WHAT’S NEW IN BOBCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS V8 SP1

Introduction

The first update for BobCAM for SolidWorks V8 includes an enhancement in posting and corrections in the following areas:

• User Interface
• General
• CAM
• Mill
• Lathe
• Mill Turn
• Simulation
• Posting

Enhancements

Posting

• With this update, the xr_transform, yr_transform, and zr_transform variables can be used with GetDoubleOfPostVariable() API function to get the values in scripting with post processors.

Corrections

General

• Corrected an issue which caused a crash on a particular file due to a corrupted BobArt Tree.

• Corrected an issue which caused saved features to be loaded with the previously used work offset number, instead of the work offset used in the current machine setup.

CAM

General

• Corrected an issue which prevented the Add To Drill Depth For Blind Tap value, found in the Cutting Conditions dialog, from being applied to the drill depth of Blind Holes.

• Corrected an issue which caused the effective depth value of holes to be used as the value listed for Total Depth in the setup sheets.

Mill

Mill Express

• Corrected an issue which prevented the Machining Sequence from being updated for drilling operations after the operations were computed initially.

• Corrected an issue which prevented the center drill and chamfer drill from calculating autopeck correctly.

• Corrected a part specific issue which caused a crash when recomputing a Profile operation.

• Corrected the following issues with the user interface of the Tabs page.

• Corrected an issue which caused the first tab chain to receive focus when another tab was selected, if the check box of the selected tab were cleared.

• Corrected an issue which caused the Apply leads check box to be cleared when reopening the Mill 2 Axis Wizard.

• Corrected an issue which caused the toolpath to link directly over the tab area when Leads for tabs were applied.

• Corrected a rounding issue with the radius of the default ball endmill #128 which created an invalid tool and prevented it from being simulated.

• Corrected an issue which caused the fast peck to retract to the feed plane height when it was used for the plunge entry method in a profile operation.

• Corrected an issue which prevented hole features from being used in a Mill Job when the Czech version of BobCAD-CAM was installed.

• Corrected an issue which caused the Spindle RPM to revert to zero when the tool was set to manual feeds and speeds in the Tool Library.

• Corrected an issue which caused toolpath statistics to output incorrect Toolpath Extents.

• Corrected an issue which prevented hole groups from being broken properly.

• Corrected an issue which prevented a feature, saved for a job with a Laser/Plasma/Waterjet machine, from retaining a change made to the power setting on the first edit.

• Corrected an issue which caused a new Laser/Plasma/Waterjet tool to be created when a change was made to the Power Setting, Pulse Frequency, or Torch Height.

• Corrected an issue which caused the Small Diameter value in a Chamfer Mill operation to be forgotten when the user would go from the Tool page directly to the Parameters page.

• Corrected an issue which caused edge geometry to be forgotten for Hole Features when Update All Geometry was used.

• Corrected an issue which prevented the thread parameters from updating when a new thread mill was created in the Tool Library.

• Corrected an issue which caused tap tools to be displayed with the incorrect diameter for the thread size selected in backplot and simulation.

• Corrected an issue which prevented custom Spindle RPM values from being read from the tool library when using hole feature tools.

• Corrected an issue with connecting offset loops which caused an instance of a gouging arc being created in the toolpath when using an offset pocket pattern.

• Corrected an issue which caused the Chamfer Length to update in a Chamfer Mill operation each time the Parameters dialog was returned to using the <> buttons.

• Corrected an issue which prevented the Chamfer depth for a Chamfer Drill operation from being saved to the Default Parameter Templates.

• Corrected an issue which prevented the Rapid Retract for Large Gap option from being saved to the Default Parameter Templates.

• Corrected an issue which caused a custom facing tool preview to be shown incorrectly. The problem originated from the insert, non-cutting, portion of the face of the tool being higher than the inserts.

• Corrected an issue which prevented toolpath from being calculated when an Optimized machining sequence was used.

Mill 3 Axis Standard

• Corrected an issue which prevented the Cut Directions > Angle field from being hidden when the Pattern option is changed to Adaptive.

• Corrected an issue which prevented the First Cut Offset field from being hidden when the Pattern option is changed to Adaptive.

Mill 3 Axis Pro

• Corrected an issue that caused the Pick Top list box in the Feature Geometry Picking dialog to be inaccessible after going into the Advanced Allowances dialog of the Advanced Rough operation.

• Corrected an issue with the Chamfer and T-Cutter tool holders being read incorrectly which caused problems with gouge checking in the Mill 3 Axis Pro toolpaths.

• Corrected an issue which prevented the Round Corners option from working in the Advanced Z Level Finish toolpath.

• Corrected an issue which failed to ignore the Smoothing Radius value for a Parallel Zig Zag Pattern. This caused a Connection Radius Error when attempting to use a small stepover with other Patterns.

Mill 3 Axis Premium

• Corrected an issue which prevented the correct tolerance from being used for selected geometry, which could result in bad toolpath in some cases.

Mill 4 Axis Standard

• Corrected an issue which caused the Rotary axis direction to display the default setting after updating it in the dialog for all surface based toolpaths.

• Corrected a unit conversion issue which caused the Base Point of the Rotary Axis to have an incorrect Z value.

Mill 4 Axis Pro

• Corrected an issue that caused an incorrect Top of Feature value in a multiaxis setup sheet.

Mill 5 Axis Standard

• Corrected an issue which caused instances of drill geometry direction reverting in Multiaxis Drill Hole features when the direction was changed during the initial selection and the geometry was then re/selected for the feature.

Mill 5 Axis Pro

• Corrected a unit conversion issue which caused a Smooth link gap size… error in Multiaxis Roughing when working in inch.

Lathe

• Corrected an issue which prevented toolpath creation on OD geometry that tapers to a point.

• Corrected an issue with the trimming function tolerance in toolpath calculation which could cause toolpath errors when using custom tool geometry.

• Corrected an issue which prevented groove ID toolpath from being generated with custom tool geometry.

• Corrected an issue which caused the Lathe Holder Shank Thickness to revert to the default of one inch.

• Corrected an issue which caused feature geometry to be forgotten from the Selected Geometry list of the Geometry Picking dialog when geometry was reselected.

• Corrected an issue which caused errors when calculating revolved stock for a lathe job created from a template.

• Corrected an issue which caused the Reverse Sign option to be selected by default for the installed Lathe Rough Turning Tool #264.

• Corrected an issue with Lathe Roughing Canned Cycles not recognizing the Top of Feature when System Compensation is set to Off.

• Corrected an issue which caused Drill and Tap options to show in the Lathe section of the Lathe Tool Crib.

• Corrected an issue which caused a zero depth value to register when selecting drill feature depth from the graphics area.

• Corrected an issue which caused the chain directions to reverse when updating all geometry.

• Corrected an issue which prevented the entire chain on a Lathe Turning Rough operation from being cut when using System Compensation with Collision Detection.

• Corrected a crash caused by trying to backplot/simulate a lathe tool without a holder assigned.

• Corrected an issue which prevented the stock values, for the Revolve Stock in the Stock Definition page, from being edited.

• Corrected an issue which prevented the drill label from updating when the feature thread type was updated.

Mill Turn

• Corrected an issue which caused a crash when renaming an MDI operation in the wizard and clicking elsewhere instead of pressing Enter when renaming was completed.

• Corrected an issue which caused the Lathe Threading tool to revert to the default tool in Lathe Threading operations.

Simulation

Simulation Standard

• Corrected an issue which caused an error when trying to simulate a lollipop tool with a holder assigned.

Machine Simulation Pro

• Corrected an issue which caused an error when simulation a toolpath pattern in a Mill Turn job. This occurred with particular toolpath patterns due to the correct tool orientation being forgotten when moving from one copy of the pattern to the next.

Posting
.BCPst

• Corrected an issue which prevented the MILL_GetArcAngleDegrees() API from working with the arc break post question. This API now returns the arc sweep taking the arc breaks into account.

• Added the MILLTURN_GetToolMountingOrientation() API which will return the 1-8 value selected in the Mill Turn Tool crib for the mounting orientation

• Corrected an issue which caused an incorrect tool offset register number to be output in a Mill Turn job when two tools were mounted to the same station with different mounting points.

• Corrected an issue which caused an erroneous initial feedrate when the post is set to incremental mode.

• Corrected an issue which caused incorrect coordinates to be output in incremental mode for linear axis when using a scale factor in post question 6005.

• Corrected an issue which caused the computer to log out of the Windows User Account when Post and Save As was used on certain work stations.

• Corrected an issue which caused the next_tool_with_prefix variable to output the current tool prefix code rather than the next when using tool format 8-12 for post question 20030.

• Corrected an issue which caused the secondary rotary angle to be output incorrectly for wrapping groups when used with 5 Axis Mill Turn machines.

• Corrected an issue which prevented an encrypted post from posting.

• Corrected an issue which caused an erroneous character to be output when 228. Support Unicode Output? was set to y in the post.

• Corrected an issue which prevented a file from older BobCAD versions from outputting a lathe turning finish canned cycle (G70) when recomputed in V32.

• Corrected an issue which caused the first clearance position to be output at the end of the chain. This occurred when the clearance value and the lead-in value shared the same position.

• Corrected a posting issue for Mill Turn when post question 3603. Program File Output Mode was set to 2. The end of the file post block 5 was not being called at the end of the first section.

• Corrected an issue which prevented Rapid Move codes from being output when G-Codes were set to non-modal with post question number 203.

• Corrected an issue which caused an incorrect degrees per minute to be output when using a wrapping group in a Mill Turn job.

Login into BobCAD Support to download your copy of V8 Sp1. If you have any questions about V8 and how to download and install SP1 call 727-489-0003