Constant Scallop Finishing

[Phil Orenstein]

So sue me!

 

Sorry I have been incommunicado for the past 6 months, but I wanted to share some great finds with all my buddies here.

 

I had been getting file sizes of 50, 100, and one over 400MB and code files up to half that size, when I invoked the great "Scallop Finishing Toolpath", mankind's greatest invention since the wheel. My tolerance setting are usually .0005 and stepovers of .005 to .010. When I changed the default collapse resolution of 80% to 50% or finer, the toolpath would come out much smoother, but the files would be even larger.

 

Then my MC distributor, Cimquest turned me on to point filtering the 2nd greatest invention. Now I filter to .001 or 2:1 and files are now smaller than 1/4 of the size!!!

 

Phil

[Zero]

Hey Phil. Sounds like you've been having fun. 400 megs, good lord ! That's a big file.

 

Have you tried the new Project Blend? That one is sweeeet. My new favorite.

 

[ 12-23-2002, 08:46 AM: Message edited by: Zero ]

[kwolf]

Hi Phil,

If your machines support NURBS machining you can filter your G-Codes for them. Have a look at IMS-Post www.imspost.com or NorthWood Designs MetaCut Pro www.metacut.com .

[Phil Orenstein]

Zero babe,

Your gonna suck me back in here again which might cost me my marriage this time. What is "Project Blend" and where can I find it? It sounds sweet!

 

Phil

[Trevor Bailey]

Surface-Project-Blend. Has a couple of different options there for you with a current copy of V9, but just wait until V9.1 comes out!!!!! It's even better!!!!! Truley my new favorite.

[Zero]

Yeah. Surface/Project/and on the Finish Project Parameters page, choose Projection Type - Blend. Basicly, it lets you "model" your toolpath over your surfaces, kinda like modeling a flowine path without your surfaces having to form a row. What you do is select the surfaces you want to machine, and 2 contours (you might be able to use more, I'm not sure I haven't tried it yet) on either side of your part. Mastercam will start with your first contour as the first pass projected over the surfaces and blend that contour pass by pass over the surfaces to the one on the other side by your specified min stepover (or stepdown when it get verticle (sp?)). I just did this part yesterday, 4 and a half hours it will take to go over the whole thing on the machine. Tool comes down to the part at the beginnig, and retracts at the end, doesn't come off the part once. Nicccee. I haven't been able to try it out on anything really complicated yet, but from the results I've been getting on the parts I am doing it's friggin sweeeet man. The only downside is, depending on the surfaces and the contours you choose, it can be a really computer intensive toolpath which might take a while to generate, so you better get it right the first time!

 

Check it out man, you'll like it

 

If v9.1 is even better, now I really can't wait

 

[ 12-24-2002, 08:58 AM: Message edited by: Zero ]

[Phil Orenstein]

Thanks Zero, I'll have to try it. But I've often used regular Surface Project to project a 2D contour or pocketing toolpath down onto a set of contoured surfaces. It has always worked beautifully. For engravings and such I would usually do a spiral pocket routine working from the inside out and project it. How is Project Blend different?

 

Happy Holiday

Phil

[cadcam]

Phil this project is diffrent you do not make a program first to project.

the path is bascally another flowline typ cut with no surface issues.

Really sweet tool.

 

[ 12-24-2002, 09:46 PM: Message edited by: cadcam ]

[Ozzi]

souds good i usuallu project a toolpath also, i'll try it tomorrow