SWARF Tool Path General parameters

The General tab displays the major parameters that affect the generation of tool path parameters.

Surface quality

This section enables you to define the parameters that affect the surface finish quality.

Cut tolerance

The Cut tolerance parameter defines the tool path accuracy.

Maximum distance

The Maximum distance parameter defines the maximum distance between two consecutive cuts.

Machining

This section enables you to define the order and direction of the cuts.

Side

This option defines the position of the tool relative to the cutting direction or the geometries.The Right and Left side are defined on open contours relative to the chaining direction of the lower curve. The Inside and Outside options are defined for closed contours enabling machining inside or outside of a contour. The Autodetect option enables the tool to detect the machining side automatically without needing inputs to specify the cutting side. With the Surface normal option, the machining side can be determined by the normal orientation of the selected machining surfaces.

Direction

When the One Way option is chosen for the Method, SolidCAM enables you to choose the direction of cuts from the Direction list. You can choose Climb, Conventional or Follow lower curve direction for the cutting passes from the list.

Method

This option enables you to define how the cuts are connected. SolidCAM provides you with two possibilities: Zigzag or One Way.

Guide tool at

This option enables you to determine whether the tool must follow the Lower curve or the Upper curve of the surface.

Start point

This section enables you to define the start point of the tool tip on the lower curve and the tool axis orientation defined by the start point on the upper curve.

The Exact option enables you to define the start point as the bottom and upper curves chaining start point.

The Automatic option enables you to define the start point automatically. If the curves are closed contours, the start point on the bottom curve is the middle point of the longest tool path segment. The start point on the upper curve is the nearest point to the start point of the bottom curve. If the curves are open contours, the start point on the bottom curve is the start point of bottom curves chaining. The start point of the upper curve is the upper curves chaining start point.

The Two points option enables you to pick the points on the surface using the Limit Cuts Between 2 Points dialog box.

The Tilt line option enables you to define the start point as a tilt line. Clicking the button enables you to define the tilt line coordinates by typing them in the Start point Tilt line dialog box or picking the points directly on the solid model.

The One point option enables you to define one point as a tilt line. Clicking the button enables you to define one point coordinate by typing it in the Start point One point dialog box or picking the point directly on the solid model.

Extensions

This section enables you to tangentially extend the tool path by tilting the tool at start and end levels. The following types are available: