Finally started learning to use the v22 that I purchased a couple months ago and just went through the mill getting started manual. Drawing is very simple, but there are some bugs and I cannot get it to fillet the boss as the example does. But that's not the issue for now.

Rather, I want to draw a simple figure using solids & boolean (simple to do), and then pocket and profile it, but bobcad is not generating the toolpaths/code for this.

For example, I create a solid block (using Rectangle with X=4, Y=4, Z=1, centered on the origin). Then I create a cylinder of radius 1 going right through the center of the block, and subtract the cylinder from the block. So now I have a plate with a large hole in it. I want Bobcad to generate code that pockets the center all the way through, and in multiple steps, then profile the outside in multiple steps.

I expect that I can do this, because this was my big holdup in purchasing and the last salesreps finally told me that I can do this. So far I can only get it to do a spiral or radial cut etc (under the mill 3D features). If I select any of the Mill 2D operations such as pocketing, etc it won't do generate any code for those operations.

I've tried selecting the upper round edge line, the inner wall of the hole, and the lower round edge line, but none work. Any clues?

Thanks,
-Neil.

Try extracting the edge from the solid to use as the path to generate 2D cuts from.

cnczoner,

For the 2D operations the system uses Wire Frame geometry to indicate the profiles or pockets you wish to cut. These chains can be 2D or 3D but they need to be closed shains of wire frame geometry.

Your best bet is to extract the edges of your top surface and use those edges for your profiles.
Click on Utilities => Extract Edges => From Surface
Click on the top surface of your part to select it.
Right click on the Workspace and left click on OK in the pop-up menu. The wire frame will then be generated.

**NOTE**
If you want to control the direction of the profile cuts efficiently you will need to create Contours out of your wire frame, and it will also make it easier to select them.
Click on Other => Contour.
Select the chains. In the above situation I would just drag a box around everything, the selection mask will pick up what it is allowed to.
Then right click in the Workspace and left click on OK. You will notice that you now have some large cylindrical arrows on the wire frame. These arrows indicate directionality.

To change the direction of Contour/Contours:
Click on Utilties => Reverse Contour Direction.
Select the Contour(s).
Right click in the Workspace and left click on OK in the pop-up menu. The direction arrow will be changed to the opposite direction.

There are also some FAQ's on the BobCAD website that might help get you over the learning curve. They are located here: http://bobcad.com/support.html

Regards

Thanks for the replies.

I just tried that, and got some success, but not all. I tried a square plate with a cylinder removed from the top (not all the way through). I was able to extract the edge and create a contour for the circular center piece, then generate the toolpath for it. But I cannot extract the edge for the outer square (so that I can profile it).

BTW, I only have "Extract single" and "Extract solid", but I do not have "Extract surface".

Extract single should work. If you wish to use extract from solid it will extract the entire part edges.

There are also other ways. Bobcad is very flexable in these types of things. You could unstitch the solid to surfaces. This allows to make each face of the solid a sepperate entity. By doing this you can even re-arrange solid faces for multiple shapes. Or take one surface a extrude it to make a new solid based on that face only. Like I said, very flexable.

For manipulating solid faces it is a very nice program.