[chevydyl]

So I got some tool paths ready, for a pocket where I left stock for a ball nose, it worked perfect in the sim, then I started another pocket on the same part at a different depth and did the same, but only now when I run the sim it does all the roughing and saves the finish pass for both pockets to do last which I don't want to happen, I want it to run the rough then finish for both separately like they are two different parts, do I need to have seperate programs for each step or can I somehow force it to do the rough then finish of the first pocket, then do the rough and finish of the second pocket?
V26 3 axis mill standard

[chevydyl]

Oh and btw I'm only 2 axis controlled so it's a pain for the different depths of pocket for roughing and finish moves is the reason I want it to machine a certain way

[chevydyl]

And yes I did try and change the machining order but it still won't do as I want, so I'm guessing maybe I should run each pocket as a new machine setup rather than have several part program files to run on the controller?

[The Engine Guy]

See the attached images, you only need a single Machine setup and 2 Pocket Features for the program to run the first pocket and then the finish for that pocket then moves to the second pocket cuts that and then finishes it, from your first Post this is what I am reading you want to happen yes ? ?

Image 1 shows the single Machine setup with 2 pocket features, both with finish profiles.

Attachment 312646

Image 2 shows the settings under "Machining Order" to make it work the way you want, choose "Individual Feature" option as shown in the image, if it doesn`t default then to what is shown in the image then use the "Up/Down" arrows on the left to move the operations up or down to where you want them to be

Attachment 312648

Regards
Rob
:rainfro: :rainfro: :rainfro:

[chevydyl]

No really, the pocket is the same pocket for both pockets, it's actually 3 ops, leaving a floor for a ball nose to cut, the first op leaves .1875 on the wall, full depth, the second cuts full width leaving .1875 on the floor, the 3rd op switch to ball nose and cut what was left for the radius, however another pocket op prior to all this was putting all the finish ops last, and when I tried to change it, it would change some but it would NOT allow me 5o machine in th exact order I wanted. It keeps me from having to run the knee all over and leaves stock for me to zero the tools off of.
I ended up with 4 machine setups to do the pockets how I wanted it done, and in the sim it works perfectly

[The Engine Guy]

Hmmm, very odd, works fine here with 3 operations, I did 2 pockets each as you described in a single Machine setup with just 2 features.

Are you just doing 1 operation per feature ? If so there is a much easier method, if you have a look at the images below you will see that I have 3 operations in each Pocket, what I did was to add a second Profile cut into the strategy, so the first Op is the undersize pocket to full depth, second Op is the profile cut to full size but leaving the bottom step for the Ball Nose cutter and the third OP is the Ball Nose cutting the rad.

Attachment 312688

Works perfectly, all I had to do in the Machining order was select the "Individual Feature" option, this did have the 2 Ball Nose cuts after the other cuts but I only needed to highlight the "Left Pocket Ball Nose Cut" and move it up to directly after the other "Right Pocket" operations. See Image.

Attachment 312690

Here are images of the Simulation cutting the pockets, as you can see each cut is as per you wanted but all done in a single Machine setup in a single piece of material, is this now somewhat nearer for you ? ?

Attachment 312692Attachment 312694Attachment 312696
Attachment 312698Attachment 312700Attachment 312702

You are able to add as many Operations as you like into a single Feature when setting up your strategy, it is a very handy facility, saves loads of time and effort

Regards
Rob
:rainfro: :rainfro: :rainfro:

[chevydyl]

Thanks rob, I'll show a picture here in a bit showing what I was doing, and like I said it would not allow me to move glmy profile finish up to the second op, it was kinda strange

[chevydyl]

so here is the pictures, now the strut and its fillet are what I think was causing the issue, I machine the large face down to leave the top of the strut exposed, same operations as the others I explained to leave stock for the ball nose. then when I toolpathed for the pocket on the left with multiple ops, it changed the order of everything, and would not allow me to cut the first pocket in the order that I wanted. so I just did machine setups to overcome this. and as far as the sim goes, its showing the finished product pretty well how I want it done. with the exception that near the corners the fillet when cut with the ball nose leave a little nub sticking up, now I don't know if this will actually happen when machined or if its just a software thing. the part is a cast iron square, that I will hand scrape
Attachment 312748
Attachment 312750

[chevydyl]

The tool path shown is not in question, it just happen to be visable when I screenshot, those are the very last operations and not the same pockets I was asking about

[The Engine Guy]

Now at a bit of a loss, can`t think of a reason you are not able to move operations up/down to where you want them to run.

Looking at your pics I would expect them to run OK with multiple operations within the same feature.

Without seeing your original file I`m sorry but I don`t have anything else for you at this time, sorry

Regards
Rob
:rainfro: :rainfro: :rainfro:

[chevydyl]

It's all good rob, I was able to make it work right lol, albeit I little more time consuming. I can post a copy of the file in both tool path and non tool path forms. And if you run the sim you will see the the order of operations that I wanted.

[The Engine Guy]

Yes please, Post away, it really has me puzzled

Regards
Rob
:rainfro: :rainfro: :rainfro:

[chevydyl]

the part files are named wrong in the zip, but look at the one with paths and create the first op, which machines a pocket pretty much like the shape of the square, at .200 deep, with a fillet, .1875, then make the second op and see if you can get it to do what you want it to do.

[chevydyl]

here is the non tool pathed one

[chevydyl]

So rob, the real key would be to be able to mirror everything to do the other side without having to do all the machine setups again, or rather having to go through all the parameters. Is there anything like that? I kinda assume that I have to generate paths for both sides separately.

[jrmach]

1 machine set-up ???? you don't need 10 or 20
Your machine has optional stop ????
I think you are mis-understanding the purpose of machine set-up
Machine set-up,my use anyhow is when I change operations,,,like flip part
BUT
I personally don't use it,,I find it suits me better to have 2 different files in such a case
And I still can import a .stl from operation 1 from the material left over to be used for the stock in operation 2
Maybe I am lost because the way your machine works vs. mine
Re-read what Rob has already said,,,he nailed it,,,,1 operation
Just to be clear,,,,1 operation or 1 machine tool set-up,,,does not mean only 1 tool path
You can use 7 different profiles,,,10 different pocketing,,,an engrave,,,50 holes drilled,bored and reamed,,,all in one machine set-up,,,,AS LONG as,you are still using the same stock,and not moving the stock,,,examle:flipping it over

[The Engine Guy]

Yes, as "jrmach" rightly points out you can do multiple operations within a single Machine Setup, have a look at the attached file for an example of this, it may not be exactly how you want to actually machine the part but it is a reasonable example of how it can be done.

A single Machine Setup with just 5 Features does it all

I have done this in V25 so you can open it as I don`t have V26 Standard, I have the Pro so I don`t know exactly what you have strategies you have available in V26 Standard, in Pro I can have multiple operations within a Feature which makes things even easier

Attachment 312926

Anyway, you can easily change the order the cutting is done if you want to, this is just a quick example, if you want me to do it a different way let me know but it will have to be tomorrow at the earliest

Regards
Rob
:rainfro: :rainfro: :rainfro:

[chevydyl]

I get it, I've set up other parts with multiple features in one setup, also multiple strategies of pocket in one setup, BUT the particular pocket which mills down and leaves the TOP not sides of the strut exposed were causing me to not be able to run the operations in the order I wanted, mainly because my machine is only 2 axis, manual z, so I wanted to knockout one side at a time, and with the very first op it would not allow me to move the pocket strategies around like I wanted, in the cam tree it was correct but in the sim and machining order it was not what I wanted. As well, it would let me move the machining order, it just would not let me put the ball nose finish profile before taking out the two pockets.... wierd. It sucks not having 3 axis yet.

[chevydyl]

I did the same, with two files, each side of the part. I didn't use so many setups on the other side, I think I was a little gunshy on the first part, the second side I put a second pocket strategy in each setup along with the profile for the ball. It was like wtf the first time through, I setup the cam tree and all the strategies in the order I thought it was going to do, then ran the sim and it started cutting the small pockets first, then the large top pocket, then the ball on each small pocket, then the ball on the top pocket, was like really? What did I mess up. And that was with multiple features on the one setup.

I understand what the machine setups are for, like you said flipping a part mainly. But as I said earlier, I forced the thing to do what I wanted, and as long as it works I'm good.

Thanks for looking at it.

[jrmach]

Still only one machine set-up needed,,,one file

Terminology,,,,,,,,,,Features=tool path strategies

Yes,you will need to use multiple "features" for the same tool,and a different "feature" for each pocket

1 machine set-up=Not moving the stock (part) nor flipping it,,,etc.