Extended milling builds an arbitrary milling contour by hand — from a start point and a sequence of path points. This article covers the operation form as a whole; movement types and point parameters are described in separate articles (links at the end).
Where to open it
In the part editor open the operations menu and choose “Milling”. The window “Choose a creation operation” appears with four options:
- “Milling” — an arbitrary contour made of points, which this article is about;
- “Import” — copy a ready milling from another part of the same project, so you do not build the contour from scratch;
- “Circle” and “Rectangle” — standard shapes created as a pocket by centre, radius and sides.
Choosing “Milling” opens the window “Create milling”.
Creating a contour from scratch
The window “Create milling” sets the beginning of the contour:
- Name — the operation name (filled in automatically by default);
- Side — the Front or Back side of the part;
- Cut edging — the edge for the resulting cut. The list contains only bands whose height suits the part thickness; for thin parts the field is not shown.
Below is the form of the start point: its movement type is “ms”, it sets the coordinates of the cutter entry and the depth of the contour. On the right a hint picture for the selected movement type is shown. The “Save” button creates the operation on the part with a single point — the rest of the contour is then built up with points in the operation form. A contour can be open (a regular cut) or closed; it must be closed for a pocket (see the article “Point and path parameters”).
The operation form
In the operation itself you edit the name and the cut edging, and below them is the list of path points. Each point can be opened for editing or deleted. Next to the operation name the calculated length of the milling cut in metres is shown — so you can see what the machining is charged for. The operation panel has a “?” icon with the general rules (listed below), as well as warning and error icons for the current contour.
Adding points
To add a point, press add at the required place in the list — the window “Movement types” opens (see the article “Cutter movement types”). After choosing a type, the point form with its parameters opens (see the article “Point and path parameters”). A point can also be inserted between existing ones.
General rules
- The system fills in the cutter diameter itself, based on the machine tools.
- The system adds the cutter entry and exit itself; all contour points must lie inside the part.
- Numbers may have up to 12 decimal places.
- The distance between adjacent points must be greater than 1 mm.
- All coordinates are given on the edged part; the system recalculates the sizes for the part before edging itself.
- Variables can be used when entering coordinates.
How many points and the distance between them
A contour must contain at least 2 points, and the distance between adjacent points must be greater than 1 mm (otherwise the form shows an error and saving is not possible). Some movement types have their own minimum distances and radii — they depend on the cutter diameter (see “Point and path parameters”).
Saving
The “Save” button at the bottom writes the operation to the part. If you need a standard contour (worktop, shaped cut-out), it is quicker to take a ready template — see the section “Machining templates”.