Problem- Drawing onto a Solid Model

[mcmachining]

I'm trying to create a 3-axis slice planar routine in BobCAD using a customer's solid model. There are three features that I'm selecting to do this work on, but the third feature includes too much area, so I'm trying to split it. I drew a line across the feature, then tried to select the half I wanted (when selecting the work geometry) but it still selects the whole feature. Does anyone have an idea about what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks in advance,

MC

[Allen123]

Yes, Just use a boundary.

Under the Planner Feature it will say geometry and boundary. The boundary allows you to select 2D or 3D closed chain to restrict where the tool path will go. The center of the tool will go to this boundary. That's all you need to use and it should solve your problem.

[mcmachining]

When I drew the dividing line, I used line connect to span the end points of two lines. I think this doesn't count as a closed chain, as I can't select it with the boundary function. Am I going to have to trace the outside edge of the entire feature up to the dividing line using the continuous line feature, perhaps? Or is there an easy way to copy the geometry of the feature and close it off with a line?

[mcmachining]

Ok, I tried a few things. If I draw a rectangle and use it as the boundary, it accepts it. If I try to draw a boundary by selecting lines on the solid model and using a line I drew in BobCAD to connect them, it won't recognize it as a boundary. I'm coming into this with no training whatsoever, so I'm completely confused. I should be able to use the lines in the solid model in conjunction with lines I draw to set a boundary, right?

[judleroy]

Boundarys are 2d closed shapes such as circles , squares , or even the frame of your part. They have to be closed and 2d. Your 3d model and its parts are not useable as a boundary.

[BurrMan]

You would want to create a new layer, make it active (The red check mark next to the layer name) and then use "Utilities-Extract edges" to select those edges, then use those to select as your boundry. (The new layer would make it easier to hide the solid to faciltate the selection of the extracted edges)

You can use extract from solid, which will give you a complete wireframe of your model, or single, which will let you pick just those you want/need.

[mcmachining]

Excellent. Thanks guys. I'll probably be back with more questions, though.

[mcmachining]

I tried it out and that was exactly the solution I was looking for. I have a follow-up question, though.

The piece part I'm going to be machining has three sections that need to have about .015 of the surface milled away. There is an upper and lower 2D surface that I'm using pocket milling on, but they're connected by a complex two-part incline. What 3-axis milling function would you suggest I use? I tried slice planar, but the tool path doesn't look quite right. I could try tweaking it a bit, but before I fall down that rabbit hole, do you think Z-level finish would work better?