Tangent to two curves not arcs

[Rob @ Target Machine]

You may have to extend the line length in between iterations as well. I like Bernies way better though.

[Niezingerly]

So, I am in X3, and am encountering the same problem, of being able to create a straight line tangent to either a spline or arc.

 

In V9.1 (yeah, the old days...sorry) I used the fucntion CREATE-LINE-TANGNET-ANGLE.

 

In my case, I want it to be a truly horizontal line, parallel to the X axis (looking down on the X/Y plane)

 

I would enter the fucntion CREATE-LINE-TANGNET-ANGLE, I would pick on whatever spline or arc there was (I would pick "near" the "highest" point of the entity), it would ask me for an angle, I would input the angle I would want the resultant line to be, and Mastercam would create a line Parallel to the X axis, and it was truly tangent to the entity I picked.

 

I am also at a loss to find this same functionality in X3, without having to jump through alot of hoops...

 

Not certain if I am missing the new functionality, but it did used to work great in V9...Oh well...

[gcode]

create a straight line tangent to either a spline or arc.

 

 

 

try this

 

create/line/endpoint... set the angle in the angle box (double clcik to make it red) select the tangent button, select the arc or slpine and drag the line to the desired length

[PeterM]

This is what I came up with. create a line crossing both curves in the aproximate area where you want the connecting line to be. break the line, trim both resulting lines to their companion curves. Create two lines perpendicular from the midpoint of the trimmed lines. Finally create a line from the intersections of the perpendicular lines and their companion curves. This was even simpler with an arc/curve combo.

[JDowe]

Create a contour toolpapth with cutter comp off

filter the toolpath and save the backplot as geometry

create line tangent to the arcs