Cannot extend trimmed edges surface

[Jimic]

Cannot extend trimmed edges surface ???

 

While working on a imported Solidwork file. I cannot use surface extend to extend out the surfaces for profiling. It shown ""Cannot extend trimmed edges surface ""

 

How can I overcome tha? Is that something to do with the Solidwork file ?

[P_Scott]

Jimic,

 

Unfortunately this is one of the disadvantages of working with surfaces in Mastercam. There are ways around it. What's you ultimate goal with the surface extension? Is it to allow for tools to machine past the surface edges? If so, take a look at the Gap settings of a surface toolpath and put a value in the Tangential Line Length. This tangent value is similar to a Lead In/Out vector except it's tangent to the cut direction. If you're trying to do something else, maybe you could be a little more specfic or upload the file to the FTP site linked above and then we can be of more help to you. HTH

 

BTW, Welcome to the forum.

[Storkman]

Untrim the surface first, then extend it.

[Fred @ Slate Industries]

Create a draft surface off the edge curve,trim that if you want or leave it.

 

Extend one of its curves and do a xform point to point following the lines extention and create a ruled surface from the old and new curves.

 

Cat Skinner

[Thad]

Try a fence surface.

 

Thad

[Storkman]

Thad, how many posts are required before you can build a fence surface?

[Todd Tracey from Fastech]

Stork, that's low even for you.

[Allan]

Moldplus has great surface editing tools. No problem extending trimmed surfaces with it.

 

Check it out:

www.moldplus.com

 

Allan

[Fred @ Slate Industries]

quote:

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How many posts are required before you can build a fence surface?

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Two?

[mcpgmr]

If all the above fails and it's a simple ruled surface you can easily rebuild it by creating edge curvs on the existing surface and then create a new ruled surface which you could extend to your liking.HTH!

[Die Sinker]

What Stork said.

[Thad]

quote:

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Thad, how many posts are required before you can build a fence surface?

---

quote:

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What Stork said.

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Coupla wise guys, I see.

 

Thad

[Jimic]

Peter,

Can you please be more specific about the Tangential Line lenght. I couldn't find it.??!! By the way, my is McamX leve 2

 

jimic

[P_Scott]

Jimic,

 

Click on the Gap Settings button frequently on the last page of the surface toolpath parameters. See pic below.

 

 

On the Gap settings, the Tangent line length is at the bottom. It will be active unless you use the Follow Surfaces motion for machining over a gap. See next pic. HTH

 

 

For Mcam X Mill Level 2 this is still available because you can machine one surface at a time with one operation. The Gap settings don't change due to your Mill level. You could have a hole or "gap" on one single surface as well as the edges that you need to machine past. The pictures above are taken from a Surface Finish Parallel operation.

[john316]

.

 

Another method you can use is to un-blank the original surface. Whem Mcam builds surfaces from a solid it first creates overlapping surfaces, trims those surfaces, and blanks the original, keeping the trimmed surface visible.

 

I will usually copy the original surfaces to another layer, re-blank the original, and then trim the copied surface to the size I want it to be.

 

You might need to check your surface creation settings to make sure Mcam is blanking the original surface and not deleting it.

 

.

[Storkman]

quote:

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Stork, that's low even for you.

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No way Todd. I'll stoop pretty low for a laugh.

[Jim at Gentex]

I use Paul's method probably 9 out of 10 times.

I just create a ruled surface from the original edge curves and extend to where I like.

 

Storky is right too, but sometimes when you untrim a surface like a torroidal, you get the whole thing and it is HUGE!

 

My next preferred method is to adjust the gap settings.