Make Islands not Islands

[Davidgil]

This one is kind of hard to explain, so it is probably easiest to just give an example. I have 2 rectangles, with one of them completely enclosed by the other one. The outer rectangle is drawn at a depth of .1, and the inner at a depth of .2. I want to be able to do a pocket tool path and select both rectangles, and using incremental depth have it apply the pocket cuts to the appropriate depth to both rectangles. Currently when I try this the inner rectangle becomes an island and I can't figure out how to tell the system it's really just a deeper pocket inside a less deep pocket. Hope this made some sense. Any ideas?

[Pat-TGM]

You mean for 2d geometry toolpath?

I think we don't have that option in MasterCam.

You can use two toolpath for that example. First pickup the outter pocket enter -.100 dp finish that pocket complete, second make another toolpath for inner pocker enter -.100 in parameter top of stock. and -200 dp. in depth parameter. It might help

[Davidgil]

Paul,

Yep, 2d geometry. I am currently doing as you suggest with multiple operations. In reality I have multiple rough and finish operations, so to have to repeat this series of operations for each pocket depth gets tedious. I know that I can create operation libraries to make things a little easier, but it would sure be nice to be able to tell a chain that it should or should not be considered an island to surrounding geometry. Just hoping it was possible.

Thanks,

Dave

[jdempsey]

The only other possibility that I know is to create a surface on the bottom of each pocket and trim the upper one to the geometry of the lower one. Then you can machine both surfaces at the same time.