You can toolpath directly on an STL without converting it to surfaces; may be faster.

So as you know, I'm running a Haas VF-3SS. It uses G187 for "high feed" settings. G187 P1 E.030 means a loose, smooth roughing motion, while G187 P3 E.002 means slow down more in corners to achieve higher accuracy for finishing. What I'm thinking is to toggle between these two modes depending on whether we're in the cut or in the back-feed, because as it is the machine doesn't know which we're doing and slows down to maintain precision on the back-feed. As I understand it the hardest part would be having the post figure out whether any given move is in the cut or not. The control does the kinematically aware bit already.

I was watching my machine cut a flowline surface, and it will do the cut just how I want, then decelerate to make the corner to pick up, decelerate to make the corner to feed back (at a programmed 833IPM), decelerate to make the corner to feed down, then cut again. Has anyone set up their post to apply different smoothing / accuracy / HSM settings for the back-feed? I might hand code some in to see how it works.

The Wayback Machine has some snapshots: https://web.archive.org/web/20160418035446/http://www.mtbtech.net/blog/2012/11/13/5-Axis-Machining-Demystified-Part-One.aspx

Does Calmotion guarantee parts and support for a certain number of years?

Are you looking at it from the top or the bottom?

When we setup Productivity+ here we already had Renishaw macros on the machine, so we used a separate block of program numbers and variables for Productivity+ to keep them from stepping on each other's toes. Only drawback is I have to calibrate twice.

Never leave witnesses.

Ok, I fingered out that what I want is the UNJ thread-form. That helps. Scientific Cutting Tools has them.

I have some Harvey single profile "for hard materials" that are tipped off with a flat, and they work great for most of my applications. Didn't think of using a DA cutter, I'll look into that. Thanks!

Does anyone make off-the-shelf threadmills with a tip radius? I know a few that have a tip flat, but this is a high stress thread and engineering is requesting a radius in the root of the thread. Looking to make a male 10-32. Thanks!

Just show the print to the machine and hit the button!

Edit: I think I know what you're asking now. I do something similar when engraving part numbers with a small ball endmill canted 45° from the surface. What I do is make a wireframe on the centerline of what I want to engrave, then offset it from the surface by the radius of the ball (or lollipop in your case) minus the engraving depth, then do a 3d contour with comp off (at centerline) and drop the tool down by it's radius. You'll need to include your lead-in and lead-out in your geometry to avoid gouging.

So it seems your machine is switching back to G54 on reset. What does position show when you run a program in another offset? Ah, looky what I found: https://www.emastercam.com/forums/topic/35890-haas-offset-activating/

If it's the same as my 2015, when you hit the "position" button it cycles between machine, distance to go, operator, and the current work offset.