Prepare stage

The Prepare stage sets the parameters for a CAM Assist run. It includes controls for which setups are used; which operation types are required; and the advanced parameters for each operation.

Contents

Workflow

Layout

Prepare panel - Basic mode

Prepare panel - Advanced mode

Top menu bar

Before running CAM Assist, you use Prepare to provide details for the strategy generation request. This includes defining the machine and mode to be used, materials, tool libraries and other contextual information. Moreover, the Prepare phase also enables fine control over which operation types are outputted and which setups should be considered.

For users of CAM Assist v1, the Prepare stage is analogous to the CAM Assist dialog box used to control a CAM Assist run.

Workflow

The Prepare stage is loaded after the successful conclusion of the Assess stage, and updates the screen to provide the controls you can use to determine the CAM Assist run. In session machines, materials and tool libraries are parsed and displayed.

Progress through to program generation and the Analysis stage is achieved by pressing the Run CAM Assist button, enabled once valid selections for machine, material and tool libraries have been made.

Layout

The Prepare screen mirrors that of the Assess stage with a contextual panel at the left of the screen with a large visualisation of the scenario on the right. An additional menu bar is displayed at the top of the screen to show the selected machining mode; machine; material and tool libraries.

The Prepare panel lists the setups provided to CAM Assist; provides control over which setups are used; and includes an Advanced View switch to display detailed controls over the CAM Assist run.

 

Prepare panel

Basic mode

In Basic mode (when the Advanced switch is off), the Prepare panel shows each setup provided to CAM Assist from the CAM package. Refer to this page for how setups relate to each supported CAM package. 

Basic mode provides the essential minimal controls to set up the CAM Assist run.

Each setup panel includes controls to:

• Include or exclude setup from CAM Assist run
• Visualise setup orientation and bodies
• Expand or collapse the setup panel
• Select workholding bodies, current number of bodies shown
• Select avoidance geometry bodies
• Define workholding security

Include or exclude setup from CAM Assist run

Select the checkbox to the right of the Setup name to include the setup in the CAM Assist run.

	Include setup in CAM Assist run
	Exclude setup from CAM Assist run

For instance, you may have created setups for multi-stage operations in your CAM package. Unchecking those that don't apply to the current stage would be done here. 

Select workholding bodies

CAM Assist uses workholding bodies when generating the program. Tools are not permitted to come within a predefined tolerance of a workholding body.

If fixtures/workholding have been established in the CAM package, CAM Assist will carry those relationships forward.

If changes to the workholding bodies are needed, click the Select workholding button to refine the bodies identified as workholding for the current setup. When clicked the all bodies are shown translucent and selected workholding bodies in the setup are coloured yellow.

Clicking on any body in the scene will define it (or clear it) as a workholding body for the current setup.

NOTE - Selecting the workholding will change the active view to show bodies from all setups. Use the Setup visibility controls to refine the view as needed.

In the confirmation panel at the bottom of the page, click on Confirm selection to save the currently coloured bodies as the workholding for the current setup, or click on Cancel to discard any changes made. The number shown next to the button updates with the new number of bodies selected.

• This functionality only affects the current setup
• The same body can be defined as workholding in multiple setups

Select avoidance geometry bodies

CAM Assist uses avoidance geometry bodies to limit toolpaths within the program. Specific toolpath types such as holemaking are permitted to breach an avoidance geometry.

Click the Select avoidance geometry button to refine the bodies identified as avoidance geometry for the current setup. When clicked the all bodies are shown translucent and selected avoidance geometry bodies in the setup are coloured yellow.

NOTE - Selecting the avoidance geometry will change the active view to show bodies from all setups. Use the Setup visibility controls to refine the view as needed.

Clicking on any body in the scene will define it (or clear it) as an avoidance geometry body for the current setup.

Click on Confirm selection to save the currently coloured bodies as the avoidance geometry for the current setup, or click on Cancel to discard any changes made. The number shown next to the button updates with the new number of bodies selected.

• This functionality only affects the current setup
• The same body can be defined as avoidance geometry in multiple setups
• The same body can be defined as both workholding and avoidance geometry in multiple setups

Define workholding security

The workholding security affects the AI cutting parameter recommendations made for the setup. Reducing the security level constrains the maximum permitted cutting forces predicted. The range of this control is between 50N (Very poor) to 3,000N (Excellent).

Use the graduated slider control to set the workholding security for each setup. For example, for a two-operation program in a vise, the workholding security may be set all the way to the right (3,000N), but for the second operation, it can be set lower (1,000N) to account for a somewhat compromised grip of the part in the vise. 
 

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Advanced mode

If more definition is required for preparing the file, turn on the Advanced mode switch.

When active, the following tabs are shown at the top of the Prepare panel:

• Setup - List of setups passed to CAM Assist (this view is what is shown in the Basic mode)
• Roughing - Detailed roughing options
• Finishing - Detailed finishing options
• Parameters - Control over which toolpath types are returned

Roughing options

Axial stock to leave - Target distance between the finished surface of the part and the resulting workpiece at the end of roughing, along the tool approach direction axis Radial stock to leave - Target distance between the finished surface of the part and the resulting workpiece at the end of roughing, orthogonal to the tool approach direction

Finishing options

Finish full part - Control over whether CAM Assist should finish all faces of the part. Deselecting this checkbox shows an additional button where each face to be finished can be manually selected. Maximum internal corner radius - Controls the maximum allowable corner radius of a tool which CAM Assist may select to machine an internal corner between a floor and wall surface, when that corner has no modelled fillet. Finishing operation ordering Order by type - CAM Assist will separate floor, wall and freeform toolpaths into separate groups. This can make the program easier to understand, but can introduce additional tool changes if the same tool is used for both floors and walls. Minimize tool changes - CAM Assist will produce floor, wall and freeform toolpaths in a single group, ordered to minimize tool changes. Deburring tool type - Control over the tool type selected for deburring toolpaths Ball mill - use ball mills to deburr sharp edges Chamfer tool - use chamfer mills to deburr sharp edges Use advanced freeform Select to enable automatic selection of freeform toolpath types based on the part feature Deselect to use the same freeform toolpath type for all part features Undercuts Select to generate undercut toolpaths for T-slot cutter tools (if defined in the selected tool libraries) Deselect to avoid undercut toolpaths Integration-specific finishing options See this page for a breakdown of the integration-specific finishing options

Parameters options

Toolpath types - Control which toolpath types are generated in the program Select a check-box to request the toolpath type (if applicable) Deselect a check-box to avoid this toolpath type Cutting parameter generation - Control over the source of cutting parameters: Use presets only - CAM Assist will select only tools with a preset defined for the selected material and toolpath type Use presets if available, otherwise use AI-drive cutting parameters - CAM Assist will use presets defined for the tool where available and AI generated values where not Use AI-driven cutting parameters - CAM Assist will use AI generated values for all tools and toolpaths Cutting parameters approach - Controls the balance of AI generated cutting parameters between a conservative approach prioritising tool wear and an aggressive approach that prioritises cycle time

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Top menu bar

The top menu bar provides control over:

• Machining mode
• Selected machine
• Stock material
• Tool libraries used

A valid selection for each must be provided before running CAM Assist. 

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:
  • Automatic - appropriate machining directions will be added by CAM Assist.
  • 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.

When User defined 3+2 axis machining mode is selected, then additional options are added to each Setup panel.

Same direction for roughing and finishing - Control whether both roughing and finishing algorithms use the same or different lists of permitted approach directions Select machining directions - Select one or more faces of any body to define the list of permitted approach directions Preserve direction order for roughing - Controls if the roughing algorithm should consider the machining directions in the order specified

 

Machine selection

Selection of which machine model is used by CAM Assist is done via this control The list includes the In Session machine defined in the CAM package (if available) and a list of any stored machines that have been marked as favorites. If a stored machine is required but not shown on the list then click the All machines option to load the My machines page to select the machine.

Material selection

Selection of the stock material to be used by CAM Assist. Includes the In Session material defined in the CAM package (if available) and a list of any stored materials that have been marked as favorites. If a stored material is required but not shown on the list then click the All materials option to load the My materials page to select the material.

Tool library selection

Selection of one or more tool libraries to be used by CAM Assist. Tools from all selected libraries will be considered by CAM Assist. Includes a library of Session tools defined in the CAM package (if available) and a list of any stored tool libraries that have been marked as favorites. If a stored tool library is required but not shown on the list then click the All tool libraries option to load the My tool library page to select the material. Comparison libraries are not shown in this menu bar and are only presented in the My tool library page.

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