Solid to 2D Profile

[zak]

Hello hello!

I've got a fairly complicated 5-axis part I'm working on. The top and floors are flat and parallel, but all of the pocket walls are swarfed. The part's only 1.5" thick, and I'm trying to machine everything I can 3-axis before I finish the walls. I can't seem to get the "Solid to 2D Profile" function to work. I've got a couple dozen pockets, all with multiple depths, so I'm looking at a few hours minimum to create all the profiles if I can't get this to work. I searched previous threads but didn't find anything I could use. Suggestions?

[Zero]

without seeing the part...off the top of my head I can think of a couple of ways to accomplish this...

the easiest being to just use a surface rough pocket toolpath and selecting the seperate depths of the pockets in the cut depths/critical depths dialog.

depending on how the part looks, you could also create curves all edges/or use the silhouete boundry c-hook to create the pocket profiles you need pretty easily as well...

[Colin Gilchrist]

Solid to 2D profile is for revolving a "lathe" part about an axis to get the "revolved" profile (for lathe roughing). The toolpath you want to use is "surface rough pocket". This is a 3 axis surface toolpath that will machine out all the pockets, but will avoid undercutting the walls (it will drop the tool vertically from the top edge of the undercut and will not violate the wall).

[zak]

Thanks for the posts.

Collin, reading the literature it sounded to me like curve-slice works well for any simple solid (such as a lathe part), but solid to 2d is intended to work with more complex solids. Either way, I've already got the part mostly done (I used "area clearance" instead of surf. rough pocket...same idea though); floors finished; walls within aprox. .01". I think I'll upload my part to the ftp site when I get back to work tomorrow. I need the profiles to finish floor fillets in between pocket depths that blend to the 5-axis walls. It looks like the solid to 2d function is exactly what I'm trying to do...I'm just not doing it right! I'll post it first thing tomorrow morning.

Thanks again!

[zak]

Ok, I uploaded my part to the ftp as "solid to 2d help.zip". If someone could take a look and shed some light, I'd really appreciate it...

[zak]

Sorry...that's in the "MCX2_files" folder.

[Steve Arteman]

Zak,

Here is a quick video of project curve to solid or surface. The line that you see being projected is .500 up from the bottom I was in the front view. the 2-d line should be extended past the part so it will project fully around. Slice should give a siilar result. These details can be then translated up in Z above the part.

http://www.cad2cam.net/project%20curve/project%20curve.html

Hope this helps.

Steve

www.cad2cam.net

[zak]

Thanks for the response.

I use that for my ref. stuff (containment boundries, swarf rails, etc.). It works for straight stuff and creating geometry for 5-axis toolpath, but I've got open, closed, and straight walls all in the same pocket. I need to machine to the tangent point of the open walls, and to the intersection of the top plane and wall of the closed walls.

[Steve Arteman]

Zak,

I see what you mean now. You will have to create edge curves and join(with a line) the upper and lower profiles at the locations you are talking about. when chaining use branch points this will drive the tool. You may have to do some trimming to get the shapes you will need to cut.

Steve

[zak]

So that solid to 2d isn't going to save me here, huh? Alright, I'll get to work. Thanks!