FeatureCAM Whats New 2012 R3
FeatureCAM Whats New 2012 R3
FeatureCAM Whats New 2012 R3
What's New
Contents
What's New in FeatureCAM 2012 R3
General: Only one user can edit FeatureCAM files at a time .............................. 1
General: Enter custom G-code into the NC program .......................................... 2
General: Soft errors ............................................................................................ 4
User interface: Set priority for multiple operations on the Op List ....................... 4
Paste special: Copy attributes from one feature to many.................................... 4
Stock: Shaded and translucent ........................................................................... 6
Import: New surface naming scheme groups surfaces ....................................... 7
Import: PTC Creo files supported ....................................................................... 7
Tool mapping: 8-digit Diameter & Length offset registers ................................... 7
Toolpath edit: Insert multiple lines of G-code ...................................................... 8
2.5D: Rough cutter comp. machining attribute .................................................... 8
2.5D: New technology (NT) toolpaths for Side features ...................................... 9
2.5D: Select Holes by depth or diameter .......................................................... 13
Viewing modes: Horizontal milling and vertical lathe ........................................ 14
MTT: Better user interface ................................................................................ 14
Tool database: FeatureCAM add-in to import TDM tools .................................. 15
API: Help........................................................................................................... 15
16
Contents i
44
80
2.5D: Use stock models as rest material, eliminate air cutting .......................... 81
2.5D: Drilling: Counterbore before drill .............................................................. 84
Simulation: Performance improvement ............................................................. 85
User interface: improved warnings and errors .................................................. 85
3D: 4 axis: Co-angular moves removed ............................................................ 85
XBUILD: Tool name for Siemens controls ........................................................ 85
XBUILD: Material name .................................................................................... 85
XBUILD: 2.5D: Maximum depth ........................................................................ 86
XBUILD: Nominal and plunge feed ................................................................... 86
XBUILD: MTT: Turning mode for spindle .......................................................... 86
Wire: Leave Allowance negative value allowed ................................................ 86
87
ii Contents
99
Index
143
Contents iii
What's New in
FeatureCAM 2012 R3
2 In the From Feature section, select Toolpath and click Next. The
New Feature - Curve or Operation page is displayed.
3 Select the NC code text option and enter M00 (or M01).
4 Click Next. The New Feature - Toolpath feature page is displayed.
This page has the same toolpath editing buttons as the Toolpaths
tab in the Toolpath Properties dialog.
5 Click Finish. The Toolpath feature is listed in the Part View and on
the Op List tab.
6 Simulate the Toolpath feature. In this example, there are no
toolpaths to see, but you must simulate the feature to produce
the NC code.
7 View the NC code on the NC Code tab.
If a Toolpath feature consists only of G-code, FeatureCAM
does not display the Tools or F/S tabs in the Toolpath
Properties dialog.
Feed/Speed overrides
Tool overrides
Machining Attributes
7 Select whether you want to Copy only the attributes that were set
on the feature or Copy all machining attributes in effect for the
feature.
8 Select the features you want to copy the attributes to.
9 Click Finish.
And with Shade stock by default selected with a Stock Opacity of 0.3:
Click the new Stepover Options button to open the new Rough
Stepover Options dialog:
At feature level, set the Stepover type in the new menu on the
Strategy tab of the feature's Properties dialog:
If you are using Individual rough levels, you can set the Cut type for
each individual rough pass.
NT Side example
This example shows a centerline simulation of a Side feature using
the traditional Spiral stepover type:
API: Help
All new documentation for FeatureCAM's API is now available from
the FeatureCAM help file, making writing FeatureCAM addins easier
than ever before. Select Help > FeatureCAM API Help from the menu
to access it.
What's New in
FeatureCAM 2012 R2
After you click OK, the new configuration is shown in the list of
available configurations, with a group
icon and is followed by (w)
in menu items:
Import improvements
FeatureCAM 2012 R2 can read Pro/E Family Tables, which are
multiple configurations of a given part.
SolidEdge ST4 is now supported.
Click the new Stepover Options button to open the new Rough
Stepover Options dialog:
The NT toolpaths are available in the Stepover menu along with the
traditional Spiral and Zigzag toolpaths.
At feature level, set the Stepover type in the new menu on the
Strategy tab of the feature's Properties dialog:
If you are using Individual rough levels, you can set the Cut type for
each individual rough pass.
NT Spiral example
This example part includes a Boss feature and a Pocket feature,
outlined in red:
This is the same feature cut using the new technology Stepover type
of NT Spiral:
This replaces the standard offset with a smoother one that can
achieve higher feed rates.
Stepover differences
There are some differences in the attributes available for NT
toolpaths on the feature Stepover tab:
There are two Ramp type options for the NT toolpaths:
NT toolpath example:
Boss feature
For a Boss feature, the toolpath has a lot fewer retracts and plunges
at the edge of the Stock.
NT toolpath example:
The benefit of this is that you can use fewer tools to machine a part.
Example
This example part has a Face and Chamfer features on the top and
on the side:
a Face Mill to cut the top Face, then indexed around to cut the
side Face.
Instead of the default Face Mill, you can create a new Face Mill with
a Chamfer, for example:
Set this new tool as the override for the Face feature, and then use
it to cut the Chamfer features, by overriding the default tools in the
Op List.
After simulating the part again, you can see that the new Face Mill
tool cuts both the Face features and the Chamfers:
In this example, the chamfered Face Mill tool is too large to cut the
Chamfer on the side of the part:
FeatureCAM give a warning and you can change the tool for this
Chamfer back to the default tool.
Using a chamfered Face Mill tool, you can cut this particular part
with two tools instead of three:
a chamfered Face Mill to cut the top Face, the top Chamfer, then
indexed around to cut the side Face
With Flat Srf support enabled, FeatureCAM adds a final profile pass,
:
The boundary is saved as Curves, which are listed in the Part View.
To use some or all of these curves as the boundary of another
operation:
1 Select the Select curves for boundaries option on the Stock tab of
the second operation.
2 Click the Curve Options button to open the Boundary Curve
dialog.
3 Click the Boundaries button to open the Select Boundary Curves
dialog.
4 Select the box(es) next to the curve(s) you want to use.
Hold down the Shift key to select multiple consecutive
curves.
5 Click OK to save and close the Select Boundary Curves dialog.
6 Click OK to save and close the Boundary Curve dialog.
7 Simulate the second operation.
The simulation is quicker because FeatureCAM does not need to
calculate the boundary again.
Example
This example part uses a Z-level finish operation restricted to the
steep areas only, using the Vertical only option on the Slopes tab,
followed by a 3D spiral operation on the shallow areas.
1 Simulate the Z-level finish operation.
FeatureCAM takes a short time to calculate the boundary and
you see a Calculating boundary message on the progress bar.
When it is complete, the toolpath looks like this:
This option is available only after you have used Step Forward
from this menu or the Single Step
Simulation toolbar.
button on the
To use this feature, you must select Save result files during 3D
sim on the 2D/3D Shaded tab of the Simulation Options dialog.
To use it, select the new option Machine tool and post support
cylindrical interpolation in the General Information dialog in XBUILD:
Other improvements
What's New in
FeatureCAM 2012
Isometric 3:
Isometric 4:
This tab lets you assign your own shortcut keys to the FeatureCAM
menu commands.
To set a new shortcut key:
1 Select a category from the Categories list.
2 Select a command from the Commands list.
If the command already has a shortcut, it is listed under Current
keys.
3 To assign a new key, select the Press new shortcut key field and
press the keys that you want to use as the shortcut.
Press the keys on the keyboard, for example, press and
hold down the Alt key and press the N key; do not type ALT
+ N.
A warning displays if the shortcut you entered is already
assigned to a command.
4 Click the Assign button to save the new shortcut.
If you click Assign after receiving a warning that the
shortcut is already assigned to a command, the shortcut is
removed from the existing command and assigned to the
new command.
On the Overrides tab of the Tool Properties dialog. You can set
cutting data for the tool for all materials and operations.
On the Feed/Speeds tab of the Tool Properties dialog. You can set
cutting conditions by material, operation, and cut type. These
override any settings on the Overrides tab.
You can override these settings at feature operation level.
We have the choice of three form tools to cut this Side feature:
Viewing the simulation of the toolpath from the front, we can use
the Vertical Distance
button on the Geometry toolbar to check
that the 8 mm Depth override has been applied to the rough pass:
These values are used unless you set any material-based overrides
on the Feed/Speed tab.
Again, we can check that the 1.5 mm maximum Depth (of cut)
override has been applied to the ALUMINUM stock:
The default Finish behavior is a single pass around the profile of the
feature, up to the Cutter Length of the tool. This is to avoid leaving a
mark on the side wall of the feature.
You can override both the Rough and Finish depth of cut in several
places, from lowest to highest precedence:
The final depth of cut depends on whether you have selected Equal
depth of cut on the Misc. tab of the Feature Properties dialog.
The Add NC Code Text dialog lets you insert NC code before the
selected point and optionally add a comment.
For example, you could enter a M00 conditional stop at a particular
point in order to check the tool:
Click the Apply button, then the OK button, and the NC code and
comment are added to the Toolpaths tab to the row above the
selected row, for example:
And after simulation, you can see the code on the NC Code tab, for
example:
Your post must support dwell and EDF text to use these new
features.
Toolpath feature displayed as lines
When you create a Toolpath feature and select the Toolpaths tab,
you can now see the full lines of the toolpath, for example:
Toolpath lines are displayed by default, but you can turn them on
and off in the context menu of the new Options
button. Select or
deselect Display lines:
Select from:
You must enter the Diameter, Depth, Bore Depth, and Bore Diameter
dimensions for the Back Bore Hole.
If your post processor supports it, you can select a Drill Cycle type
and enter Dwell, X Shift, and Y Shift values.
4-axis
5-axis positioning
5-axis simultaneous
Turning
Turn/mill
Wire
To do a part compare:
1 Right-click the solid part you want to use for the part compare
and select Use Solid As Part Compare Target from the context
menu.
2 Run a 3D or RapidCut simulation on the part.
You can not run a RapidCut simulation on turned, indexed,
or multiple-fixture parts.
3 Select View > Simulation > Show Part Compare from the menu.
4 Check if there are any areas of your part that are shown in blue,
these parts have not been cut or are undercut. Areas that have
been cut correctly are shown in green.
This example shows a 5-axis part after a 3D simulation:
By using part compare, you can see that a chamfer has been
missed when programming the part. This is the area shown in blue:
There is a new option, Solid, on the Holder Drawing tab for turn
tools.
To set a solid model as a tool holder:
1 Import the solid model that represents the tool holder.
2 Position the solid model (see page 72) so that the point zero is in
the correct place.
3 On the Holder Drawing tab in the Tool Properties dialog, select
Solid, and in the Set section, select the name of the solid holder
you imported and click the Set selected button.
In this example, a *.x_t solid file of the tool holder was imported.
c Using Line from two points, create two sketch lines along the
mounting edge of the faces, for example:
d Hide the two faces to show only the two sketch lines.
Use the Clip tool to clip the ends of the lines beyond the
intersection:
You are left with a sketch of the exact zero point to use to
position the holder correctly.
4 You now need a reference point to move the holder to. You can
do this using the following method:
a Select the Holder Drawing tab in the current Tool Properties
dialog.
b Select Curve and click the Paste Example button:
You can now see the pasted curve and the solid holder in the
Graphics window:
d Click the To pick location button and select the zero point of
the pasted holder curve:
e Click the Preview button to check the new location of the solid
holder. The preview is shown in blue:
6 Turn the solid holder shading back on and you can see the
position of the tool insert curve relative to the holder:
7 You can now delete the holder curves you pasted earlier.
8 If you look at the solid holder from the front, there is a recess
where the insert sits:
e Click OK to continue.
11 Hide the imported solid and show the part solid.
What's New in
FeatureCAM 2011 R3
Rectangular pocket
Boss
Side
Chamfer
Slot
Step Bore
Boss
Side
What's New in
FeatureCAM 2011 R2
Top first - machines from the top regions downwards. If you have
a boss, the shallow regions at the top of the boss are machined
before the steep regions down the sides.
Steep first - machines the steep sections before the flat. If you
have a boss, the steep regions are machined before the shallow
regions.
Options
Threshold angle - the surface slope, measured from the horizontal,
that determines the split between constant Z (steep) and shallow
machining.
Overlap distance - the size of the overlap area between steep and
shallow machining. This minimises marks on the model caused by a
sudden switch between steep and shallow machining.
Steep
Spiral - produces a spiral path between two consecutive closed
contours. This minimises the number of lifts of the tool and
maximises cutting time while maintaining more constant load
conditions and deflections on the tool.
Shallow
Select from:
Parallel
to this:
This produces a tangential lead move that, in the case of a Lead In,
starts at the center of the pocket (a Lead Out finishes at the center).
The center is the center of the box that encloses the closed
segment. This option is particularly useful when profiling pocket
features which have been pre-drilled at the center, although it can
be used with any closed segment.
There is a new option for parallel strategies. Optimize parallel pass If you create a parallel toolpath and select Add perpendicular
remachining pass, with a Steep slope angle greater than 0 , the
Optimize parallel pass option trims the parallel pass so it doesn't
machine the areas that the perpendicular pass machines.
The default second offset register number is the Tool number plus
the Increment for tool slot's 2nd offset register on the Misc. tab of
Machining Attributes for Turn. The default increment is 20.
For example, if the Tool number is 5, the offset register for the
program point side of the tool is 5. The offset register for the other
side of the tool is 25 (5 + 20).
The Tool Mapping dialog has a new field and a new column, 2nd
Length, for Groove tools:
Override the default values for the tool in the Tool Mapping dialog.
What's New in
FeatureCAM 2011
There are new look buttons and icons (see page 103) in the user
interface.
You can now open parts with lots of geometry and features in
half the time.
2.5D
You can now index around the Z axis (see page 108).
You can now set feed rates as IPT (inches per tooth) or MMPT
(mm per tooth) (see page 110).
You can now set a default facing angle (see page 112).
3D
There is now a 3D Lite (see page 113) component for when you
want basic 3D milling capabilities.
You can now create stock models for Z-level roughing (see page
114) operations.
You can now cut Z-level finish undercuts using Side Mill tools
(see page 117).
Machine simulation
Solid
5-axis positioning
You can now create 5-axis holes (see page 122) more easily.
5-axis simultaneous
There are two new options (see page 125) for Tilt Axis for Gouge
Avoidance.
Turn
Wire
There are new automatic ordering options (see page 128) for
wire.
You can tell FeatureCAM to keep the wire vertical (see page 129)
after Retract and Cutoff operations.
XBUILD
You can now set the exact angles of machine tables (see page
134).
You can set the Euler Angles ordering for Generic machines (see
page 135).
New reserved word (see page 135) for machines that don't
support plane spatial, but do support cycle 10.
API
There has been a major Sax BASIC upgrade (see page 136).
Requirements
The 64-bit version requires:
64-bit hardware.
There are also two new user interface styles. As well as the Classic
style, you can now choose Shaded Grey or Glass on the Toolbars tab
of the Customize Toolbars dialog:
Here you can enter the width of the chamfers and other options.
The chamfers are highlighted on the model, for example:
By selecting 4th Axis Positioning and Index around the STOCK Z Axis,
the holes can be cut by rotating around the Z axis:
That code displays in the brackets after the new option name, for
example:
3D Lite lets you mill only one surface per feature, but you can
create multiple features.
The strategies available in 3D Lite are:
Z-level rough
Parallel rough
Parallel finish
Isoline
2D spiral
When you click the Add Stock Model menu item, the new Add Stock
Model dialog opens. This contains an option for the new method of
creating a stock model from a Z-level roughing operation, Operation
results:
Enter a Name for the stock model, and the stock model shows under
Stock Models in the Part Tree, for example:
The stock model you created is available for you to use for
subsequent surface milling operations on the Stock tab of the
Surface Milling Properties dialog, for example:
When you select the Undercuts option on the Strategy tab, the
Machining Side tab displays in the dialog at the surface feature
level:
Side Mill tools are now available for Z-level finish operations:
From the menu, select Construct > Solid > Modifiers > Chamfer.
button in the
2 Optionally enter a Name for the solid, or leave the default name.
3 If you want to chamfer all the edges of a face, select it in the
Face list, or click the Pick surface
the Graphics window.
To create a 5-axis Hole feature on the drafted corner side area, you
just need a circle in the correct position, in this example parallel
with the drafted face:
The New Feature wizard opens with Hole in the From Dimensions
section selected:
3 Click Next.
The New Feature - Dimensions page opens. FeatureCAM uses the
Diameter from the circle by default, for example:
4 Optionally change the Diameter, and any other options you need.
5 Click Finish.
Lead then Lean - if a collision is detected, the tool tilts from the
original axis in the Lead direction until the collision is avoided. If the
collision can't be avoided by tilting the tool in the Lead direction, the
tool tilts in the Lean direction until the collision is avoided.
Lean then Lead - if a collision is detected, the tool tilts from the
original axis in the Lean direction until the collision is avoided. If the
collision can't be avoided by tilting the tool in the Lean direction, the
tool tilts in the Lead direction until the collision is avoided.
This creates the desired result with one toolpath and there is no
need to create any additional geometry.
This can reduce the tool life and also result in chips being dragged
along the face of the part.
Do Cutoffs last - all retracts are done together, then cutoffs, then
contours
You can access the Automatic Ordering Options dialog for wire from
the new Operations tab in Machining Attributes:
Click the Wire EDM Ordering button to open the Automatic Ordering
Options dialog.
Don't show this dialog next time - select this option if you don't want
to see the Ordering dialog the next time you start simulation.
OK - click OK to save any changes, close the Ordering dialog, and
continue with simulation.
Cancel - click Cancel to close the Ordering dialog and stop
simulation.
You can also open the Automatic Ordering Options dialog by clicking
the Automatic ordering options button on the Op List tab:
To use the new option for an individual feature, select the Keep wire
vertical at retract option on the Strategy page of the Feature
Properties dialog:
If you deselect Use lead angle, FeatureCAM uses the start point of a
curve as it was defined.
Use lead angle example
The following example model has been pre-machined and only the
circular areas are left to finish:
So now, circle
is fine, but there is unnecessary cutting for circles
,
, and
, so changing the lead angle does not help in this
situation.
To change the lead angle for each circle individually, we can
deselect the Use lead angle option on the Start tab of the Machining
Attributes dialog, and FeatureCAM uses the start points of the
curves as they were defined:
Language (all)
IDE
Project editing/debugging.
Sheet tabs are now names (or numbers) and can be resized
by a vertical split. (Windows CE always uses numbers.)
Language (all)
+=, -=, *=, /=, \=, ^=, <<=, >>= and &= assignments
Language (old)
Language (WWB-COM)
Language
IDE
Paren highlighting. When the caret is left of '(' both the '(' the
corresponding ')' are highlighted. When the caret is right of ')'
both the ')' and the corresponding '(' are highlighted.
Language
Early Binding.
Faster Execution.
L = L + 1 -- 2.3x faster
IDE
Expanded proc drop down list to the right. The current name
is not bolded.
Language
IDE
Object Browser shows type info for UDT's, classes and objects
defined in the sheets and HiddenCode.
Dragging a file onto the text editing area opens the file, if
FileTools is True.
Index
*
*.pmopt files 42
*.pmoptz files 42
5-axis position 37
5-axis simultaneous 125
6
64-bit version 101
<
<CYL-INTERP> 39
<ROT-Z> 135
<SUBFIXTURE> 41
<WRAP-RADIUS> 39
2
2D spiral finish 113
A
Add NC code text 61
Add Stock Model 114
Alternative 5-axis position 37
API 43, 136
Approach from outside 23
Automatic chamfering 105
Automatic deburring 105
Automatic Ordering Options (WIRE)
128
3
32-bit version 101
3D Chamfer feature 116
3D Lite 113
3D milling 113
3D Spiral 119
4
4-axis part compare 68
4th-axis positioning 108
5
5-axis holes 122
5-axis part compare 68
B
Back bore cycle 67
Back bore holes 67
Back bore operation 67
Backbore cycle 67
Backbore holes 67
Backbore operation 67
B-axis Turn/Mill 37
Bore (FDSJ) cycle 33
Bore mill support 111
Boundary curve 34
C
C angle 108
Index 143
D
Deburring 105
Default facing angle 112
Delcam Exchange 103
Delete segment (Toolpath feature) 61
Delete Toolpath Segment dialog 61
Depth 49, 56
Depth % 56
Depth of cut 49
Depth of cut order of importance 56
Depth of cut precedence 56
Depth of cut priority 56
Depth override 49
Diameter of tool 56
Diameter offset register 7
Direct (ramp type) 23
Direct move between 2 segments 61
Display lines (Toolpath feature) 61
Do Cutoffs last (WIRE) 132
Drill/mill 111
Drilling 111
144 Index
E
Edge Chamfer 121
Edit segment 61
Edit Toolpath Segment dialog 61
Effective diameter 48
Equal depth of cut 56, 65
Euler Angles ordering 135
Exact Z step 65
Exclusive files 1
F
Face feature 112
Face mill tools 48
Face Mill tools 30
Facing angle 112
Fagor G88 111
Family Tables (Pro/E) 18
Feed 49
Feed Dir. (Thread Mill) 29
Feed rate 110
Feed units 110
Feed/Speed tab 49, 56
Feeds and speeds 49
File configurations 16
Finish depth of cut 56
Finish pass total stock 60
Finish pass Z increment 56
Flat surface support 33
G
G07 39
G74 (left-handed tapping cycle) 33
G88 (boring cycle) 33
G-code 2
Generic machines 135
Gouge avoidance 125
H
Haas G12/13 111
Handedness (Thread Mill tools) 29
Heidenhain Cycle 208 111
I
Import 103
Import Using Exchange 103
Inches per tooth 110
Index around the stock Z axis 108
Index around Z 108
Indexing 108
Interleave spiral paths 117
IPT 110
Islands 23
Isoline finish 113
Isometric views 44
K
Keep wire vertical at retract 129
Keyboard shortcuts 38, 46
L
Lead distance in % 28
Lead distance out % 28
Lead then Lean 125
Lead-in options 23
Lead-out options 23
Lean then Lead 125
Leave allowance (TURN) 80
Length offset register 7
Locked files 1
M
M00 2
M01 2
Machine table angles 134
N
NC code text 2
Negative leave allowance (TURN) 80
Negative Z 29
Network database 16
New technology toolpaths 18
No-drag finish 127
NT Continuous Spiral 9, 18
NT Spiral 9, 18
NT toolpaths 18
NT Zigzag 9, 18
O
Operation results 114
Operation-based tool settings 49
Order of importance for depth of cut 56
Override depth 49
Override depth of cut 49
Override priority 4
Override ramp angle 49
Override stepover 49
Override tool depth 49
Override tool ramp angle 49
Override tool stepover 49
Overrides tab 49, 56
Index 145
R
Raceline 119
Ramp angle 49
Ramp type 23
Read-only files 1
Remove all oper sync points 14
Reset all opers to default turret 14
Retract 24
Retract operations (WIRE) 129
Retract to rapid plane, rapid move to
next segment 61
Retract to specified Z value, rapid move
to next segment 61
Reverse Direction button 122
Reverse tab cycle 33
Reverse-bore holes 67
Right-angle stair steps 127
Rotary table machine 108
Rough cutter comp 8
Rough depth of cut 56
Rough pass Z increment 56
Rough stepover options 18
T
Tapered tools 116
146 Index
TDM 15
Thread Mill hand 29
Tilt axis 125
Tilting angles 134
Tool attributes 49
Tool Data Management 15
Tool depth 49
Tool depth override 49
Tool diameter 56
Tool holder graphics (TURN) 79
Tool holder solid model (TURN) 71
Tool mapping 7
Tool overrides tab 49
Tool properties 49
Tool settings 49
Tool specific feeds and speeds 49
Toolpath feature 61
Toolpath options 61
Toolpaths tab 61
Tools for 3D Chamfer 116
Total stock 60
Total stock for finish pass 60
Turn 127
Turn part compare 68
Turn/Mill B-axis 37
Turn/mill part compare 68
Turning leave allowance 80
W
WinWrap Basic 136
Wire improvements 128, 129, 132
Wire part compare 68
Workgroup configurations 16
X
X leave allowance (TURN) 80
XBUILD 134, 135
Z
Z leave allowance (TURN) 80
Z-axis indexing 108
Zigzag 18
Zigzag angle 112
Z-level finish 117
Z-level finish (3D) 33
Z-level rough 113, 114
Z-level spiral rough (3D) 70
Z-step increment 49
U
Undercuts 117
Undo Toolpath edits 61
Units 110
Use alternative 5-axis position 37
Use hole milling canned cycle if
available 111
Use lead angle (WIRE) 132
Use results as starting point 37
Use solid as part compare target 68
User interface 44, 46, 47, 103, 104
V
Vertical milling 14
Vertical turret lathe turning 14
Vertical wire 129
Index 147