Unnecessary Movements on toolpaths

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

I've created several finish flowline toolpaths but it appears that mastercam is putting in unnecessary movements in the toolpath like retracting in one area and plunging in on another on the same surface all I want it to do is move back and forth as it goes down and dont leave the surface until it finishes that surface. How can I prevent mastercam from doing this so I don't have to spend a day editing the program to remove all these extra movements?

 

Using X3

 

See Pics for example

 

Full toolpath view:

 

Upclose toolpath view:

[Trevor Bailey]

you may want to try the BLEND toolpath. cant tell if that surface you are cutting is flat or not, but you also may want to try the new horizontal area.

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

The surface curves in both the vertical and horizontal directions. I am not familiar with the blend toolpath or the horizontal area. Can you tell me more about them?

[ak762]

in gap setting try to use smooth and play with checks sometimes it help

but don't forget to pay attention to verify after

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

Well I've tried all different things to try and get rid of it. And nothing has worked, There should be a continuous motion or something so that the tool stays on the surface the whole time until it finishes it.

[Josh T™]

Try the Raster path in the HSM section. There is way more tool control and it may give you what you're looking for.

 

HTH

Josh

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

Josh,

 

I'm not familiar with all the options in the hsm section. I tried it but I guess I had something wrong cause it said toolpath failed.

[Josh T™]

Upload the file to the ftp site and we'll take a look

[mchin-pilot]

May have to increase the value of Gap distance to v large number and set the links by follow surface.It shouls work

 

Blend may not work but raster will work with vetical lead in/outs at those spots.

 

Try

[Thad]

quote:

---

I am not familiar with the blend toolpath or the horizontal area.

---

Horizontal Area will find the flat areas and cut only those areas without you having to create all the different boundaries to contain it to those areas. Sounds like it won't work since you don't have any horizontal areas.

 

In a blend toolpath, rather than selecting a closed chain, you select open 2 chains. The toolpath will cut back and forth on the surface from chain to chain (kinda like a surface parallel toolpath). This is a great toolpath!

 

Check out Help or the sample files to see some examples of how these toolpaths can be used.

 

Thad

[Midwest]

Try altering the Gap settings.

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

I will upload the file tomorrow when I get to work guys. Our server went down today before I could do it and the IT guy was working on it when I left. Thanks for all the replys!

[Quickmike]

In the past with different toolpaths I have made the gap setting large and set my linking to follow surface. The gap setting by default is 300% of stepdown. I will often set it by distance instead of a percentage of stepdown. If its made larger it tend to keep the tool down and have less retracts.

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

Ok the file is here. The toolpaths in question are 59 and 61. Thanks again guys for helping me out.

[Guest]

You meant 59 & 62

 

I don't usually like flow line for that type of path.

 

I ghosted out your and set in a Surface Finish Contour as #60.

 

FAS_MAKINOMAN_JMP.zip

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

^ Where is that file located? Cause I can't find it anywhere.

[Guest]

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

LOL Did you just put that there? Cause I swear I was looking not even 45 mins ago and it was not there. Maybe I should go get my eyes checked

[Guest]

Nope if you look at the time on it, it says 6:43, if you factor in the 3 hour east coast time difference, that would be 9:43am, two minutes before my post

 

 

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

well let me ask you this... I tried to duplicate the toolpath that you created, but failed. The toolpath I created said there is no drive surface, yet the one you created shows no drive surface either. Am I missing something? Also why do you prefer this toolpath to the flowline toolpath?

 

btw thanks for your help

[Guest]

Why it's not showing a drive surface, I am not sure.

 

I have seen this in X3 on occasion where drive and check surfaces while different get lumped together in either check or drive geometry.

 

When it comes to undercut I just find that Surface Finish Contour works better. Other people may feel differently and use Flow line for that. I usually do not.

[Jon @ NOWHERE]

Ok it lumped the drive in there with the check surfaces. I went in there and selected the outer wall as the drive and then it created the toolpath. I noticed that it was larger than the flowline but noticed that it was slightly faster. It still has an area where it leaves the surface and engages elsewhere, but no where near as bad as the flowline. But I have discovered the toolpath editor today and figured out how to use it to remove all the excess moves.