Flowline Sart Position

[dan.w]

Hi -

I'm working on an undercut surface.

From my understanding my choices are flowline or morph?

I have gotten pretty close with the flowline path, but the issue is which of my three surfaces it wants to start on.   It always wants to begin on the middle surface segment circled below, instead of the end.   How is the flowline start position determined when you have multiple surfaces - can I control this?   Is it pick order?

Thanks

Dan

[horry]

try to create just one surface. then apply toolpath

[Guest]

^^^^^^^

That's really the easiest way to have the greatest control

[Goldorak]

^^^^ all of the above 

Flowline didn't like multisurface 

a swepted surface will give you a better result 

[nickbe10]

Blend toolpath is another option for undercut surfaces, selecting which direction to project your blend contours would be the key here......Again the single swept surface will always help you out, regardless of toolpath. 

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, nickbe10 said:

Blend toolpath is another option for undercut surfaces, selecting which direction to project your blend contours would be the key here......Again the single swept surface will always help you out, regardless of toolpath. 

You sure about that?    I don't think Blend will perform an undercut

[Colin Gilchrist]

Surface Finish Contour is your "go to" here.

Also, "Direction" button gives you Surface "Lead in/out" motion.

[Colin Gilchrist]

 

[Guest]

Flowline on a nice swept surface

UNDERCUT.mcam

[nickbe10]

2 hours ago, JParis said:

You sure about that?    I don't think Blend will perform an undercut

Yep, done it numerous times. And you can project your Blend contours from a different C plane than the T plane, which can be useful. Just have to remember the lines control the tip/center not the edge. Will work with non ball-nose too. I've done it with mini wheel cutters (keyway cutters) with a corner rad.

I've still got the test part form the first time I tried it. Amazingly good finish considering everything........I'll try and remember and take a pic and post it.

[Guest]

15 hours ago, nickbe10 said:

Yep, done it numerous times. And you can project your Blend contours from a different C plane than the T plane, which can be useful. Just have to remember the lines control the tip/center not the edge. Will work with non ball-nose too. I've done it with mini wheel cutters (keyway cutters) with a corner rad.

I've still got the test part form the first time I tried it. Amazingly good finish considering everything........I'll try and remember and take a pic and post it.

I for one would be curious to see what you're doing.....I suspect you are not using blend alone.....which if you're projecting really doesn't fit the "Blend will do undercuts" as by itself, it will not.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Guest

[Colin Gilchrist]

If you remember John, Blend used to be called "Surface > Finish > Project Blend". By changing the Construction Plane, you change the "projection view". You may have to extend some surfaces, but it should work. Still need to use "Direction" to get in/out of the cut...

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Colin Gilchrist said:

By changing the Construction Plane, you change the "projection view".

Well SOB, just learned something new......

[nickbe10]

1 hour ago, JParis said:

Well SOB, just learned something new......

Amen to that, especially if you are paying attention!!

I have to admit I am a bit of Blendophile. So although it is not suitable for many applications (as Colin said SFC is usually the way to go on undercuts) I just like the toolpath because it is so versatile. Acroos, Along, Chain a point and Spiral......And it seems to deal with badly trimmed surfaces better than the other toolpaths......I like the control the curves gives you....

It's definitely one of my go to toolpaths, and much under used so I try and push it whenever something like this comes up......

[nickbe10]

1 hour ago, Colin Gilchrist said:

You may have to extend some surfaces

 

1 hour ago, JParis said:

Well SOB, just learned something new

Oh yeah, just remembered to say, way back in my dim and distant past there was this guy training me to use Mastercam "properly". One of the things that will always stick with me:

"Whenever I am surfacing I always like to un trim the surfaces to see what I get...."

Thanks C.

[huskermcdoogle]

That is almost always the first thing I do, un-trim surfaces to see how they were imported.  Or at the very least look at the UV curves to understand what you are working with.  I have been playing a lot with Morph and then using 2d containment on the path.  I still say morph is the best path since sliced bread.  I need to get back to playing with the regular 3D suite and get back up to speed on those "native" paths.  These days all I use is Drill, Circle Mill, Contour, MW Morph, MW Parallel, MW Swarf, and MW Project....  If I didn't have anything else, I'd still be good.

But it always amazes me how much I have forgotten about the regular 3D toolpaths, and how much I truly didn't know and still don't know about their capability.

Thanks for the tip on using a different construction plane for blend, this will be handy someday for sure.  Is there any good reference material out there on applications of changing the construction plane?

 

[nickbe10]

29 minutes ago, huskermcdoogle said:

Is there any good reference material out there on applications of changing the construction plane?

This is the only path where I use a different C plane and T plane. But I think there are other instances.....Right Angle heads maybe?

Perhaps Colin could help here......I know of no documentation.....

[Colin Gilchrist]

Most of the surfacing stuff I've just picked up over the years.

I first learned about "the purpose" of a Construction Plane, in regards to Tool Path creation, when I worked on a Right Angle Head project for V9. My customer had a 3X VMC router, that was making necks for guitars. They had added a Wheel Cutter, mounted on a block, with an auxiliary spindle, underneath the main spindle. (Rotation about the "Y" axis.)

We were using an Aggregate Head attachment in the Machine Definition, which maps the Planes back to Top. We were using Front Toolplane, and Top Construction Plane, with Surface Finish Parallel. I think it was a 6 inch diameter, by 1 inch thick, full radius cutter. It worked really well...

[Colin Gilchrist]

No documentation I know of, besides the Mastercam Help File. That is where I've picked up a lot of my knowledge. Read the help entry for each control, then play with the settings, regenerate, and examine the results.

I'd love to write a book on using Mastercam, but who has the time?

I've forgotten so much already. It would be nice to pass along more of my knowledge before it's gone. I've only got so much room for storage in my brain, and unfortunately, I keep learning new things almost every day.

[huskermcdoogle]

15 hours ago, Colin Gilchrist said:

I've only got so much room for storage in my brain, and unfortunately, I keep learning new things almost every day.

I keep saying I need more RAM!

[nickbe10]

On ‎12‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 7:19 PM, Colin Gilchrist said:

I've forgotten so much already.

 

18 hours ago, huskermcdoogle said:

I keep saying I need more RAM!

I'm old enough now I just chalk it up to early onset, the key words being "dim" and "distant"........