How do I Extrude or Revolve a shape in a plane while rotating it in its plane?

[james.scott.berry]

I am attempting to draw a swept or extruded shape while rotating it at the same time in Mastercam X8.

 

To be specific, imagine a square with 4 holes in it in a square bolt hole pattern symmetric to the center of the square.  I would like to extrude/revolve the square to make a solid but I would also like to continuously rotate the square about its center by a total of 90 degrees as it is extruded or swept in its path.  This will result in the holes moving in a uniformly changing helical path.  The edges of the square will also twist so that, for example, the bottom edge rotates 90 degrees to become the right edge, etc. 

 

I understand that this would be very hard or impossible to machine as described but I actually plan to first make an STL so I can 3D print it then machine the final result in very short segments for machining purposes and put them together later.

 

 

Is this possible in Mastercam X8?

 

 

I can not figure it out if it is.  Can anyone tell me how to do it or if I am just wasting my time using Mastercam to do this?

 

Thank you for your help.

 

James Berry

Manufacturing Technology Student

[The Cathedral]

It should be very easy. You want to use the Solids > Sweep function. Create your geometry on a flat plane, the use Create > Helix to define an upward helix using the length and amount of rotation you want. Finding the proper place to put the helix to get the results you want in the tricky part. Extrude the geometry using the helix as the "along" chain. You might get some funky krinkling on the top or bottom (I don't know why) so I would suggest making the helix twice as long as you need, the trimming the solid to the length you want:

 

[DODGERFAN]

It should be very easy. You want to use the Solids > Sweep function. Create your geometry on a flat plane, the use Create > Helix to define an upward helix using the length and amount of rotation you want. Finding the proper place to put the helix to get the results you want in the tricky part. Extrude the geometry using the helix as the "along" chain. You might get some funky krinkling on the top or bottom (I don't know why) so I would suggest making the helix twice as long as you need, the trimming the solid to the length you want:

 

Capture.JPG

that's pretty cool right there.   Never needed to try that but maybe some day. 

[GIZMO 21]

hopefully I don't have to ever drill holes like that.

[crazy^millman]

hopefully I don't have to ever drill holes like that.

 

Through the tool drills are made with the holes straight and then the whole tool is twisted to create the twist needed in the drill and then the drills are finished timing to the holes created from the twisting process. Pretty neat what they can do not easily done even just 20 years ago.