[ColonelMonk]

Howdy

I have another thread I erroneously posted in the Solidworks part of BobCAD.....

Have an imported STEP file. I'm a brand NOOB.

Have figured out how to rotate it. There's got to be a more accurate way to move the origin to a corner of a square tube than eyeballing using the translate command right?

I watched a youtube video, where the guy had a sketch point in the corner of a 2D square, and he used the translate command to pick the point, then pick the origin, and then it just popped right there.

How do I do this with 3D parts?

Thanks!

[MikeC8]

I would extract the edges from the face of your part, then if needed use the line sketch tools, trim tools, and point tool to create some reference geometry. Also its a good idea to create your reference geometry in a new layer, so you can turn off your solid, or reference lines separately.

[Ben S]

In the Translate dialogue box, select "Sketch/Enter." Select your solid > right click > ok. Then hold Shift and left click on your solid. You will see clickable points appear. Click the one you want then enter the coordinates you want that point to end up and click OK.

Edit: Actually, I haven't confirmed that you get the select points with a step file, but for most solids and surfaces this works like a charm. If not, you will have to extract edges as Mike said. And I second the suggestion to put edges etc. on a separate layer.

[ColonelMonk]

In the Translate dialogue box, select "Sketch/Enter." Select your solid > right click > ok. Then hold Shift and left click on your solid. You will see clickable points appear. Click the one you want then enter the coordinates you want that point to end up and click OK.

Edit: Actually, I haven't confirmed that you get the select points with a step file, but for most solids and surfaces this works like a charm. If not, you will have to extract edges as Mike said. And I second the suggestion to put edges etc. on a separate layer.

Ben, thanks alot. That was just as easy as I knew it had to be. You rock.

I'm all about trying to make things easy for downstream process, but there are other reasons for not putting an origin in CAD at the desired CNC corner of the part. Building parts with symmetry, for adding assembly mates, etc... Ideally, you could add an alternate UCS in the CAD and then choose that UCS as origin before exporting the part, then the programmer would not need to move it.

But, with your tip it's so easy to reposition it's not even worth complaining about.

Thanks again

[ColonelMonk]

I would extract the edges from the face of your part, then if needed use the line sketch tools, trim tools, and point tool to create some reference geometry. Also its a good idea to create your reference geometry in a new layer, so you can turn off your solid, or reference lines separately.

OK, we were close you guys but no cigar.

The "CORNER" in question, is the theoretical corner of a piece of 4 x 4 square tubing. So with the radius, the point given us by BobCAD is offset in Z about .375".....

Tried to fool with the "extract edges" tool like I would in CAD - was thinking that I could get a line projected from the edge of the tangent, but on the Z 0 face of the part, and then use the endpoint to move the solid to the origin. Comments how you would handle this?

At the same time we were trying to figure this out, the NOOB programmer/operator found that when we open the STEP, we can go and start a new milling job, and via the stock wizard we can choose the milling origin and it will let us choose the proper point for the origin. It doesn't translate the part, but is that really necessary? Can we just machine from here or should we be extracting edges so we can move the solid to the proper location.

Sorry if the questions are dumb, we are learning.

CM

[jrmach]

This place is a great place for knowledge https://www.youtube.com/user/Depoalo...view=0&sort=dd

I picked out a few that should help you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T1b9fSzHMk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz25THQdy68

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lJX3G0J4W0

V26 and V27 are very similar

[jrmach]

Tried to fool with the "extract edges" tool like I would in CAD - was thinking that I could get a line projected from the edge of the tangent, but on the Z 0 face of the part, and then use the endpoint to move the solid to the origin. Comments how you would handle this?

I don't know if I understand correctly,,might check out trim extend ?
That or upload a sample file

[MikeC8]

selecting the origin in machine setup is just fine.

After you extract your edges, if you have a corner radius you will need to use the trim tools to connect your lines. Play around with them, and you will figure it out pretty quick.

[ColonelMonk]

JRMACH

Thanks, I think you pointed out something..... The stock wizard thing might work for this particular instance since the tube is the stock, and not multiple parts that might come out of a plate, etc.... But maybe it's still not the "right way" to do it.

So, can anyone help with this? Here a picture. Need the origin in the corner marked by the red arrow, but need the point to be on the surface marked with blue X. Ben's method almost worked, but couldn't get us to the "theoretical" corner point. So how to construct geometry to get there? How to relate those lines or points from the solid?

Attachment 272200

Tahnks!

[jrmach]

looks like extract edges and trim extend 2 entities
or another way
extract edges and point intersection

[jrmach]

is this it ?

That was extract edges,point intersect

[BurrMan]

At the same time we were trying to figure this out, the NOOB programmer/operator found that when we open the STEP, we can go and start a new milling job, and via the stock wizard we can choose the milling origin and it will let us choose the proper point for the origin. It doesn't translate the part, but is that really necessary? Can we just machine from here or should we be extracting edges so we can move the solid to the proper location.

CM

That would work. No need to translate part now. The code will ppst as that origin being zero.

[ColonelMonk]

That would work. No need to translate part now. The code will ppst as that origin being zero.

Thanks BurrMan. For these tubing pieces seems like it's going to work OK.

Still would like to know how though, to move the part to the UCS in BobCAD, Using some reference geometry.

JR MACH, yeah, I see what you did there. I haven't been able to get it to work like that, it seems like you only have the option to project edges to Z, and we're not machining the section you have shown in the picture.

So, how can one add reference geometry to the model so that you can pick the point at the theoretical origin?

Thanks

CM

[BurrMan]

JR MACH, yeah, I see what you did there. I haven't been able to get it to work like that, it seems like you only have the option to project edges to Z, and we're not machining the section you have shown in the picture.

So, how can one add reference geometry to the model so that you can pick the point at the theoretical origin?

Thanks

CM

Here's a quick video that shows a couple different ways:

https://youtu.be/EfcH2Cq6PQ4

You can also use the line continuous tool and select the horizontal/vertical option and snap a line to both ends of the arc and make a corner that way....

[BurrMan]

And yet a couple more:

https://youtu.be/qcUyINpDxZA