Opti-Rest

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

Hey All,

I've run into this problem before and can't find the solution. When using Opti-Rest I sometimes get ramping into pockets from the top of the referenced stock model. Not sure why or how to fix this?

 

-Josh

 

[crazy^millman]

Use the Steep/Shallow settings to control this. What process are you using to control the trim to stock? I use the Verisurf Reverse Add-on to crop my STL files to exact sizes I need. I then save them out as a file and then use that as my CAD file. I helps in reducing the size of the files and also helps me isolate certain areas for roughing without having to have the toolpaths look at these 1 milliom plus face stl files.

 

Here are some examples and on this one I am doing a 3+2 operation on the 5 axis machine. Part was roughed in a 3 axis machine to keep the one 5 axis machine only doing the needed 5 axis work. The other ones is another section of Opti-Rest doing one section: The last one as the full part.

 

#1 has 71799 faces.

#2 has 131343 faces.

Full has 779220 faces.

 

The ability you get to crop your STL files and create slices from the STL to use for other things I think helps people who invest in the reverse module from Verisurf.

 

Pictures removed to give me room.

Edited January 16, 2014 by Crazy^Millman

[scooke4073]

Steep/shallow. Use Z depths to force the tool to start deeper? Just a thought.

 

or maybe break the part up into sections using containment boundaries?

 

I've run into this problem before...not sure if there is a real solution.

[Newbeeee™]

Steep/shallow. Use Z depths to force the tool to start deeper? Just a thought.

This has worked for me in the past (talking X5 here). Haven't done much with 7 yet...

[Müřlıń®]

I have found that OptiRest works best for me with an STL as stock from all previous ops.

 

The advantage being you can view them in verify and see what is going on . And also you don't have to use steep shallow and it wont start from top of stock.

[Delcandoit]

One issue that I noticed before X7 MU1 was that if the area being looked at by an Opti path was below Z0. the retracts would end be well above where you tell them to be and the only way to fix it was to either edit the toolpath manually using the toolpath editor, using a different toolpath, or getting the region being cut above Z0.

 

The problem seems to have been addressed with the release of MU1 and it only happened with Opti toolpaths for me.

 

In the Linking Parameters playing with Minimum Vertical Retract or Minimum Distance may help instead of using Full Vertical Retract as shown in your screenshot. Steep/Shallow will also do it as mentioned previously.

[Joe957]

I am having a similar if not the same issue with opti-rest. (X7 MU1) I have a containment boundary set, using steep/shallow, retract height and clearance heights set, but the tool will retract above the stock model no matter what settings I use (which is unfortunately about 5 inches above where I am machining). I have tried using previous operations, cad file, and stock model (as 1 operation) for the remaining stock, but get the same result.

file was sent to mastercam to have a look.

 

first post btw. been watching from the sidelines for a while.... great forum.

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

Joe. I feel your pain. This wasn't a problem when Opti-Rest first came out. This seems to be a new bug. LMK what you find out.

 

Thanks for all the input guys.

 

-Josh

[Jeremy Herron@DBS Solutions™]

I have seen this as well. I have not had a chance to send it to QC yet though.

[Delcandoit]

When I reported the issue to my reseller they told me that it was a known issue with no work around as of yet. I just have to use a different toolpath when the problem occurs.

[David Conigliaro CNC Software Inc.]

Yes, a known issue. We had to change things for X7 which introduced this 'problem'. We did it because people were bumping holders into rest material stock before this change in X7. It was a luck thing, you might go years without any issues and then that one job comes along with the right conditions and your holder collides with rest stock. There was no awareness of the rest stock's update shape as you roughed during linking. We made a quick change to ensure safe motion, which potentially introduces these high retracts. We had to choose safety over potential collisions. We are currently investigating another incremental improvement to address these high retracts. This is a very active subject in Mastercam development at this time.

 

The whole reason this has come to be is because never before did a rest rough toolpath step down and then step up. Standard rest rough linking could always assume there was no rest stock above the active stepdown so the linker could simply clear the previous stepdown Z location for a retract height, you could absolutely trust in this assumption. Trustworthy assumptions save processing time. But this assumption has proved not true for OptiRest, the linker cannot assume all Z locations above it have been cleared. So the long term solution is to engineer a live in-process stock removal calculation so the linker will know the exact shape of rest material at any given moment in the toolpath when it has to sort out linking. All that while also not introducing significant processing time! That is not an easy project. So for now we have what we have, safe motion, and we are working on yet another incremental solution to improve things further. Then we tackle a robust long term solution...

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

I can't even begin to imagine how you guys write the logic for this stuff. I can't live without optipath and the stock model. It's been a blessing to use all these great tools. I can't wait till this issue get's resolved and we have an even better tool!

 

-Josh

[Jeremy Herron@DBS Solutions™]

Thanks for the update David.

[David Conigliaro CNC Software Inc.]

We have made progress. We are testing an approach to reduce the high retracts at this time. Hopefully this method checks out and can be incorporated into X8 safely, which is right around the corner...a technical preview of X8 is already in our users hands.

[Thee Rickster ™]

David, is it going to be fixed in X7 for those that may not get to X8 for a while?

 

I don't use .stl's only stock models.

[crazy^millman]

Rick I would think not, but could be wrong. I suspect X8 before we see the fix.

[MrFish]

I am having a similar if not the same issue with opti-rest. (X7 MU1) I have a containment boundary set, using steep/shallow, retract height and clearance heights set, but the tool will retract above the stock model no matter what settings I use (which is unfortunately about 5 inches above where I am machining). I have tried using previous operations, cad file, and stock model (as 1 operation) for the remaining stock, but get the same result.

file was sent to mastercam to have a look.

 

first post btw. been watching from the sidelines for a while.... great forum.

 

Very similar problem that was sent to QC, head was tilted over to access some angles slots ,but would retract to some random clearance plan miles above the job on every retract. Anyway I am told it is being looked at.

[David Conigliaro CNC Software Inc.]

This fix in X7 MU2 is a long shot...