Having the cleanest cuts possible is something everyone strives for. In order to create an offset style toolpath without the linking motions that show up on the final part, the 2 Axis Pocket now offers a Spiral pattern for circular Pockets. This offers the user the cleanest offset style for operations on circular pockets.

When the machine can accept them, outputting helixes in the g-code can save hundreds of lines of code. BobCAD-CAM will now output helixes in the posted code for all your spiral cuts. In order to assist with those whose machines cannot accept a helix, we have added Post Block: "553. Break helical arcs into lines? Y/N" which utilizes the arc break tolerance on block 320.

Every job has to be roughed out, and it is hard to beat the Adaptive Roughing pattern for the Advanced Pocket toolpath for a quicker, more efficient toolpath. However, the larger the job and the tighter the tolerance, the longer the job will take to compute. Now, we have made a great toolpath method even better, by improving the calculation speed and giving you smoother lead in motions. The calculation speed improvement has been tested and ranges from an amazing 20% to 90%!

In many cases large areas inside a pocket have already been cleared by a previous operation. Forcing the software to start the cuts in the void while not trying to cut air can save a lot of time. To help with these scenarios, internal hole boundaries are now supported for Advanced Pockets by using dashed entities.

Machining is all about having the control you need to get the required results. Having the control to handle certain surfaces or areas differently in one operation is a hugely helpful when programming the final product. To help with this Gouge Checks are now available for all the Mill Pro toolpaths. You can set various clearance options for the different components of the tool, select which surfaces you would like to check, and choose either Retract Tool, or one of the six other strategies to use in case of a gouge detection. This option can be used to handle gouges of course, but can also be used to give you even more control over how particular surfaces are handled. You can choose surfaces to give additional allowance to, or even avoid particular surfaces completely.

NEW – STL Stock Model – With so many factors in what type of machining happened prior to finishing, the most accurate calculation is to utilize the stock model in its current state before figuring out the most optimal places to cut. The new Stock Model option allows users to import the cut stock model from simulation, giving the most accurate rest finishing calculation possible, completely eliminating cutting areas that have already been cut to finish size.

The Angle Range option has been an amazing way to further the amount of control the user has on exactly where cuts need to be made. Simply set a range of angles to either avoid, or to focus on and the software does the rest. Now the Mill 3 Axis Pro toolpaths that utilize the Angle Range have an even higher level of accuracy with the new and improved algorithm driving the Angle Range calculations. See images below to see the improvement on the Angle Range. In this case the cuts have been focused on surfaces in the 0° to 30° range.

Using the Flatlands is an incredibly easy way to face off all the flat areas of the part, without having to worry about setting depth. No matter how many different depths the flat areas exist on, just choose the Flatlands to finish them all. However, in the past, there has only been one pattern option. Now, we have added to the Offset style pattern with a Parallel, and even an Adaptive Roughing style pattern. Adaptive Roughing even provides an optimized adaptive toolpath which will approach from the air to reduce the overall machining time.

The Multiaxis Posting page in the CAM Wizards has been reorganized to simplify the available parameters and make them clearer. The available Angle Pair and Pole Handling parameters are now properly updated based on the machine type (4-axis or 5-axis) and job.

Another way we have managed to save you from the need to create additional geometry is with the Extend Edge Curve that has been added in the Surface Quality section of Morph Between 2 Curves, and Parallel to Multiple Curves. This option forces the software to extend the edge curve in the background so the toolpath does not wrap around the open ends of a curve when the surface continues beyond the ends of the curve.

A new option has been added to the Morph Between 2 Curves and Parallel to Multiple Curves toolpaths to assist with surface quality. In the Advanced dialog of the Surface Quality section there is now a Stepover Calculation option that allows you to select from an Approximate or Exact calculation method.

When using multiaxis toolpaths a good method, in many cases, is to keep the tool normal to the surface at all times. There are many times, though, that using this method will cause a lot more movement than we would want. With Common Direction, the aim is to find a single tool axis orientation on the full toolpath or a single contour that works well on all areas of the selected surfaces. With the Common Direction, the tool axis is set to a normalized, single direction for all toolpath points and the option is available for all tilting strategies.

A new gouge checking strategy moves the tool out of gouging using the tool plane or at a right angle to the tool axis. When gouges are detected, the software moves the tool away from the cutting direction at a right angle (into the tool plane).

In many cases, the tilt of the tool is based on the surfaces being cut. Drastic changes in the surface can cause the axis of the tool to shift significantly over a short distance. This shift is most noticeable when the surface normal in fillets changes from 90 to 0. Maintain Tilt has been added to the Tool Axis Control tab to resolve these issues. This option can be used when the Tilted with Fixed Angle to Axis option is selected.

Once a feature has been selected, choose the Feature Type and a Region.

The constraints give the user the ability to define the area in which the toolpath will be generated without the need to trim and extend geometry.

From Stock- Sets the Top of Feature to the highest point of the stock diameter.
From Feature- Sets the Top of Feature to the highest point of the selected feature geometry.
Custom- Sets the Top of Feature from the highest point of the selected feature geometry to the value entered. This allows you to pick a point as well.

Extensions allow you to extend and trim the virtual feature geometry without the need to adjust the actual CAD geometry. Choose the Start / End option, and then enter the values to trim and extend those virtual geometries along the chain. You can even create them at an angle, and this can all be done without the need to touch a CAD Tool.

For years, BobCAD-CAM has trained users on how to add geometry to CAD model to act as a bridge over areas of the geometry. With this method, you could keep the tool away from particular areas of the model you did not want to be cut with a particular operation. The new Undercut options offers a way to do this by simply selecting a check box in the Lathe Wizard. Pick an entire chain for the feature geometry and select what should be left out without the need to touch a CAD tool. Select Remove Primary Undercut, Remove Secondary Undercut, or both to have full control over what the operation completes.

BobCAD-CAM has added a new feature called the End Face Feature. The purpose of the End Face Feature is to have a lathe feature that makes facing off the part quick and easy without having to draw in any additional geometry.

The Lathe module now has a separate Groove Feature to choose from. This feature, gives users the ability to choose multiple grooves at one time, and even rotate the feature for grooves on an angle.

To make switching views in the simulation easier, the Smart View option has been added. The Smart View feature can be utilized with the Rotation Cube. While on, the Rotation Cube will allow you to click on a face of the cube to shift to the Top, Bottom, Right, Left, Front, and Back views. Clicking on the corners of the Rotation Cube will allow you to quickly shift into the various isometric views.

When simulating stock removal, the graphic quality is always turned down while the simulation is running. This helps in facilitating a smooth running simulation. Once the simulation has stopped there has been an option to refine the graphic quality to show a more accurate representation of the result. This refine now happens automatically when the simulation is stopped without the need to do so manually.

For quite some time now, users have been able to save an entire simulation as an .exe file. This has allowed users to share the simulation and all the controls in the simulation to share with the boss to green light a project, or perhaps, to gain the business of a potential client. However, providing this much power, control, and data to others can, sometimes, be counterproductive. Now we offer the ability to simply capture a video of the graphics window, allowing you to keep things simple when needed.