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Sections

The Setup tab contains the following sections:

You can also select the following:

Tooltips

Tooltips contain useful information on the purpose and use of features within the Setup tab. To see a tooltip, just hover over a feature.

For more details on each of the above features, see below

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Machining mode

CAM Assist provides the following Machining mode choices:

  • 3 Axis - no other machine mode configuration is required.

  • 3+2 Axis - if selected then a Machining Direction is required:

    • Aligned to X, Y, Z axes - the tool orientation used to create toolpath strategies can only come from the +X, -X, +Y, -Y, and +Z axes.

    • User defined - the tool orientation comes from the orientation specified by the user in the Target setup(s) within CAM Assist.

    • Automatic - automatic 3+2 strategies are only available for evaluation through participation in CloudNC’s ‘Early Access Beta Program'.

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Info

For detailed step-by-step instructions on using all four choices, see Machining modes in the 'How-to Guides' section.


Multi-file support

Ask SahandFor details and step-by-step instructions on how to use multi-file support in CAM Assist, see Using ‘Multi-file support’.


Target setups

The workpiece(s) contained within the 'Target setups’ section reflect the workpiece configuration for the part as displayed in the 'Geometry View’ of Siemens NX (as shown in the screenshots, below).

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The content of the ‘Target setups’ section is affected by the choice made for Machining mode (see above).

Info

For detailed step-by-step instructions on using the Target setups, see Machining modes in the 'How-to Guides' section.


Other features

Option

Details

How to Use

Action on model with errors

The drop-down box contains a list of distinct actions that CAM Assist takes when it cannot correctly parse the model.

Errors can occur due to a fault in the model, or due to an incompatibility between the underlying CAD systems used by Fusion and CAM Assist.

In most cases, CAM Assist can continue to compute toolpaths for most or all of the part.

Available options:

  • Fail on errors - returns a description of the model problem.

  • Proceed with errors - process the model as received. The generated program may miss geometry or be incorrect in areas where the model has errors.

  • Attempt to fix errors - CAM Assist will try to fix the model's geometry. This can fix errors, but can result in modifications to the geometry that mean the program misses geometry or is incorrect.

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Select an option from the drop-down box.

Info

The better option between ‘Proceed with errors’ and ‘Attempt to fix errors’ depends on the specific part and error. In many cases, the best approach is to first try ‘Proceed with errors’ and, if that output is not correct, try ‘Attempt to fix errors’.

Machine Full Part

  • Checked (default) - CAM Assist will produce a toolpath strategy to machine the full part.

  • Unchecked - the user must select the faces of the part that CAM Assist should attempt to machine.

image-20240703-085418.pngImage RemovedClick the checkbox to check/uncheck it.

For step-by-step instructions

on using using the ‘Machine full part’ feature to indicate which faces are to be machined

, see

Using ‘Machine full part’, below.

Using ‘Machine

full part’ NoteKeep in mind
'Machine may be restricted by the choices you have made within the CAM Assist add-on

.

Machine full part - checked

When ‘Machine full part’ is checked, CAM Assist will produce a toolpath strategy to machine the whole part, as shown in the following screenshot.

Machine full part - unchecked

When ‘Machine full part’ is unchecked, you must select the faces on the part that will be used by CAM Assist to create a toolpath.

Selecting faces

Take the following steps:

  1. Uncheck ‘Machine full part’

    • 'Select Faces (0)’ button appears at the bottom of the section.

  2. Click the box to the right of ‘Select Faces (0)’ (as shown in the image to the right).

  3. Click on the part’s faces that you want to be machined.

    • ‘Select Faces (0)’ changes to ‘Select Faces (n)’, where n is the number of faces selected.

  4. On clicking OK, CAM Assist will compute a toolpath strategy but only for:

    • Finishing toolpaths for all selected faces

    • Holemaking toolpaths for all selected holes

    • Deburring toolpaths for all adjacent edges