v-29

[BurrMan]

You are absolutely right Burr, the Machine Definition and post are intricately tied together now. I have an unusual MD for sure. My machine is a Table-Table setup (C rotary on B tilt axis). Mine is setup for "real world" machine simulation and the MD XYZ "zero" is set to the home position of my machine. If I use accurate work offset settings, the simulation is correct (workpiece is appropriately translated so that the move list in Sim matches my G53 machine coordinates - even when I'm not on the center of the table). However, before I post I must reset my work offset postion to the B axis centerpoint defined in the MD in order for the code to come out correctly.

I'm not sure if my workflow is 100% the way it was intended but it works beautifully and the Simulation is deadly accurate - so far I've not had a collision that Simulation didn't catch first. Not bad for my 4 axis standard software. But something is behaving differently from V27 to V29. I would have to recreate my file in V27 to verify but there's a lot of variables here - especially with the new posting engine.

I will try my best to play along. So far it's just weird output and a few extra moves that shouldn't be there. I'd like to know if it's my workflow causing it.

Righteous machine!

So the bug i would be looking at with bounds data will have a number like .002 or .0002 "added" to areas where its not expected. Lets set that on the side for now. It will be discussed later.

2 areas that are "seperate" but "intertwined" we'll seperate are the bobcad defined machine and sim, and the bobcad defined machine settings and code...

Looking at you describe your worflow and the "change" you have to make from sim to code is the first part to look at. I'll throw a starting point out to start off.

The "defined machine". Is it "generic" and allows for manipulation?

On the default for axis machine the "zero" is defined INSIDE OF THE CHUCK! on the face of the rotary!

Are we compensating with our setups? Should we define that zero outside of the chuck jaws? Where, or "does" a real machine define or track this zero point with it's MACHINE COORDINATES?

this may just be a starting point from bobcad before fine tuning the actual machine definition. Like getting into the stl solid bodies and where and hiw THEIR zero has been placed and defined.

Those all come into play as we run at the default "real machine zero".....

I can help adjust any of these. I just need a machinist to tell me whether we SHOULD be adjusting!

If the process becomes too painful on cnczone (takes a lot longer) there IS a guy at bobcad who is a 5 axis monster... he probably already has all those answers.

[BurrMan]

In other SIMPLEr terms, on a default setup, bobads real machine values are calculating material "inside of the chuck" as stock, and we are compensating that with work offsets?

[SBC Cycle]

Alright, looks like I'm going to have to upload a Machine Definition and a sample file. But I can answer a few things that you threw out there.

My defined machine definition is flexible. It was designed to allow me to transform certain components (such as a vise) to position them on my rotary platter without having to open the STL file, moving it then re-saving in a new position. I can simply edit the Machine Definition transform coordinates for the vise and it moves - just like editing the Machine Setup Work Offset will move the Workpiece around.

For the most part, I disregard the orientation of my Workpiece in the BobCAD workspace - although I am aware this can have an affect on Multiaxis toolpatch calculation!!! I believe this may have posting consequences as well, depending on your Multiaxis post settings (Work Offset zero vs. Real Machine zero) but I haven't had time to zero in on this.

A picture sometimes is worth showing. Here's a screen grab showing the Simulation move list vs. my UMC move list, vs. a code snippet, vs. a picture of the part in the machine. Not bad, eh?