My understanding of OptiCore is the boundary you select is actually defining the stock you are cutting. If you want to contain the tool path in a boundary try using OptiArea.

Hope this helps.

I ended up describing the tool as a slot mill and using a custom profile on a level. I couldn't use the double angle tool so I ground up a back draft cutter and that did the trick. I had to scale the cutter to a radial 1" dim so the back plot would be accurate.

Thanks for all the help and ideas.

Doing a sf contour. Can't get it into the undercut.

I have forgotten how to do this. I need to describe a double angle cutter to cut a small undercut. It needs to be profiled but the cutter won't go into the undercut.

Here is the file

The geometry for the form cutter is on layer 100. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Tungaloy worked great for me and was cost effective against some other brands.

Done!

The surface editing tools alone make it worth the money. The electrode creator is nice for basic electrodes. Comes in handy if you don't have SW or NX.

LA CAMmer is right. That is exactly what my seed file does. But for 95% of the jobs I work on I use the levels I have defined and 1-2 viewsheets. I only run 3 axis mills so it is usually the main viewsheet and a viewsheet for the bottom side of the part.

Nothing I have found. Instead I created a "seed file" that has all my levels and viewsheets set so I don't have to go through turning off the levels in the individual viewsheets every time.

Hope this helps.

Save the .STL while your WCS is set to top. It does not matter what WCS your toolpath was created in. I use that feature all the time, and works works everytime as long as the .stl file was created when the WCS was set to the top.

I can email you a sample if you like.

That's how I do it and have no problems.

I use a template file that has all my levels, viewsheets, wcs, and machine groups all created for me. It also has a toolpath group as well. This would get rid of the error message for you.

Hope this helps.

All my parts are designed in either SW or NX so I am just importing parasolids. But many of my cores and cavities are 200mb with tool paths. Couldn't imagine how long it would take to save if they were all combined into 1 file.

I am a bit surprised to hear that people design an entire mold and base in 1 single file. When I program a mold each component has its own individual file. I have had too many files get corrupted to risk putting everything in one file. Using individual files makes it easy for importing tool paths from old parts into new files.

Just my $.02

You have to create geometry at the bottom of the hole and then you can extrude that edge with draft to create the drill point. When I need to do something like that I use this procedure.

Good luck!

I use project and Xform -> Translate all the time with no issues. I think you may have an isolated case. Do you have a sample file you can share?

I have been sending mine in and I have heard that the issues I have been having have been fixed for X7 (but I am hopeful they will come with MU3).

I use the toolpath all the time. I do run into this from time to time. I have seen it where I change the tool diameter and the error goes away (usually with a .125 cutter - will describe as .1248 and that has done the trick).

Hope this gets fixed in X7.

No it won't. The library toolpaths I created have the pitch already built in so I have yet to come across this as an issue (knock on wood).

All we do here is threadmill NPT threads. Our models don't have the treads modeled in - only tapered walls. I just created a tapered endmill profile and use that. When verifying the tapered endmill matches the taper of the hole and all is well. All green (except some blue at the bottom) in the STL verify.

If you are doing a HST Raster and using 0/30 for your shallow angles, do you adjust your RPM to suit your maximum cutting diameter?

For example - if you are using a 1/2 ball mill and cutting 0/30 shallow angles on a raster program - would you run the rpm's for a 1/4 ball mill? or 1/8 ball mill? (at 30 deg your cutting diameter would be 0.125").

What would you do about your feed? Run it for a 1/4 ball mill? Or 1/8 ball mill?

When I ran a CNC lathe (Fanuc 21i-T) all my finishing tool paths had cutter comp (G41/G42). Reason for this - most of my pieces I had to hold +/- .0005" on critical diameters. It was easier to use cutter comp to compensate for tool wear and machine growth. If I used computer for comp I would be constantly reprogramming and uploading new code (which would be a waste of time).

Just my $.02

Must be a video card issue then. I am running a Quadro 2000D and to do that 1 hole takes 27 sec.

Still don't see the mcx file. BUT - to recreate my toolpath draw a 1" circle. Using a 1/2 bull nose (R.125) do a .010" step down with starting at center to a depth of 1.38".

I am machining hardened 420ss at 55hrc using an OSG feedmill for roughing some leader pin holes. See what kind of results you get.

I don't see the mcx file in your Z2G file. Wanna try again?