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EdgeCAM Concepts
XY Environment
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This provides view ports and construction planes for constructing a part with respect to the usual X, Y, Z
Cartesian co-ordinate system. This is the default environment when entering EdgeCAM. Typically, the XY
environment is used for generating Milling, Wire and CMM components.
ZX Environment
This environment provides view ports and construction planes that simulate the orientation of a turned part
in a machine tool during manufacture. In the case of a lathe for example, it is usual to work in the ZX plane
where the Z axis is horizontal.
If a turned component is drawn in the XY plane, you can flip the component into the ZX plane using the
Transform, Transpose (Edit menu) command.
You can switch between environments when designing a part by selecting one of the XY Environment or
ZX Environment commands from the Options menu. These environments are mutually exclusive and the
active command is shown with a tick againt it.
You can also select an XY or ZX Environment from within the Preferences (Options menu) command.
Regenerating (toolpaths)
Toolpaths may need to be regenerated to bring them up to date with changes to instructions, such as a
change to a tool diameter.
If a regeneration is necessary, this should take place before generating CNC code, for the code to be
correct.
Regeneration can be done manually, or you can opt for automatic regeneration.
Automatic Regeneration
Auto-Regenerate is enabled by default and is recommended as it reduces the risk of producing incorrect
CNC code. Only opt for manual regeneration if automatic regeneration produces too much of a delay
(disable Auto-Regenerate - see below).
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Instructions are always regenerated when you edit the instruction. If Auto-Regenerate is enabled, then all
the subsequent instructions in the sequence are also updated. (This is because some instructions are
dependant on others, a Rest-Rough cycle is dependent on a Roughing cycle, for example.)
(You can also opt for automatic regeneration on reloading the open solid model, by checking Options menu
Preferences Solids tab Regenerate Current Sequence.)
Manual Regeneration
For manual regeneration, in the Sequence window right-click on the sequence name, then in the shortcut
menu that opens click the checked Auto-Regenerate option. This unchecks and disables it. Note that AutoRegenerate is now disabled for all sequences, but only for the duration of the EdgeCAM session; it is
enabled on re-starting.
With Auto-Regenerate disabled you need to regenerate manually. There is a Regenerate option in the
shortcut menu for an individual instruction, and for the sequence (regenerates all the instructions in the
sequence at once).
Note that you can also avoid the automatic regeneration after an edit by using Instructions menu
Edit
and checking Disable Automatic Regeneration in the Editing Instructions dialog (after this dialog you then
move on to editing the instruction).
See also
Using Batch Mode for Operations
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By convention, if the X, Y axes lie in the plane of the screen, the Z axis points up out of the screen.
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See Also
Specifying Explicit Co-ordinates
Specifying Polar Co-ordinates
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The example below shows a point positioned by distance a along the A axis, distance b along the B axis
and an angle q with respect to the A axis:
Entity Types
In EdgeCAM terms, a part is the sum of all the entities which produce that part.
EdgeCAM provides several entity types that you can use when designing and manufacturing components:
Point Entities
Line Entities
Circle and Arc Entities
Curve Entities
Surface Entities
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Continuous Entities
Group Entities
Detailing Entities
Toolpath Entities
Point Entities
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Existing point
Middle point of an existing entity known as a mid-point
End point of an existing entity
Intersection of any two entities
A distance modification from any of the above point definitions
See Also
Creating Points
Line Entities
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A line has two end points and can be constructed by any of these methods:
Between two point definitions
Between a point and an arc tangency point
Between two arc tangency points
Through a point and parallel to another line
Through a point and perpendicular to another line
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See Also
Creating Lines
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A circle is a non-linear geometric entity, every point of which is equally distant from a fixed central point.
An arc is a segment of a circle. Arc construction is similar to circle construction, except that the end points
of the arc also must be defined.
Methods of circle definition include:
A point definition as the centre and specifying a radius
A point definition as the centre and a point on the circle
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Curve Entities
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A curve is a non-linear entity, described by an exact mathematical definition. Curves include Splines, BSplines, Bezier curves and Conic sections.
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Surface Entities
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A surface is defined in EdgeCAM using a two-axis parametric co-ordinate system, and can be created from
control points, entities or other surfaces.
Also see About Surfaces in EdgeCAM.
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Continuous Entities
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These are a set of colinear line or arc entities grouped together (for example, from a profile) for ease of
manipulation.
SeeConverting to a Continuous Entity for a full explanation.
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Group Entities
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These are a set of EdgeCAM entities (for example, lines and arcs) that have been collected into a group for
ease of manipulation.
SeeCreating Group Entities for a full explanation.
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Detailing Entities
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These are entities created using EdgeCAM Detailing commands. As they are purely for dimensioning and
annotating purposes, they do not form part of the 3D part model and exist only on the 'Drawing Plane'.
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Toolpath Entities
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A toolpath is created from within one of the EdgeCAM machining modules, and represents the track of a
nominated part of a machine tool. Each toolpath may be made up of many toolpath entities, which may be
either line or arc segments.
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Entity Dependency
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It is important to understand that one entity can be dependent on another. Certain operations cause entities
to be flagged as having dependants (other entities dependent on them for their existence). Entities with
one or more dependants cannot be deleted or modified in a way that would invalidate the dependent entity.
Entity dependency occurs with surfaces, continuous entities and groups. For example, a Coons Patch
surface is created from four other boundary lines. These lines cannot be deleted or altered without first
deleting the Coons patch. It is possible to alter their colour, layer, style or name, as this would not invalidate
the dependent surface.
EdgeCAM entities which are dependent on other entities are:
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Coons Patches
Fillet surfaces
Crosshatching
Tabulated cylinders
Surfaces of revolution
Groups
Flowed surfaces
Surface curves
Continuous entities
Ruled surfaces
Offset surfaces
Trimmed surfaces.
To find out whether an entity has a dependant, use the Entity (Verify menu) command. Amongst other
details, the system reports one of the following: Dependency SET or Dependency CLEAR.
It is possible that the dependency flag for some entities is not cleared when the dependants are deleted.
When you reload the part, these entities cannot therefore be altered or deleted. To overcome this situation,
insert the part into EdgeCAM using the File menu command Insert Part. Only entities that still have
dependants will have the dependency flag set.
Entity Attributes
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Each entity can have a colour, style, name and layer attribute. These attributes are reported if you verify the
entity using the Entity (Verify menu) command.
See Also
Colour
Style
Name
Layers
Curve and Surface Attributes
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Entity Colour
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UseColours in the Standard toolbar to set the colour for new entities (lines, arcs and so
on).
Colours can be used to highlight different entity types, parts of the drawing or functional
differences.
You can change the colour of existing entities; you can use for example:
Edit menu > Entity Data
to another).
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Entity Style
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UseStyle in the Standard toolbar to set the style for new entities (lines, arcs and so on).
You can change the style of existing entities; you can use for example:
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Match (copies the colour, style and so on from one entity to another).
Individual (opens the properties dialog for the entity you then select).
Name
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When you create an entity you can give it a name up to eight characters long. This name is saved for future
reference (for example, when selecting entities for a machining cycle). However, if the entity is copied, only
the original entity retains the name.
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Entity Layers
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Use the Layer control in the Standard toolbar to set the layer for new entities (lines,
arcs and so on).
Layers can be thought of as transparent films on which is drawn their geometry. What you see is the
geometry of all the visible layers stacked one on top of another.
Layers can be used for separating different types of entities from each other for display purposes. For
example, toolpaths would normally be on different layers from the geometry of a part model. You may want
to develop your own system of layers for different entity types.
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When you are working on a part, you can restrict the combination of displayed layers to prevent the screen
from becoming cluttered with superfluous information. See Layer Control.
You control layers using the Layers window; you can the display of layers on and off for example.
As layers are selected, they are added to a historical list containing the last five layers used. To select from
this drop-down historical list of layers, click on the down arrow beside the layer number.
You can change the layer of existing entities; you can use for example:
Edit menu > Entity Data
Match (copies the layer, colour and so on from one entity to another).
Individual (opens the properties dialog for the entity you then select).
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To delete entities
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Instead of using the Delete Entity command, you can delete all visible entities in the current view by simply
pre-selecting them and then pressing the Delete key.
If no entities have been selected when you press the Delete key, the Delete Entity command will be enabled
and you will be prompted to Digitise entities to delete.
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Verifying Entities
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Use the Entity (Verify menu) command to report detailed information on the selected entity:
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For further information about the feedback window in EdgeCAM, see Feedback Window.
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If you have an Intellimouse you can use the central wheel to zoom in or out of the active view or to pan the
view.
To zoom in and out
In the active view move the wheel forward to zoom in and backward to zoom out, at the centre of the
screen.
To zoom relative to the current cursor position, pick a point on the model and move the wheel while holding
down the Ctrl key. The cursor position will be moved to the centre of the screen and zooming will occur at
that point.
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To zoom extents
Double-click the mouse wheel to display the complete model within the active view. (To disable this
functionality, create a new PCI Variable !checkMDoubleClick=0 and restart EdgeCAM in GLview ).
To pan
Holding the wheel down allows you to pan the view by dragging the graphics across the screen.
See Also
Left and Right Mouse Buttons
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For the use of the left-hand mouse button in connections with toolbars, see Moving Toolbar
At all other times pressing the LEFT button will make a screen digitise for ENTITY , FREE position or GRID
position as appropriate.
See Also
The Mouse Wheel
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'Digitising' is simply clicking in the Graphics area to provide spatial input or to select geometry. When
drawing a line for example you digitise to provide the start and end points for the line.
Depending on what you are doing, a 'Free' or an 'Entity' digitise may be required. Sometimes you can
choose between them.
An Entity digitise requires you to click on an entity.
A Free digitise does not require you to click on an entity; you can click on a blank area.
If a grid is displayed then you can choose to digitise intersection points on that grid.
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Clicked
Or
As an alternative way to switch modes, hold down the right-hand mouse button and in the shortcut
menu select Free or Entity.
Use Intellisnap to automatically switch between Free and Entity digitise, depending on the proximity of
suitable entities.
Hold down the Ctrl key to force an Entity digitise. Hold down the Shift key to force a Free digitise.
Intellisnap Selection
The shape of the cursor indicates the type of digitise being made:
No active command Entity preselect only, window selection may be used
Free digitise
Entity digitise only Window selection may not always be available
Optional Free or Entity digitise. For example when drawing a line the cursor has the Free
shape when over a blank area, whilst over an entity it has the Entity shape to show that
the start or end point will snap to the existing entity.
Intellisnap
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Note: If you find the speed of entity selection has slowed down disabling the Entity Tooltip function on the
Selection tab of the Preferences dialog (Options menu) may help.
Only entities valid for the current purpose will be selectable.
Where more than one entity is selectable in a given position the
symbol will be appended to the cursor
indicating that you may step through the appropriate entities by pressing the TAB key until you are
presented with the chosen one (see example) . Pressing the left-hand mouse button then selects that item.
Sometimes you may wish to free digitise near a snap point. To do this, you must disable Intellisnap (see
above).
For many purposes, both for geometry creation and in connection with machining cycles the required entity
is a point. Entities such as ends of lines, arcs etc. contain points which can be selected whenever a point
entity is required.
See Also
Selecting Multiple Entities
Controlling the Entity Selection Options
Pre-selection
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Pre-selection of Entities
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When a command has not been enabled, entities can be pre-selected and will be used in a subsequently
called command. In this mode only entity digitising is enabled, and the snap points will not be displayed.
Note that pre-selection will work for some commands i.e. Delete Entity, but for others you will be prompted
to select the entities again.
Double-clicking on an entity will display the Edit dialog.
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or
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To configure the grid
Select the Grid Configure (View menu) command. On selecting the command, you can specify these
parameters:
Display Check this box to show the grid in the active view port. You can still snap to a grid point even if
the grid is not visible.
Digitise Origin Check to digitize a new origin point for the grid.
X Space Specify the horizontal space between grid points in part units.
Y Space Specify the vertical space between grid points in part units.
Width Specifies the total width of the displayed grid in part units.
Height Specifies the total height of the displayed grid in part units.
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When Cartesian co-ordinates are selected and the XY environment is active, the Co-ordinate Input dialog
box is displayed as shown below:
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Use the Co-ordinate System option buttons to select one of the three co-ordinate systems:
Cartesian co-ordinates
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Polar co-ordinates
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Angular co-ordinates
Use the Axes options to select whether co-ordinates are specified with respect to CPL or World axes. The
selection is registered in the Command box as a P for CPL axes or a W for World axes. If P is entered on its
own then a default position of X0Y0Z0 will be used.
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1. Type your required values into the Radius and Angle boxes. Radius values are taken incrementally
from the last co-ordinate position. If no previous position has been given, the origin of the selected
axis system is used. Angles are always absolute values (degrees).
Values can be mathematical expressions using the + - * / operators. Brackets can be used to
establish the order of evaluation.
Radius and Angle values are shown in the Command box as they are entered.
2. Select the OK or Continue buttons when you have completed your co-ordinate specification.
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Enter co-ordinate data as follows:
1. Select the Rotary Axis.
2. Type your required distances along the A, B and C axes into the X, Y and Z boxes respectively. This
is done in the way described for Cartesian co-ordinates.
3. Enter the absolute angle (degrees) into the Angle box.
4. Select the OK or Continue buttons when you have completed your co-ordinate specification.
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2D Snap
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Activate the command to set all Z ordinates to the level of the current CPL, regardless of input method.
De-activate the command for full 3D operation with:
Entity digitises
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Chain
Toggle Branch
Toggle Deselect
2D Snap
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Normal Chaining
Select the first entity in the chain. The direction of the chain is from the end at which the entity is selected
towards the entity at its other end
Each entity in the chain is highlighted as it is found. Chaining continues until:
The start entity is encountered as would happen for a closed pocket
No new entity can be found as would happen for an open profile
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An entity is found which is not coplanar with all previous entities and 3D chaining has not been
selected
The path of the chain could branch into one or more alternative paths.
This happens when one or more entities share a common end point with the entity which is currently at the
end of the chain. The path along which chaining continues can be controlled by using the Branch button
described below. If branching is not selected, EdgeCAM makes its own decision about which path to follow.
Limited Chaining
The Limited Chaining
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button starts a chain at a selected entity and terminates it at another entity:
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The direction of chaining and the resolution of branches is as described for normal chaining.
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command is used for specifying a co-ordinate location as an offset from a reference location.
1. Digitise the reference location (d1). Any of the toolbar buttons which are for specifying locations can
be used.
2. Type into the Co-ordinate Input dialog box the required offsets from the reference point.
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The 2D
button must NOT have been selected if a Z offset is to take effect. Otherwise, the Z level of
the current CPL is used.
Example
In the following example, the circle has been inserted at the dimensions shown by:
Selecting the corner of the part as a reference point (d1)
Inserting the following values in the Co-ordinate Input dialog: X=-25 and Y=10.
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Holding down the Ctrl key while selecting the left hand mouse button (d1) selects the nearest two entities
that are in range. The entity nearest to the digitised position is taken to be the first of the two entities
selected.
This is particularly useful with commands for:
Entity trimming
Filleting or chamfering
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Example
The example shows entities being selected for the construction of a blend radius. Note that the digitise has
been placed nearer to the right hand line so that it is taken as the first entity: this presents the entities to the
command in the correct order.
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Construction Methods
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Construct Using Mid-Point
Specify co-ordinates by selecting an entity. The co-ordinates of the mid point of the line or arc are taken.
Construct Using Arc Centre
Specify co-ordinates by selecting an arc. The co-ordinates of the centre point of the arc are taken.
Construct Using the X Co-ordinate of an Entity
This button gives the co-ordinates of a location on an entity at a given X value:
1. Select the entity on which the intersection is to occur.
2. Digitise the location through which the imaginary vertical line is to pass.
1.
2.
In the example below, a point has been constructed at the mid point between the entity digitises on the ends
of the lines.
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To help you construct a model, the concept of the construction plane (or CPL) is used. A construction plane
defines a local co-ordinate system at any orientation to the World axes. As each CPL has its own x, y, z
axes, you only have to deal with local co-ordinates when creating entities. EdgeCAM translates CPL coordinates into World co-ordinates for you.
See Also
Predefined CPLs
The Drawing CPL
Displaying Axis Systems
Creating New CPLs
Selecting CPLs
Editing CPLs
Verifying CPLs
Deleting CPLs
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Predefined CPLs
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The top CPL is the only one where the CPL axes coincide exactly with the World axes.
If you need to add a feature, such as a slot, into the bottom of the part you can select the bottom CPL and
work in terms of the dimensions you have without worrying about how they map back to the World axes.
Command modifier values for co-ordinates or angles of rotation are always given with respect to the current
CPL.
Explicit co-ordinate data can be given with respect to either the current CPL or the World co-ordinate
system. See Specify explicit co-ordinates in the section Entering co-ordinate data and selecting entities.
The following diagram shows the standard CPLs for the ZX environment using a swept profile.
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The display of World and CPL axes can be controlled by Drawing, Configure (View menu) command.
World axes are displayed in white and CPL X, Y, Z axes are displayed in red, green and blue respectively.
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You can define your own CPLs. A CPL definition requires three main parameters:
An origin
This defines where the origin of your CPL lies with respect to the World origin. Although the standard CPLs
have their origins coincident with the World origin, this need not be true for any CPLs that you define for
yourself.
An orientation
This defines the orientation of your CPL with respect to the World axes. Although the standard CPLs are
orthogonal to the World axes, this need not be true for any CPLs that you define for yourself.
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A name
Names allow you to swap to another CPL and come back to your own CPL when required. Each CPL must
have a unique name.
As an example take the simple part illustrated in the diagrams for the XY environment and the following
modification for which a new CPL has been created to take advantage of the dimensioning scheme:
It is obviously easier to make the modifications to the part while working in the new CPL rather than in one
of the existing CPLs.
An unlimited number of CPLs can be created. When a CPL is created it becomes the current CPL and
remains active until another CPL is selected or created.
To create a new CPL
Selecting CPLs
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This is the new distance from the CPLs original plane of definition at which entities are created.
This can be used to change the level of the current CPL if nothing is selected from the Name list
box. (The current level can also be changed from the Toolbar or only the display of levels. See
Selecting Visible Layers.)
2. If the ZX environment is current, set the Input Mode. The input mode determines whether X axis
dimensions refer to Radial or Diametral values. If the mode is set to Diametral and the explicit coordinates X20Z20 are given, EdgeCAM takes the X value to be a diameter.
3. Select the name of the CPL to be made current from the Name list box.
4. Click on OK.
Editing CPLs
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A CPL which has an associated machining sequence cannot be edited. Also, only the Work Plane
parameter of a standard CPL can be edited.
To edit a CPL
1. Select the CPL (Edit menu) command. The dialog box for the command is displayed.
2. Select the name of the CPL to be edited from the CPL list box. If a name is not selected, make an
entity digitise on the required CPL marker in response to the Digitise the required CPL marker
prompt.
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Verifying CPLs
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The example below shows a typical CPL report obtained in the Design mode.
The Primary and Secondary values are the rotations made from the primary and secondary axes of the
initial CPL specified. The last line of the report specifies whether the CPL is valid for the selected Code
Generator.
Deleting CPLs
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To delete a CPL
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Layer Control
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Layers can be used for separating different types of entities from each other for display purposes. For
example, toolpaths would normally be on different layers from the geometry of a part model.
All layer control is via the Layers Window and the Layer drop down list in the Standard toolbar.
The Layers Window displays the current set of available layers, listing their names and visibility status.
Please note that only layers that are visible can be drawn on.
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To sort the layers in alphabetical order double click the Name label at the top of the list. Doubleclicking the Show label will sort the entries by visibility. Please note that a further double click will not
reverse the order, simply double click the other label again.
Double clicking the visibility column toggles the Yes/No status.
See Also
Activating a Layer
Creating a New Layer
The Shortcut Menu in the Layers Window
Notes on Using Layers
Layer Control and Tabbed Views
Activating a Layer
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In the Layers Window, you can either activate the layer by double clicking it or by opening the shortcut
menu with a right-hand mouse click and selecting the option Make Active.
The active layer is marked in red in the Layers Window.
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Layer commands initiated while another layer command is being processed will be ignored.
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Copyright
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Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
The information contained within this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent
a commitment on the part of the vendor. The software described in this document is furnished under a
licence agreement and may only be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement.