I use pocketing often as well all of you might. I was wondering with the peculiar way that onecnc starts a pocket if any of you had found a perfect way to control where the tool plunges. It seems to plunge at different places each time you post.

Ken

KEN,
I don't use the plunge much, I use the ramp.

But I took a look at the plunge/ pocket in MILL2000 and on the pocket I drew, it always starts at the same points and the tool path is the same no matter where you pick your boundarys.

It will change with a different tool size as it figures out how to machine the pocket. But again it stays the the same no matter where you select the boundarys and islands.

You could use the plunge at marked drill points if you need to force it to start in a special place.

WMS,
When I tried using the plunge with drill points it just creats a point at the plunge point so you can drill at that point. Unless of course I don't know how to do it. Mine changes plunge points as I pick different entities on the pocket. Also instead of plunging at the middle of the pocket it plunges at the finished edge of the pocket then makes a bunch of jog moves to the middle. Sometimes it will go all around the outside then move to the middle and work out.

Ken

Ken,
Is this a 2d pocket or a solid model?

wms,
Simple 2d pocket. I just tried it again with ramp. Same results, change where I pick the boundary and it chanes starting points.

Ken

Ken ,
I went back and I see what you mean. If you pick the outer boundary first then the islands it plunges one way. Then if you pick the islands first then the outer boundary it plunges an other way.
I've never picked the islands first so I've never run into this before.

Why don't you put some points on the boundarys to guide yourself (ie: always start at top outer boundary then work your way down inside to island say right to left, top to bottom.)

And your right about the marked drill points, it puts then in for you to generate your drill pattern. I Should have read the message box. :o

wms
I have found that if you divide a line, say by 4, and pick where you want it to start, it will start close to the point you pick. I just don't like having to divide lines to do it. Do you find that it does the other things I talked about with the path it selecst?

Ken

Ken,
Ya it will some times do the outside first then move in, I suspect it has something to do with climb milling when you use that function.

Sure beats the heck out of hand coding how ever it machines.