First make sure your rectangles form a complete chained loop. Seems like your geometry may be at different Z heights and that would result in only a single lined chained entity. If that's the case project the rectangles to the same Z depth using your top construction plane.

Double post

Does this work? File/tracking/tracking options/uncheck tracking upper left

Would breaking all arcs into .0001 lengths give you your code?

fuzzy71e you have mail

A TiN (titanium nitride) drill would help. I believe you want a twist drill point that has a 118-degree geometry. It’s a good all-around bit for making holes in mild steel and aluminum. A TiN coating makes the bit’s surface harder and gives it a slick surface for easy chip removal. It has a distinctive gold color. TiN twist-drill bits can drill at higher speeds and heavier feeds and work well in most metals Did you look in the machinest handbook for some ideas? Your could also have a lubricant situation if your just using coolant. You ever try kerosene? At first I was thinking colbalt drills but.. Cobalt bits have a thicker web, increasing the drilling thrust needed to make a hole. HSS are good for drilling in iron and steel but not for drilling softer metals. As far as chip load per tooth? Maybe .002

quote: I also rectify the problem by making a new identical path and then delete the old one. Sometimes the one with the problem cant be adjustd to ever work again. That has happened to me in wire edm many times. Only once or twice in mill. In wire I would need to constantly edit programs because of day burns vs night burns. You start taking a large job in the wire and constantly edit the paths and after awhile it don't likey.

Right click in your toolpath manager/ then go to properties/then go to files/then click on the explaination point aside (operation defaults). Click on the wire contour tab and parameters. Click on wire power/then click on the explaination point aside (power Library)/ Change the wire size there and then save. HTH

quote: My question is how can I copy the tool paths and apply it to my next part and rechain?You did rechain your geometry right? It's working fine for me as I just tried it.

John, Ya did it again thanks. I was missing that last part as I never clicked the arrow afterwards. Learned something today!

Don't know if I'm the only one that can't do that. Maybe it's a system windows 2000 thingy. It only takes me to a folder and then won't show the mcx file I want. It will take me to a folder and in that folder I may have 30 mcx files with toolpaths and then will only display the operations of a file I wasn't able to choose. Hope your following that. Since that doesn't work I just export the ops I want to a folder in my operations library. Then open the file I am working on then import. It only works this way for me unless someone can think of something I'm missing on this.

HEy toolman how's it goin'? I think you just need to get used to the create line tangent. My method is I lock in the angle and type in a line length, then I bring my curser close to the entity and when it highlights without the autocurser kicking in (or hit Ctrl as Millman stated)I click with the mouse and choose the line I want. Try it several more times at various angles. Yeah that's it, try it Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket. Are you using X2 for wire all the time, or sometimes Esprit?

Gregs too fast today.

View then viewports. Take your pick. You can also slide your windows line inbetween the views.

LOL Multi

quote: I should add that I think that it only does this when I copy or move tool path to another tool path groupI will get the notice shown below from the tools manager when bringing into a new machine group. I then pick no when I'm asked do I wish to create another tool. I have no duplicate problems when working inside another toolpath group. Do you mean machine group?

I do that often I'll be in 3D top construction plane Then I'll completely chain the 2D geometry around and check extend to point. Then I select the point. That doesn't work for ya? MAybe you need to Xform project the geo. to a flat plane again.

How about setting your toolpath with the way you want for the bore then export it to your operation library and label a new group as "bore no cutter comp" with just that operation. Then just import the op next time and reselect geometry and z depths. [ 02-20-2008, 09:56 AM: Message edited by: edmBosto ]

MAtt, quote: This is a little over my head. quote: If something's hard, then it's not worth doing. - Homer Simpson

Matt, Why don't you think about just making a 4 sided electrode and CNC mill it on its side. Index the electrode using the 4 pins on a 3R cube. You can use a .015 carbide reg length ball bill that way. Have the geo. steel size and program it as .0125 dia. cutter for your gap.

MAtt, May I suggest you wire your electrode lying on its side. I do realize it's on an angle. So you could wire it with it angled @ 5 degrees or straight . If straight the steel will be on a 5 deg. angle when it is burned. Make it a single sided trode on it's top edge only or you can wire the shape with one wired contour on ea. side for a 2 sided electrode. Shoot for a .002 to .0025 spark gap. You could side burn the steel or use a right angle head on the edm machine. EDIT: Just reread your post Matt. 50 or 60 of these? Ok my suggestion would be too time consuming.

quote: The net surface appears to have kinks or bends in it that, although small in size, appear to not touch the wireframe geometry in several places. Kind of looks like flats when you zoom in. This also shows up in the cuts.This may not be the answer but try setting your shading tolerance of this file to .0002. The edges may look much better but that won't affect the toolpath. Also try filtering your toolpath to .0002 if you have not done so yet as that should smooth out the cut better.

What do you guys think is easier for designing detailed grahite electrodes with or without the spark offset? That's taking areas of the steel for the graphite in sections. We have pro-e and the solids add-on for MCX. Now you throw Solidworks in there which I have never used and it makes me wonder if that is a better way to go. Any comments on the solid works for electrodes VS pro-e, and mastercam? Thanks

I believe you need to change it in your operations from toolpath manager. I switched my default contour to filter the tool, and it stayed after calling up the op. Then I switched it off again, then called the contour op up again and it was unchecked. It worked for me.