1702 gibbs cam -level 0 milling

LEVEL 0Mi l l ingGibbs and Associates

5400 Tech CircleMoorpark, CA 93021

(805) 523-0004

May 1, 1996

PROPRIETARY NOTICEThis document contains propriety information of Gibbs and Associates and is to be used only

pursuant to and in conjunction with the license granted to you with respect to the accompanying Gibbsand Associates licensed software. Except as expressly permitted in the license, no part of this documentmay be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any languageor computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual orotherwise, without the prior written permission from a duly authorized representative of Gibbs andAssociates.

It is strongly advised that you carefully review the license in order that you understand yourrights and obligations related to the licensed software and the accompanying user documentation.

Use of the computer software and the user documentation has been provided pursuant to aGibbs and Associates license agreement.

Copyright 1996 Gibbs and Associates, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Acknowledgements:Written by Shannon McConville.Thanks to Tim Alvord, Sean Canterbury, Gary Esser, Bill Gibbs, Charles Haden, Tom Hubina, PeteJackson, Kristin Kelley, Michael Kelley, Israel Klain, James Moore, Jeff Myers and Robb Weinstein fortheir input and assistance.

This application was ported to the DOS operating system using Bawamba Software Inc.'s MultiplatformCompatibility Package.

Trademarks:MS-DOS, Windows NT and Windows 95 are trademarks of Microsoft CorporationMacintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Printed in the United States of America

L e v e l 0 M i l l i n g G F K - 1 7 0 2

G F K - 1 7 0 2 T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s

T a b l e o f C o n t e n t sCHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 4

How to Learn the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Balloons and Prompting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Operating Systems Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

CHAPTER 2: INTERFACE 6Cursors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Clipboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

CHAPTER 3: PART SET-UP 18Document Control Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

CHAPTER 4: GEOMETRY CREATION 21Geometry Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Geometry Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Point Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Edit Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Modify Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Workgroup Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Printing the Part Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Geometry Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

CHAPTER 5: TOOL CREATION 51Tool Creation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Tool Creation Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Tool List Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Tool Offset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

CHAPTER 6: MACHINING 57Machining Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Creating an Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Multiple Process Programming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

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T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s G F K - 1 7 0 2

Modifying an Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Machining Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Process Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Operation Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Clearance Moves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Machining Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Operation Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Printing the Toolpath. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

CHAPTER 7: VIEW CONTROL 75Viewing the Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75View Control Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75View Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

CHAPTER 8: CUT PART RENDERING 78Cut Part Rendering Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Cut Part Rendering Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Cut Part Rendering Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Printing the Cut Part Rendered Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

CHAPTER 9: POST PROCESSING 82Post Processing Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Post Processor Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Post Processor Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

CHAPTER 10: COMMUNICATIONS 85Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Communicating with a CNC Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

CHAPTER 11: TUTORIAL 88Creating a New Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Creating Part Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Creating a Tool List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Creating Operations With the Process List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Post Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133Part Blueprint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

APPENDIX 1: OPERATING SYSTEMS 137Launching the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Operating Systems Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137File Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Standard Extensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

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G F K - 1 7 0 2 T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s

APPENDIX 2: PRINTING 139Printing Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139DOS Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Windows NT Windows 95 Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Macintosh Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

APPENDIX 3: MENUS 141File Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Edit Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144View Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Modify Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147Part File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

APPENDIX 4: SHORTCUTS 149DOS Windows NT Windows 95. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

INDEX 155

3


CHAPTER 1 : I n t r o d u c t i o nHOW TO LEARN THE SYSTEM

Congratulations on receiving the most productive programming system available! The bestway to learn how to use this software is to do the exercise in the Geometry Creation Chapter andthen go through the Tutorial Chapter. For simple explanations of items on screen and their purpose,use Balloons and Prompting provided in the Help menu or the reference information provided inthe manual.

BALLOONS AND PROMPTINGBalloons and Prompting are built-in documentation and training information, also known as

CAT (Computer Aided Training). They can be turned on from selections under the Help menu.Balloons provide reference information about any object that the cursor is placed over. Promptingextends certain palettes in the system to provide useful suggestions about how to proceed. They arevery useful.

OPERATING SYSTEMS GLOSSARYThe MS-DOS, Windows NT, Windows 95 and MacOS operating systems use different

terminology for certain common items. A short list has been provided to help eliminate possibleconfusion. Refer to the Operating Systems Appendix for additional information on the differencesbetween the DOS, Windows NT, Windows 95 and Macintosh operating systems.

EQUIVALENT TERMSfile = document

program = applicationdirectory = folder

backspace key (not delete or del) = delete key (not del)

Operating system symbol : This symbol appears throughout the manual to indicate whenthere are variations in specific system functions depending on the operating system.

OS

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G F K - 1 7 0 2 I n t r o d u c t i o n

SYSTEM OVERVIEWThis system is designed to be extremely flexible, to allow the user the freedom to create parts

in any way that comes naturally. The "modeless" interface allows the user to have geometry cre-ation, tools, machining capabilities and post processing functions available at all times. However,there are certain basic elements required to create a part. There must be geometry, a tool, and a tool-path (an operation) created before post processing. The Top Level Palette is organized in a logicalmanner for building a part. A part does not have to be created in this order, it only serves as a guide-line. Refer to the Tutorial in this manual for complete step-by-step instructions on part creation.

5

Create a new file.

Create part geometry.

Create a tool.

Create a toolpath.

Cut Part Render.

Post Process.

Change the view.


CHAPTER 2 : I n t e r f a c eThis system uses a Graphic User Interface (GUI). This simply means that pictures or symbols

are used in place of text whenever possible. This section of the manual describes the different inter-face objects and their uses.

CURSORSThe cursor is the object moved with the mouse. Its appearance changes depending on its loca-

tion. The different cursor appearances indicate different uses for the cursor.

Black Pointer : This cursor is used to select objects and geometry by clicking on them. Zoomby dragging a rectangle around an area on the screen.

White Pointer : This cursor functions the same as the black pointer, except it is in multipleselection mode. The white pointer appears when the Shift key is held down or when a geom-etry sub-palette is open. It allows more than one item to be selected at a time.

Mover Tool : This indicates that the cursor is placed on the edge of a palette or in a dialogstitle bar. Move the palette or dialog by holding the mouse button down and dragging it to adifferent location.

Pointing Finger : This indicates that the cursor is over a button. Push the button by clicking onit.

Hand : This indicates that the cursor is over a draggable object such as a tile. Move the objectby clicking on it once and dragging it to the desired location. This cursor is also used to rollthe trackball.

Spot : The cursor changes to this while rolling the trackball.

I Beam : This indicates that the cursor is in a location where text input is accepted. It is aflashing cursor.

Area Select : The cursor changes to this while doing a mouse drag or zooming in on an area.

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ACTIONSThere are a number of actions used throughout the system.

Moving the cursor : The cursor is moved and positioned with the mouse. Click : A quick tap on any mouse button. Double-click : Two quick taps on the mouse button. Type : Using the keyboard. Drag : Position cursor, hold mouse button down, reposition cursor, release mouse button. Shift-click : Hold shift key down while clicking the mouse. Shift-double-click, Ctrl-click, Ctrl-double-click, etc. : Hold down stated key and click (or double-click).

OBJECTSSeveral interface objects are used throughout the system.

Drawing Window Palettes Dialogs Tile Lists Menus Machining Markers Balloons/Prompts Wastecan

Menu Bar

Tile List

Palette Prompt Dialog

DrawingWindow

Balloon

Wastecan

7


DRAWING WINDOWThe drawing window is the full size of the screen. All drawing of geometry, toolpaths, and ren-

dered images appears in the drawing window. It is not moveable. All other interface objects appearin front of the drawing window.

PALETTESA palette is a collection of functions grouped together in a logical manner for the user. Some

palettes are moveable, others are not.

Top Level Palette : This palette is made up of buttons. These buttons can be either on(depressed) or off (raised). Clicking once on a button turns it on and accesses theappropriate dialog or palette. Another click will turn the button off and put any dialogs orpalettes away. The top level palette cannot be moved.

Geometry Creation Palette : This palette is alsomade up of a group of buttons. However,when one of the buttons is clicked on, itdoes not stay depressed. Instead, it brings up

the point sub-palette or the Geometry Expert Spreadsheet. The Geometry Creation Palette can bemoved to any location on the screen. Move the palette by placing the cursor in the title bar of thepalette. When the cursor changes to the mover tool, hold the mouse button down and move thepalette. This action is called dragging the edge.

Machining Palette : This palette is made up of Function Tilesand buttons. The four Function Tiles are moveable objects thatcan be dragged to the Process List to create operations. The

Machining Palette can be moved to any location on the screen.

Cut Part Rendering Palette : This palette provides control over thecut part rendering process. It allows the user to control render-ing speed, the operations that will be rendered, and the way the

tool will be displayed. This is also a moveable palette.

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View Control Palette (Trackball) : The View Control Palette allows the user toeasily change the current view of the part. The buttons around the outsideprovide standard view changes, redraws and unzooms. The center ball oper-ates like a trackball and rolls to allow the part to be viewed from any orien-tation. When the cursor is placed over the ball, it changes into a hand, whichindicates that the ball can be rolled. Holding the mouse button down andmoving the mouse will roll the trackball. The black outlined box on the ballrepresents the orientation of the part. The "T" identifies the top surface of the

part. The dimensions of the box do not change with the actual part size. X is the long axis. Once thedesired view is obtained, and the mouse button is released, the part is redrawn in the new view. Theball has four small solid black rectangles around it, inside the ring of buttons (located at 12:00, 3:00,6:00, 9:00). These are called ball "handles". Drag these handles for a single axis view change. Thetrackball is a moveable palette, drag its edge to move it.

DIALOGSDialogs are used when information is required from the user. This information is conveyed

through text boxes, radio buttons, yes/no buttons, and pop-up menus.

Text Boxes : Items that require keyboard inputhave a box next to them. If you click once in atext box, a flashing text cursor will appear whereyou clicked. Anything typed will begin at theflashing text cursor. To move the text cursor, click

at the desired location. Double-clicking in a text box will select (highlight) everything in the textbox. Anything typed at this point will completely replace the current contents of the box. To selectonly portions of the contents of the text box, click before or after the text to be edited, hold themouse button down and drag.

Moving from one text box to another can be accomplished by simply clicking in the desiredbox, or hitting the Tab key. The Tab key moves the cursor from one box to another, and highlightsthe entire contents of each box.

The contents of all text boxes can be cut, copied and pasted to and from the clipboard bychoosing items from the Edit Menu.

Math Input in a Text box : All number input boxes will accept the four standard math function symbols(+ - x / ), as well as a number of special functions, (both * and x are used for multiplication). Hittingthe equal key or tab key on the keyboard will display the final value. Special math functionsinclude:

r = squareroots= sinec= cosinet= tangenta= arctangentm= convert from inch to millimeter (x 25.4)i= convert from millimeter to inch (/ 25.4)

Text Box

9


Angle values follow the standard Cartesian coordinate system, shown below. Negative valuesare acceptable as input.

Radio buttons : Radio buttons come in groups. When one of the buttons in the group isdepressed (turned on), the other buttons in the group are off. The button that isdepressed displays a small red dot or light to indicate that it is on.

Yes/No buttons : Yes/no buttons come one per option. Depress the button foryes, pop it up for no. The button that is depressed displays a small red dot or

light to indicate that it is on.

Pop-Up menus : Pop-up menus provide multiple choices. Apop-up menu looks like a button, but has an arrow indi-

cating that there are more choices available. The menu is accessed by depressing it and dragging thecursor down to scroll through the list. When the desired item is highlighted, release the mouse but-ton to select it.

Geometry Dialog : Geometry Dialogs are usedfor input of specific geometric informationwhen creating points. These dialogs containoptions for creating single points or multiplepoints.

90

0

270

180(-180)

(-90)

(-270)

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Geometry Expert Spreadsheet: All part geometry is created using theGeometry Expert Spreadsheet. Thefeature type buttons on the far left arecontained in a pull out graphic menu.

All other geometric information is entered in the feature rows in the various cells of the spreadsheet.This is a moveable dialog that can be positioned anywhere on the screen. For more information onGeometry Expert, refer to the Geometry Creation Chapter.

Moveable dialogs : Some dialogsmay be moved around on thescreen. The area at the top ofthe dialog is called the titlebar. The title bar shows thename of the dialog. Drag thetitle bar to move the dialog.The small box in the upper leftcorner of the window is theclose box. Clicking in this boxputs the dialog away. Double-clicking on the title bar willhide the dialog and leave onlythe title bar. An additionaldouble-click will restore thedialog. This is useful for con-serving screen space. Most ofthe dialogs in the system canbe shrunk to the title bar inthis manner.

Close box Dialog Name Title Bar

11


Open Dialog : The Open Dialog is used to locate, view, and open files. It comes up when Open isselected from the File menu, or the Open button is depressed in the Document Control Dialog.

TILE LISTSTool Tiles, Process Tiles and Operation Tiles reside in

Tile Lists. Tile Lists have numbered positions or locations.These positions can be empty or have a tile in them. Tiles maybe selected and dragged to any position in the list. To place atile between two tiles, drag the new tile to an insertion pointbetween two positions. Or, if you shift-double-click on aninsertion point, an empty location is created. Any tiles belowthe insertion point will be moved down in the list. To movetiles up in the list, shift-double-click on an empty position.Depressing and holding down the scroll buttons located at thetop and bottom of the list, scroll the list in order to access tileshigher or lower in the list. To scroll the list a page at a time,

InsertionPoint

ScrollButton

Tile

LocationNumber

EmptyLocation

12

Button used to access the available drives anddisks contained on the system.

Pop-up menu toaccess a higher leveldirectory, displayscurrent directory

The name of thecurrent disk

Part Preview:displays the lastrendered imageof the part

Current Directory/Folder: displays a listof all available files inthe current directory

Part Dimensions

Material Information

Material Informationand Part Comment

On DOS, Windows NT and Windows95 systems, it is the Drive button asshown above. On Macintosh systems,it is the Desktop button.

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hold down the scroll button and move the mouse in the direction of the arrow. The arrow will turnred when scrolling a page at a time.

Tiles : The four different types of tiles are:Function Tiles (Machining Palette)Tool Tiles (Tool List)Process Tiles (Process List)Operation Tiles (Operation List)

Although the functionality of each type of tile is different, they have common features. All tileshave a similar appearance, grey and square. Tiles can be dragged to tile lists.

Function Tiles: The four different types of functions are drilling, contouring,pocketing, and thread milling. Function Tiles are dragged to a ProcessList Location to create a Process Tile.

Tool Tiles : A Tool Tile is created by double-clicking on an empty Tool Tile Location. Thisbrings up a Tool Dialog. A Tool Tile displays a small tool symbol and the tool diameter.

Process Tiles : A Process Tile is created by dragging one Tool Tile and one Function Tile to aProcess List Location. A completed Process Tile displays the tool number with a boxaround it, and a function symbol. When a Process Tile is created, a Process Dialog specific

to the selected machining function will appear on the screen. An incomplete Process Tile displayseither the tool number or the function symbol.

Operation Tiles : Operation Tiles are created from Process Tiles by clicking on the Do it but-ton once the appropriate geometry has been selected for the cut shape. Each Operation Tilerepresents one machining operation which contains the toolpath. An operation can either

drill or thread mill all selected points or circles, contour selected shapes, or pocket as much of theselected geometry as possible without picking up the tool. An Operation Tile displays the tool num-ber and function symbol.

MENUSMenu Bar: The menu bar shown below is located at the top of the screen. It is available to the user atall times. To access the menu bar, position the cursor over the menu bar title, hold the mouse buttondown, drag the cursor until the desired item is highlighted, and release the mouse button. If a menuitem is grayed out it cannot be selected. Selecting geometry or some other appropriate item on thescreen may change the menu item so that it is available for selection. Some menu items are grayedout because they are not supported by the Level 0 product. Refer to the Menus Appendix for a list-ing of these items.

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Keyboard shortcuts: Many menu items can be accessed by the key-board. The letter next to the menu item indicates what key onthe keyboard will activate that item. Refer to the ShortcutsAppendix for specific information on using keyboard shortcuts.

The symbol next to the letter will be different depending on the operating systemand the selection made in the Interface Preference.

MACHINING MARKERSMachining Markers allow the user to specify the start and end feature and start and end point

of the cut shape, the cut direction, and the offset position of the tool. These markers appear on thescreen when geometry is selected for contouring processes.

Start Feature : The geometry feature (line or circle) on which the tool will start cutting.

Start Point : The point on the start feature where the tool will start cutting.

End Feature : The geometry feature on which the tool will stop cutting.

End Point : The point on the end feature where the tool will stop cutting.

Cutter Side and Direction : The circles represent where on the geometry the tool willcut: on the outside of the geometry, on the inside of the geometry, or on the cen-terline. The arrows indicate which direction the tool will travel, making either aclimb or conventional cut. Click on the desired circle and direction arrow.

BALLOONS/PROMPTSBalloons and prompts provide on-line reference information about the objects and functions in

the system.

Balloons : Balloons are turned on in the Help menu. A bal-loon containing reference information will appear whenthe cursor is placed over an object on the screen.

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KeyboardShortcut

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G F K - 1 7 0 2 I n t e r f a c e

Prompting : Prompting is also turned on in the Help menu.Prompting extends the geometry and machining palettes toinclude useful suggestions on how to use the software.

Error Balloons : Error balloons alert the user whenever an invalid value hasbeen entered. They are outlined in red and disappear when a valid entry ismade.

SHORTCUTSButton Shortcuts : In some cases, buttons may be depressed by actions other than clicking on them.

When a button has a black outline around it, it can be depressed by hitting the enteror return key.

Geometry dialogs give the user a choice of single or multiple point creation. Tocreate only one point, click on the single point button. To create more than one

point using the selected method, click on the multiple point button. One of the buttons will alwaysbe highlighted. The highlighted button can be depressed by clicking on it, hitting the space bar, theenter key, or the return key.

The Process button is found in some dialogs, primarily those found in the Modifymenu. It can be depressed by clicking on it, or by hitting the enter or return keys.

The system contains many other shortcuts that are described on platform specific Shortcutsinformation cards and in the Shortcuts Appendix.

SELECTIONThree classes of objects may be selected in the system: text, geometry features and tiles. Text

and geometry can be cut, copied, and pasted to and from the clipboard within the same file by usingitems in the Edit Menu. Selection techniques are described below.

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TEXT SELECTIONTo select text:

Click and drag the cursor over some text. The text will become selected.

Double-click in a text box. All text in the box will become selected.

Hit the tab key to move from text box to another. All text in the box will become selected.

GEOMETRY SELECTIONTo select a single geometry feature:

Click on a feature. The feature will become selected. If any other features were selected, they will

become deselected.

To select multiple geometry features: Shift-click on a feature.

If the feature was unselected, it will become selected and added to any other currentlyselected features. If the feature was selected, it will become deselected and removed from the currently selected group.

Holding down the shift key changes the cursor to multiple selection mode which allows more than one geometry feature to be selected at a time.

To select an entire connected shape: Double-click on a feature of the shape.

All connected features will become selected.

To select certain types of geometry: Use the Select items found under the Edit menu.

All geometry that matches the selected type will become selected and added to the currently selected group.

TILE SELECTIONTo select a single tile:

Click on a tile.The tile will become selected. If any other tiles were selected, they will become dese-

lected.

To select multiple tiles: Shift-click on a tile.

If the tile was unselected, it will become selected and added to any other currently selected tiles. If the tile was selected, it will become deselected and removed from the cur-rently selected group.

Holding down the shift key changes the cursor to multiple selection mode which

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G F K - 1 7 0 2 I n t e r f a c e

allows more than one tile to be selected at a time.

COLORSThe system uses colors to graphically display different items drawn on the screen. The color

scheme for geometry, toolpaths and rendering is listed below.

GEOMETRYColor MeaningYellow Unconnected GeometryLight Blue Connected Geometry

TOOLPATHSColor MeaningDark Blue Cut Shape; selected area of a shape to be machinedSolid Orange Feed Move in a ToolpathDashed Orange Rapid Move in a ToolpathDashed Gray Rapid Move used for positioning moves and tool changesSolid Gray Approach Feed Move

RENDERINGColor MeaningBlue StockYellow Rendering of selected operations, and/or selected toolsGray Rendering of unselected operations and/or unselected toolsRed Tool Interference

CLIPBOARDThe Clipboard is used as a temporary storage place for geometry and text. Using the Cut

option from the Edit menu will delete whatever items are selected and replace the contents of theClipboard with them. Using Copy will leave the selected items in their current location and replacethe contents of the Clipboard with a duplicate of them. Choosing Paste can do two things. If some-thing is selected it will replace that selection with the contents of the Clipboard. If nothing is select-ed the contents of the Clipboard will be pasted in either the drawing window or in an active text boxdepending on whether the Clipboard contains text or geometry. The Clipboard can only hold oneselection at a time. This means that it can hold either text or geometry, but not both. If text iscopied into a Clipboard holding geometry, the geometry in the Clipboard will be lost. The contentsof the clipboard will also be lost, when a file is closed, the software is quit out of, or the computer isshutdown. Therefore, geometry can not be cut, copied or pasted between different part files becausethe contents of the clipboard are deleted when the part file is closed.

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CHAPTER 3 : P a r t S e t - u pDOCUMENT CONTROL DIALOG

Clicking on the Document Control button will bring up the Document Control dialog.This dialog is actually a combination of two linked dialogs. The top dialog contains filemanagement selections and also provides measurement type options.

The bottom dialog provides specific information about the part such as stock size,clearance moves and tool change positioning.

The buttons used for file management, described below, are also available under the File menu.

Open Button : Clicking on the Open button will bring up the Open Dialog which allows the user toselect which file to open. If a file is currently open, it will be closed and the selected file will beopened.

Stock SizeDiagram

MeasurementType

FileManagement

Tool ChangePosition

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G F K - 1 7 0 2 P a r t S e t - u p

New Button : This button will create a new file by opening a dialog and asking for a file name and alocation to save the new file. If there is a file open, it will be closed.

Save Button : If there have been any changes made while the file was open, this button will save thechanges.

Save As Button : This button will open a dialog asking for a file name and a location to save the cur-rent file. The changes made since the last Save command will be written into the new file. The orig-inal file will not be affected. The new file will become the current, open file.

Save a Copy Button : This button is very similar to the the Save As button. The system will create aduplicate copy of the open file. The original file remains the current, open file. The name of theduplicate file can be changed.

On DOS systems, if the original file name is less than 8 characters, the system will addunderscores to make the duplicate file's name 8 characters in length. If the original file'sname is 8 characters, the system will change the last character to an underscore to distin-

guish the original file and the copy. On Macintosh, Windows NT and Windows 95 systems, theword copywill be added at the end of the file name to distinguish it from the original.

Close Button : This button closes the current file. If the file has not been saved before clicking on theClose Button, a dialog will come up asking if the file should be saved.

Measurement Type : These two radio buttons determine whether values input will bebased on an English or metric standard and entered in inches or millimeters. Themeasurement type used by the post processor is determined by the post processor

itself. There are English and metric post processors. If an English post is used on a metric part, theposted numbers will be converted from millimeters to inches. Likewise, metric posts will convertvalues from inches to millimeters.

Stock Size Diagram : This section of the dialog is used tospecify the starting size of the part stock. The numberswill be used to draw the stock outline and origin mark-er, and to draw the initial stock during the renderingprocess. These values will not affect the programmingof the part, but it is recommended that they closely cor-respond to the actual stock being used.

Tl Change Pos : If Tool Change Position is on, the turret will be sent to the Xand Y dimensions specified before a tool change occurs. This option isused on milling machines without automatic tool changers. It is also usefulwhen the table must be moved to avoid interference during a tool changedue to a tall part, fixtures or if a rotary table is being used.

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Clearance Plane : This position is used as a master Clearance Plane for thepart. This is the Z position the tool will rapid to and from during a toolchange. In addition, the tool will retract to this position between holes fordrilling operations, if the second Retract to Z option is selected in the

Drilling Process Dialog. This Clearance Plane is also used for multiple parts in the posted output.Refer to the Machining and Post Processing Chapters for more information on clearance positioning.

Comment : Any text entered as a part comment will be shown in the part preview section of the OpenDialog. In most cases, it will also appear in the posted output.

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G F K - 1 7 0 2 G e o m e t r y C r e a t i o n

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CHAPTER 4 : G e o m e t r y C r e a t i o nGEOMETRY OVERVIEW

Geometry must be created in order to machine a part. All part geometry is createdusing the Geometry Expert spreadsheet and the Point sub-palette. Geometry Expertcombines the creation and connection of all geometry features in one powerful and easyto use method. The Point sub-palette offers several methods for defining points. Oncecreated, geometry can be duplicated and modified using items in the Edit Menu and theModify Menu. There is an exercise at the end of this chapter that provides detailedinstructions on creating part geometry.

GEOMETRY EXPERTGeometry Expert is a method of geometry creation which facilitates the fast creation of sim-

ple parts and the simplified creation of more complex parts, along with being very easy to learnand use. Geometry Expert is designed to create a single, continuous, shape. It allows the user todefine, create and connect shape features while following along the path of the part.

Geometry Expert has a tabular format which operates much like a standard spreadsheet.Features are defined by entering dimensions into the cells (text boxes) of the feature rows. Eachrow creates a different feature. Features are defined in the same order as they are encounteredalong the shape path.

Creating a shape using Geometry Expert is akin to walking around the path of the shape,indicating such items as location, direction and the distance being traveled. While this is similar tostandard shape creation techniques, Geometry Expert goes one step further. It applies its inherentknowledge of geometric principles and follows a logical course which allows for the creation ofcomplete, connected, geometrically correct shapes requiring the least amount of input from theuser.

Geometry Expert, as the name implies, provides the user with a built-in consultant on therules and principles of geometry. The creation of simple shapes, containing primarily horizontaland vertical lines, such as shafts, is almost effortless using Geometry Expert. The default settingsand automatic angle toggling allow the user to create alternating, intersecting horizontal and verti-cal lines in the fastest manner possible. The user only needs to enter one value in order to definethe line. The creation of more complex shapes, containing multiple arcs and angled lines, is great-ly simplified due to the fact that Geometry Expert constantly applies its built in logic and knowl-edge of geometry to guide the user through the process.

Finally, Geometry Expert is a very powerful editing tool. The associative capabilities ofGeometry Expert make editing any existing shape a very easy process. The system handles thedimension changes while maintaining all the proper connections and relationships between piecesof geometry (eg. intersections and tangencies). Feature dimensions can be adjusted by simplychanging the values in the spreadsheet. Geometry Expert handles all of the calculations andadjustments to the other features that are affected by the changes. Geometry Expert frees the userfrom needing to understand complex geometrical relationships and calculate feature dimensions.Instead, the user can simply enter the specifications provided on the part blueprint and letGeometry Expert do the rest.


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HOW GEOMETRY EXPERT WORKSGeometry Expert is set up much like a standard spreadsheet. Feature specifications are

entered into cells which are contained in rows. Each row of the spreadsheet defines a feature.

Features are defined in the order that they appear along the path of the shape. When theGeometry Expert spreadsheet is open on the screen the user can create fully connected shapes byentering feature specifications in each of the rows. Because Geometry Expert creates connectedshapes, each feature is dependent on and aware of the preceding and following features.

The feature row that is being worked on at any given time is referred to as the current row.The current row has an upraised frame and is outlined in either yellow or black. When the currentrow contains adequate information, it is outlined in yellow. The prompt at the bottom of thespreadsheet, which gives the status of the current row, will indicate what will happen when therow is entered.

The current row will be outlined in black if it does not contain enough information. Theprompt will indicate what additional information is needed to define the row. If the user attemptsto enter a row that does not contain enough information, an error balloon will come up, again indi-cating what other information is required. When the current feature row contains the appropriateinformation, the row is entered into the spreadsheet by hitting the enter or return key. Entering anew row moves the cursor down to the next row in the spreadsheet, which will now be the currentrow. The enter and return keys only move the current row down in the spreadsheet if a new row isbeing created. Otherwise, the arrow keys or the cursor must be used to maneuver through therows in the spreadsheet.

Each feature is drawn on the screen as soon as the spreadsheet contains the necessary infor-mation. Some features cannot be drawn until later features are defined. These are referred to asfloating features and are explained later in this section.

Creating part geometry with Geometry Expert is accomplished by walking along the path ofa shape, and defining features as they are encountered. In this way, all features are automaticallyconnected to the preceding and following features. Because of this methodology, sometimes it isnecessary to specify the correct direction of a feature, in addition to indicating its magnitude.

For arcs, the selected feature type indicates the direction, either clockwise or counter-clock-wise. For lines, the angle value indicates the direction. For example, a horizontal line can eitherbe defined with an angle value of 0 or 180; both will draw the same line, but in the oppositedirection. Specifying the correct line direction is only an issue if the previous or next feature isgoing to be an arc. When that is the case, it is necessary to indicate to the system what directionthe line is moving. Again, checking the line direction should only be necessary when the line isbeing connected to an arc.

Feature Row

Cell

Scroll Bar


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CREATING SHAPES USING GEOMETRY EXPERTWhen creating a part using Geometry Expert, the first thing that must be decided is the start-

ing feature and the direction to travel around the part, either clockwise or counter-clockwise.When the spreadsheet is first opened, the first row will default to a line with an angle of 90. Theinformation in this row will need to be added to and/or changed in order to define the first feature.

The prompts indicate what additional information can be entered to define the feature. Assoon as the first row contains enough information to fully define the feature, the frame of the rowwill become yellow. When the frame is yellow, the prompting information tells the user how thefeature will be created. A yellow frame around the row indicates that the user can press enterwithout getting an error message. Hitting enter or return will create the feature and start a newrow. The reference number of the feature that was created will be placed in the Ref cell in its row.

The new rows feature type will default to a line, and the angle will default to either 0/180or 90/270. The angle value of the line will automatically toggle between either 0/180 or90/270. Once again, the prompt will indicate what information can be added to further definethe line.

In this case, and many others, the frame of the row will be yellow even if the row does notcontain enough information to fully define the feature. This is because it is still possible to addinformation in subsequent rows that will fully define the feature. At this point, information can beadded to or removed from the row to define the next feature of the shape as dimensioned on theprint. When the information is correct, the feature is created by hitting the enter or return key.

This process continues until the last feature of the shape is defined. When the last feature ofthe shape is created it should intersect with the first feature of the shape. At this point the featuremust be connected using the Close Shape feature type.

Geometry Expert button: The Geometry Expert button is located in the last position in theGeometry Creation palette. Clicking on this button brings up the Geometry Expertspreadsheet, shown below, which allows the user to create connected shapes by entering

feature dimensions in the rows of the spreadsheet.

Close Box

Reference #

Feature Type

Current Row

PromptAngle of Line/Radius of Circle

Length of Lineor Chamfer

Size Box

Vertical (Y) Coordinateof Line Point/Centerpoint

Horizontal (X) Coordinateof Line Point/Centerpoint

Vertical (Y) Coordinateof End Point

Horizontal (X) Coordinateof Endpoint


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Feature Type: There are seven options available for thefeature type. They are (from left to right): line, chamfer,

fillet, clockwise arc, counter-clockwise arc, and close shape. Each row must have a feature type selected. To select the feature type, click on the feature type button which will access the possible selections. Drag the mouse to the desired feature so that the button appears depressed, and let go of the mouse button. That feature will now appear as the feature type for the row. In some cases, depending on the previous feature, some of thefeature type options may be grayed out to indicate they are not valid selections. Also, depending on the feature type selected, some cells may be grayed out indicating that the selected feature type does not require that dimension. The feature type can also be selected using keyboard shortcuts. Refer to the Shortcuts information card or the Shortcuts Appendix for information on keyboard shortcuts for Geometry Expert.

Reference #: Every feature that is created is assigned a reference number by the system. The letter indicates what type of feature it is, L for line, C for circle, and the number indicates the creation order. These reference numbers may change during the course of creating geometry, but will not affect the shape.

EP X: The number entered in this cell is the horizontal or X coordinate of the endpoint of the current feature. When a feature is defined with an endpoint, the system will draw the feature and trim it at the specified endpoint. Endpoint specifications are required if the next feature needs a start point in order to be correctly defined.

EP Y: The number entered in this cell is the Y or vertical coordinate of the endpoint of the current feature.

EXAMPLE: The row shown below will create a 45 line with an endpoint drawn at X -2, Y 3. The next feature that is defined in the spreadsheet will start at the endpoint of this feature.

Angle/Rad: The number entered in this cell is dependent on the feature type selected. If the feature type is a line, this number specifies the angle of the line. The angle value for a line defaults to either 90/270 or 0/180 allowing for the creation of vertical or horizontal lines, respectively. The system toggles between these angle values which makes the creation of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines a very quick and easy process. The user can change the default values by simply entering the new numbers in the cells. If the feature type is a arc or fillet, this number specifies the radius.


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EXAMPLE: The row shown below will create a fillet between the previous and fol-lowing feature with a radius of 0.25.

Length: The number entered in this cell is the length of the current feature. The length cell is only active if the feature type is either a line or a chamfer.

LP/CP X: The number entered in this cell is dependent on the feature type selected. If the feature type selected is a line, this number is the X or horizontal coordinate of a line point (LP). A line point is any point that lies somewhere on the line. Line points are only used to draw and calculate the line, they are not part of the shape. Line points are not drawn on the screen. Geometry Expert defaults to the LP/CP cell so it is more efficient when creating lines to use line points whenever possible in order to reduce the number of key strokes necessary. If the feature type selected is a circle, this number is the horizontal coordinate of the centerpoint of the circle.

LP/CP Y: The number entered in this cell is dependent on the feature type selected. If the feature type selected is a line, this number is the Y or vertical coordinate of a line point. If the feature type selected is a circle, this number is the horizontal coordinate of the centerpoint of the circle.

EXAMPLE: The row shown below will create a 90 (vertical) line that goes through the point at X 4. When defining either horizontal (0/180) or vertical (90/270) lines, only one LP coordinate is required. Refer to the section on Half Points in this chapter for more information.

EXAMPLE: The row shown below will create a circle with a radius of 0.5 and acenterpoint at X -3, Y 2.


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Prompt: The information contained in the prompt indicates the status of the current row. When a feature row is outlined in yellow, the prompt tells the user what specifications have been entered for this feature and what will happen when the row is entered. If the feature row is outlined in black indicating that more information is required, the prompt will tell the user what additional information is required. The prompt also indicates if the system has auto-matically deleted a cell value because the feature row contained too much information that overdefined the feature, this aspect of Geometry Expert is referred to as the auto deletefunction which is explained in the Expert Aids section of this chapter.

Close box: Clicking in this box will close Geometry Expert. When Geometry Expert is closed, all information is cleared out of the spreadsheet. When the Geometry Expert button is depressed again, the spreadsheet will come up empty. In order to load or reload a shape into the spreadsheet, double click on any feature of the shape while the spreadsheet is open on the screen. All connected feature dimensions will be entered into the spreadsheet.

Size box : The size box allows the user to adjust the size of the Geometry Expert spreadsheet. To adjust the size of the spreadsheet, click in the Size box and drag the window to the desired size. The width cannot be changed, but the length can be adjusted.

Scroll Bar: The scroll bar and arrows allow the user to scroll through the rows contained in the spreadsheet to make adjustments and check the values entered. This is useful if the spread-sheet needs to stay relatively small to fit on the screen, and/or if it contains many features.

EXPERT AIDSThere are several items built in to Geometry Expert that are designed to guide the user

through geometry creation. They include prompting, auto delete, and error balloons.

PromptingThe prompting information appears across the bottom of the Geometry Expert spreadsheet.

The prompt tells the user what actions are being taken by the system based on the information pro-vided by the user. The user should be able to follow the prompts through the creation process toget a good idea of what is happening.

Auto DeleteThe auto delete function of Geometry Expert is intended to reduce errors resulting from fea-

tures being overdefined because too much information has been entered in the feature row.Geometry Expert is designed so that the user need only enter the minimum amount of informationto define a feature. The system will automatically delete the first entry made in the feature rowwhen the feature is overdefined. Auto delete is necessary in order to facilitate the associativecapabilities of Geometry Expert. Note that the default values, such as the line angle, are consid-ered the first entry rather than any information entered by the user. The prompt will indicate whatinformation is being deleted.


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Error BalloonsGeometry Expert also contains Error Balloons which appear on the screen whenever a prob-

lem occurs. The most common error messages appear when the system requires more informationfor a feature being entered. For example, if a line needs another value for an end point, an ErrorBalloon will come up indicating that a V or H value is needed to calculate the end point. TheError Balloons and Prompting use the letters V and H, indicating Vertical and Horizontal.

Another common error message indicates that the feature being defined cannot intersect withthe previous feature. The non-intersecting feature can still be created, but the message indicates tothe user that the continuity of the shape has been broken and the subsequent features being createdwill not connect to the existing shape.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONDefaults

When entering features in the Geometry Expert spreadsheet, the system contains defaults forthe feature type and line angle. The standard feature type default is a line. When GeometryExpert defaults to a line, it also enters an angle value, either 90/270 or 0/180, depending onthe angle of the last line entered. Sometimes a line is not a possible feature type option, in whichcase the system defaults to an arc. This only occurs when the previous feature is a floating line.Geometry Expert dimensions the line according the preceding and following feature specifications.Floating features are not drawn on the screen until the system contains the necessary information.

Post TargetingDespite all of its expertise, Geometry Expert cant always know the correct intersection point

to use for a connector. When there are two or more, equally valid points of intersection, the sys-tem will draw both points. This is referred to as post targeting. When post targeting is required, adialog will come up that asks the user to select the appropriate point and click on the OK button.Once the user has selected the desired intersection point, Geometry Expert will make the appropri-ate connection and continue along in the spreadsheet defining and connecting features.

The Edit menu contains an item that will change the intersection point selected in a post tar-geting dialog to the other possible point of intersection. The menu item toggles between UseIntersection #1 and Use Intersection #2, depending on the point selected and where it lies alongthe path of the shape. This option will be an active item when a feature that required post target-ing is selected on the screen.

Half PointsIn certain cases, only one coordinate, either the horizontal or vertical, is required to define

the feature. This is referred to as a half point case. Half points are valid when Geometry Expert isable to calculate the other half of the coordinate value from information contained in the spread-sheet. (Either preceding or following features.)

When a valid half point is entered, the row will be highlighted in yellow, allowing the user toenter the feature row. If the half point entered is not valid, the row will be highlighted in blackand the prompt will indicate what additional information is necessary to enter the row. If anincomplete row is entered, an error ballon will come up indicating what additional information isrequired. There are three cases where half points are valid. They are listed and explained below.


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Half Line Point: A half line point is valid only when creating either a horizontal line (angle value = 0 or 180) or vertical line (angle value = 90 or 270). If creating a horizontal line, a V coordinate must be given for a valid half line point. If creating a vertical line, an H coordi-nate must be given for a valid half line point. Line points are not part of the shape, but are only used to calculate the position of the line.Half End Point: A half end point is only valid if the line is otherwise completely defined. Given either the vertical or horizontal coordinate of the end point along with the other informa-tion that defines the line, the system can calculate the other half of the end point. If a half end point is used in the case of 0/180 or 90/270 lines, the half end point will function like a half line point, in that an end point will not be drawn, although the correct line will be created.Half Center Point: A half center point is valid when a circle has a radius value and is tangent to the preceding feature. (There must be a preceding feature.) Given the radius and the vertical or horizontal component of the centerpoint, the system can calculate the other half of the centerpoint by the assumed tangencies.

Floating FeaturesFloating features are features whose defining row does not contain all of the information nec-

essary to draw the feature. Floating feature rows are different from incomplete feature rows. Withfloating feature rows, the information contained in the current feature row and the preceding rowsis inadequate to completely define the feature and draw it. However, subsequent features, definedin following rows, could provide the necessary information to define the floating feature. Floatingfeature rows are outlined in yellow and can be entered.

Incomplete feature rows do not contain enough information to create the feature, and noamount of information entered in following rows will make the feature definable. Incomplete fea-ture rows are outlined in black and cannot be entered without getting error messages.

Again, the row outline and the prompting information will indicate if the feature row can beentered, and if it is, how the floating feature will be incorporated into the shape after later featureshave been defined.

Inserting and Deleting RowsThe Edit menu contains options for inserting and deleting rows in the spreadsheet. When

inserting rows in the spreadsheet, the system will create a new row above the current row. Toinsert a row, select the row beneath the row to be inserted. Then, select the Insert row option inthe Edit menu. When an inserted row is entered, the system will recalculate the shape and attemptto incorporate the new feature into the existing shape, if possible.

To delete a row, simply select the row to be removed, and choose the Delete Row option inthe Edit menu. When rows are deleted, Geometry Expert will recalculate the shape, and attemptto keep it continuous and connected. If that is not possible, error balloons will appear indicatingthat features do not intersect and the shape cannot be connected.

Arcs vs. FilletsArcs with only a radius value and fillets appear to be very similar at first glance, but actually

use two completely different methods for calculating the circles. A fillet takes a sharp point pro-duced by an intersection between two other features and changes it into a radius. It is created afterthe intersection between the two features is completed. Because of this, it is dependent on theintersection of the other two features to exist. This means that the system cannot use the fillet to


29

calculate features that follow it in the spreadsheet. As the prompts indicate, Geometry Expertcompletely ignores fillets (and chamfers) when calculating what information is necessary to definefeatures. When the prompt displays information about the interaction between the current featureand the previous feature, fillets will be ignored.

An arc with only a radius value is created tangent to two other features. These two featuresdo not have to intersect. The arc is treated as an actual feature and can be used when calculatingother features of the shape.

This is particularly important when dealing with floating lines (lines with limited informa-tion) that have specific tangency requirements. Geometry Expert assumes that floating lines aregoing to be made tangent to the preceding feature. In most cases this is adequate, but sometimes afloating line is supposed to intersect the previous circle and be tangent to the next circle. This iscalled a "forward" tangency.

In the case of forward tangencies, if there is a radius between the previous circle and thefloating line, then an arc, rather than a fillet, must be used in order to allow for the necessary tan-gency calculation. The line will be made tangent to both the arc used as a fillet and the next arc.A fillet cannot be used in this case because the fillet will be ignored by the system until the inter-section is completed, and the correct intersection cannot be created without the arc. If there is nofillet, an arc with a radius of zero will need to be created. This will allow the system to create theline tangent to the following circle, while creating a sharp point at the intersection of the previousfeature.

POINT CREATIONPoints are used as positioning information for drilling and thread milling operations. They are

drawn as yellow circles. There are a variety of methods available to create points. Each isdescribed below.

Point button: Clicking on this button brings up the Point sub-palette, shown below, whichconsists of a group of buttons containing the construction tools for creating points.

Point sub-palette: This sub-palette con-tains buttons which allow the user tocreate points in 3D space in a varietyof ways. When each is depressed,

a geometry dialog appears on the screen. Geometry dialogs are used for input of specificgeometric (numerical) information in the creation of points.

XYZ button: Create a point by typing in the X, Y and Z coordinate values forthe point.

Polar Point button: Create a point at some angle and distance from an existingpoint.


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Bolt Circle Point button: Create a circular pattern of points by entering theappropriate information in the dialog shown below.

Matrix Point button: Create a parallelogram pattern of points by entering therequired information in the dialog shown below.

Centerpoint button: Create a point at the center of an existing circle.

Mouse Point button: Create a point each place the mouse button is clickedbased on user-defined grid spacing.

Return button: This button appears at the far right end of the point sub-palette, and returns the user to the Geometry Creation palette. It can also beactivated by hitting the escape key on the keyboard.

Side 1Change in X

Side 1Change in Y

# of pointsin Side 1

Y Coordinateof 1st PointX Coordinateof 1st point

Z Depthof Points

# of Pointsin Side 2

Side 2Change in Y

Side 2Change in X

X Coordinate ofPattern Centerpoint

Y Coordinate ofPattern Centerpoint

Radius ofCircle Pattern

Z Depthof Points

Creation Order Direction(CCW or CW)

Angle to 1st Point

# of Pointsin Pattern


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EDIT MENUThe Edit menu contains items that allow the user to adjust and

select items contained in the file. Each item found in this menu isdescribed below in the order it is encountered in the menu.

Undo: This item will undo the last action performed. Some actionscannot be undone. When Undo is grayed out in the menu, the previ-ous action cannot be undone.

The Cut, Copy and Paste functions allow selected items, geome-try or text, to be duplicated and/or moved in a file. This is accom-plished using the clipboard, which is a temporary storage place con-tained in the system. These functions only work within the currentlyopen file because the contents of the clipboard are erased when a fileis closed. Refer to the Clipboard section in the Interface Chapter foradditional information.

Cut: This function will delete any selected items, and copy theseitems to the clipboard. The item(s) can then be placed in the samefile using the Paste function.

Copy: This function will make a duplicate of the selected items and copy it to the clipboard. Theitem(s) can then be pasted in the same file.

Paste: This function will place the contents of the clipboard in either the drawing window, if theclipboard contains geometry, or an active text box, if the clipboard contains text. If another item isselected when pasting, that item will be deleted and replaced by the contents of the clipboard.

Select All: This function will select all of the geometry contained in the current workgroup.

Deselect All: This item will deselect any geometry currently selected.

Insert Row: This item will insert a blank row in the spreadsheet above the current row selected.When an inserted row contains the necessary information and is entered, the system will recalculatethe shape and attempt to incorporate the inserted feature into the existing shape, if possible.

Delete Row: This item will deselect the selected row from the spreadsheet. As soon as the row isdeleted, the system will adjust the remaining shape to maintain the appropriate connections, if possi-ble.

Use Intersection #1 (#2): This item will toggle between Use Intersection #1 and Use Intersection #2in the menu. This option enables the user to select different intersections between concurrent fea-tures in the spreadsheet. This option is available when the feature defined by the current row inter-sects the feature defined by the following row in two places. This item will change the point ofintersection, selected in a previous post targeting dialog, to the other possible choice.


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Reverse All Rows: When this item is selected it will reverse the order of the rows in the spread sheetwhich will change the direction of the shape as it is loaded in Geometry Expert. This is useful whenloading a shape that was imported or created using the Free Form CAD tools. When a shape thatwas not created using Geometry Expert is loaded into the spreadsheet, the system decides whetherto go in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction when placing the features into the spreadsheet.The direction has the potential to affect the angle values of lines and the direction of arcs of theshape. There are times when the system will load the shape in the opposite direction than desired.When the shape has been loaded into the spreadsheet, select the Reverse all rows item to reverse theorder of features. This item is only available when the spreadsheet contains feature rows.

NOTE: The Select, Deselect and Redo All Ops items are only available with the Level 1 version ofthis software.

MODIFY MENU

The Modify menu contains items that give the user additionalmethods for creating, positioning and duplicating geometry. TheModify Menu is grayed out when the Geometry Expert spreadsheet isopen. To use the items in the menu, close the spreadsheet and it willbecome available. The Operation Data item is explained in theMachining Chapter.

All of the items under this menu, except Operation Data andMove Part Origin, require geometry to be highlighted before theirfunction can be performed. The Operation Data menu item requiresan operation to be highlighted.

Each item found in this menu is described below in the order it isfound in the menu.

Duplicate: This selection copies the selected geometry, in the same loca-tion. After this is done, the next appropriate step is to move the dupli-cated geometry to another location, possibly using another item underthis menu.

Duplicate And: This selection will perform the individual functions Duplicateand then Force Depth, Mirror, 2d Rotate, Scale or Translate at one time.First, the selected geometry will be duplicated. Then, depending on theoption selected, the selected geometry is moved to one or more new loca-tions based on the number typed in the times box. The specific button choic-es work the same as the items detailed below.


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Set Default: Selecting a point and then choosing Set Default will cause the selected points X, Y andZ locations to appear as the default values in any other appropriate Modify menu dialog. This itemis useful if a drawn point is used to mirror around, rotate around, etc.

Force Depth: This selection sets the Z value of all selected geometry to the Z valueentered.

Mirror: This selection will move the selected geometry to the other sideof the axis or axes specified, around an axis point entered in the textboxes. Clicking on the Process button will perform the mirroring func-tion. This dialog can remain on the screen for further use while otherfunctions are performed.

2D Rotate: This selection will revolve or rotate the selected geometryaround the point specified in the X andY boxes. The selected feature willbe rotated by the amount specified in the Angle box, in either a CW(clockwise) or CCW (counter-clockwise) direction depending on theselection made. Clicking on the Process button will perform the rotatingfunction. This dialog can remain on the screen for further use whileother functions are performed.

Scale: This selection will change the size of the selected geometry by theamount specified. The value typed in the Amount box is a ratio of 1, 1being full size. The inches to mm or mm to inches buttons will changethe geometry to the opposite numerical type. If the Include Z option isturned on, the Z values of the selected geometry will be included in thescaling process. Include Z will not have an affect if the selected geome-try is at Z0. Clicking on the Process button will perform the scalingfunction. This dialog can remain on the screen for further use whileother functions are performed.


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Translate: This selection will move the selected geometry by the offsetamount. Clicking on the Process button will perform the translatingfunction. This dialog can remain on the screen for further use whileother functions are performed.

Reverse Arc: A circle can be fully connected either using the less than 180 arc or with the greaterthan 180 arc. The system automatically selects the less than 180arc as the fully connected feature.If the other arc is needed, select the connected arc and the Reverse Arc item. In other words, select-ing Reverse Arc will cause the system to use the other side of the connected arc.

Move Part Origin: This selection will move ALL the geometry incrementally bythe values typed in the X, Y and Z boxes. The current location of X0, Y0, Z0will change incrementally by the values in this dialog and a new X0, Y0, Z0will be established. Clicking on the Process button will move the origin. Thisdialog can remain on the screen for further use while other functions are per-formed.

Operation Data: This item is used with machining operations and is explained in the MachiningChapter.

NOTE: The Sort, Change CS XYZ and Change CS HVD items are only available with the Level 1 ver-sion of this software.

WORKGROUP SUMMARYSelecting Workgroup Summary from the part menu (title of thismenu will be the name of the part) will bring up the WorkgroupSummary dialog which provides information in spreadsheet formabout all features and points contained in the current workgroup.When the Workgroup summary is open it can be printed by select-

ing the Workgroup Summary item from the Print submenu under the File menu.


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PRINTING THE PART GEOMETRYAfter the part geometry has been created, it can be printed. Geometry can either be printed in

black and white or color. When the desired geometry is on the screen, choose Drawing from thePrint sub-menu under the File menu. To adjust the way the image will print, choose Printing fromthe Preferences sub-menu in the File menu. The Printing Preferences dialog, shown below, allowsthe user to specify how the software will handle the background color. If the printer being used is ablack and white printer, choose the Black on White option to ensure that all portions of geometry,including those that are a light color, can be seen in the print.

For specific information regarding printing on the different operating systems, refer to thePrinting Appendix found at the end of this manual.

OS


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GEOMETRY EXERCISEIn this exercise, we will create a simple shape composed of arcs andlines. Geometry Expert takes care of the connecting intersecting fea-tures. The part print for this exercise is provided at the end of thissection.

Launch the system.

The Operating Systems Appendix provides specific instructions onlaunching the system.

Click on the Document Control button in the Top Level palette.

When the Document Control button is depressed, the DocumentControl dialog will appear on the screen. This dialog contains filemanagement options, as well as general information about the part,stock measurements and clearance positioning.

Click on the New button.


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The Save dialog, shown below, will appear on the screen.

Type exercise in the New File Name box.

Click on the Save button.

When you save files you want to make sure that you are saving themin the appropriate location on your hard drive. You may need tochange drives and/or directories or folders in order to save the file inthe desired place.

To change drives, DOS and Windows users click on theDrive button, Macintosh users on the Desktop button, inthe Save dialog shown above. To change directories or

folders, double click on the name of the directory/folder in the cur-rent list. The pop-up menu above the list displays the name of thecurrent directory/folder and allows you to access lower level directo-ries/folders.

Select mm for the measurement type.

Enter the stock values shown below.

The stock values entered are slightly larger than the part dimensionsso that we can see all of the geometry within the stock outline.

Type This is a sample part in the Comment text box.

OS


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If a comment is entered in this text box, it will appear in the Opendialog when this part is selected.

Because we are only creating part geometry in this exercise, theclearance and tool change positioning information does not matter.

When all the information about the part has been entered, close thisdialog. The information contained in it may be changed at any time,simply by clicking on the Document Control button and entering thenew information.

Close the Document Control dialog by clicking twice in the close box in theupper left hand corner of the dialog.

A stock outline is drawn with a + that signifies the origin of thepart which is located at X0, Y0. Your screen should now look likethe picture shown below.

Another way to close this dialog is to click on theDocument Control button in the Top Level palette again,so that it pops up.


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Click on the Geometry Creation button in the Top Level palette.

The Geometry Creation palette will come up on the screen.

Click on the Geometry Expert button in the Geometry Creation palette.

When this button is depressed, the Geometry Expert spreadsheet willappear on the screen. It may be necessary to move the spreadsheetand size it in order to get a better view of the part. To change thesize of the spreadsheet, use the size box and drag the spreadsheet tothe desired length.

The spreadsheet is a moveable object, which means it canbe placed anywhere on the screen. To move the spread-sheet, place the cursor on the title bar, so that the cursorchanges to the mover tool. Then, while holding down themouse button, drag the dotted outline to a different loca-tion and let go of the mouse button.


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Feature dimensions will be entered in the rows of the spreadsheet toform a shape. The arrow shown below on the left indicates the cur-rent row of the spreadsheet. The current row signifies the featurerow being worked on. The prompt information always refers to thecurrent row. The current row has an upraised frame and is highlight-ed in either yellow or black, depending on its status. When thespreadsheet first comes up, the first row, which is the current row, ishighlighted in black because the row needs more information inorder to define the feature.

Notice that when the spreadsheet comes up, the feature type selectedis a line, and the angle value is 90. As we are going through theexercises, be sure to watch the prompt at the bottom of the spread-sheet. It provides useful information pertaining to the status of thecurrent row.

We will begin creating the shape by choosing a feature and walk-ing around the part in a counter-clockwise direction creating theshape feature by feature. The feature we will start with is the verti-cal line at Y0.

Enter the line point value shown below.

When defining either horizontal or vertical lines, it is only necessaryto enter a half point for the line point.

When only one coordinate value is entered, it is referredto as a half point. In certain cases, the system onlyneeds either a horizontal (H) or vertical (V) coordinatevalue in order to define the feature. For more informa-tion on half points, refer to the Geometry Expert sectionin this chapter.

CurrentRow

CurrentRow


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Once the line point is entered, the current row becomes highlightedin yellow indicating that it now contains enough information todefine the feature. When the current row is highlighted in yellow,the prompting information states what will happen when the user hitsenter.

Hit the enter or return key.

When creating a new row, hitting the enter or return key will createthe feature and move the current row of the spreadsheet down one.If you are working on existing rows, entering the row will not movethe current row down in the spreadsheet, it will only make the neces-sary changes. The arrow keys or the cursor must be used to move upand down within existing rows of the spreadsheet.

Your screen should look like the picture shown below.

When the row is entered, the line is drawn on the screen and the cur-rent row of the spreadsheet moves down one. The second featurerow has a line selected for the feature type and the angle is 180.The system angle defaults toggle between 0/180 and 90/270, andplaces the cursor in the appropriate cell.

Click on the Feature Type button and drag the cursor to the Fillet featuretype (3rd button) so that it becomes depressed. Release the mouse button.

The feature type can also be selected using keyboard shortcuts.Refer to the Shortcuts Appendix for specific information on using thekeyboard shortcuts.


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Enter the radius value shown below.

Only a radius value is required when creating fillets. Therefore, theother cells in the row are grayed out.

Notice the prompt. This row will create a fillet between the preced-ing and following features. Fillets and chamfers are entered in thespreadsheet between the two features they connect with. Fillets andchamfers can only be created between two intersecting features attheir point of intersection. Refer to the Geometry Expert section inthe Geometry Creation Chapter for more information on arcs and fil-lets.


Nothing is drawn on the screen, although the fillet is now entered inthe spreadsheet. Fillets and chamfers are not drawn on the screenuntil the two features they exist between are fully connected.


Notice that the line angle toggled to 180.


CurrentRow

CurrentRow


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The two lines are connected. Connected features have a blue square(connector point) drawn at their intersection or tangency. When afeature has two connector points, it becomes blue and trims.Geometry Expert automatically connects features as they are drawn.If two concurrent features do not have a point of intersection or tan-gency, the system produces an error message indicating that the pre-vious feature can not intersect with the current feature. When both ofthese lines become fully connected (have two connector points), thefillet that was created at their intersection will be drawn on thescreen.

Select the Fillet feature type and enter the radius value shown below.




CurrentRow

CurrentRow


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Notice the horizontal line turns blue and trims because it now hastwo connector points.

Select the Fillet feature type and enter the radius value shown below.


Again there is no change on the screen, but the fillets will be drawnwhen the lines become trimmed and connected. If the GeometryExpert spreadsheet is closed before fillets and chamfers have beendrawn on the screen, they will be lost. Any rows in the spreadsheetthat contain information for features that have not been created (eg.fillets, chamfers, floating features) will not be maintained when thespreadsheet is closed.

Enter the end point coordinates shown below.

CurrentRow

CurrentRow


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It is necessary to enter an end point for this line because the follow-ing arc is not tangent to this line. Anytime an arc is not tangent tothe preceding feature, it needs a start point. A start point is specifiedby entering an endpoint for the preceding feature.



Two of the fillets have now been drawn, and the line defined with anendpoint is trimmed. Once a feature has been drawn on the screen, areference number is assigned and entered in the Ref cell of thespreadsheet.

Select the Clockwise Arc feature type and enter the radius value shownbelow.

Notice the prompting information at the bottom of the spreadsheet.It states that the circle will start at the last rows end point and betangent to the next feature, therefore only a radius value needs to be

CurrentRow

The tab key or the arrow keys move the cursor from onecell to another within any row. The mouse can also beused to change cells by clicking in the desired cell.


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entered. We had to use an arc feature type rather than a fillet becausethis arc is not tangent to the preceding and following lines.


Because the arc is dependent on the following line for a tangencypoint, it will not be drawn on the screen until the following line isdefined.

Enter the endpoint and angle value shown below.


Select the Clockwise Arc feature type and enter the radius value shownbelow.


CurrentRow

CurrentRow


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Enter the angle and line point values shown below.



Select the Close Shape feature type.

The Close Shape feature type connects the first feature and the lastfeature at their point of intersection or tangency by creating a con-nector point. No information other than the feature type needs to beentered, and therefore all the cells in a Close Shape feature row aregrayed out. Closing the shape will usually be the final step whencre

1702 gibbs cam -level 0 milling

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