Things that get your operations dirty

[[email protected]]

I wish changing a tools description didn't require my toolpath to regenerate. I wish changing program numbers didn't require it, but I can see why this one might be more necessary. Also I notice sometimes I seem to be editing toolpath that comes way later in the program and a stock model all the sudden gets dirty even though I was not editing anything to do with those previous ops... anyway just thought i would talk about these and see if perhaps there are some work arounds or if someone knows what i could be doing to cause the stock models to get dirty.

[crazy^millman]

They have been reported and have Numbers for them. Hopefully they get it resolved soon. Saving out Stock Models that are mature in your programming process is one way to reduce this issue.

[DavidB]

Changing common parameters like coolant settings makes dynamic toolpaths dirty which is annoying.

[SlaveCam]

I guess it's "just in case" mentality coding, where you have no absolutely no idea what affects what any longer, so to make sure, just dirty whenever possible.

This is reinforced by 2023's warning when you move ops from one machine group to another ("operation MAY need regeneration"). Well, the app should know when it needs regen and when not!

[[email protected]]

Millman, do you mean doing the convert to mesh and saving it like that to a level? On a somewhat related note I recently had taken the time to make all of the of my stock models in a program generate from the actual toolpaths. Before I saved them all as .stl from verify and then created a stock model in the toolpath manager and told it to use the according .stl at that point. but then when doing some optirest paths I noticed it was machining some vertical walls where there really wasn't any excess stock. I figured it was due to the resolution of the .stl files or possibly floating tiny triangles I wasn't sure, but I attached every stock model to all the according operations spent a Saturday setting up tools and relieving shoulders and let the thing just process. when redoing the same exact optirest it finally ignored the vertical walls using the toolpath generated stock models.....btw i did not have mill vertical walls box checked during either.

[[email protected]]

12 hours ago, DavidB said:

Changing common parameters like coolant settings makes dynamic toolpaths dirty which is annoying.

I agree it is annoying but to me it seems that those types of changes don't seem to take as long to regenerate.

[Aaron Eberhard]

3 hours ago, [email protected] said:

I agree it is annoying but to me it seems that those types of changes don't seem to take as long to regenerate.

There's lots of caching that goes on in the background, so for example, if you generate slices @ X stepover at Y tolerance, they're saved.  The collision models and everything else are cached as well.  If you make a change where the knows 100% that none of that changes, it doesn't have to get recalculated, so yes, it does take less time

[[email protected]]

Do speed and feed changes cause regeneration to occur? I can't recall off hand and want to make one to a drill i left too fast but don't want to regen the two following stock models they process some optirests that take my system like 2 hours to complete.

[Aaron Eberhard]

1 hour ago, [email protected] said:

Do speed and feed changes cause regeneration to occur? I can't recall off hand and want to make one to a drill i left too fast but don't want to regen the two following stock models they process some optirests that take my system like 2 hours to complete.

Normally no.  But I'd save your file before I did it   If you do ever end up in a situation like this, you can always use Toolpath Edit to change the toolpath without causing the stock models to go dirty.

[[email protected]]

1 minute ago, Aaron Eberhard said:

Normally no.  But I'd save your file before I did it   If you do ever end up in a situation like this, you can always use Toolpath Edit to change the toolpath without causing the stock models to go dirty.

Cool, good idea hitting the save button almost never a bad idea. I have only used toolpath edit once before to eliminate a line it cut into the pattern when it went to do a finish pass. The pocket was on a retirement award and they wanted a very clean looking toolpath pattern. but i recall it being locked after toolpath edit was complete like if you move certain cuts you can no longer access parameters if i recall correctly?

[Aaron Eberhard]

Edit will lock the toolpath because if you regenerate the toolpath, your edits are gone... But if you needed to regen this one, you'd just change the feed/speed/whatever at that point