[airbrush]

v26 plunge point lead in location...how to change?

right now my lead in is at a corner and i want it in the middle of a spline....i set my default chain start point in the middle. When i try and set my plunge point it say select start point on geometry. right click ok. I shift click my spline, select the middle point and it just seems to deselect that spline..nothing showing as selected. recomputing doesn't change lead in location....

ideas?help?

thx

[BurrMan]

v26 plunge point lead in location...how to change?

right now my lead in is at a corner and i want it in the middle of a spline....i set my default chain start point in the middle. When i try and set my plunge point it say select start point on geometry. right click ok. I shift click my spline, select the middle point and it just seems to deselect that spline..nothing showing as selected. recomputing doesn't change lead in location....

ideas?help?

thx

What if you put an actual point there? The "control point" of a spline arent actual points.

[airbrush]

will try that...just seems odd...i can select my default start location the same way no problem...I would have assumed the lead in would just adopt that..?
I am doing a simple pocket rough routine if that helps at all?

Can you tell me your workflow for setting your lead in location? I've never tried adjusting before..just took the default but this time i really do want in a different location if i can....

[BurrMan]

will try that...just seems odd...i can select my default start location the same way no problem...I would have assumed the lead in would just adopt that..?
I am doing a simple pocket rough routine if that helps at all?

Can you tell me your workflow for setting your lead in location? I've never tried adjusting before..just took the default but this time i really do want in a different location if i can....

I dont have my computer to help out.

But v26 is pretty old. And i do know some ops like pocket didnt have control if where the pocket plunges....

But i cant help direct right now.

[magicniner]

v26 plunge point lead in location...how to change?

right now my lead in is at a corner and i want it in the middle of a spline....i set my default chain start point in the middle. When i try and set my plunge point it say select start point on geometry. right click ok. I shift click my spline, select the middle point and it just seems to deselect that spline..nothing showing as selected. recomputing doesn't change lead in location....

ideas?help?

thx

Split the spline, it's choosing the start of the element in the geometry that you select, not your chosen point in that element.

[airbrush]

will give it a try an lunch hour ...can only run demo here at work though....seems strange that it wouldn't default to your desired start location...just my two cents

[airbrush]

I tried...I can never get the location to change...i can change my default chain start point no problem...but cant change where plunge point or lead in starts...
v26 pocket op

[The Engine Guy]

Seems to work fine here on my V26 Build 1335 on normal pocketing, the exception is when "Advanced" pocketing is used, the adaptive toolpath has to set it`s own plunge point from what I can see, that doesn`t work here

Zig Zag, Pocket In and Pocket Out will let me change the plunge point to anywhere I drop a point into the drawing

Hope that`s of some help for you

Regards
Rob

[airbrush]

What do you mean by drop a point? And how do you select a different spot?? By plunge point?...if I select plunge point and reselect click a line or point...its like it just deselect everything...nothing showing a picked point like when you do default start point....

Seems to work fine here on my V26 Build 1335 on normal pocketing, the exception is when "Advanced" pocketing is used, the adaptive toolpath has to set it`s own plunge point from what I can see, that doesn`t work here

Zig Zag, Pocket In and Pocket Out will let me change the plunge point to anywhere I drop a point into the drawing

Hope that`s of some help for you

Regards
Rob

[The Engine Guy]

Attached is a simple pocket file, using the default "Pocket Out" pattern.

I drew the pocket shape and then the stock square, then I put the spline across the pocket shape, next I went to "Point > On Entity > 50% >" now I went to the spline and just Left Clicked anywhere on the spline and the point appeared exactly on the centre of the spline. You can use the "Utilities > Break" facility to break the spline into as many pieces as you want and then either place a point at the end or anywhere along the spline using the "Point > On Entity" facility using the Percentage, Distance or Angle options to get a point where you want it.

I then created the Pocket toolpath and let it do it`s default toolpath without setting a plunge point, I also used the Sketch option to just create a couple of other points in random locations, now I went to the Plunge Point in the Tree and righ clicked on it and then on "Re/Select", next I left clicked on the point I had placed on the spline and then went back to "Pocket" in the tree and did a "Compute Toolpath" and the plunge point moved to the point I had selected on the spline.
I did the same procedure with the two random points I had placed (Dropped) into the pocket and each time the plunge point moved to the selected point

A little bit of work but fairly easy as it turn out, have a go with the file I have attached, it works fine here, just play around with it till you have got the hang of it, just remember that if you want to use the "Advanced" pocketing option it doesn`t work

Hope that`s a bit clearer for you

Regards
Rob

[BurrMan]

What if you put an actual point there? The "control point" of a spline arent actual points.

Shift clicking a spline shows its "control points" for editing the spline.

Create an actual point.

[airbrush]

great..thx for the help...will take a look at lunch hour....so you acutally have to 'place a point' ..i assume it would just use the existing geometry you have...for example, reselct plunge point - select spline, shift select to bring up the "points" there and left click select one....

will give it a whirl...

[airbrush]

right...to me i would assume the software would be able to use those as well to define plunge point...since i can use those to define default start location....its inconsistent usage....another quirk...

[The Engine Guy]

so you acutally have to 'place a point

Yep, just follow the Burrman, you won`t go far wrong with his advice

Regards
Rob

[airbrush]

Ok..its kinda works...but its not exactly what i'm looking for....the plunge point changes...but now...how do i change where the actual cutting starts? If I want it to start in the middle..how to??
And how do i change the direction of the Lead In to go the other way??

Attachment 389678

[The Engine Guy]

Not sure just what you are asking now, the Plunge lead in will start cutting from the point you have selected, if you use either the Ramp or the Spiral lead in option then the cutter will either ramp or spiral to the point you set for the Plunge Point and then start cutting in X and Y axis from that point.
So the point selected is the actual depth set for cutting, to get the tool to run in a different direction then in the Ramp option choose either the Climb Mill or the Conventional Mill to change direction, in the Spiral option changes from CW to CCW will change the direction in that mode

Up to you to find the right Ramp length and angle and spiral radius and angle to get the desired result, you will just have to experiment with the different options

Regards
Rob

[airbrush]

Yes, so I would like the actually start cut point to be in the middle..right now its at the end of the spline, how do i change that?... and the ramp in to that mid point...it is cutting in the direction I want...but ramp in goes the opposite direction of my cutting direction...I want to ramp in, in the direction of my cutting direction...right now the ramp in always backtracks..can i change that and can i change where my cutting point starts??
I can't seem to make it do that? or I don't know how yet...

[The Engine Guy]

OK, try the attached file, I have done a simple spiral leadin in a way that actually starts the entry at pretty much the point set for the plunge and by using the radius value and the angle value to get the cutter to spiral down to the Plunge point and then set off at the set DOC

If you want it to go in the opposite direction then just change the CW/CCW setting in the Spiral Leadin

Is this more what you are trying to achieve ? ?

Regards
Rob

[airbrush]

nope...
I'm doing a cut in...I want the start cutting location to be in the middle of that spline and I want to ramp in, in the direction of cut....

At work just running in demo mode...so cant save a file to share...

[The Engine Guy]

It doesn`t appear to be possible to do what you want as the Ramp function will always ramp into the material and then when it reaches the DOC point it turns back on itself and then turns again to go in the original direction of the ramp for the remainder of the pocket cutting.
The "Finish Profile" will ramp down and then continue in the same direction.

Anyway, thats the best I have for now, hopefully someone more knowledgable than I (Nick,Burr,James??) will jump in and finish it off as I am now probably not "seeing the wood for the trees"

See attached file for a "nearly" solution

Regards
Rob