flowline not cutting in sequence selected

[terry5357]

How can I make the cuts (14 different places but same path) run in the order I selected them. The only way that I can get them to is to use a bounding box and then the path will run in the order I chained the bounding box. I know this is an easy fix with out having to xform the toolpath.

Thanks,

Terry

[88Matt]

What version?

SeeSticky

[Rick Henrickson The Boeing Co.]

use surface blend

[MLS]

If you are building the surfaces to drive, it goes by the order the surfaces are built(or modified) I have thought before it would be a good idea to have control iver the cut orders a bit more.

[Cobra Driver]

Make sure all your surface normals are going the same direction.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Use Surface - Finish - Blend.

 

You will need two chains that control the direction of the cut. It is like Flowline on Steroids!

 

Once you go Blend, you'll never go back.

[MLS]

If you have a ton of small surfaces to blend the file gets pretty cumbersome with the multiple toolpaths needed for surface finish blend.

 

I'll pick one flowline toolpath with 70 surfaces over 70 surface finish blend toolpaths any day.

 

JM2C

 

Unfortunately, Flowline is limited in the way the parameters of the surface are defined and the order in which the system detects they were created. I typically create all my surfaces for flowline manually in the order and direction I want to cut them so it works properly. It takes more time up front, but I prefer it that way because I can get exactly what I want.

 

Sounds like a valid enhancement request to have some additional control over flowline cut directions and orders on multiple surfaces.

[Rick Henrickson The Boeing Co.]

MLS it really isnt that hard to create your 2 lines for surface finish blend.

create curve on edge for the top and bottom edge then offset them half the cutter and your ready to go.

[terry5357]

I am going to describe the part, there are 14 cuts, 7 left 7 right, from a side view they look lik a right triangle and are aprox 14" long, I used a 5 axis swarf to cut the angle on the face, one cut the entire length of each row.

 

on the point of the triangle there is a .043 rad.

which runs the length of each entity. I am just using a flowline finish with a 1/8 bn w/.004 step.

what I want to happen is cut x+ rpw 1, x- row1, x-row 2, x+ row 2 and so on.

 

I don't know why I think there is a place where order cuts can be set. May be another cam package that is slipping into my head.

 

Hoe this makes it more clear for you. I will put it on the FTP site in MCX II folder called "oventrey.mcx" and then you can see what I am talking about

[Colin Gilchrist]

"with multiple toolpaths needed for surface finish blend?

 

 

I don't know how you've tried using blend, but it will indeed cut HUNDREDS of surfaces, with totally different U,V directions. Blend maps a grid of curves above the surfaces and projects them down onto the SET of surfaces. It is way more powerful than flowline. My guess is that you don't know how to use it properly.

 

JM2¢

[Rick Henrickson The Boeing Co.]

got a picture?

[MLS]

Colin,

 

Yes, it certainly has it's place, but so does flowline.

 

Will blend retract and rapid from one cut area to a totally segregated cut within the single toolpath?

 

Lets say I have 70 different flange top transition areas I have to keller in scattered over the whole part. Using surface-finish-blend I would have all my surfaces, and 140 curves... 2 curves for each flange top transition.

 

Surface finish blend will only accept 2 curves...i.e. cut one transition area at a time.

(70 toolpaths required) correct?

 

Flowline I can select all the surfaces and it will cut them all and retract properly between each transition area. ( 1 toolpath cutting 70 different places)

 

If blend can do that please let me know because it is easier.