associative tool path

[cherokeechief79]

what is exactly ment by this term?

[Dan Bedore]

the tool path is associated to the geometry change or move the geometry and the tool path will change also. you will have to regen the tool path in the operations manager.

[Jammer™]

Everything is tied to the toolpath. Your geometry, (boundaries, surfaces, etc.) the tool your using and it's parameters. If you change your toolpath parameters, your geometry or your tool parameters, you are forced to regenerate your toolpath.

[Thad]

Snipped:

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you will have to regen the tool path in the operations manager.

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This always seemed weird to me. I would think that if you changed the geometry and the toolpath is associated to the geometry, then the toolpath would update *without* regenerating it.

 

If the toolpath is associative, you have to regen it. If the toolpath is NOT associative, you still have to regen it. If you have to regen it anyway, what is the great value of it being associative? Just the fact that if you move geometry, you don't have to reselect the chains again?

 

There are a few things in life that just don't seem to stand up to their definition based on my way of thinking (emphasis on MY). This just happens to be one of them.

 

Thad

[Rick Damiani]

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This always seemed weird to me. I would think that if you changed the geometry and the toolpath is associated to the geometry, then the toolpath would update *without* regenerating it.

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Think for just a moment about how annoying that would be. Change a fillet, wait 10 sec for the toolpath, trim a line, wait 10 sec for the toolpath, move a surface, wait 15 min for the toolpath...

 

If that ever shows up in MasterCAM, the first thing I'm gonna want to do is figure out how to turn it off...

 

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If the toolpath is associative, you have to regen it. If the toolpath is NOT associative, you still have to regen it. If you have to regen it anyway, what is the great value of it being associative? Just the fact that if you move geometry, you don't have to reselect the chains again?

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Before associative toolpaths (introduced in V7 for 2 and 2.5D, in V8 for all toolpaths) you had to re-create the toolpath(s) from scratch whenever you changed anything, and you had to remember to do it. MasterCAM did not know that anything had changed and so would not prompt you.

 

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There are a few things in life that just don't seem to stand up to their definition based on my way of thinking (emphasis on MY). This just happens to be one of them.

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Heh. Autodesk had to introduce 'associative dimentions' three times before they got it right.

[Thad]

Thanks Rick. Excellent points. I've changed my way of thinking.

 

Thad

[Brendan P]

Hey Thad,

If you ever used Teksoft ProCam "98" you would

be begging for toolpath associativity.

You would have to erase or put onto a diff.

layer,your toolpath,chain,and geometry when making a change to your part.

 

This is a real pain to have to do.

Also your toolpath is on a layer,your chain is on

a layer,your geom. is on a layer.

In Teksoft,if you put your chain on the same layer as your geom. and then had to add a fillet

or something you would have to erase the chain which would also erase your geometry.

 

In mastercam,tell me what layer your chain and

toolpath are on? Thats right ....none.

Just the way it should be.

[CAM-mando]

Maztercam Has Layers ??????

 

[ksoufi]

CAMmando

Yes, MC has layers : 256 LEVELs, with mask, color, name, number of entities, comments ...