Cutting a Surface in 2D

[Bill O'Connell]

I am trying to cut the sloped back to a curved bench. I was able to draw it as a swept surface. However I don't have level 2, only level 1 and so I am prevented from using surface Toolpaths. Is there a way to simlate this using contours or some other toolpath? This is not an everyday project for us, so I can't justify the investment in level 2 just for this project.

[Thad]

Bill,

 

Try a (wireframe) Swept 2D toolpath. You'll chain it just like you created the surface. It will also require an intersection point. Not a physical point; just snap to it.

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

Thad

[Bill O'Connell]

Thanks for the tip, Thad. I think I follow what you are saying, but I don't think that will quite work for the approach I was taking. So... I am taking a new approach. What I am planning to do is create a form that we can use. So instead of a solid block of curved surface we will have four flat pieces consisting of an arc and a chord on the bottom of the piece and the same geometry on the top except that the radius of the arc will be slightly smaller creating a sloped edge along the arcs. Can anyone get me started on how to create a toolpath for that edge? No matter what I have tried I seem to keep getting one error or another.

 

For example when I try a face toolpath, I get an error that the boundary doesn't lie in the construction plane.

[Kannon]

Is the loft function still in the wireframe selection in X2? Or has it changed?

[Troy Gossett Indepak Inc.]

Bill if you are using arcs, one for the vertical of the back and one for the along of the back. You could break the vertical arc into x amount of pieces to give you your desired stepover ( 14" / 560 = .025" )Then select the broken arc as a chain and xform rotate around the axis of the along arc using the endpoints of the along entity to set your start and end angles, selecting join. This will give the contours needed for a 2d contour toolpath.

 

HTH

Troy

 

[ 06-18-2007, 12:43 PM: Message edited by: Troy Gossett, from Indepak Inc. ]

[Bill O'Connell]

Troy,

Great suggestion. When you do that can you specify the cutting direction, that is, horizontal vs. vertical?

[Troy Gossett Indepak Inc.]

The direction is based on which arc you break, in you example the back of a Bench assuming you are cutting it the way it would sit when finished you would break the vertical arc and rotate about the axis of the long arc to get the long arcs you need for you TP(Horizontal). If you wanted it to cut vertically or zig zag up and down you'd break the long acr and rotate about the axis of the vertical arc (in the construction plane perpindicular to that arc). Then you can window the chains select start point and set the depth to 0.0 and incremental.

[Bill O'Connell]

Thanks to all for some great suggestions. Your tips were very helpful.