Driving Tool Path With Sketches

wayne_sauder

I think we should have the ability to drive tool paths with sketches. It can be an easy way to force a cutter to do what needs to be done. One example would be the trochoidal tool path. I also think that this particular tool path should have an offset (if I try to use this to mill along the edge of a part I don't want the tool path centered on the edge). I may have missed something here.  

joe_dunne

You can drive toolpath with curves... So if you create a sketch in your Part Studio, and then turn it into a composite curve, you can bring it into CAM Studio and use it. 

We obviously want to support sketches directly. But because there is this workaround, we are working on other things first. 

Let me know if that answer is not clear

wayne_sauder

 Thanks, Joe,
 I didn't think about trying a curve, I did discover I could use a surface as a work around. 

Curt_Welch

You can.  Or at least you can drive them with curves.  This is what I have used after being told about it by John.  Create a sketch, then use the Composite Curve tool to create the curve from the sketch lines.  Then, in CAM Studio, you can add the curves as Avoidance components.  In the tool paths, you can then select those curves to drive the tool paths.

Caden_Sipe

Adding a curve is a good work around. I do hope that it is not the final solution. CAM Studio should work like other CAM software and to be able to detect full chains around an object. 

joe_dunne

Caden,

it is a temporary workaround. Also chain/loop select is on the plan too

Joe