Tip control...

[Jacob Featherstone]

Why does setting the tip control to center of a ball-cutter move the path away from the contour to which the path is assigned... I can't seem to find a good use for it.

 

I was thinking that it did the opposite... So I could set a curve into the center of a fillet with the same rad as my ball-cutter and have the vector of the tool point in several ways, always keeping the ball of the tool mated to the rad of the fillet.

 

I think that this can be done by choosing the created curve in the center of the fillet and simply touching of the tool shorter by its ball radius.

 

Anyway, it just seems like tip control would be more usefull if it actually moved the cutter in to the work by the rad.

[3R!< W3NG3R]

never used it myself, but I think you have to set the cutter hight comp at the machine to the centre as well for it to work.

[Lee.]

I'm guessing some people like to have the path at the tip, some at the centre of the radius.

 

I'm not sure what your point is.

[Jacob Featherstone]

I should have also mentioned that this was a 5-axis curve toolpath...

 

I discovered that on the 3-axis curve the tip control works exactly as expected: Controlling a ball cutter from the center essentially lowers the cutter into the work.

 

However, tip control seems to have no effect on a 5-axis curve. This may be because you have more control to do this with the vector depth... which does do what I need it to do.

 

Thanks

[JDowe]

I believe

For 3D contours to be accuratley generated with

a ball end mill you need to set the comp to

center - also the part contour needs to be adjusted in Z by using "offset contour" by

the cutter radius