines the distance within which the tool holder is considered to be in
collision.
● Offset on tool holder radius and Offset on tool length define the tolerance distances
specific to the tool holder radius and tool length.
2. Click Apply.
The tool path is displayed on the part. The points where the tool holder is in collision with the
part are shown in red.
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A small dialog box is displayed that gives the number of collision points on this tool path, the
minimum tool length that is required in order to avoid having collision points and the
coordinates of the current point (move the mouse over the tool path to see the coordinates
change for each point) plus reference data on the tool length and the offset on the tool length.
Click Cancel.
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This is only a visual check to let you see where the collision points are and find the tool length that is
required to avoid them.
3. You now have the choice of either changing the tool length or editing the tool path in order to get
If you want to change the tool length you must create a new tool or select another tool.
4. Select the tool path again in the specifications tree. Choose Area modification in the contextual
menu.
The same dialog box as above is displayed. Change the parameter values if you wish.
You can then cut ( ) the collision points from the tool path.
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Creating Geometries
This functionality enables you to preview and/or create geometry from the tool path, i.e. points, vectors
representing axis or tool geometry for measurement operations.
This functionality
● is available for all machining operations with the exception of Lathe machining operations.
● is available even if the tool path is unlocked.
You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity.
1. Open Block.CATProcess.
Expand the manufacturing process completely. Select the Sweeping.1 operation and select the
tool path for the sweeping operation.
2. Place the cursor on the Destination field and select a destination body.
4. Select Axes in the Creation box. They are displayed on the tool path.
5. Click Apply, the axes are created under the Geometrical set Sweeping.1 . Click Close to exit the
action
If you want to only visualize the geometry, do not push the Apply button since it would create the
elements of the type selected.
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Importing files
There are two types of files that can be imported into the Surface Machining workbench:
STL Files
Importing Files
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3. Push the ... button and navigate to the samples directory. Select the Basic.stl file.
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4. Press Open in the File Selection box then OK in the STL File Import box.
You can now machine the part that you have just opened.
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● You cannot import an Apt file that was generated with the tool center output point. The tool center output point option
is only available in batch mode.
1. Select the Manufacturing Program entity in the tree, then select Import APT, clfile or NC code file in the
contextual menu.
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Press OK.
For information on generating NC files, see the chapter on generating NC code in batch mode.
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Workbench Description
This section describes the menu commands and icon toolbars that are specific to the 3 Axis Surface Machining
workbench. This is what the 3 Axis Surface Machining workbench looks like.
Menu Bar
This is the menu bar for the 3 Axis Surface Machining workbench.
Tasks corresponding to general menu commands are described in the Version 5 Infrastructure User's Guide.
Below are the menus that specifically concern 3 Axis Surface Machining.
Start
Starts the 3
Surface Axis Surface
Machining Machining
Workbench
Insert menu
Machining Operations
For See
Sweeping Sweeping
Operations
Pencil Pencil
Operations
ZLevel ZLevel
Machining
Contour-driven Contour-
driven
Machining
Spiral milling Spiral Milling
Profile ContouringCreate a
Profile
Contouring
Operation
Axial Machining 2.5 to 5-axis
Operations Drilling
Operations
Roughing Roughing
Sweep
Sweep Roughing
Roughing
Machining Features
Milling
Milling Features
Features
Insert a
Machining Axis Machining
System Axis or
Origin
Machining
Machining Pattern
Patterns
Milling Features
Using
Geometrical Zone Geometrical
Zones
Defining an
Machining/Slope
Area to
Area
Machine
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Rework Area Defining an
Area to
Rework
Offset Group Offset Group
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Toolbars
These are the specific icon toolbars that belong to the Surface Machining workbench.
See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to move a point or an area.
See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to cut a point or an area.
See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to select an area using two points.
See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to select an area using one point.
See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to select an area using a contour.
See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to select an area using a contour.
See checking for tool holder collisions for information on how to check for collisions between the tool holder
and the part to machine on a tool path.
See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to swap the selected area.
See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to define the default value for the next selection
operation.
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Specification Tree
Below is an example of a specification tree for Surface Machining.
The red light indicates where data is missing. Look for a red zone on that tab.
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Customizing
This section describes how to customize settings for Machining.
Before you start your first working session, you can customize the way you work to suit your habits. This type of
customization is stored in permanent setting files: these settings will not be lost if you end your session.
Other tasks for customizing your Machining environment are documented in the Machining Infrastructure User's
Guide:
1. Select the Tools -> Options command. The Options dialog box appears.
2. Select the Machining category in the tree to the left. The options for Machining settings appear, organized
in tab pages.
5. Click OK to save the settings and quit the Options dialog box.
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General
This document explains how to customize general settings for Machining products.
Performance
Click the Optimize button in order to automatically set a number of the Machining options for optimized performance. These
options are listed in the Information dialog box that appears:
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If you click Yes, these options will be set as described in the dialog box. Note that, if needed, you may locally reset any of
these options.
If you click No, the options will remain with their current settings.
The Information box also lists some recommendations for manually setting other options that have an influence on
performance.
Tree Display
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● Select the checkbox if you want the status of activities in the tree to be updated automatically.
● If this checkbox is not selected:
❍ you can update activity status manually in your workbench using the Update Status icon in the Auxiliary
Commands toolbar.
❍ the status of the activity after a manual update is masked at the first action on the node (for example, edit, replay,
collapse/expand of a parent node). To retrieve the status of the activity you must select the Update Status icon
again.
● Select the colors to be used for identifying the various manufacturing entities by means of the combos.
Note that for Geometry that is not found or not up to date, you can select the colors used to display the valuated
parameters in the corresponding Operation or Feature dialog boxes.
● For certain entities, you can select the corresponding checkbox to use highlighting.
Performance is improved when all the Highlight checkboxes are selected.
Select this checkbox if you want to display the tool near your cursor position on the trajectory during a tool path replay. You
can display the tool at a specific point by clicking on the tool path. The tool will then be positioned on the nearest computed
point on the trajectory.
Select this checkbox if you want to display the tool center point instead of the tool tip during a tool path replay.
Display circles
Select this checkbox if you want to display each circular trajectory as a circular arc instead of a set of discretization points.
The extremities of the circular arc are indicated by means of 'O' symbols.
This allows better control of the Point by Point replay mode, where it is necessary to make several interactions to replay a
circle (because of its representation by a set of points). With the graphic representation as a circle, only one interaction is
necessary to perform the replay.
Color of feedrates
Select the colors to be used for identifying the various feedrate types by means of the combos. The selected colors will be
displayed in the Different colors replay mode.
Complementary Geometry
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Select the checkbox to create a CATPart dedicated to manufacturing-specific geometry in the Product List of the PPR tree.
Design Changes
Smart NC mode
Select this checkbox to activate the Smart NC mode. In this mode, an image of the geometry selected in machining
operations is kept to allow analysis of design changes.
Performance is improved when this checkbox is not selected.
Select this check box to enable a geometrical comparison mode in order to more precisely determine the design change
status of machining operations.
Resources
This document explains how to customize resource settings for Machining products.
Enter the path of the folder containing tool catalogs, PP tables, macros, and machining processes. You can choose a folder by clicking
the [...] button.
For example, if the concatenated folders E:\DownloadOfCXR12rel\intel_a\startup and e:\users\jmn\NC in the figure above contain PP
tables, then those PP tables will be available for selection in the Part Operation's Machine Editor dialog box.
Tool Selection
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Select this checkbox if you want to to activate an automatic query after each modification of a tool parameter. Performance is improved
when this checkbox is not selected.
Select this checkbox if you want to preview the tool after selection.
Select this checkbox if you want the Automatic Update of Feedrates option to be set by default in the Feeds and Speeds tab page of
machining operations.
This option allows feedrates of operations to be automatically updated whenever feedrate information on the tool is modified.
Select this checkbox if you want the Automatic Update of Speeds option to be set by default in the Feeds and Speeds tab page of
machining operations.
This option allows spindle speeds of operations to be automatically updated whenever speed information on the tool is modified.
Select the type of Tool Query to be executed when a Machining Process is instantiated:
Depending on the selected option, the Advanced tab page of the Search Tool dialog box shows the solved Tool Query for each operation
in the Machining Process.
Operation
This document explains how to customize machining operation settings for Machining products.
Default Values
Select the checkbox if you want operations to be created with the values used in the current program.
The values and units of attributes at the creation step of an operation are set to the values and units of the last edited and
validated operation whatever its type (that is, exit the operation definition dialog box using OK).
Otherwise the default settings delivered with the application are used.
Select the desired checkboxes to specify conditions to be applied when you create machining operations or machining
processes.
Machining operations are automatically sequenced in the current program after creation.
Otherwise, sequencing can be managed in the feature view.
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When creating an operation, if a compatible tool exists in a previous operation of the current program, it will be set in the
new operation.
Otherwise, the operation will be incomplete.
When creating an operation, a search is done in the document to find a compatible tool. If no compatible tool exists, a
default one is created in the document and set in the created operation.
If checkbox is not selected, no tool will be defined on the operation.
When creating a machining operation, Edit mode is automatically started to allow modifying parameters of the created
operation.
Otherwise, the operation is added to the program but the machining operation editor is not started.
When Copying
Select the checkbox if you want geometry links to be duplicated in a copied operation.
Otherwise the geometry must be defined for the copied operation. Performance is improved when this checkbox is not
selected.
Display
Select the checkbox if you want to display tool paths of operations in the current Part Operation.
User Interface
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Select the checkbox if you want to have the possibility of simplifying the dialog boxes of machining operations (that is, you
can display the minimum number of parameters necessary for a correct tool path). This setting is available for 3-axis surface
machining operations only.
Output
This document explains how to customize data output settings for Machining products.
Post Processor
● None: no Post Processor is defined. NC code output is not possible in this case
● Cenit: you can choose from among the Post Processor parameter files proposed by Cenit to generate your NC code
● IMS: you can choose from among the Post Processor parameter files proposed by Intelligent Manufacturing Software
(IMS) to generate your NC code
● ICAM: you can choose from among the Post Processor parameter files proposed by ICAM Technologies Corporation
(ICAM) to generate your NC code.
Enter the path of the folder containing Post processors. You can choose a folder by clicking the [...] button. File
concatenation is possible.
Select the desired option to store tool path data either in the current document or in an external file (as a tpl file).
For operations with large tool paths (more than 100 000 points), tool path storage in an external file is recommended.
By default, the Store tool path in the current document option is selected.
Select the checkbox if you want to be able to edit tool paths even when the operation is locked.
This capability is available only for activities with a tool path node in the specification tree.
Select the checkbox if you want to store contact points in the tool path.
Select the desired option to select one of the following as output point:
● tool tip
● tool center point
● tool center point for ball end tools (that is, any tool with the Ball-end tool attribute selected or an end mill whose nominal
diameter is equal to twice the corner radius).
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Performance is better when the Tool Tip option is selected.
Specify default locations for storing Tool Path files, NC Documentation, and NC Code output.
You can store tool paths files (tpl files) in the same folder as the CATProcess by selecting the checkbox. This allows you to
store these files according to your CATProcess context. Otherwise, you can choose another location by clicking the [...]
button.
For NC Documentation, and NC Code output you can choose a folder easily by clicking the [...] button.
You can customize the extension to be used for NC Code output (by default, the suffix used is CATNCCode).
Please note that Video results are stored in the NC Code output directory. This is done by using the Associate Video Result
to Machining Operation icon in the Tool Path Replay dialog box.
By default, the Tool path: Store at same location as the CATProcess checkbox is not selected.
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Program
This document explains how to customize manufacturing program settings for Machining products.
Select the Program tab to customize program auto-sequencing rules and priorities. These settings are mainly
intended for the administrator.
Make sure that the document in the sequencing rules path (AllSequencingRules.CATProduct in the example
below) is accessible in Read/Write.
Auto Sequencing
Select the Access to sequencing rules settings checkbox to authorize user access to sequencing rules.
You can then specify the path for the rules base
You can choose a rules base easily by clicking the [...] button.
Select the Display sequencing rules and priorities checkbox to authorize the display of sequencing rules
and priorities in the user's view. In this case two more checkboxes can be selected in order to:
Photo/Video
This document explains how to customize material removal simulation settings for Machining products.
Simulation at
Select the desired option to perform material removal simulation at either Program or Part Operation level.
Depending on the selected level, simulation begins either from the start of the manufacturing program or from the start of
the Part Operation.
Best performance is obtained with Program level.
Video
Select the Stop at tool change checkbox if you want the Video simulation to stop each time a tool change is encountered
in the program.
Collision detection
Touch is collision
Select the Touch is collision checkbox if you want touch (or contact) type of collision to be detected.
Select the Multiple Video result on program checkbox if you want to store video results on more than one operation in
the program.
Photo
Select the desired Fault box type for examining remaining material or gouges:
Best performance is obtained when no bounding box is required and the checkbox is not selected.
Performance
There are three methods of tool faceting used in Video simulation: Standard, Smaller and Larger.
The number of facets for a tool representation is determined by the chord deviation that is set for the tool diameter (0.005%
of the tool diameter).
● Smaller: The picture shows a rough approximation of a tool with six facets. Note that the chord deviation is always
inside the actual circle, and that the points are always on the circle (accurate).
This is the most accurate method for the Arc through Three Points command.
● Standard: The picture shows a rough approximation of a tool with six facets. Note that the chord deviation is partly
inside and partly outside the actual circle, and that the points are not always on the circle.
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This is the best method for material removal simulation.
However, this is not suitable for the Arc through Three Points command.
● Larger: The picture shows a rough approximation of a tool with six facets. Note that the chord deviation is outside the
actual circle, and that the points are not on the circle.
This is not suitable for the Arc through Three Points command.
However, it can be useful for gouge detection.
Photo resolution
Best performance is obtained when the Photo resolution is set to 0. In this case, a detailed simulation of a portion of the part
can be obtained using the Closeup command.
Increasing the resolution improves machining accuracy and gives a very detailed simulation. However, this requires
increased memory and computation time.
Specify the maximum angle that the tool axis is allowed to vary between two consecutive points.
Best performance is obtained for an angle of 10 degrees. Decreasing the angle improves the precision of the simulation.
However, this requires increased memory and computation time.
Set the Optimized rendering for Video checkbox to obtain an optimized rendering that improves Video simulation
performance.
Otherwise, more realistic colors are obtained with a slightly degraded performance. Milling, drilling, and turning operations
are supported.
Color
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Set the tool (and associated machined area) color to be the same as or different from the last tool, or have different colors
for all tools. Best performance is obtained with same colored tools.
Assign colors to the different tools using the associated color combo.
Assign colors to tool holders, parts, and fixtures using the associated color combos.
Positioning Move
Set the Maximum tool axis variation that is to be allowed between the end point of an operation and the start point of
the next operation. If the tool axis varies by an amount greater than the specified value, then the tool is positioned at the
start of the following operation.
Reference Information
Reference information that is specific to the 3 Axis Surface Machining product can be found in this section.
Select the sweep roughing icon , then select the geometry to be machined ,
Specify the tool to be used (only end mill tools are available for this operation) and feedrates
You can also define transition paths in your machining operations by means of NC macros as needed.
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value.
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Machining tolerance
Maximum allowed distance between the theoretical and computed tool path. Consider the value to be the
acceptable chord error.
Stepover side
It can be either to the left or the right of the tool path and is defined with respect to the machining direction.
● Safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to
avoid collisions with the part. You can also define a new safety plane with the Offset option in the safety
plane contextual menu. The new plane will be offset from the original by the distance that you enter in the
dialog box along the normal to the safety plane. If the safety plane normal and the tool axis have opposed
directions, the direction of the safety plane normal is inverted to ensure that the safety plane is not inside
the part to machine.
● Top plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Bottom plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Limiting contour which defines the outer machining limit on the part. You can also activate the Part
autolimit option, with the Side to machine, Stop position, Stop mode and Offset parameters.
Please refer to the Basic Task - Selecting Geometric Components to learn how to select the geometry.
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Appears when invalid faces have been detected. This message disappears when you close the dialog box or
when the next computation is successful.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected and when you have decided to ignore them. This message
remains displayed as a warning.
The information in this section will help you create and edit Roughing operations in your Manufacturing Program.
● and activate the Always stay on bottom and Part contouring options.
● the Stepover with the Max. distance between pass and the Tool diameter ratio.
● the Automatic horizontal areas detection with the offset on areas and the Maximum angle.
Specify the tool to be used (only end mill tools are available for this operation) and speeds and rates .
You can also define transition paths in your machining operations by means of NC macros as needed. These transition paths are useful to:
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value.
Push the <<Less button to display only those current parameters. The Zone and the Bottom tab are hidden, as well as the Variable cut depths button in the Axial tab.
You can also use the modal option User Interface Simplified mode in the Tools -> Options -> Machining -> Operation tab.
By default, all tabs and all parameters are displayed: Press <<Less to display a reduced list of tabs and parameters:
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Roughing: Machining tab
Machining mode
then
● One-way next: the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and goes diagonally from the end of one tool path to the beginning of the next.
● One-way same: the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and returns to the first point in each pass before moving on to the first point in the
next pass.
● Zig-zag: the tool path alternates directions during successive passes.
● Spiral: the tool moves in successive concentric passes from the boundary of the area to machine towards the interior. The tool moves from one pass to the next by stepping
over.
● Contour only: only machines around the external contour of the part.
● Concentric: the tool removes the most constant amount of material possible at each concentric pass. The tool is never directly in the heart of material. It also respects the
given cutting mode in all cases. The approach mode with this style is always Helix.
● Helical: the tool moves in successive concentric passes from the boundary of the area to machine towards the interior. The tool moves from one pass to the next by stepping
over.
The difference between Spiral and Helical style is most obvious when using high speed milling options. Helical has a rounded tool path in the corners of pockets whereas a Spiral
tool path will form loops.
Spiral Helical
The cutting mode (Climb/Conventional) is respected on the contouring tool passes generated by the Helical tool path style.
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With these two Tool path styles, the part is machined by contouring passes, offset from the part, with high speed milling capability. This is useful for:
These styles are available for outer part areas only. Therefore, when the Machining mode is set to Outer part and pockets, the Distinct style in pocket option is
automatically selected.
The user Start point is not used as an imposed start point but is taken into account to define the path start point.
Finish passes are done after rough passes, and finish passes on islands are done before those on sides.
Available only for the Machining mode Outer part and pockets.
When this option is selected, you can apply a different tool path style to pockets.
Machining tolerance
Maximum allowed distance between the theoretical and computed tool path. Consider the value to be the acceptable chord error.
Cutting mode Page 303
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Specifies the position of the tool regarding the surface to be machined. It can be:
Climb or Conventional.
Helical movement
Specifies the way the tool moves in a pocket or an external zone. It can be:
● Inward: the tool starts from a point inside the zone and follows inward paths parallel to the boundary.
● Outward: the tool starts from a point inside the zone and follows outward paths parallel to the boundary.
Both:
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●
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● for pockets, the tool starts from a point inside the pocket and follows outward paths parallel to the boundary.
● for external zones, the tool starts from a point on the rough stock boundary and follows inward
paths parallel to the boundary.
In Helical mode, the control of the Non Cutting Diameter (Dnc) has been enhanced, in particular in the computation of the ramping approaches. This improvement may cause a
computation failure, resulting in this specific message: The tool core diameter is not compatible with some ramping motions.
Always stay on bottom
This option becomes available when at least one tool path style is set to Helical.
When machining a multi-domain pocket using a helical tool path style, this parameter forces the tool to remain in contact with the pocket bottom when moving from one domain
to another. This avoids unnecessary linking transitions.
Part contouring
Only used with the zig-zag and helical tool path styles.
With part contouring switched on, the tool goes round the outside contour of the part before continuing to zig-zag. Deactivating this option allows you to gain machining time. The
tool that you are using and the part you are working on must be such that contouring the rough stock is superfluous.
With part contouring switched on. Note how the tool went round the area to With part contouring switched off and exactly the same parameters. Note that the tool goes straight
machine first: into zig-zag mode:
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● the Overlap ratio, i.e. the overlap between two passes, given as a percentage of the tool diameter
(Tool diameter ratio),
● the Overlap length between two passes given by the Max. distance between pass,
● the Stepover ratio, i.e. the stepover between two passes, given as a percentage of the tool diameter
(Tool diameter ratio),
the Stepover
3 Axis Surface
● Machininglength between two passes given by the Max. distance
Version between
5 Release 14 pass, Page 309
In a rework context, if the area is small enough i.e. covered by the tool diameter, it is deleted and replaced by an single ZLevel pass (Reduce the air cut) and the radial stepover
is not respected.
When the dialog box opens the distance between passes from the top to the bottom of the part is constant and is the same as the Maximum cut depth.
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Change the Distance from top value and the Inter-pass value and then press Add to give a different depth value over a given distance.
● from the top of the part to 15mm from the top is of 2 mm,
● from 15mm from the top to 25mm from the top is 5mm,
● and from 25 mm from the top to the bottom of the part is 10 mm.
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Roughing: Zone parameters
Check this option to activate the filter for small passes. Then enter the Tool section (%) value, which will be used to define the smallest area to machine according to the tool
used. This information is given below the data field.
Pocket filter
Check this option to activate the filter for small passes. The non-cutting diameter of the tool can be entered in the Tool tab, pushing the More button. It is given as an
information only in the Zone tab.
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Not all pockets will be machined if there is not enough depth for the tool to plunge. A null value means that tool is allowed to plunge in pockets. The size of the smallest pocket is
given below the data field.
However, the Smallest area to machine is taken into account only if the area detected has no impact on larger areas beneath.
When areas are filtered (i.e. not machined) with the Tool core diameter, the areas beneath those areas are not machined.
Then enter the value of the offset to apply on the areas (Offset on areas). The Maximum angle that can be considered as horizontal is displayed for information
only.
If the machining mode is By area, the tool path will look like this:
If the machining mode is By plane, the tool path will look like this:
The cutting planes in green are the Standard roughing tool paths, the red ones are those computed for the horizontal areas detected.
The Machining
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● computation of horizontal areas is not possible ifVersion
the part5isRelease
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a cloud of points (STL). Page 316
● This option is not compatible with the use of offset groups.
● Horizontal areas are always defined as pockets (no distinction outer part/pocket). To mill Pocket only or Outer part areas, please use a limiting contour.
Same offset on bottom as on part
Check High speed milling to activate and define the parameters for High speed milling.
Corner radius
Defines the radius of the rounded ends of passes when cutting with a Concentric tool path style and the radius of the rounded end of retracts with Helical and Concentric tool path
styles. The ends are rounded to give a smoother path that is machined much faster.
This is what a tool path will look like if you do not use high speed milling parameters:
Here is the same tool path with the High speed milling switched on. Note how the round tool path ends. In both cases a concentric tool path style is used.
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Similarly, here is what retracts look like without the high speed milling option:
And here is the same tool path with high speed milling switched on:
● With HSM and helical mode, the corner radius must be less than half the stepover distance. It will be forced to this value.
● The corner radius is no longer applied to the finish path.
Corner radius on part contouring
Roughing: Geometry
You can also specify the following geometry: Page 318
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● Part with possible offset.
● Rough stock. If you do not have a rough stock you can create one automatically. You must define a rough stock if you have not already defined one in the Part Operation.
See the Machining Infrastructure user's guide for further information.
● Check element with possible offset. The check element is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined.
● Area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (the small light brown corner near the part selection area).
● Safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. You can also define a new safety
plane with the Offset option in the safety plane contextual menu. The new plane will be offset from the original by the distance that you enter in the dialog box along the
normal to the safety plane. If the safety plane normal and the tool axis have opposed directions, the direction of the safety plane normal is inverted to ensure that the safety
plane is not inside the part to machine.
● Top plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Bottom plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Imposed plane that the tool must obligatorily pass through. Use this option if the part that you are going to machine has a particular shape (a groove or a step) that you
want to be sure will be cut.
If you wish to use all of the planar surfaces in a part as imposed surfaces, use the Search/View ... option in the contextual
Page menu
319 to select them.
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When searching for planar surfaces, you can choose to find either:
When you are using planar surfaces in a part as imposed surfaces and you are using an offset on the part, select Offset in the contextual menu and then enter an offset value that
is the same as the offset on part value plus the machining tolerance value, e.g. if the offset on part is 1 mm and the machining tolerance is 0.1 mm, give a value 1.1mm.
This ensures that the imposed planar surface is respected to within the offset and tolerance values.
● Start point where the tool will start cutting. There are specific conditions for start points:
● They must be outside the machining limit. Examples of machining limits are the rough stock contour; a limit line, an offset on the rough stock, an offset on the limit
line, etc.
● They must not be positioned so as to cause collisions with either the part or the check element. If a start point for a given zone causes a collision, the tool will
automatically adopt ramping approach mode.
● The distance between the start point and the machining limit must be greater than the tool radius plus the machining tolerance. If the distance between the start
3 Axis Surfacepoint and the machining limit is greater than the tool radius plus the safety distance, the start point will only serve Page
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320the engagement direction.
● If there are several start points for a given area, the one that is used is the first valid one (in the order in which they were selected) for that area. If there are
several possible valid points, the nearest one is taken into account.
● One start point may be valid and for more than one area.
● If a limit line is used, the tool will approach outer areas of the part and pockets in ramping mode. towards the outside of the contour. The tool moves from the
outside towards the inside of this type of area. In this case, you must define the start point.
If you use a limit line or if you use an inner offset on the rough stock, the start point may be defined inside the initial rough stock. The rules concerning the domain of the contour
line or the offset on the rough stock contour line above must be applied.
● Concentric tool path style:
Start points are automatically defined. In this case, the start point is the center of the largest circle that can be described in the area to machine. Lateral approach modes
cannot be used.
● Spiral and Helical Tool path styles:
Whenever possible, the end of the engagement associated to the start point corresponds to the beginning of the sweeping path.
If this is no possible, the path will be cut to respect the constraint imposed by the start point.
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● Inner points (only active if the Drilling mode has been selected in the Macro data tab). There are specific conditions for inner points:
● Limiting contour which defines the machining limit on the part, with the Side to machine parameter.
There is also the possibility of setting the order in which the zones on the part are machined.
Please refer to the Selecting Geometric Components to learn how to select the geometry.
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Appears when invalid faces have been detected. This message disappears when you close the dialog box or when the next computation is successful.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected and when you have decided to ignore them. This message remains displayed as a warning.
Position
Offset
Defines the distance that the tool can overshoot the Position. It is expressed as a percentage of the tool diameter. This parameter is useful in cases where there is an island near
the edge of the part and the tool diameter is too wide to allow the area behind the island to be machined.
This parameter can only be used if the Position is inside or outside.
Specifies the minimum material thickness that will be removed when using overshoot or in a rework operation.
In a given level, the thickness of material left can amount up to the value of the Minimum thickness to machine + twice the value of the tolerance. Therefore, on a level below
you may have to mill a thickness amounting to the value of the Minimum thickness to machine + twice the value of the tolerance of one or several levels above.
Limit Definition Page 323
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Defines what area of the part will be machined with respect to the limiting contour(s). It can either be inside or outside. In the pictures below, there are three limiting contours on
the rough stock. The yellow areas will be machined.
● If you are using a limiting contour, you should define the start point so as to avoid tool-material collision.
● The use of limiting contours is totally safe is the limiting contour is fully contained by the roughing rough stock. Example of use: restricting the machining to a group of
pockets.
● But we strongly advise against using a limiting contour that is partly outside the roughing or residual rough stock. Example: roughing rework or a first roughing with a
complex rough stock). In that case, we recommend that you define a surface with holes or a mask to define the machining zone to work on.
Stop position Page 324
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Specifies where the tool stops:
Offset
Specifies the distance that the tool will be either inside or outside the limit line depending on the stop mode that you chose.
Its purpose is to compute the residual rough stock remaining from operations preceding the current one, providing a rough stock has not been defined for this operation. Use it
before pressing Replay.
In addition to the automatic macros listed below, you can insert pre-and post-macros using the Build by user graphic mode.
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Machining
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safety plane level, there
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Optimize retract
This button optimizes tool retract movements. This means that when the tool moves over a surface where there are no obstructions, it will not rise as high as the safety plane
because there is no danger of tool-part collisions. The result is a gain in time.
● The parameter Optimize Retract takes the rough stock left by the previous operation into account.
● If you have defined a safety plane, you should deactivate the Optimize retracts option. If you do not, the safety plane will be ignored.
●
Maximum distance that the tool will rise to when moving from the end of one pass to the beginning of the next.
Mode
● If the Tool Path is Concentric, the approach is always Helix, either on outer areas or pockets.
● Ramping approach mode applies to pockets but also outer areas in given conditions:
● If a limit line is used, the tool will approach outer areas of the part and pockets in ramping mode.
● If a lateral approach is not possible (due to the check element), the approach is made in ramping mode.
Approach distance
Distance that the tool moves horizontally before it begins its approach.
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Sweeping Parameters
The information in this section will help you create and edit a sweeping operation into your Manufacturing Program.
Select the Sweeping icon , then the geometry of the part to machine ,
● and activate the Reverse tool path and Max Discretization (with its step and Distribution Mode) options.
● the Stepover type with the Maximum or Minimum distance between pass and the Scallop height,
● the View direction Along the tool axis or along another axis.
● the Multi-pass,
● the Slopes
Specify the tool to be used ( you have the choice of end mill or conical tools for this operation), the feedrates and spindle speeds
You can also define transition paths in your machining operations by means of NC macros as needed.
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You can also use the modal option User Interface Simplified mode in the Tools -> Options -> Machining -> Operation tab.
By default, all tabs and all parameters are displayed: Press <<Less to display a reduced list of tabs and parameters:
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Plunge mode
If you have selected a one-way Tool path style, select the Plunge mode:
● No check: the tool can plunge and rise with the surface,
Machining tolerance
Maximum allowed distance between the theoretical and computed tool path. Consider it to be the acceptable chord error.
Max Discretization
For some surfaces, such as flat surfaces, the tool path can suffer from a lack of points.
By setting the maximum discretization distance (Step), the gaps will be filled by the exact surface points resulting in a better distribution of points,
a smoother tool path and then a better machining quality.
In addition, two Distribution Modes are available to improve the quality of the machined surface.
With Aligned, the points of the tool path are aligned (as best as possible) with those of the tool paths below and Resulting surface
above. (Zoom on details)
With Shifted, the points of the tool path do not form a line with those of the tool paths below and above.
By default, or when the More>> button is pressed: When the <<Less button is pressed:
Stepover:
● Constant: Has constant stepover distance defined in a plane and projected onto the part. You can modify the stepover distance.
Scallop height
Value that you define for the maximum allowable height of the crests of material left uncut after machining.
Stepover side
Can be left or right and is defined with respect to the machining direction.
View Direction
Use Along tool axis when you want to machine along the axis you have selected (or along the default axis).
Other axis can only be used with a ball-nose tool. When it is selected, the axis/direction icon lets you define a second axis (the other axis - the one
pointing up to the left).
Collision check
Activating Other axis displays a button for collision checking. When this is turned on, all of the points where the toolholder would have collided with
the part are displayed on the tool path (after Replay).
Multi-pass
● Number of levels and total depth: Enter the Number of levels and the Total depth.
● Number of levels and Maximum cut depth: Enter the Number of levels and the Maximum cut depth.
Only two can be selected at time, you select which two via the input mode choice. The example below was obtained with 3 levels at a cut depth of
5mm, but could just as easily have been obtained by:
Zone
Defines which parts of the part or machining area you wish to machine:
Minimum angle between the tool axis and the part surface normal for the surface to be considered to be a frontal wall.
Minimum angle between the tool axis and the part surface normal for the surface to be considered to be a lateral wall.
Maximum angle between the tool axis and the part surface for the surface to be considered to be a horizontal area.
Check this box if you want to use intermediate approaches and retracts (i.e. those that link two different areas to machine and that are not at the
beginning nor the end of the tool path).
Direct
With Direct checked, the tool is not allowed to rise on intermediate approaches and retracts.
Whit Direct not checked, the tool will rise to 10 mm on intermediate approaches and retracts.
Feedrate length
Distance beyond which tool path straight lines will be replaced by intermediate approaches and retracts. In the picture below, the Feedrate length
was set to 45 mm. Note that the gaps that were less than 45 mm are crossed by a straight line tool path and those that are greater than 45 mm are
crossed with a standard intermediate tool path with an approach and a retract.
Sweeping: Geometry
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The tool path quality is improved along "between paths" if check surfaces are selected.
● Area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (the small light brown corner near the part selection area).
● Safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. You can
also define a new safety plane with the Offset option in the safety plane contextual menu. The new plane will be offset from the original by the
distance that you enter in the dialog box along the normal to the safety plane. If the safety plane normal and the tool axis have opposed
directions, the direction of the safety plane normal is inverted to ensure that the safety plane is not inside the part to machine.
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● Top plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Bottom plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Limiting contour which defines the outer machining limit on the part. You can also activate the Part autolimit option, with the Side to machine,
Stop position, Stop mode and Offset parameters.
Subset
If you are editing a rework or a slope area, an additional information is displayed, indicating which type of subset you are working on. This field is
not editable (you can not go from one subset to another).
Info
When pressed, gives the details on the parameters that were defined with the rework area.
Please refer to the Basic Task - Selecting Geometric Components to learn how to select the geometry.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected. This message disappears when you close the dialog box or when the next computation is successful.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected and when you have decided to ignore them. This message remains displayed as a warning.
The information in this section will help you create and edit ZLevel operations in your Manufacturing Program.
● to define the Maximum distance or the Minimum distance between pass or the Scallop height.
Specify the tool to use (you have the choice of end mill or conical tools for this operation, the feedrates and spindle speeds .
You can also define transition paths in your machining operations by means of NC macros as needed.
Push the <<Less button to display only those current parameters. The Zone tab is hidden, as well as the Pass overlap parameter in the Machining tab.
You can also use the modal option User Interface Simplified mode in the Tools -> Options -> Machining -> Operation tab.
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By default, all tabs and all parameters are displayed: Press <<Less to display a reduced list of tabs and parameters:
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ZLevel: Machining tab
By default, or when the More>> button is pressed: When the <<Less button is pressed:
Machining tolerance
Maximum allowed distance between the theoretical and computed tool path.consider it to be the acceptable chord error.
Cutting mode
Specifies the position of the tool regarding the surface to be machined. It can be:
● Outer part & pockets; the whole part is machined external area by external area and pocket by pocket.
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Pass overlap
the width of the overlap of the end of a pass over its beginning.
Stepover
Constant
Constant has a constant stepover distance defined in a plane and projected onto the part.
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You can modify :
If you enter a Scallop height, the Max. distance between pass is computed automatically.
Via Scallop Height
The stepover is computed from the scallop height you have set, within the range defined by Max. distance between pass and Min. distance between pass.
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Distance on contour
This stepover mode completes the Via Scallop Height stepover when the part to machine results from a section revolution, with small structures.
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● a contour, i.e. the section of revolution by clicking the Stepover Line in the sensitive icon and using the edge selection toolbar.
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● and the Max distance between pass. This distance will defines points on this contour, and thus the Z level values.
If you enter a Scallop height, the Max. distance between pass is computed automatically.
if several
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● points define a segment perpendicular to the
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● Z-level values are ordered along the Tool Axis, and this order depends on the contour orientation.
● If the part is a solid of revolution, it is strongly recommended to define the contour as the half-section of the part. If the contour is the whole section of the part, most of the
distance values on the Contour will double the number of resulting Z-level values and will not give the expected result.
● Computation is impossible:
❍ if the contour is a line perpendicular to the Tool Axis, an error message is displayed,
❍ if the contour is a closed curve and the Max distance between pass is greater than the curve length,
❍ if the projected points of the contour are not contained by the bounding box of the part,
❍ if the contour is not continuous.
Maximum slope that can be considered to be horizontal (any area that is considered to be horizontal will not be machined).
Use this parameter to define slope areas if you need a quick tool path computation. However, this computation may not be accurate since some parts of the tool movements may
be considered as vertical although they are in horizontal areas.
If you require an accurate tool path computation, we recommend that you define the slope areas with the Machining/Slope Area action before entering the ZLevel action.
If you are working with a previously defined Slope Area or Rework Area, the Max. horizontal slope value is not editable, since it is managed in the feature itself.
ZLevel: Geometry
You can specify the following geometry:
● Part with possible Offset on Part (double-click the label)
● Check element with possible Offset on check (double-click the label). The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined.
● Area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (small light brown corner near the red part selection area).
Safety
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● plane. The safety plane is the plane that theVersion
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351the part. You can also define a new safety
plane with the Offset option in the safety plane contextual menu. The new plane will be offset from the original by the distance that you enter in the dialog box along the
normal to the safety plane. If the safety plane normal and the tool axis have opposed directions, the direction of the safety plane normal is inverted to ensure that the safety
plane is not inside the part to machine.
● Top plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Bottom plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part,
In standard cases, the part will be machined from the upper plane to the lower plane, i.e. from top to bottom. If you want to machine the part from the lower plane to the upper
plane, simply enter the lower plane as the top plane and the upper plane as the bottom plane.
● Imposed plane that the tool must obligatorily pass through. Use this option if the part that you are going to machine has a particular shape (a groove or a step) that you
want to be sure will be cut.
When you are using planar surfaces in a part as imposed surfaces and you are using an offset on the part, select Offset in the contextual menu and then enter an offset value
that is the same as the offset on part value plus the machining tolerance value, e.g. if the offset on part is 1 mm and the machining tolerance is 0.1 mm, give a value 1.1mm.
This ensures that the imposed planar surface is respected to within the offset and tolerance values.
Start
3 Axis Surface
● point(s) where the tool will start cutting. There
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● They must be outside the machining limit. Examples of machining limits are the rough stock contour; a limit line, an offset on the rough stock, an offset on the limit
line, etc.
● They must not be positioned so as to cause collisions with either the part or the check element. If a start point for a given zone causes a collision, the tool will
automatically adopt ramping approach mode.
● The distance between the start point and the machining limit must be greater than the tool radius plus the machining tolerance. If the distance between the start
point and the machining limit is greater than the tool radius plus the safety distance, the start point will only serve to define the engagement direction.
● If there are several start points for a given area, the one that is used is the first valid one (in the order in which they were selected) for that area.
● One start point may be valid and for more than one area.
● If a limiting contour is used, the tool will approach outer areas of the part and pockets in ramping mode towards the outside of the contour. The tool moves from
the outside towards the inside of this type of area. In this case, you must define the start point.
● If you use a limiting contour that results in successive passes not being closed, the start point(s) will be ignored.
● Limiting contour which is the contour that defines the outer machining limit on the part. You can also use the Part Autolimit option, with the Side to machine, Stop position,
Stop mode and Offset parameters.
If you have selected a single face to be machined and you are not using Part autolimit, the tool will machine both sides of the face. If you use Part autolimit, the tool will stop
when it reaches the edge of the face (as shown below).
Subset
If you are editing a rework or a slope area, an additional information is displayed, indicating which type of subset you are working on. This field is not editable (you can not go
from one subset to another).
Info
When pressed, gives the details on the parameters that were defined with the rework area.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected. This message disappears when you close the dialog box or when the next computation is successful.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected and when you have decided to ignore them. This message remains displayed as a warning.
Please refer to the Basic Task - Selecting Geometric Components to learn how to select the geometry.
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Spiral Milling Parameters
The information in this section will help you create and edit Spiral milling operations in your Manufacturing Program.
Select the Spiral milling icon , then select the geometry to be machined .
● the Sequencing.
Specify the tool to use (the tools that can be used with this type of operation are end mill tools , conical tools , face mill tools
You can also define transition paths in your machining operations by means of NC macros as needed.
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You can also use the modal option User Interface Simplified mode in the Tools -> Options -> Machining -> Operation tab.
By default, all tabs and all parameters are displayed: Press <<Less to display a reduced list of tabs and parameters:
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Horizontal zone selection
Specifies whether the horizontal zones are detected automatically or by means of the guide contours given by the user.
● Automatic: the surfaces that are considered to be horizontal with respect to the maximum angle are automatically selected for machining.
● Manual: A red contour lights up in the sensitive icon. Click it and then select the contours that will form the limit to the area you want to
machine. The selection takes account of all the surfaces inside the limit, horizontal or not.
● You can also define more than one contour. Defining another contour inside the original contour will have the effect that only the area between
the two contours (i.e. inside one and outside the other) will be machined.
Maximum allowed distance between the theoretical and computed tool path. Consider it to be the acceptable chord error.
Cutting mode
Specifies the position of the tool regarding the surface to be machined. It can be:
Climb or Conventional.
Offset on contour
Helical movement
● Outward: the tool path will begin at the middle of the area to machine and work outwards.
● Inward: the tool path will begin at the outer limit of the area to machine and work inwards.
Reversing the tool path means that a tool path that goes from right to left will now go from left to right and vice versa.
View Direction
● Along tool axis is used to compute the stepover distance, as if you were looking along the tool axis.
● Other axis is used to compute the stepover distance, as if you ware looking along an axis other than the tool axis. The icon at the top of the tab
for axis selection has changed and you can now select an axis (the oblique axis in the icon) other than the tool axis for the view direction.
Collision check
When Other axis is active, use this box to check for toolholder-part collisions.
Multi-pass
● Maximum cut depth and total depth: Enter the Total depth and the Maximum cut depth
● Number of levels and total depth: Enter the Number of levels and the Total depth.
● Number of levels and Maximum cut depth: Enter the Number of levels and the Maximum cut depth.
Only two can be selected at time, you select which two via the input mode choice. The example below was obtained with 3 levels at a cut depth of
5mm, but could just as easily have been obtained by:
● A cut depth of 5mm and a total depth of 15 mm,
● or a total depth of 15 mm and 3 levels.
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Sequencing
● By Zone: the multi-pass machining is done zone by zone, all the levels are created on the first zone, then on the following zone, etc...
● By Level: the upper level is created on the first zone, then on the second zone, etc. Then the second level is created on the first zone, then on
the second, etc...
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The Max. frontal slope is active with the Automatic Horizontal zone selection only.
Maximum angle that can be considered as horizontal. The angle is measured perpendicular to the tool path.
With HSM and helical mode, the corner radius must be less than half the stepover distance. It will be forced to this value.
Corner radius
Rounds the ends of passes. The ends are rounded to give a smoother path that is machined much faster.
● Area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (light brown area in the left hand corner near the part selection area).
● Safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. The
safety plane contextual menu allows you to:
● define an offset safety plane at a distance that you give in a dialog box that is displayed. The new plane will be offset from the original
by the distance that you enter in the dialog box along the normal to the safety plane. If the safety plane normal and the tool axis have
opposed directions, the direction of the safety plane normal is inverted to ensure that the safety plane is not inside the part to
machine.
● Top plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Bottom plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Limiting contour which defines the outer machining limit on the part. You can also use the Part Autolimit option, with the Side to machine,
Stop position, Stop mode and Offset parameters.
Subset
If you are editing a slope area, an additional information is displayed, indicating which type of subset you are working on. This field is not editable
(you can not go from one subset to another).
Please refer to the Basic Task - Selecting Geometric Components to learn how to select the geometry.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected. This message disappears when you close the dialog box or when the next computation is successful.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected and when you have decided to ignore them. This message remains displayed as a warning.
The information in this section will help you create and edit Contour-driven operations in your Manufacturing Program.
Select the Contour-driven icon then the geometry of the part to machine .
A number of strategy parameters are available. You should choose the cycle type (between contours, parallel contours or spine contour) before setting any of the other parameters. The
parameters that you can use depend on the cycle type you choose:
In the machining strategy tab, use In the machining strategy tab, use In the machining strategy tab, use
● to define the tool axis, ● to define the tool axis, ● to define the tool axis,
● to visualize the tool path style that you chose. ● to visualize the tool path style that you chose. ● to visualize the tool path style that you chose.
● the Machining tab to define: ● the Machining tab to define: ● the Machining tab to define:
● the Tool path style, ● the Tool path style, ● the Tool path style,
● the Radial tab to define the stepover type: ● the Radial tab to define: ● the Radial tab to define:
● Constant (though Max. distance between pass, ● Constant (though Max. distance between pass, ● Constant (though Max. distance between pass,
Scallop height) Scallop height), Scallop height),
● Constant on part or Maximum on part (through ● Constant on part (through Distance, Sweeping ● Via scallop height (through Maximum and
strategy, Reference, Position, Offset) Minimum distances, Scallop height)
Distance, Sweeping strategy, Reference, Position,
Offset) ● Via scallop height (through Maximum and Minimum
distances, Scallop height)
● Via scallop height (Max. distance between pass, or activate the Along tool axis or Other axis options.
Min. distance between pass, Scallop height)
or activate the Along tool axis or Other axis options.
● the Position on guide
● the Maximum cut depth, ● the Maximum cut depth, ● the Maximum cut depth,
the Total depth. the Total depth.
the Total depth.
● ●
●
● the Strategy tab to activate: ● the Strategy tab: ● the Strategy tab is not available.
● the Direction,
● to activate the Island skip or the Direct option, ● to activate the Island skip or the Direct option, ● to activate the Island skip or the Direct option,
● to define the Feedrate length. ● to define the Feedrate length. ● to define the Feedrate length.
Specify the tool to use (you have the choice of end mill or conical tools for this operation) and the feedrates and spindle speeds .
You can also define transition paths in your machining operations by means of NC macros as needed.
The Machined Zone tab has been removed from the machining strategy. However, if you are working on a process created in a R8 release, with values other than the default values, the
Machined Zone tab is displayed with the maximum slope that can be considered to be horizontal (any area that is considered to be horizontal will not be machined),
If you are working on a process created in a R9 release or higher, the slope parameters are managed by the slope area.
Between Contours
● 4 open contours (i.e. that are not necessarily perfectly connected to each other)
● Guide 1 and Guide 2 are the two contours between which you are going to machine.
● Stop 1 and Stop 2 delimit the ends of the machining paths.
Select four points on the contour in the order that you see in the sensitive icon.
● P1, P2, P3 and P4 are the four points that you select on the contour within which you are going to machine.
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The Contour-driven Between Contours strategy parameters are distributed into 5 tabs. By default, all 5 tabs are displayed with all their parameters. However, current operations only
require a reduced list of those parameters.
Push the <<Less button to display only those current parameters. The Axial, Strategy and Island tabs are hidden, as well as Reverse tool path and Max Discretization in the
Machining tab and View direction in the Radial tab.
You can also use the modal option User Interface Simplified mode in the Tools -> Options -> Machining -> Operation tab.
By default, all tabs and all parameters are displayed: Press <<Less to display a reduced list of tabs and parameters:
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Parallel contour
The Contour-driven Parallel Contour strategy parameters are distributed into 5 tabs. By default, all 5 tabs are displayed with all their parameters. However, current operations only require
a reduced list of those parameters.
Push the <<Less button to display only those current parameters. The Axial and Island tabs are hidden, as well as Reverse tool path and Max Discretization in the Machining tab,
View direction in the Radial tab and Pencil rework in the Strategy tab.
You can also use the modal option User Interface Simplified mode in the Tools -> Options -> Machining -> Operation tab.
By default, all tabs and all parameters are displayed: Press <<Less to display a reduced list of tabs and parameters:
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Spine Contour
The Contour-driven Spine contour strategy parameters are distributed into 5 tabs (but the Strategy tab is not available). By default, all 5 tabs are displayed with all their parameters.
However, current operations only require a reduced list of those parameters.
Push the <<Less button to display only those current parameters. The Axial, Strategy and Island tabs are hidden, as well as Reverse tool path and Max Discretization in the
Machining tab and View direction in the Radial tab.
You can also use the modal option User Interface Simplified mode in the Tools -> Options -> Machining -> Operation tab.
By default, all tabs and all parameters are displayed: Press <<Less to display a reduced list of tabs and parameters:
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By default, or when the More>> button is pressed: When the <<Less button is pressed:
BetweenMachining
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Parallel contour
Spine contour
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● One-way next: the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and goes diagonally from the end of one tool path to the beginning of the next.
● One-way same: the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and returns to the first point in each pass before moving on to the first point in the next pass.
● Zig-zag: the tool path alternates directions during successive passes.
Machining tolerance
Maximum allowed distance between the theoretical and computed tool path. Consider it to be the acceptable chord error.
Max Discretization
For some surfaces, such as flat surfaces, the tool path can suffer from a lack of points. By setting the maximum discretization distance, the gaps will be filled by the exact surface points
resulting in a better distribution of points, a smoother tool path and then a better machining quality.
In addition,
3 Axis Surface two Distribution Modes are available to improve
Machining the quality
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Resulting surface
With Aligned, the points of the tool path are aligned (as best as possible) with those of the tool paths below and above.
(Zoom on details)
With Shifted, the points of the tool path do not form a line with those of the tool paths below and above.
By default, or when the More>> button is pressed: When the <<Less button is pressed:
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Stepover type:
Use the list to select one of them. The corresponding parameters will be displayed accordingly.
● Constant: Has a maximum stepover distance defined in a plane and projected onto the part.
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● Scallop height
Defines the maximum allowable height of the crests of material left uncut after machining.
If you enter a Scallop height, the Max. distance between pass is computed automatically.
Via scallop
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● height
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The stepover is computed from the scallop height you have set, within the range defined by Max. distance between pass and Min. distance between pass.
● Scallop height i.e. the maximum thickness remaining between two passes.
● Constant on part (Stepover with a constant distance on the part itself) and Maximum on part (stepover with a maximum distance between passes that must be respected)
● Sweeping strategy, i.e. where you want to start machining and where you want to end, the possibilities are:
Defines whether the tool end or the tool contact point is used for the computation:
● If stepover mode is Constant On Part or Maximum On Part, it's possible to choose a Tool end or a Contact point reference.
● If stepover mode is Constant or Scallop height, the reference is always Tool end.
Tool initial Position with respect to the guide contour (inside, outside, on),
With a negative value the tool path will start outside the guide contour, with a positive value it will start inside the guide contour.
● It is now possible to define a different offset and a different position on each guide for the four types of Stepover (Maximum on part, Constant on part, Constant, Via scallop
height).
● The default values of guide 2 are those of guide 1.
● If you open a process created with a previous version of V5, the Offset on guide and Position values defined in this process are propagated automatically to guide 1 and guide 2.
● If 2 negative offsets are defined and if the offset guide contours intersect each other, the replay is stopped and an error message is displayed.
● If 2 positive offsets are defined and if stop contours are selected, stop contours are extended (linear extension) so as to define a closed domain.
● If at least 1 negative offset is defined, stop contours are ignored.
View Direction
(Hidden when the <<Less button is pressed, active with a Constant or a stepover Via scallop height)
● Along tool axis is used to compute the stepover distance, as if you were looking along the tool axis.
● Other axis is used to compute the stepover distance, as if you ware looking along an axis other than the tool axis. The icon at the top of the tab for axis selection has changed and you
can now select an axis (the oblique axis in the icon) other than the tool axis for the view direction.
Collision check
When Other axis is active, use this box to check for toolholder-part collisions.
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Contour-Driven: Axial parameters
Between contours
Parallel contour
Spine contour
Multi-pass
● Number of levels and total depth: Enter the Number of levels and the Total depth.
● Number of levels and Maximum cut depth: Enter the Number of levels and the Maximum cut depth.
Only two can be selected at time, you select which two via the input mode choice. The example below was obtained with 3 levels at a cut depth of 5mm, but could just as easily have been
obtained by:
● A cut depth of 5mm and a total depth of 15 mm,
● or a total depth of 15 mm and 3 levels.
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Between contours
Parallel contour
By default, or when the More>> button is pressed: When the <<Less button is pressed:
Spine contour
Not available
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Pencil rework
Lets you start an automatic pencil operation (defined with a set of default parameters) at the end of the contour driven operation.
Offset on contour
Distance the tool will be from the guide contour at the beginning of the operation
Defines the width of the area to machine starting from the guide contour,
Stepover side
Defines the side of the contour where machining will be performed (left or right), i.e. if you choose Left, the tool will machine on the left side of the guide contour for the Maximum width
distance,
Direction
● To contour: the tool path starts parallel to the guide at the width to machine and the stepover is done towards the guide
● From contour: the tool path starts parallel to the guide contour and the stepover follows the offset side up to the width to machine
Initial tool position Page 387
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Position where the tool will start with respect to the guide contour (in red); it can be:
to on past
Spine contour
Island skip
Check this box if you want to use intermediate approaches and retracts (i.e. those that link two different areas to machine and that are not at the beginning nor the end of the tool path).
When this box is checked, the tool is not allowed to rise on intermediate approaches and retracts. When Direct is not checked, the tool will rise to 10 mm on intermediate approaches and
retracts.
Feedrate length
Defines the distance beyond which tool path straight lines will be replaced by intermediate approaches and retracts. In the picture below, the Feedrate length was set to 45 mm. Note that
the gaps that were less than 45 mm are crossed by a straight line tool path and those that are greater than 45 mm are crossed with a standard intermediate tool path with an approach and
a retract.
Contour-Driven: Geometry
You can specify the following geometry:
● Part with possible offset on part (double-click the label).
● Check element with possible offset on check element (double-click the label). The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined.
The tool path quality is improved along "between paths" if check surfaces are selected.
● Area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (light brown area in the left hand corner near the part selection area).
● Safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. The safety plane contextual menu allows you to
define:
● an offset safety plane at a distance that you give in a dialog box that is displayed. The new plane will be offset from the original by the distance that you enter in the dialog
box along the normal to the safety plane. If the safety plane normal and the tool axis have opposed directions, the direction of the safety plane normal is inverted to ensure
that the safety plane is not inside the part to machine.
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● and the tool retract mode which may be either normal to the safety plane or normal to the tool axis.
● Top plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Bottom plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Limiting contour which defines the machining limit on the part. The contour that defines the outer machining limit on the part. You can also use the Part Autolimit option, with the Side
to machine, Stop position, Stop mode and Offset parameters.
● Guide contours and Stop contours (only used for machining with parallel contours) are defined within the Guiding strategy.
● The picture is slightly different if you are using a rework area and will have fewer parameters.
When using a rework area, please remember to use a smaller tool than the one defined the rework area as this is necessary to ensure the generation of a tool path inside it.
● Subset
If you are editing a rework, an additional information is displayed, indicating which type of subset you are working on. This field is not editable (you can not go from one subset to
another).
Info
When pressed, gives the details on the parameters that were defined with the rework area.
Please refer to the Basic Task - Selecting Geometric Components to learn how to select the geometry.
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Appears when invalid faces have been detected. This message disappears when you close the dialog box or when the next computation is successful.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected and when you have decided to ignore them. This message remains displayed as a warning.
Specify the tool to use (the tools that can be used with this type of operation are end mill or conical tools), the feedrates and
spindle speeds ,
You can also define transition paths in your machining operations by means of NC macros as needed.
The Sweeping strategy parameters are distributed into 2 tabs. By default, all 2 tabs are displayed with all their parameters. However, current
operations only require a reduced list of those parameters.
You can also use the modal option User Interface Simplified mode in the Tools -> Options -> Machining -> Operation tab.
By default, all tabs and all parameters are displayed: Press <<Less to display a reduced list of tabs and parameters:
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Machining tolerance
Maximum allowed distance between the theoretical and computed tool path. Consider it to be the acceptable chord error.
Axial direction
Preferred direction of the tool along its axis. It can be Up, Down or Either.
Up Down
Either means that the direction which is most suitable to the current cutting action will be used.
Cutting mode
Specifies the position of the tool regarding the surface to be machined. It can be:
Either where either of the two possibilities may be used depending on which is most suitable to the current cutting action.
Minimum distance for a change of axial direction or cutting mode, i.e. if a portion of the pass is shorter than this value, the tool will ignore it and
continue in the same direction or mode.
Multi-pass
● Number of levels and total depth: Enter the Number of levels and the Total depth.
● Number of levels and Maximum cut depth: Enter the Number of levels and the Maximum cut depth.
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Only two can be selected at time, you select which two via the input mode choice. The example below was obtained with 3 levels at a cut depth of
5mm, but could just as easily have been obtained by:
● A cut depth of 5mm and a total depth of 15 mm,
● or a total depth of 15 mm and 3 levels.
Sequencing
● By Zone: the multi-pass machining is done zone by zone, all the levels are created on the first zone, then on the following zone, etc...
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● By Level: the upper level is created on the first zone, then on the second zone, etc.
Then the second level is created on the first zone, then on the second, etc...
Pencil: Geometry
You can specify the following geometry:
● Part to machine with possible offset on the part (double-click the label).
● Check element with possible offset on the check (double-click the label). The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not
an area to be machined.
● Area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (light brown area in the corner near part selection).
● Safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. The
safety plane contextual menu allows you to define:
● an offset safety plane at a distance that you give in a dialog box that is displayed. The new plane will be offset from the original by the
distance that you enter in the dialog box along the normal to the safety plane. If the safety plane normal and the tool axis have
opposed directions, the direction of the safety plane normal is inverted to ensure that the safety plane is not inside the part to
machine.
● and the tool retract mode which may be either normal to the safety plane or normal to the tool axis.
● Top plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Bottom plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part,
● Limiting contour which defines the machining limit on the part. The contour that defines the outer machining limit on the part. You can also use
the Part Autolimit option, with the Side to machine, Stop position, Stop mode and Offset parameters.
Subset
If you are editing a rework or a slope area, an additional information is displayed, indicating which type of subset you are working on. This field is
not editable (you can not go from one subset to another).
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Info
When pressed, gives the details on the parameters that were defined with the rework area.
Please refer to the Basic Task - Selecting Geometric Components to learn how to select the geometry.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected. This message disappears when you close the dialog box or when the next computation is successful.
Appears when invalid faces have been detected and when you have decided to ignore them. This message remains displayed as a warning.
● make the Part active and set the Accuracy and Allowed
gouging
● and set the Accuracy and Allowed gouging on the Check.
tab :
spindle speeds .
Machining tolerance
Stepover
In Zig zag mode, the tool path generated always starts from
point 1 to point 2 and finishes from point 3 to point 4. For this
purpose, an additional path may be added on top of the radial
strategy criterion.
In One way mode, all paths are oriented from point 1 to point
2. For this purpose, the tool path may finish on point 3 or point
4.
Skip path
You may also choose to skip (not machine) the first or last path
or both of the tool path in all three of the radial strategies.
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Start extension
End extension
Case 2 : the same with Skip path set on First and last.
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● Fixed axis: The tool axis remains constant for the operation.
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● Interpolation with
● Variation type,
● Lead angle,
● Min and Max lead angle and
● Allowed tilt angle.
In this mode the tool axis is normal to the part surface with
respect to a given lead angle in the forward tool motion and with
respect to a given tilt angle in the perpendicular direction to this
forward motion.
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● Optimized lead with
The tool axis is allowed to vary from the specified lead angle
within an allowed range. The allowed range is defined by
Minimum and Maximum lead angles. The back of the cutter is to
be kept clear of the part by means of a Minimum heel distance.
● Lead angle.
The tool axis is computed like in Lead and Tilt mode and then
projected into the constraint plane.
● Tilt angle,
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● Thru a point.
The tool axis passes through a specified point.
● Normal to line.
Isoparametric Machining:
Geometry
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Active
● Ruled and smooth part with Optimized Lead tool axis mode.
Minimum heel distance will keep the back of the cutter clear.
Accuracy
Allowed gouging
Covering mode
Select this option to optimize air cuts due to collision with the
check.
Multi-selection: push this icon and pick several points one by one.
Selection by sweep: push this icon, place the cursor over one point and drag the mouse. The points
under the mouse path are selected.
Selection between two points: push this icon, pick a first point, then a second point. All the points
between those two points are selected.
Selection by polyline: push this icon, draw a polyline around the points you want to select. The
points inside this polyline are selected.
Action
cuts points.
To represent circles
x,y,z
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Enter the new coordinates of the selected point.
Distance
● Pull the arrow to draw the selected point to its new position.
● Use the contextual menu of Distance to select the translation direction of the selected point:
● Along X axis,
● Along Y axis,
● Along Z axis,
● Along tool axis,
● Along last polyline, i.e. along a line created between the previous point and the point
selected,
● Along next polyline, i.e. along a line created between the next point and the point selected.
● Or double-click the word Distance and enter the distance in the box.
● Before/In selected geometry: The area of tool path selected is before the point selected, or between
the two points selected.
● After/Out selected geometry: The area of tool path selected is after the point selected, or outside the
two points selected.
Copy transformation
Check this option to copy a cut area of the tool path in the specification tree.
Distance
● Pull the arrow to draw the selected area of the tool path to its new position.
● Use the contextual menu of Distance to select the translation direction of the selected area of the tool
path:
● Along X axis,
● Along Y axis,
● Along Z axis,
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● Along tool axis.
● Or double-click the word Distance and enter the distance in the box.
Translation parameters
Distance
● Pull the arrow to draw the selected area of the tool path to its new position.
● Use the contextual menu of Distance to select the translation direction of the selected area of the tool
path:
● Along X axis,
● Along Y axis,
● Along Z axis,
● Along tool axis.
● Or double-click the word Distance and enter the distance in the box
Rotation parameters
Angle
● Pull the arrow to draw the selected area of the tool path to its new position.
● Use the contextual menu of Angle to select the rotation axis of the selected area of the tool path:
● Or double-click the word Angle and enter the angle in the box
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Connect parameters
Selection
Multi-selection: push this icon and pick several points one by one.
Selection by sweep: push this icon, place the cursor over one point and drag the mouse. The points
under the mouse path are selected.
Selection between two points: push this icon, pick a first point, then a second point. All the points
between those two points are selected.
Selection by polyline: push this icon, draw a polyline around the points you want to select. The
points inside this polyline are selected.
Connection mode
Distance
Define the safety plane through a point and a normal. The connection will go through the point in the
plane.
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Filter
● Approach
● Retract
● Linking passes
● Between paths
The action takes only the selected portion of the tool path into account. You select this portion by drawing
a polygon on the tool path.
Add/Modify
Selection
Multi-selection: push this icon and pick several points one by one.
Selection by sweep: push this icon, place the cursor over one point and drag the mouse. The points
under the mouse path are selected.
Selection between two points: push this icon, pick a first point, then a second point. All the points
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Selection by polyline: push this icon, draw a polyline around the points you want to select. The
points inside this polyline are selected.
Apply
Lets you define the domain of application: either the whole tool path or a portion selected with Selection.
Approach/Retract
The tool moves along the tool axis for a given Length.
None
No approach/retract.
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Back
The tool doubles back like an arrow above the cutting tool path. You can either define this type with
Cartesian coordinates (Distance and Height) or Polar coordinates (Angle and Radius).
Circular
The tool moves towards/away from the part in an arc. You can choose to compute the plane in which the
tool moves either Automatically or Manually. The parameters that you can set are:
● the Length,
● the Angle
● the Radius
● the Normal vector to plane.
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Box
The tool moves across the diagonal of an imaginary box, either in a straight line or in a curve (Linking
mode). The Length is the distance that the tool will move in once it has crossed the box. The box is
defined by three distance values:
Allows you to add additional geometry to the part in the operation where the tool path was computed.
Additional geometry may be a face or a clamp that you would rather avoid using in the computation and
that is not defined in the operation.
Use part
Check this option to use the part you defined in the operation to compute the collision points.
Collision tolerance
Discretization distance to check for collision between the tool and the part.
Safety distance for the tool holder radius to avoid collision between the holder and the part.
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Offset on tool length (dL)
Safety distance for the tool holder length to avoid collision between the holder and the part.
Destination
Defines the partbody of the geometrical set where the geometry will be created.
Selection
: Selects all the points between the first point of the tool path and the point picked.
: Selects all the points between the point picked and the last point of the tool path.
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Display
By default, the Previsualization option is activated, i.e. the element of the type selected below is
visualized. You can deselect this option. However, the points of the tool path are always visualized.
If you want to only visualize the geometry, do not push the Apply button since it would create the
elements of the type selected.
Type
Areas: Available if the type Points is selected, and if several points of the tool path are selected. Creates
a join of lines from the portions of path selected.
Apply
Apply becomes available once you have selected a Destination. It creates the elements of the type you
have selected. Select an area and a type of elements to create, push Apply, then repeat these steps to
create elements on several areas.
Close
Exit the action. The elements created by Apply are not erased.
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Machining and Slope areas can be used to define different zones on a part. First you define the
Machining/Slope areas and then you assign an operation to each of them. This is a useful approach if,
before you start machining, you are aware that the part has areas that will require different types of
operation.
Another feature of machining areas is their ability to be divided into horizontal, vertical and sloping areas
and have operations assigned to these areas.
Select the Machining/Slope area icon , then the geometry of the part to machine in the Geometry tab.
● tool parameters,
● machining parameters,
● angle parameters.
Main Panel
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Name
You can assign a name to the Machining/Slope areas feature, or keep the name proposed by default.
Slope Area
Check the Slope Area option to create slope areas and to access the corresponding parameters.
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Geometry
With the sensitive icon, you can select the following elements:
● Part.
● Check element. The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be
machined.
● Area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (small light brown corner near the red part selection
area).
● Limiting contour which is the contour that defines the outer machining limit on the part.
Offset Group
You can select an offset group from the list, when available.
Tool
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Tolerance
Machining tolerance that you want to use for the slope area.
Offset on part
Offset that is computed for the slope area with respect to the part.
Overlap
When slope areas of different types are defined, there may be a gap between them, resulting in material
left on the part.
To avoid this, you can define an overlap, i.e. a distance on which two slope areas will cover each other,
making sure that the whole part is machined.
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Overlap=0, the slope areas end on the same line Overlap=5, the slope areas cover each other.
Angles
Lower
Upper
For example, here surfaces that are considered to be horizontal go from 0° to 5°, sloping surfaces from 5°
to 45° and vertical surfaces from 45° to 90°. These angles are computed with respect to the tool axis.
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Operations tab
Insertion Level
● an operation,
● a tool change,
● a Manufacturing Program.
The Assign Operation area is displayed once the Insertion Level is defined.
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● If the insertion level associated to the slope area is an operation or a tool change, the
associated tool is taken into account and affected to the operations of the Slope area.
● If the insertion level associated to the slope area is a Manufacturing Program, the
operations of the slope area are created with no tool.
● If the insertion level associated to the slope area is an operation with a tool different from
the reference tool, or if the insertion level is a Manufacturing Program, an additional
ToolChange is created.
For example, we have the following specification Operation 11 is taken as the insertion level, and one
tree: operation is associated to the slope area. The
specification tree becomes:
● Manufacturing Program
● Operation 11
● Operation 11
● Operation 12 ● ToolChangei (reference tool of slope
area)
● ToolChange2
● OperationNew of slope area
● Operation 21
ToolChange1'
Operation 22
●
●
● Operation 12
● ToolChange2
● Operation 21
● Operation 22
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Areas, Operations, Step over, Assign Operation
● To do so, select one area to which you want to assign an operation and define the operation
parameter in the Assign Operation box that is now available.
● Use the Assign combo to select one type of operation, set the Step Over value in the field below.
● To revert to an automatic step over, push the Auto button. The value is replaced with the label Auto.
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With the exception of the Roughing, that offers only the Build by user graphic mode for pre-and post-macros in addition to automatic macros, and Isoparametric Machining operations,
you are offered three different methods to add macros:
● the catalog method, by using macros already built and stored in a catalog. For more information on how to save or load an existing macro, please refer to Build and use a macros
catalog.
● the graphic method, by using the macros proposed by the application. It is a quick method, that does not require the definition of the parameters. However, you can double-click the
representation of the macro, or use its contextual menu, to tune up the parameters.
● the numeric method, by defining the macros parameters.
The numeric method corresponds roughly to the method offered in the previous releases.
Use the button to switch from the graphic mode to the numeric mode.
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Dialog box in the graphic method Dialog box in the graphic method, using the Build by user Dialog box in the numeric mode
macros
With the cursor in the viewer window of the dialog box, you can zoom in and out and pan the paths.
Place your cursor on a portion of the macro path. Right click to display the contextual menu.
Delete and Insert are available for the Build by user macros.
The parameters dialog box can also be launched by double-clicking a portion of the path in the viewer.
You can also double-click a label in the viewer. This will start the Edit dialog box of the corresponding parameter.
The graph displayed in the viewer of the dialog box is a generic representation of a macro mode. It is not the true representation of the macro you are using or defining. To check the
result of you settings, press Replay.
For each operation, you can define the following macros: Page 442
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● Approach,
● Retract,
● Linking Retract,
● Linking Approach,
● Clearance,
● Between passes (not available for Spiral Milling, Pencil),
● Between passes Link (not available for Spiral Milling, Pencil, ZLevel).
Note that Between Passes has been split into Between passes and Between passes Link. Between passes Link corresponds to the highlighted portion of the path below:
The macros are listed as follows: Page 443
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● Along a vector,
● Normal,
● Tangent to movement,
● None,
● Back,
● Circular,
● Box,
● Prolonged movement,
● High speed milling (not available for Sweep Roughing, Spiral Milling, Pencil),
● Build by user.
● Along a vector,
● Normal,
Tangent
3 Axis Surface
● to movement,
Machining Version 5 Release 14 Page 444
● None,
● Back,
● Circular,
● Box,
● Prolonged movement,
● Defined by Approach/Retract,
● Build by user.
For Clearance:
● Optimized,
● Straight,
● Prolonged movement,
● Defined by Approach.
Note that the Circular macro corresponds to the former one, with an automatic definition of the plane, while Add circular within a plane motion correspond to the former one, with a
manual definition of the plane.
● Approach,
● Retract,
● Linking Retract,
● Linking Approach,
● Clearance,
● Between passes,
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● Along a vector,
● Circular,
● Circular or ramping,
● Ramping,
● Prolonged movement,
For the same reason, the items of the contextual menu may be limited to the relevant ones.
● If the defined motion does not belong to the Z plane, the normal projection of the motion is taken into account.
● For To a point, if the point is defined inside the material, the tool path cannot be computed, an error message is displayed.
● In the Defined by Approach/Retract mode, the between pass motion is replaced by a linking retract motion and a linking approach motion.
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Graphic mode Numeric mode
Double-click on a macro path or a geometry element to modify the macro path or the geometry. Enter the required value in the field.
Double-click on a parameter label to display the edition dialog box to modify the value of this parameter only (since Use the interrogation mark to launch the graphic help.
those dialog boxes are standard edition boxes, they are not shown below).
Information specific to the numeric mode are displayed on this
Information specific to the graphic mode are displayed on this background color. background color.
Along tool axis:
The tool moves along the tool axis for a given Axial motion Distance,
Along a vector
The tool moves along a vector (line motion) for a given Distance,
Double-click the violet line to edit the Distance along the line motion,
Normal
The tool moves in a direction perpendicular to the surface being machined (Perpendicular motion), for a given Distance,
Double-click the violet line to edit the distance in the Perpendicular motion,
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Tangent to movement
The tool motion is tangent at its end to the rest of the toolpath and is of a given Distance, with a vertical angle and a horizontal angle.
vertical angle
horizontal angle
Double-click the violet line to edit the Distance and the Vertical angle and Horizontal angle. Enter the Distance and the Vertical angle and Horizontal angle.
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None
The tool doubles back like an arrow above the cutting tool path (Back motion). You can either define this type with a Distance and a Height.
Distance Height
Double-click the violet line to edit the Distance and the Height
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Circular
The tool moves towards/away from the part in an arc (Circular motion). The parameters that you can set are:
If you do not use Part autolimit, the curve will be below the surface of the part.
Note that the Circular macro can automatically modify the Angular orientation defined by user to avoid collisions.
If collisions cannot be avoided, then the Prolonged Movement Macro replace the Circular macro.
Ramping
Circular or ramping
The tool uses either circular or ramping mode depending on whichever is best adapted to the part being machined.
The Circular or ramping motion is defined by
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Ramping angle
Angle Radius
The Prolonged motion is defined by
Length
Angle
Enter the Angle, Radius and Ramping angle for the Circular or
ramping motion,
the Length and Angle for the Prolonged motion and the Axial
motion Distance.
Box
The tool moves across the diagonal of an imaginary box (Box motion), either in a straight line or in a curve (Linking mode).
The Axial motion Distance is the distance that the tool will move in once it has crossed the box.
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Choose from the list which side of the normal axis will determine
the direction of the diagonal of the box.
Prolonged movement
The tool moves in a straight line that may slant upwards.
● the Distance,
● the Vertical angle,
● the Horizontal angle,
Enter the Distance, the Vertical angle, the Horizontal angle and
the Axial motion Distance.
Enter the Radius and the Discretization angle defining the High
Speed Milling motion, and the Axial motion Distance.
Double-click the green arc to edit the High Speed Milling motion
If necessary, you can double-click the line representing the macro to edit its parameter, or the associated geometry representation to edit this geometry.
Add
Horizontal
motion
Add Axial
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motion
Add Circular
motion
see also
Circular
Add distance
along a line
motion
Note that in ZLevel, this macro can be created alone of with Add axial motion only.
Add normal Page 463
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See also
Normal
Add back
motion
Add circular
within a plane
motion
Add box Page 464
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Add prolonged
motion
see also
Prolonged
movement
Add high
speed milling
motion
Note that this macro can be created alone of with Add axial motion only.
This means that if no obstacle is detected between two passes, the tool will not rise to the safety plane (because it is not necessary) and the operation will take less time. In some cases (where
areas of the part are higher than the zone you are machining and when you are using a safety plane), the tool will cut into the part. When this happens, choose another clearance mode.
In both modes, you can only edit the Distance parameter by double-clicking the label.
The tool moves up to the defined safety plane along the tool axis. If no safety plane is defined, the safety plane is the upper point of the part.
Perpendicular to safety plane
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The tool moves up to the defined safety plane along an axis perpendicular to the safety plane. If no safety plane is defined, the safety plane is the upper point of the part.
Straight
Glossary
A
approach The part of a tool path that ends where the tool begins to cut the material
approach feedrate The speed of linear advancement of the tool during its approach, before cutting.
C
climb milling A cutting mode where the front of the tool (advancing in the machining direction) cuts
into the material first.
check element Geometry that represents material that is not to be machined in an operation. It often
represents a clamp that holds the part to machine in place.
contour-driven This type of machining uses a contour as guide. There are three types of contour
machining driven machining:
● parallel contours where the tool sweeps out an area by following progressively
distant (or closer) parallel offsets of a given guide contour.
● between contours where the tool sweeps between two guide contours along a tool
path that is obtained by interpolating between the guide contours. The ends of
each pass lie on two stop contours.
● spine contour where the tool sweeps across a contour in perpendicular planes.
conventional milling A cutting mode where the back of the tool (advancing in the machining direction) cuts
into the material first. See Climb milling.
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cut depth The maximum depth of the cut effected by the tool at each pass.
F
feedrate The speed of linear advancement of the tool into the material while cutting.
frontal wall An area of the part surface that forms an inclined wall that the advancing tool will
climb or descend.
G
guide contour A contour used to guide the tool during an operation.
I
imposed plane A plane that the tool must pass through. This option is useful for machining parts that
have grooves or steps and when you want to make sure that these areas are cut.
inner point The point where the tool will start cutting in a roughing operation when the surface to
machine has pockets.
L
lateral wall An area of the part surface that forms an inclined wall that the tool will advance along
laterally instead of climbing or descending.
limit line A contour that is used to delimit the areas to machine in an operation.
lower plane One of the two planes normal to the tool axis that confines the area to machine. The
operation will only machine between this plane and the upper plane.
M
machining area An area defined on a part either:
● during an operation as part of the machining geometry ,
● or before an operation, the operation being assigned to a machining area
afterwards.
P
pencil operations A pencil operation is one where the tool remains tangent in two places to the surface
to be machined during the cycle. It is often used to remove crests along the
intersection of two surfaces that were left behind by a previous operation.
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plunge A movement where the tool plunges deeper into the material, advancing along the
(negative) tool axis.
pocket An area on a part surface that represents an internal depression (in Z) relative to the
surrounding part surfaces. An internal depression is one that does not extend to the
outside edge of the part.
P.P.R. Process Product Resources.
R
retract The part of a tool path that begins where the tool stops cutting the material.
rework area An area that cannot be machined with a given tool.
reworking An operation which touches up zones that are left completely unmachined by previous
operations.
roughing An operation where a part is rough-machined by horizontal planes.
rough stock The block of raw material to be machined to produce a part.
S
safety distance A horizontal clearance distance that the tool moves over at the feedrate in order to
disengage the tool from cutting between passes.
scallop height The maximum allowable height of the crests of material left uncut after machining.
spindle speed The speed of the spinning tool around its axis.
start point The point where the tool will start cutting in a roughing operation where the surface to
cut is accessed from the outside of the part.
stepover distance The width of the overlap between two successive passes.
stop contours The two contours connecting the ends of two guide contours in contour-driven
machining (between contours option). The ends of each pass lie on the stop contours.
sweeping operations Sweeping operations machine the whole part and are used for finishing and semi-
finishing work. The tool paths are executed in vertical parallel planes.
sweep roughing An operation where a part is rough-machined by vertical planes.
U
upper plane One of the two planes normal to the tool axis that confines the area to machine. The
operation will only machine between this plane and the lower plane.
Z
ZLevel machining An operation where the tool progressively follows the part surface at different
constant Z values (heights).
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Index
Numerics
4 open contours
Contour-driven
4 points on a closed contour
Contour-driven
A
Accuracy
Isoparametric Machining
Activate
Macros
Tool Gage
Activate All
Tool Gage
Active
Isoparametric Machining
Add Axial motion
Macros
Add back motion
Macros
Add box motion
Macros
Add Circular motion
Macros
Add circular within a plane motion
Macros
Add distance along a line motion
Macros
Add high speed milling motion
Macros
Add Horizontal motion
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Macros
Add normal motion
Macros
Add prolonged motion
Macros
All
Sweeping
Allowed gouging
Isoparametric Machining
Along a vector
Macros
Along tool axis
Macros
Spiral milling
Sweeping
Roughing
Analyze
Macros
Angle
Machining/Slope area
Angular orientation
Macros
Angular sector
Macros
Approach distance
Roughing
Approach modes
Roughing
Area modification
command
Area modification parameters
Getting started
Machining/Slope area
Assign operations
Machining/Slope area
Automatic horizontal areas detections
Roughing
Pencil
Axial motion Distance
Macros
Axial safety distance
Roughing
Axial tab
Contour-driven
Pencil
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
ZLevel
Axis system
Rough Stock
B
Back
Macros
Contour-driven
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Bottom tab
Roughing
Box
Macros
Macros
Build by user
Macros
C
CGR as rough stock
Roughing
Change approach and retract
command
Machining/Slope area
Changing selection defaults
Isoparametric Machining
Check Tool Length
command
Check tool length parameters
Macros
Macros
Circular or ramping
Macros
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Circular or ramping motion
Macros
Clearance along tool axis
Macros
Climb
Pencil
ZLevel
Collision check
Contour-driven
Isoparametric Machining
Spiral milling
Sweeping
Collision Checking - Check
Isoparametric Machining
Collision Checking - Part
Isoparametric Machining
Collision tolerance
Area modification
Connection
Contour-driven
Cut an area
Generate Documentation
Geometrical Zone
Isoparametric Machining
Machining View
Machining/Slope Area
Mirror
Offset Group
Pencil
Point modification
Profile Contouring
Reverse
Rework
Rework Area
Rotation
Roughing
Select by 1 point
Select by 2 points
Select by contour
Select by polyline
Spiral Milling
Sweep Roughing
Sweeping
Translate an area
Translation
ZLevel
Compute All
Tool Gage
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Compute the plane
command
Connect parameters
command
Constant
Contour-driven
Sweeping
Constant on part
Contour-driven
Constant stepover
ZLevel
Contour-driven
4 open contours
Axial tab
Between Contours
Collision check
command
Constant
Constant on part
Direct
Direction
Distance
Distribution mode
Feedrate length
Geometry
Guiding strategy
Island skip
Island tab
Machining tab
Machining tolerance
Maximum Discretization
Maximum on part
Multi pass
Number of levels
Offset on contour
Offset on guide 2
Offset on guide 1
Parallel contour
Pencil rework
Position on guide 1
Position on guide 2
Radial tab
Reference
Rework area
Scallop height
Spine Contour
Stepover
Stepover side
Strategy tab
Sweeping strategy
Total depth
View direction
Conventional
Pencil
ZLevel
Copy transformation
Machining/Slope area
Roughing
Spiral milling
Corner radius on part contouring
Roughing
Covering mode
Isoparametric Machining
Create Geometries parameters
command
Creates rough stock
command
Creating
Offset groups
Creating geometry
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Tool Gage
Cut an area
command
Cutting mode
Pencil
Roughing
Spiral milling
ZLevel
D
Deactivate
Macros
Deactivate All
Tool Gage
Defined by Approach
Macros
Defined by Approach/Retract
Macros
Defining
Machining/Slope area
Rework area
Definition
Macros
Delete
Macros
Offset groups
Macros
Destination
Offset on part
Contour-driven
Sweeping
Direction
Contour-driven
Offset on part
Display
Contour-driven
Distance along the normal axis
Macros
Distance along the tangent
Macros
Distance along the tool axis
Macros
Distance for area modification
ZLevel
Distinct style in pockets
Roughing
Distribution mode
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Contour-driven
Sweeping
Divide by Points
Rework area
E
Editing
Offset groups
Editing a point
Isoparametric Machining
Entry diameter
Machining/Slope area
Extra geometry
F
Feedrate
Macros
Feedrate length
Contour-driven
Sweeping
Filter
Rework area
Roughing
From guide 1 to guide 2
Contour-driven
From guide 2 to guide 1
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Contour-driven
From guide to zone center
Contour-driven
From guide to zone center (spiral)
Contour-driven
From zone center to guide
Contour-driven
From zone center to guide (spiral)
Contour-driven
Frontal walls
Sweeping
G
Generate Documentation
command
Generate NC Code in Batch Mode
command
Geometric components tab
Isoparametric Machining
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
ZLevel
Geometrical Zone
command
Geometry
Contour-driven
Machining/Slope area
Part autolimit
Pencil
Getting started
Area-oriented machining
Operation-oriented machining
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Guiding strategy
Contour-driven
H
Helical movement
Roughing
Spiral milling
High speed milling
Macros
Roughing
Spiral milling
Horizontal angle
Macros
Horizontal zone selection
Spiral milling
HSM tab
Roughing
Spiral milling
I
Ignore invalid faces
Contour-driven
Import APT, clfile or NC Code file
command
Importing
NC Code files
Importing files
Sweeping
Initial tool position
Contour-driven
Insert
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Macros
Insert an STL file
command
Inserting a point
Contour-driven
Sweeping
Island tab
Contour-driven
Sweeping
Isoparametric Machining
Accuracy
Active
Allowed gouging
Check parameters
Collision check
command
Covering mode
End extension
Machining tab
Machining tolerance
On tool assembly
Parameters
Radial tab
Skip path
Start extension
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Stepover
Strategy parameters
Tools
K
Keep machining feedrate
Macros
L
Lateral walls
Sweeping
Length along tool axis
Offset on part
Limit Definition
Roughing
Limit line
Rework area
Limit Lines Creation Wizard
command
Limit Lines Projection Wizard
command
Linking mode
Macros
Load from
Rework area
Lower
Machining/Slope area
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M
Machining features
Machining mode
Roughing
ZLevel
Machining parameters
ZLevel
Machining strategy tab
Pencil
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
ZLevel
Machining tab
Contour-driven
Isoparametric Machining
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Machining tolerance
Contour-driven
Isoparametric Machining
Pencil
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
ZLevel
Machining View
command
Machining/Slope Area
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command
Machining/Slope area
Angles
Areas
Assign operations
Corner radius
Defining
Entry diameter
Geometry
Lower
Main panel
Name
Offset group
Offset on part
Operations
Operations tab
Overlap
Reference
Remove Result
Slope area
Step over
Tolerance
Upper
Macro data tab
Roughing
Macro Management
Macros
Macros
Activate
Along a vector
Analyze
Angular orientation
Angular sector
Back
Box
Box motion
Build by user
Circular
Circular motion
Circular or ramping
Deactivate
Defined by Approach
Defined by Approach/Retract
Definition
Delete
Feedrate
Horizontal angle
Insert
Linking mode
Macro Management
Mode
Name
None
Normal
Optimized
Options
Parameter
Perpendicular motion
Prolonged movement
Radius
Ramping
Select
Status
Straight
Tangent to movement
To a point motion
Vertical angle
Main panel
Machining/Slope area
Max discretization angle
Isoparametric Machining
Max discretization step
Isoparametric Machining
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Contour-driven
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Max. horizontal slope
ZLevel
Maximum angle
Roughing
Spiral milling
Maximum cut depth
Contour-driven
Pencil
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
Maximum cut depth and total depth
Contour-driven
Maximum Discretization
Contour-driven
Sweeping
Maximum distance
ZLevel
Maximum distance between pass
Sweeping
Maximum horizontal slope
Sweeping
Maximum on part
Contour-driven
Maximum width to machine
Contour-driven
Minimum change length
Pencil
Minimum distance
ZLevel
Minimum distance between pass
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Contour-driven
Sweeping
Minimum frontal slope
Sweeping
Minimum lateral slope
Sweeping
Minimum thickness to machine
Roughing
Minimum Tool Gage
Tool Gage
Mirror
command
Mirror translation of the tool path
Macros
Moving an area
Contour-driven
Sweeping
Multi-pass
Pencil
Spiral milling
N
Name
Machining/Slope area
Macros
Tool Gage
NC Code files
Importing
None
Macros
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Macros
Number of levels
Contour-driven
Pencil
Spiral milling
Sweeping
Number of levels and Maximum cut depth
Contour-driven
Number of levels and total depth
Contour-driven
Number of points
Offset on part
O
Offset for limit line
Roughing
Offset for Position
Roughing
Offset Group
command
Offset group
Machining/Slope area
Offset groups
Creating
Delete
Editing
Thickness
Offset on areas
Roughing
Offset on contour
Contour-driven
Spiral milling
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Offset on guide 2
Contour-driven
Offset on part
Destination
Direction
Level of detail
Machining/Slope area
Number of points
Part body
Value
Offset on tool holder radius
Contour-driven
On cutting part of tool
Isoparametric Machining
On tool assembly
Isoparametric Machining
Open
Getting started
Machining/Slope area
Rework area
Tool Gage
Operations tab
Machining/Slope area
Optimize retract
Roughing
Optimized
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Macros
Options
Macros
Ordering Zones
Roughing
Other axis
Spiral milling
Sweeping
Overlap
Machining/Slope area
Rework area
Overlap length
Roughing
P
Pack Tool Path
command
Packing and unpacking a tool path
Contour-driven
Parameter
Macros
Parameters
Isoparametric Machining
Pencil
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
Geometry
Part body
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Offset on part
Part contouring
Roughing
Part offset
Rework area
Pass overlap
ZLevel
Pencil
Axial direction
Axial tab
Climb
command
Conventional
Cutting mode
Geometry
Machining tolerance
Multi-pass
Number of levels
Parameters
Sequencing
SubSet
Total depth
Pencil rework
Contour-driven
Perpendicular motion
Macros
Perpendicular to safety plane
Macros
Plunge mode
Sweeping
Pocket filter
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Roughing
Point modification
command
Point modification parameters
command
Position
Roughing
Position on guide 1
Contour-driven
Position on guide 2
Contour-driven
Profile Contouring
command
Prolonged movement
Macros
R
Radial safety distance
Roughing
Radial tab
Contour-driven
Isoparametric Machining
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
Radius
Macros
Ramping
Macros
Reading
STL files
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Saving memory
Reference
Contour-driven
Machining/Slope area
Reference Tool
Rework area
Remove all motions
Macros
Remove from area inside polygon
Machining/Slope area
Rework area
Removing a point
Tool Gage
Reset
Tool Gage
Reverse
command
Reverse the selected area
command
Reverse tool path
Contour-driven
Spiral milling
Sweeping
command
Rework Area
command
Rework area
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Contour-driven
Defining
Divide by Points
Filter
Limit line
Load from
Operations
Overlap
Part offset
Reference Tool
Remove Result
Tolerance
Tool
Tool axis
Reworking operations
Rotating the tool path
command
Axis system
Roughing
Approach distance
Approach modes
Axial tab
Bottom tab
command
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Corner radius
Cutting mode
Force replay
Helical movement
HSM tab
Limit Definition
Machining mode
Machining tab
Machining tolerance
Maximum angle
Offset on areas
Optimize retract
Ordering Zones
Overlap length
Parameters
Part contouring
Pocket filter
Position
Radial tab
Stepover
Stop position
Tools
Zone tab
Roughing type
Sweep roughing
S
Safety plane
Roughing
Saving memory
Contour-driven
Sweeping
ZLevel
Scallop height stepover
ZLevel
Select
Macros
Select All
Tool Gage
Select area option
command
Select areas
command
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Select by 2 points
command
Select by contour
command
Select by polyline
command
Selecting an area with a closed contour
Tool Gage
Pencil
Spiral milling
Setting zones order
Roughing
Side of normal axis
Macros
Skip path
Isoparametric Machining
Slope area
Machining/Slope area
Slope Area tab
Machining/Slope area
Small pass filter
Roughing
Spine Contour
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Contour-driven
Spiral Milling
command
Spiral milling
Axial tab
Collision check
Corner radius
Cutting mode
Helical movement
HSM tab
Machining tab
Machining tolerance
Maximum angle
Multi-pass
Number of levels
Offset on contour
Other axis
Parameters
Radial tab
Sequencing
SubSet
Tools
Total depth
View Direction
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Zone tab
Split on Collision Points
Collision tolerance
Copy-Transformation
Use part
Split on collision points parameters
Isoparametric Machining
Status
Macros
Step
Sweeping
Step over
Machining/Slope area
Stepover
Contour-driven
Isoparametric Machining
Roughing
Sweeping
Stepover side
Contour-driven
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
STL files
Reading
Stop position
Roughing
Straight
Macros
Strategy parameters
Isoparametric Machining
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Strategy tab
Contour-driven
SubSet
Pencil
Spiral milling
Sweeping
ZLevel
Swapping selection
command
Sweep roughing
Axial tab
Machining tab
Machining tolerance
Parameters
Radial tab
Roughing type
Stepover side
Tools
Sweeping
All
Axial tab
Collision check
command
Constant
Direct
Distribution mode
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Feedrate length
Frontal walls
Island skip
Island tab
Lateral walls
Machining tolerance
Maximum Discretization
Multi pass
Number of levels
Other axis
Parameters
Plunge mode
Radial tab
Scallop height
Step
Stepover
Stepover side
SubSet
Tools
Total depth
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Zone
Zone tab
Sweeping strategy
Contour-driven
T
Tangent to movement
Macros
Thickness
Offset groups
To a point motion
Macros
To represent circles
Machining/Slope area
Rework area
Tool
Rework area
Tool axis
Rework area
Tool axis mode
Isoparametric Machining
Tool Axis Parameters
Isoparametric Machining
Tool diameter ratio
Roughing
Tool Gage
Activate
Activate All
Compute All
Current Length
Deactivate All
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Name
Operations
Report
Reset
Select All
Selection
Tool holder collisions
Avoiding
Parameters
Tool path editor
Angle
Back
Box
Circular
Collision tolerance
Connect parameters
Copy transformation
Creating geometry
Delete
Delete approaches
Delete retracts
Destination
Display
Editing a point
Editing an area
Extra geometry
Inserting a point
Moving an area
None
Open
Removing a point
Rotation
Safety plane
Select areas
Selection
Selection mode
Swapping selection
To represent circles
Transformations
Translation parameters
Use part
Tool Path Replay
command
Tool path style
Contour-driven
Isoparametric Machining
Roughing
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
Tools
Isoparametric Machining
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweep roughing
Sweeping
Tools Options - Machining
General
Operation
Output
Photo/Video
Program
Resources
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Total depth
Contour-driven
Pencil
Spiral milling
Sweeping
Transformations
command
Translating an area along an axis
command
Translation parameters
U
Upper
Machining/Slope area
Use part
V
Value
Offset on part
Variable cut depths
Roughing
Vertical angle
Macros
Via scallop height
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Contour-driven
Sweeping
View Direction
Spiral milling
View direction
Contour-driven
Z
ZLevel
Axial tab
Climb
command
Constant stepover
Conventional
Cutting mode
Machining mode
Machining parameters
Machining tolerance
Maximum distance
Minimum distance
Pass overlap
Scallop height
SubSet
Zone tab
ZLevel operations
Zone
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Sweeping
Zone tab
Roughing
Spiral milling
Sweeping
ZLevel