[spock]

In version 20, you set the min. length moves and such for your 3-d paths.
In version 22, is the "tolerance" setting in the default and part settings the same thing? can you adjust how fine your path is, as far as the length of the line segments, in v22?

[tjones]

The tolerance settings will determine the segment sizes from the best I can tell.

[The One]

The Toolpath tolerances for Version 22 are founc in the Current Settings dialog.

Rtight click on Mill Tools.
Left click on Current Settings in the pop-up menu.
In the Milling Settings dialog click on the Machine Parameters option on the left.
The Machining Tolerance is located here.

Regards

[spock]

Thanks for reply, but I am not sure that is it.
A machining tolerance set to "0.000" is complety irrelevant to how many line segments the software creates to get toolpath to follow a 3-d part more or less closely. There is no such thing as "0.000" tolerance (what mine was set to as a default). anytime a circle is broken into straight line segments, you lose the ability to be perfect, so "0.000' makes no sense.

the other option is spline length, and if that is the same thing as "min. line length for 3-d toolpaths" it needs to say so more clearly.

[tjones]

What you see may not be what you have set. The default may actually be .0003 and the display is set to 3 places. You would not see the value because the decimal display is less than the default tolerance.

[tobyaxis]

File sizes are huge with this new V22 when 3D machining due to the tolerance settings combined with spline type tool path geometry.

To add to the ".0000" Tolerance setting, it is true that this doesn't exist in the real world. At best .00004 can be held on a Jig Bore or .0001 on a CNC Mill with Glass Scales.

Through my own frustrations with the new version, V21 is still being used for all 2D while Alibre Design Professional V10 does the Solid CAD Modeling. All the 3D is being done with V22 and Simulated in Predator Virtual CNC L3 for error checking. There is a lot of copy and pasting to do though.

[spock]

Could be right about the decimals. I may do a few experiments and see how it affects the code.

I, too, am still using an older version (20) for all 2-d path, and 22 for 3-d. I, too, am copy-pasting some code when i need 2-d and 3-d in the same program.

I picked up predator l-3 3 weeks ago, havent had any time to play with it at all.

[tobyaxis]

Could be right about the decimals. I may do a few experiments and see how it affects the code.

I, too, am still using an older version (20) for all 2-d path, and 22 for 3-d. I, too, am copy-pasting some code when i need 2-d and 3-d in the same program.

I picked up predator l-3 3 weeks ago, havent had any time to play with it at all.

Take your time learning it. It has a lot of tools and functions. I have been using it for 8 to 10 months now. There is a lot of ground to cover. STL Fixtures and Stock come in really handy for checking programs. Also the custom tool creation is a neat feature.

Have a look see.

The Clearance Cutter is from www.harveytool.com It was purchased to finish the bottom cavities of a mold.

The other two screen shots are of a fixture at work.

PVCNC is very powerful and useful.

Cheers!!!!