Mirrored Parts

[Acro Engineering]

How do most programmers handle mirrored parts within there files? I have changed most of our programmers to using WCS and hate to have two copies of a part in a file but hate having two files even worse. I see no way to mirror a WCS and no way to drive a mirrored part from the original. We are doing a lot of dynamic cuts so if you use transform it doesn't give the results we are after. I would think a simple mirror would be easy but just don't see it?

[gcode]

I copy/rename the file, mirror the geometry and rechain everything.

It's not very elegant, but it's the only reliable way to do complex stuff

[jeff]

I copy/rename the file, mirror the geometry and rechain everything.

It's not very elegant, but it's the only reliable way to do complex stuff

Same here

[dforsythe]

I copy/rename the file, mirror the geometry and rechain everything.

It's not very elegant, but it's the only reliable way to do complex stuff

 

same here also

[RaiderX]

I copy/rename the file, mirror the geometry, create new wcs-t/cplane and reverse paths, change offset side and adjust lead in-out as needed.

 

not ideal but once you get a rhythm its not too bad. you will discover approaches to your shown part that will make mirror a bit more seamless once you do a few.

[mikechvz]

I copy/rename the file, mirror the geometry and rechain everything.

It's not very elegant, but it's the only reliable way to do complex stuff

 

same here!

[Acro Engineering]

I do the same thing at this point, I assumed that CNC would have a method to mirror the WCS? We use Inventor to create most all our models and drive the mirrored model from the original, it simply drives one from the other. I hate having to change two programs to work on mirrored details when a simple mirrored WCS would give us the same result. Has anyone discussed this with CNC software?

[Guyinthedesert]

I do the same, copy the file and then miror it.

 

Back in the old Bendix days, we used to just flip the invert X switch and use left hand cutters.

[Thee Rickster ™]

I copy/rename the file, mirror the geometry and rechain everything.

It's not very elegant, but it's the only reliable way to do complex stuff

 

also here

[Müřlıń®]

ditto......they should just take mirrored toolpaths out....causes more problems than it helps...I only use them whenever I want to crash....

 

And I disagree...it is a very elegant solution G

[gcode]

ditto......they should just take mirrored toolpaths out....causes more problems than it helps...I only use them whenever I want to crash....

 

And I disagree...it is a very elegant solution G

 

no.. elegant would be Transform/Mirror, Regen and post.

 

I use this frequently on drilling toolpaths and it works fine..

It works on dead simple milling files too... but complex stuff... not a chance.

[Josh T™]

Back in the old Bendix days, we used to just flip the invert X switch and use left hand cutters.

 

I had a customer that used left handed endmills for mirrored parts. Though it was the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

[Müřlıń®]

no.. elegant would be Transform/Mirror, Regen and post.

 

I use this frequently on drilling toolpaths and it works fine..

It works on dead simple milling files too... but complex stuff... not a chance.

 

lol ya I hear ya........ok perhaps it is an elegant "workaround" since the "solution" doesn't work....

[gcode]

lol ya I hear ya........ok perhaps it is an elegant "workaround" since the "solution" doesn't work....

 

to be fair, I don't think any Cad/Cam company has a transform /mirror utility that really works with complex parts

I think it would take sophisticated artificial intelligence to work reliably on complex aerospace parts

[MLS]

I can attest to that. It works similarly on simple parts in Mastercam and Catia although there are features that are kinda handy... but for the complex parts... Same story basically. Mirror and the simple toolpaths work fine, but often times you are re-picking geometry. Especially on 5 axis cuts.

[gms1]

I remember back in version 6 days it actually did work correctly. It just didn't work on all types of toolpaths. Somewhere along the line it was "upgraded" and completely broke how its suppose to work. Just the flip-flop button in the lead-in/lead-out page disappeared in some old version.