Lead in & out

[Odell]

How do you specify the entry and exit position of your lead in and out when doing a contour? Anybody know?

[Dave.L]

It will enter and exit on the first entity. Also, in lead in / out settings, there is a check box "enter at midpoint".

 

Those are your controls.

[Cad-Camr]

In a 2D Contour it is relative the begining and end of the chained geometry in open contours, and where you first selected the chain in closed contours It can be moved by the right click menu found in the chain manager window, Start Point.

[Greg_J]

You could also adjust the values for your angle, radius and length for lead in/out to put the start/end point where you want it to be.

[Odell]

Thanks..I have a closed contour and was wandering if there was a way to enter on one side of the part and exit out the other. I usually post the program and then edit it and typ in the lead in and out by hand. Just looking for a shortcut. appreciate the help.

[Dave.L]

quote:

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I usually post the program and then edit it and typ in the lead in and out by hand.

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Don't hand edit ANY code, you are asking for trouble.

[Philcott]

quote:

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I have a closed contour and was wandering if there was a way to enter on one side of the part and exit out the other.

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If I understand you correctly try using the overlap function on the lead in/out page. It will mean the tool runs along the already cut part until it gets to the other side of the contour but it sounds like that might be what you are looking for. Just increase or decrease the overlap amount until you get the desired effect

[Rob @ Target Machine]

Another thing you can do with the overlap function is add spring passes.

 

Use analyze contour to get the length of the contour and input that value as the overlap for each spring pass.

[Dave.L]

quote:

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Use analyze contour to get the length of the contour and input that value as the overlap for each spring pass.

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Very Handy Tip

[Justin Beebe at Folsom Tool]

Odell,

 

What I like to do is select partial chain and select the check box that says wait. Then you can select your chain one entitiy at a time going all the way around the part then selecting your first entity again as your last last piece of geometry. As an example if your where chaining around a square you would select the front line, left line, top line, right line, then the front line again. Use a tangent lead in/out with no arc or sweep value and your endmill will enter parallel to the front, cut around your part, then cut across the front again and exit parallel to the front. This leaves no witness mark anywhere on your part. Make sure you turn off infinate look ahead. With this feature turned off and partial chain set to wait you can chain around your part as many times as you want and you don't have to calculate anything.

[moeh]

If you have a very specific position you want to enter from, select Use entry point. Create a point where you want to enter then select that point ahead of the contour in geometry. I have never used Use exit point, but it proly works the same way.

[Odell]

Thanks guys! Yall gave me some ideas to play with.

I've been hand writing 2D programs for 15 years and got quite good at it, but clicking this mouse is a WHOLE lot easier. Thanks again.

[Odell]

Justin... selecting partial chain got me just what I was looking for..

[Justin Beebe at Folsom Tool]

Glad to be of help