Originally Posted by
Japazo
mdlmkr,
Using the leadin/out settings works in many cases, but a failsafe is to sketch your tab and add it as an avoid area for whichever tool paths you see fit. This is more versatile as it gives you the ability to define the size, location, quantity and depth of the avoidable area without compromising the rest of the toolpath for any given operation.
my87csx481,
You can either do as I stated above for "part mode" programming, or you can insert ALL of your components into an assembly file and program in "assembly mode". Assembly mode gives you a much better way of accurately avoiding clamps and complex fixtures. I use it whenever I am cutting on my 4th axis with complex rotary fixtures in order to avoid clamps and the fixture itself. Assembly mode is a little tougher to learn and requires a few more steps, but is a life saver when dealing with complicated setups.
Hope this helps both of you!