Creating CAM tool paths

You can generate optimized, associative tool paths, providing tool path trace animation of the cutting process and a fully configurable NC postprocessor for most NC controllers.

To create a tool path

1. Ensure that your active drawing is a 1up, a layout or a counterplate (sample counter) drawing.

NOTE: When you create a tool path (CAM) drawing of sample counters (counterplate drawing), the resultant CAM drawing will include only the sample counter objects — that is, the objects in Counterplates style.

2. Do any of the following:

• On the CAM toolbar, click New CAM .
• On the Tools menu, point to CAM, and then click New CAM Drawing.
• Press CTRL+MWC.

3. Consider your situation:

• If you start creating the first-ever CAM drawing from the active source drawing: A new drawing is created with a name Drawingname_Toolpath, where Drawingname is the name of the 1up, layout or counterplate drawing.
• If there is at least one existing CAM drawing from the active source drawing, the Select CAM Drawing dialog box appears.

Create New CAM Use this option to create a new CAM drawing.

Available Templates In the dropdown, select the template that you want to work with in the new CAM drawing.

Machine (read-only) Displays the name of the machine to which the selected template is associated.

Advanced Opens a dialog box in which you can edit the selected template.

Switch to Existing CAM Use this option to switch to an existing CAM drawing created from the active source drawing (1up, layout or counterplate). This lets you choose not to create multiple identical CAM drawings from the same source drawing. NOTE: The list displays the names of existing CAM drawings created from the active 1up, layout or counterplate drawing.

4. In the tabular area, from the default template list in the CAM Tools tab, open the CAM template that you want.

NOTE: To show the tabular area if it is hidden, on the View menu, check Show tables.

5. To generate tool path, do one of the following:

• On the CAM toolbar, click Generate Tool Path .
• On the Tools menu, point to CAM, and then click Generate Tool Path.

The Tool Path Generation Options dialog box appears, in which you can set various options for tool path optimization. The optimal tool path is found automatically.

NOTE: The tool path relates to the respective drawing. If you modify the drawing, EngView updates the tool path.

6. To animate the tool path, do one of the following:

• On the CAM toolbar, click Animate Tool Path .
• On the Tools menu, point to CAM, and then click Animate Tool Path. The CAM Animation Control dialog box appears. Learn how to set up a tool path animation.

7. To generate NC code file, do one of the following:

• On the CAM toolbar, click Generate NC .
• On the Tools menu, point to CAM, and then click Generate NC.

The NC Generation Properties dialog box appears, in which you can set NC generation options.

A file is generated with the NC code for your project (with the file name extension you have defined in the CAM template).

8. Click OK to save the CAM project.