Simulation in CAMworks

[Robert Lewis]

Hi Guys
I have just started using CW in conjunction with Solidworks and am generally impressed. However, I have a problem with the simulator. When I come to simulate machining the part, I find the moves it simulates are confusing particularly when it comes to say machining along an edge of a part. It starts off OK and suddenly begins to do what appears to be a G00 move when I expect a G01. As a relative novice to using CAM software, hell I need to know if the machine is doing a G00 instead of G01. Also the moves it simulates are very jerky all the way through the simulation.The simulation I find accurate but very fundamental with others I have seen such as Delcam and Edgecam.

My reseller suggusted it was a problem with the graphics card so I purchased a top end NVIDIA. Still exactly the same. I have piddled about with feedrates but to no avail.

Have any of you guys got any ideas please?

[ltmquik]

There is no visual or simulation speed difference for G00 or G01 in simulation mode. You should be able to tell those moves by looking at the toolpath. Feeds are solid lines while the rapids are dashed lines. You may need to play with the settings in the simulation toolbar to get the 'jerks' out. It also helps to have alot (4+Gb) of system RAM and 2+Gb of RAM on the video card.

BTW, if you have not yet noticed, the TURBO mode provides poopy results. I only use TURBO to check that I am not rapiding thru areas that should not be.

I hope this helps. Have you been to the CAMWorks forum?

[Robert Lewis]

Hey thanks. I didn't realise that there weren't different simulation speeds. I did know about the toolpaths though. I must say I thought I'd seen a simulation where speeds and feeds were genuinely represented in the simulation.

[ltmquik]

IMHO I think that that would be very hard to do with all the different configurations of computers and video cards. Maybe the thing to do would be to have the cutter turn to a different color, say red for example, during rapid moves. So if you see that in the future it was my idea....LOL

[mud duk]

I just upgraded to a nvidia Quadrafx4600 w/700+mb of ram. And i was not impressed with the results i don't think it gave me much of a difference. Opening up assemblies and being able to rotate them seems alot faster but no mjor change. MHO