2D toolpath, beginners trouble

[SVM]

I give up, I cant figure this out and I am running low on hair to pull out. I am sure it is very fundamental, and we can all have a good laugh later on.

I have BobCad V21 but am hopelesly low on the learning curve.
I make a solid 3D model in SolidWorks and want to use BCC to create a 2D toolpath to basically cut the outside profile on this part. No fancy 3D stuff required for this, just a simple 2D path.
How do I pick a face on the 3D part and create a toolpath that cuts this?

SVM

[Kiwi]

Hi Steen....Try this.
Change your colour to different to your drawing colour.
All: Solids/Stiching/UnStitch
Pick the Face required: Solids/Extract Edges.
Pick from Colour(Coloured cube)/Choose (orig drawing colour)/OK
Change/Blank
You now should have your profile only.
Try this and report.
Kiwi

[SVM]

Arthur,

OK got that. I get the face I want and can create a toolpath based on the outline.

Now ... how do I offset the tool to run on the outside (or inside) of this path? What I have now is the tool center following the outline? What I need is a path that is 1/2 x tool dia offset from this.

Rgds
Steen

[Kiwi]

Steen.
On the Cam side: Contour/No_Left_Right (Choose before generating tool path.)
If you have trouble with the arrows not in same direction I Click one line only with Shift key down.
To generate a approach:
Point/Sketch/Click on drawing out from the midpoint of the line where you wish to start.
Other/Approach
Enter radius larger than tool radius.
Click on the point/Click on the start line near the end in the direction you wish to travel.
Press F3

Cheers

[tobyaxis]

First, Are you going to use Cutter Compensation to do the profile? If you are you need to do a Lead/In and Lead/Out. AKA Approach and Depart.

If not you can do an Offset of your Closed Chain of Entities and draw a short lead into your offset.

[Kiwi]

Steen
If you don't have a lead-in and lead-out you may find the G41/G42 at the start and G40 at the end are on lines which are part of your profile. You may need to add a extra move at the start to ensure the tool is offset at the beginning of the profile.
Also move the G40 to after the profile block.

[tobyaxis]

SVM,

How is that Program comming?

[SVM]

Thanks guys, I'm getting closer but need to play a little more before I ask the next question. Just back at the desk but have a busy schedule today.

Actually getting a new lathe delivered this morning, so there is a whole new set of problems on the doorstep! First one is to get the dang thing off the truck!
But somehow it is less frustrating solving that kind of problems

Steen