Create small spiral spline under the surfaces you want to 4 axis cut, if the X axis is the rotation axis create the helix in x, you will need to create 2 one will be a little bit offset from the first, from those new spirals create a cross section surface and point the arrow in the direction you want front to back kind of thing. Use 4 axis contour, choose all the surfaces you want to cut, pick the spiral surface as your guide surface and pick one of the two splines form the guide surface. When your are on the tool page pick a tool, and go to the cut control page, place " -1/2 the diameter" of the tool your are using for stock to leave, press done, its slow but it does work.
notes: The spirals need to emulate the step over you want to use. It may take a little messing around but this has worked since V2004 and probably before. The Velocity 3 that comes in the end of Feb and it does this in a snap. They will probalbly show this at westec. |