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milling/routing order/direction

Posted: Fri 13 Dec , 2019 21:50 pm
by TDIPower
Hi i've never worried about the direction of order in which VR Milling does things when using the inbuilt DXF to FNC post processor but am faced with needing to ensure some operations are done in a specific order and on a climb mill rather than conventional.

I am using a dove tail bit to cut 2 sections that will form a drawer runner type operation in soft wood. As the cutting is along the grain my worry for using conventional milling is as the cutter exits out the side of the material it is going to rip the edge out. My thought is Climb milling will be pushing the material into itself thus preventing spiting the edge out.

In years gone by when i used to use the old Techsoft built in Denford post processor it output the cut paths in the order drawn (if in the same colour) and in the direction drawn (like the old plotters did).

In a test this afternoon the VR5 built in post processor ignored the order and direction drawn and did its own order and direction (favoring conventional milling direction).

We have Quick cam pro but i haven't used that in years as do very little 3d stuff these days so am not sure if that might offer the options I need.

How can I get my Techsoft drawing to be routed following a specific order of operation and milling direction. I know I could select a line and operation in VR5, apply then do the same for each line in turn to ensure I get the order but that is going to be long winded and can't specify the machining direction. If that is the only way I might as well use the router in a manual mode and move to locations using the display positions and route in the directions i need.

Thanks
Pete

Re: milling/routing order/direction

Posted: Sun 15 Dec , 2019 19:49 pm
by TDIPower
I had a play about after my post. It turns out the import of DXF in to VR5 from Techsoft 2D Design reverses the direction a line is drawn. So if i want to plan for machining in particular direction I have to draw in the opposite eg machining from left to right requires me to draw the line from right to left. I messed about with drawing lines in different orders but VR5 always seemed to do its own thing, so the only way i have found for now is to select a line OK, to create the path then do another line and OK etc.

Pete

Re: milling/routing order/direction

Posted: Mon 16 Dec , 2019 16:43 pm
by Steve
Pete,

Do you have QuickCAM 2D Design On the simulation page you can see the direction of cut.

If you click on the cut in question you can reverse the toolpath. Then postprocess

sort tool path.JPG
sort tool path.JPG (66.2 KiB) Viewed 7312 times
sort tool path1.JPG
sort tool path1.JPG (59.6 KiB) Viewed 7312 times

Re: milling/routing order/direction

Posted: Tue 17 Dec , 2019 23:04 pm
by TDIPower
Thanks Steve, I do but haven't used it as I 'grew up' on Techsoft since it was on an archimedes computer at Uni over 20yrs ago. I keep meaning to run with it for a bit. I did find I can swap the machine direction in Techsoft, it cuts in the opposite direction to drawing.

I have another funny in VR milling, when doing a dxf post process and I get to the point where I can check the paths and output to file, no matter what I do to the file name at that point it always outputs as the filename from the dxf rather than what I want to rename it to. Now I have only just picked up on this as I have wanted to do a series of progressive outputs on a project to ensure its correct for each section.

I open up the DXF, set the paths, post and machine, I then open the DXF again, set the next set of paths, post but with a different file name but it doesn't change the name and overwrites the 1st set of paths.

The only way I have been able to sort this for now is to DXF>Paths>Post, open the fnc and do a 'save as' changing the file name then do the same with the subsequent posts.

Any ideas?

Thanks Pete