Geometry

This page enables you to define the geometry for the Geodesic Machining operation.

Geometry surfaces

Geometry selection

In the Geometry selection area, select Model or Surfaces. The Geometry surfaces are either the entire model or any surface(s) of the design model.

Machining surfaces

The Machining surfaces are the entire model or any surface(s) of the design model. If you have already defined 3D Model geometries for this CAM-Part, you can select a geometry from the list.

New enables you to define a new 3D Model geometry for the operation with the 3D Geometry dialog box.

Edit enables you to edit an existing geometry.

Browse enables you to view the available geometries on the model and choose the relevant one from the list.

Show displays the chosen 3D model geometry in the SOLIDWORKS window.

Drive surface offset

The Drive surface offset parameter enables you to define a machining allowance for the drive surface. The machining is performed at the specified distance from the drive surface.

Sim. 5 axis geometry#Drive_surface_offset

Click Advanced to view the Advanced options for drive surface window.

Surface Normal

You can use this option to change the machining side. Machine on opposite side option generates tool path on the surface opposite to the surface direction.


Machine on opposite side not selected	Machine on opposite side selected

Rolling avoidance

Fill holes- This option creates a mesh for all the holes simultaneously. The holes which should be filled are not chosen. Each boundary (except for the outer boundary of mesh) is considered a boundary of the hole.
No cuts in holes- This option is enabled when the Fill holes check box is selected. We can add boundaries of filled holes to containment curves. The hole boundary will be excluded from the curves used to generate the tool path. Incase, a containment curve around a hole has been defined, an exception will pop up. When this option is selected ensure that all input containment curves do not touch the boundaries of holes.
Extend mesh boundary option allows short curves to be extended to the surface boundary. The default value is 200. The value of Extend mesh boundary must always be positive.

The Rolling Avoidance section is available only when Surfaces is selected in the Geometry Selection.

Geometry curves

Pattern type

Pattern type defines how the tool path is generated with respect to the input curves. Two options are available.

Parallel to multiple curves (default)-The drive curves define the pattern of the tool path. They can be open or closed. The algorithm creates distance fields from all the curves at the same time.
Morph between two curves- The drive curves define the pattern of the tool path. They can be open or closed. For morph, the containment must be around or inside the drive curves. Cuts outside the morph field do not keep the valid stepover.

When Morph between two curves is chosen, the options of First drive curve and Second drive curve are enabled and you must ensure that two curves are selected.

Input type

Defines how to extract/define the curves for Pattern type.

Automatic (Machining area) extracts curves automatically from the defined Machining area. It can define the machining area only if the surface has a boundary.

Automatic (center point) generates parallel curves that are morphed between center point and the surface boundary. The drive curve is defined as a closed curve which is positioned in the center of the machining surface.

User-defined curves allows you to manually define the curves to create passes from. When this option is selected the Drive curve section gets enabled.

Automatic (Surface boundary) extracts the curves from the surface boundary. It can define the surface boundary only if the surface has a boundary.

This option is enabled when Surfaces is chosen in the Geometry selection.

Drive curve

This section enables you to morph the Constant Stepover pattern between multiple drive curves.

New allows you to select new drive curves.

Edit allows you to edit the selected curve.

Show displays the selected curve.

Browse enables you to visualize the geometries during the selection process. Clicking displays the Browse Geometries dialog box that lists all the geometries of the type suitable for the chosen operation.

Click Advanced to view the Advanced options for Guide curves window.

Area

The Area section enables you to define the cutting area on the drive surface.

Type

The Type list enables you to choose the following options:

Entire machining area- This option is set by default to machine the entire area. By setting this option the tool path is generated on the whole surface and start and ends at exact surface edge.
Determined number of cuts- This option allows you to set the defined Number of cuts to machine the area. The default value is set to 5. The value entered in this field must be positive or equal to zero.

Step direction

Step direction defines the tool path generation direction relative to the curves. This feature determines which side of the machining is used as the step direction. This section is enabled when Parallel to multiple curves is selected in the Pattern type section.

Side One - The inner portion of the guide curve is machined. Side one is set as default.
Side two -The outer portion of the guide curve is machined.

Start type

Shift to guide lets the first pass to shift from the selected guide. This option adds an extra margin at each guide curve or morph curve. The extra margin is half the given stepover.
Start on guide lets the first pass to generate on the selected guide. The option keeps the cuts on the drive curve.