Simple Contour Chaining Problem!

[Cellar Dweller]

Hello All,
This is driving me crazy. I am a newbie so easy, and use some lube. I want to "contour" the outside of this part (the blue areas) after I face the top. (the yellow areas) I asked a friend how to do this and he said the only way he knows is to draw lines to complete the outside geometry of the part when their is a drop is z height as I have. He said that is what he always has to do in MC and I tried it, it works, but I hate idea of having to draw on my part to create tool paths.

The problem I have is the chain does not want to "skip" over the z height change when using the top of the part as my tool path geo. Their must be a selection process or setttings in mc so i don't have to add geo to my part.

Basically, if my friend is correct in his approch, it means you cannot contour the outside of a part that has a slot across the top of it with a z value cut. If that is true, that is laim. I know mc needs geo to drive tool paths, but their mus be a way to "jump" a gap.

I don't have MC support. I use the work stations ( MC X3) at work and bring my NC code home on flash drive.

I draw in SolidWorks, and us MC for cam. I do not like the idea of redrawing or adding anything to my part.

Thanks a lot for your time,
CD

[Matt Berube]

There are lots of ways to do it...

On this part you're just not going to be able to contour the outer shape without some geometry creation...

It really doesn't have to be a chore though.

I can get the entire thing at once using either an xform project (project a line from the front plane) or even more direct using create curve slice (through a z coordinate in the x-y plane).

Either way you're talking about 15-30 seconds of work once you learn how it functions.

P.S. If you really have to have it with no geometry creation (assuming you have mill level 3) you could do it with Surface Finish Contour but I've never met a MC programmer that would approach such a simple part in that way.

[Cellar Dweller]

Ok. So my friend is correct? It sounds like you agree. In order to "drive around" / Contour this part geo must be added. My concerns with adding geo is that it will possibly present other problems further along in programming a part. It also muddys the screen a bit.

Anyway, thanks for your feedback. I have not used Xform project. Any tips? It sounds straight forward. I assume it allows you to project a surface geo a measured distanced from it's original location. Similar to a plan projection in many cad apps.

Thanks,
CD

[Matt Berube]

Basically your friend is correct but like I said above it is possible with no geometry creation.

Mastercam X has up to 2 billion different levels (called layers in other systems) available for use. To avoid cluttering up the screen could you put the part model on level 1 and the contour geometry on level 2 ?

As far as causing problems later on in the file... Don't delete or modify the wireframe entities that are driving your toolpaths and there will be no problems. I work like this all the time. 99.9% of my jobs require only surface/solid data and maybe a rectangle boundary... Couldn't be much simpler.

When using the levels in MC if you take your time to name each level things shouldn't be confusing at any point even if you had a really complex part with dozens of wireframe contours required... Just turn them on and off as needed.

Xform Project...

You would set the g-view and c-plane to "front" and create a horizontal line (temporary) that is longer than your part and extends beyond both ends of your part.

Then use xform project onto surfaces, select the model and apply the projection. If you choose "move" your temporary line will be deleted...

Assuming that you are using a "solid" entity from Solidworks you'll also have to find the "activate solid selection" button during this process because otherwise MC is defaulting to look for "surfaces" not "solids"...

It sounds worse than it is... Practice a little and it's sooooo easy.

But anyway the Create Curve Slice method is much easier usually.

[Cellar Dweller]

Ok. Thanks for the feedback. I will put the time in on the solutions you have suggested. I understand that like most software programs, it just a matter of putting in the seat time and then it all becomes almost second nature. The people here use the term "drive" as it relates to cad and cam to make your point. They might say, "he can really drive the cad station." Implying that the cad draftsperson is very proficient with the cad stations operation.

Thanks,
CD

[neurosis]

This has been my complaint with Mastercam from the beginning. I came to Mastercam from Cimatron, where creating all of this extra geometry was unnecessary. You could just use existing geometry and it would do as you suggested above "jump gaps" as long as the geometry that you were using intersected some how in the x,y plane. Coming from that to a system that requires loads of construction geometry to drive your tool path was very frustrating at first.

That being said, once you get used to it, you just learn to do it and dont think much about it. The longer that you use the system, the more that you are able to look ahead and you'll get more efficient at preparing to drive your path. Its a pain, but its necessary.

[psychomill]

I don't see the contour problem here... Just use the contour at the "bottom" of the part to drive the toolpath around. Ignore the top features with the little wall/step.... Don't need added geometry (or "unreal" geo) from I see....

[Cellar Dweller]

Neurosis,
I agree. This aspect of MC SUCKS! It is still the my preferred cam program and thats only because the "world runs on MC" and I like keeping my skills and new skills as marketable as possible.

psychomill,
The bottom is the same. The same slot seen in the view above (blue areas) presents the same chaining problem. Also, it not just the slot, the top or bottom of part has Z depth changes, so unless you know (PLEASE, LOL) a way to tell MC to jump gaps or follow vectors similiar to a CMM, PC-DMIS stuff, I don't know what to do except create geo.

Thanks for the input, please see my other problem. "Machine stops at end of tool path" the more brains the better,
CD

[psychomill]

OK....
So for this, you can chain a 3D path but force a 2D cut. Follow this:

Select contour and when the chain select menu pops up, change it to "3D" instead of "C-Plane" then select your toolpath chain. On your geo, it will stop at multiple intersections so just simply select the next chain portion to continue around the part even if its a Z line. Your point is to get to the next XY line. (See picture 1).

Now in your Toolpath menus, you're going to force this to be a 2D cut. So on your "Cut Parameters" menu, change the cut to "2D Contour" using the pull down menu on the right side of the tab. (See picture 2)

Now, simply fill out the rest of the info needed for the cut and post it. As you can see on the path generation in picture 3, it stays as a simple 2D cut around the part even though the chain has Z moves in it. (See picture 3)

.... as you can see in the posted program, there are no Z moves for the geo and the cut stays as a 2D cut. (See picture 4)


Therefore..... no need to create any extra geometry...

[Cellar Dweller]

OK, I will give that a try! Thanks for taking the time to present this approach to me.
was driving me nutzzz trying to read your post. LOL Life is funny!


Thanks again,
CD