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v1.3

Release note video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFUKr7DSiYU

Release date: 23 October2024

New Features

  • Introducing the new cutting parameters aggression slider in CAM

    • The Cutting Parameters aggression control slider indicates the level of ‘aggressive control’ you assign over the feeds and speeds in the machining operation:

      • Increased Productivity - the more the selected position is to the right, CAM Assist will generate more aggressive feeds and speeds.

        • Increased productivity tends to reduce cycle time whilst decreasing tool life.

      • Increased Tool Life - the more the selected position is to the left, CAM Assist will generate more conservative feeds and speeds.

        • Increased tool life tends to increase the life of the tool whilst increasing cycle time.

  • Introducing the new option to generate toolpaths or only the operation list

    • This option gives you more control, allowing you to decide whether CAM Assist generates IPW (In-Process Workpiece) every time it runs or not.

    • A radio button called “Automatically generate the toolpaths” in the Advanced tab, with three options

      • Always generate IPW [default]

      • Never generate IPW

      • Ask each time

Product Enhancements

  • Material and Alloy Persistence: When selecting alloys for supported materials, the chosen material and alloy will now remain persistent.

  • Tool Usage Tab Enhancement: In the Tool Usage tab, it's now possible to set allowed operations based on the selected stock material.

  • Seamless NX Update Process: Improvements have been made for seamless NX updates. If NX is automatically closed after an update is initiated, a warning prompt will now appear if the user starts the update by clicking 'Update Now,' notifying them that NX will be automatically closed.

Bug Fixes

  • UI and Materials:

    • Fixed a bug with the add-in UI when running with different alloys.

    • Fixed an issue where sub-materials were being duplicated after the add-in was reset.

    • Fixed an issue with custom folder names.

  • GRPC-Web Stability:

    • Resolved hanging issues in grpc-web when roughing only, holemaking only, or when using the roughing benchmark part.

  • NX Stability:

    • Fixed an issue where the add-in would not unload properly, ensuring NX shuts down correctly after closing the add-in.

    • Resolved an issue with unsupported NX Tool subtypes.

v1.2.1

Release date: 10 September 2024

New Features

  • Introducing the Soft Jaw Designer in NX

    • The Soft Jaw Designer is now part of the CloudNC CAM Assist for NX add-on suite.

    • The Soft Jaw Designer add-on intelligently designs customized fixtures - soft jaws - for your part efficiently.

    • The Soft Jaw Designer is able to create clearance allowances for sharp corners, avoid interlocking geometry, and deals with multi-level parts.

Screenshot 2024-09-11 094715.png

v1.2

Release date: 9 September 2024

New Features

  • Introducing CAM Assist add-on NX 2406

    • CAM Assist is now available for NX 2406 release of Siemens NX, as well as the following releases. Please check the download page to download the right version.

  • Introducing ability to run hybrid set of tools with CAM Assist.

    • You can now export all built-in tool libraries in CAM Assist directly to your current live NX session. This allows you to include your in-session tools along with CAM Assist’s built-in tools, enabling CAM Assist to run with a combination of both. This hybrid approach offers a wider choice of tools, providing more flexibility and enhancing CAM Assist's ability to select tools and machining strategies effectively.

  • Introducing a new set of pre-selected set of tools based on NX tool library

    • We have introduced a new set of tool libraries in both imperial and metric, based on NX's extensive built-in library, to provide you with a wider range of options when using CAM Assist.

  • Introducing network/proxy settings for CAM Assist to ensure enterprise authentication.

    • Directly connecting to CloudNC's server using the default CAM Assist settings may not be possible in some enterprise environments.

    • The Network Status section allows you to enter alternative, one-time settings for the HTTP Proxy and Root Certificate.

    • You can easily provide these alternative settings as needed.

Screenshot 2024-09-10 134756.png

Product Enhancements

  • Support for Chamfer Mills for Deburring: Enables the use of chamfer mills to automatically deburr parts, enhancing finishing capabilities.

  • Notification Mechanism for New Versions: When a new version of CAM Assist is available, you will be notified in the application, ensuring you always have access to the latest features and updates.

  • Correct Identification of Workpiece Coordinate Systems: Improves the software's ability to recognize and correctly assign coordinate systems to workpieces, enhancing alignment and accuracy.

  • Retention of Built-In Tool Library: Keeps the built-in tool library active within a session when exported, allowing users to seamlessly use and check tools without needing to re-import them.

  • Ability to Set Material Subcategories: Define subcategories for materials, improving the accuracy of machining parameters and strategies based on specific material characteristics.

    • This effectively triples the number of default materials that can be used with CAM Assist

    • Material selection now synchronized to the selections available in Cutting Parameters Explorer.

Screenshot 2024-09-10 133216.png

  • Direct Links to Tutorial Videos: Provides quick access to instructional videos directly from the CAM Assist interface, offering users immediate guidance and support.

CAM Assist NX embedded tutorial links.png

  • Predefined Program Folder Names: Users can now predefine folder names for programs (operations), making file management more consistent and organized.

Screenshot 2024-09-10 134044.png

  • Accurate Display of Tool Names and Numbers: Ensures correct displaying of tools name and number in the tool use tab, reducing confusion and potential errors.

Screenshot 2024-09-10 134445.png

  • Enhanced Multi-File Part Support: Improves the handling of multi-file parts, ensuring smoother operations and fewer errors when working with complex assemblies.

  • Accurate Display of User-Preferred Unit Systems: The Cutting Parameters Explorer now correctly displays the user's chosen unit system, ensuring consistent measurement standards and reducing errors.

Bug Fixes

  • Correction is made for extremely small stepdown stepover for Face mill & Helical boring operations.

  • Fix for occasions when during 3+2 CAM Assist used "height" of fixture plate.

  • Various minor bug fixes and UI fixes.

v1.1

Release date: 14 August 2024

Features

  • Cutting Parameters Explorer - this release introduces the Cutting Parameters Explorer. This tool integrates cutting parameter calculations and fine-tuning directly into your workflow. Simply select an operation, click the Cutting Parameters Explorer icon, and adjust the cutting data to optimize tool life or production speed. This feature will automatically adjust speeds and feeds and recommend cutting values based on your preferences.

image-20240821-131519.png

Enhancements

  • Tool Use Summary - provides a summary of the tools that will be used by CAM Assist (for details, see the Tools tab).

image-20240821-130940.png

  • Multi-Setup Workflow Improvement - this version of CAM Assist supports multi-file setups, allowing subsequent setups to be programmed by CAM Assist. Both files need to be open, and the second setup must be linked via the associated IPW. This release introduces a notification mechanism to alert users about missing IPW sources.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue causing NX to crash when a tool in the session was used as the toolset.

  • Resolved an internal error occurring when closing demo parts.

  • Addressed the issue where blanks from setups were not detected.

  • Corrected the problem where chamfering operations occasionally gouged the part and classified chamfered edge shapes as NX_Hole.

  • Implemented several fixes to improve multi-part file setups.

Previous releases

Expand
titleClick here to show/hide earlier 2024 releases

v1.0

Release date: 8 July 2024

This release of CAM Assist includes core capabilities, such as:

  • Manufacturing environments and templates: works across various manufacturing environments and templates.

  • Setup management and workpiece arrangements: supports different step management processes and part arrangements.

  • Parity features: includes all core capabilities of CAM Assist to NX.

  • Multi-part setups and operations: efficiently handles multi-part setups and operations.

  • NX-Specific Features:

    • Hole patching and avoidance geometry specific to NX.

    • Tool management and cutting parameters tailored for NX.

Fixes from our beta program

During our beta program, we gained valuable insights into setup management and how users operate within custom environments with predefined workflows. We have incorporated many of their best practices and suggestions into this release. Additionally, we have addressed bugs and issues reported by users during the beta phase.