Stock Model Help

[Scott Lent]

Greetings,

 

I am working on a complex part and want to create a stock model before I begin machining the next side of the part. There are over 100 operations on the first side and the 'Toolpaths --> Stock Model' method I am accustomed to using isn't successfully creating the stock model.

 

I have tried another approach I read about here by verifying the completed operations and then saving as an .stl

Then I point to that file for the initial stock shape in the stock definition and the stock model does render.

 

The problem is that when I start machining that stock model in verify, the model is a surface model and has no 'meat' under the skin.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

[gcode]

what version are you running

I've seen this in both X9 and MC2017 though I've seen it less often in MC2017

You have 2 choices for stock when running Verify

a stock model in the operations manager

or an STL file

I've had some success using STL files as Verify stock to solve this problem

[Müřlıń®]

Greetings,

 

I am working on a complex part and want to create a stock model before I begin machining the next side of the part. There are over 100 operations on the first side and the 'Toolpaths --> Stock Model' method I am accustomed to using isn't successfully creating the stock model.

 

I have tried another approach I read about here by verifying the completed operations and then saving as an .stl

Then I point to that file for the initial stock shape in the stock definition and the stock model does render.

 

The problem is that when I start machining that stock model in verify, the model is a surface model and has no 'meat' under the skin.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks

 

 

I run into this all the time...

 

What I have to do to fix this problem is to after creating the stock model with the stl you saved out of Verify, right click on the stock model in ops and click mill tool paths/save as stl.

 

Then replace the stl in your stock model with the one you just exported and the stock will be solid again in the Verify.

[jlw™]

I usially have better luck merging the verify stl to it's own level them orient it where I want. Then pick it as model under the stock toolpath. If you still get the hollow models you can offset it to fix it but that alos adds more stock. That is on the same tab as defining the stick model. Sometimes 0.001 will fix it, usually 0.005 but sometimes 0.01in.

[Müřlıń®]

I usially have better luck merging the verify stl to it's own level them orient it where I want. Then pick it as model under the stock toolpath. If you still get the hollow models you can offset it to fix it but that alos adds more stock. That is on the same tab as defining the stick model. Sometimes 0.001 will fix it, usually 0.005 but sometimes 0.01in.

just told you how to fix the hollow stock...been doing it over a year now.  Works great, just make sure you are in top wcs when you export.

 

I will merge the the STL also sometimes.

 

There is a Windows 7 path glitch where the path to the STL is lost and all your ops using that stock model will go dirty.

This only happens when you choose a file in stock model setup.  I have much better luck keeping red X's out of my ops manager if I choose a model or stock model to use for the new stock model.

I just found out yesterday that if you are using  STL files that reside in your working directory to make your stock models from, 

and copy an Stl from that directory to use for another stock model, the stock model that uses the copied stl will go dirty and so will ops.

 

I was making right and left hand parts.  So I copied a couple stl's to the desktop to rename and mirror.

once I had them modified, I dumped them back into my working dir with the rest of the stl's and instantly had red X's all over ops.

[jlw™]

Yeah, that doesn't work for me for the hollow stl.  The only fix I have found that will consistently fix it is offsetting it a little.

[gcode]

You can also merge an stl into your file as mesh, then use it to define a stock model.

It makes for some pretty big files, but eliminates losing the path to stl files and blowing up your toolpaths,

This method works really well when you're building a file that needs to be portable

[crazy^millman]

 

You can also merge an stl into your file as mesh, then use it to define a stock model.

It makes for some pretty big files, but eliminates losing the path to stl files and blowing up your toolpaths,

This method works really well when you're building a file that needs to be portable

 

Yes if you are never needling to send the file to someone else then having the as files outside is good, but if you need to send them to someone else you must follow this process.

[Müřlıń®]

Yeah, that doesn't work for me for the hollow stl.  The only fix I have found that will consistently fix it is offsetting it a little.

 

 

Try these settings...  I used to offset also until I stumbled onto the right combination of tolerances for me.

I haven't had a fail yet and I do very complex stl's.

 

One note though, I try not to use an STL for stock....always use it to make  a stock model.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDIT:  BTW  my precision slider in Verify is maxxed with config precision at default setting.

[Scott Lent]

I run into this all the time...

 

What I have to do to fix this problem is to after creating the stock model with the stl you saved out of Verify, right click on the stock model in ops and click mill tool paths/save as stl.

 

Then replace the stl in your stock model with the one you just exported and the stock will be solid again in the Verify.

Thanks all,

 

This solution was exactly what I was looking for!

I'm running X9 by the way.

 

Thanks!