The Simulation Tab

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Introduction

The Simulation tab contains many of the most used buttons for controlling the simulation. This tab contains the Simulation, Control, Simulation Run Speed, Views, Visibility, and Toolpath Rendering groups. The available buttons for each group are explained next.

Simulation

The Simulation group of the Simulation tab contains buttons that allow you to select the modes for simulation as follows. When hovering over some of these options, you will notice a letter in parentheses. This letter is the available shortcut key to access this item without needing to click on it directly.  

Backplot or Material Removal Mode

The simulation can be run in one of two modes for material removal or toolpath backplot only.

Toolpath Backplot Mode (B) - simulates the toolpath only without material removal (the stock button becomes unavailable as well as many of the material removal verification tools).

Material Removal Mode (V) - simulates the toolpath including material removal. Many of the features of the simulation are designed to work with this mode to verify the material removal.

Display Mode

The simulation display mode is controlled using one of the following options.

Time-based Mode - the machining simulation displays with real time feedrate motions. Machine motions are very fluent, machining time is exact.

NC-based Mode - the machining simulation only uses the tool positions from the move list. Machine motions jump from one position to the next.

Length-based Mode - the machining simulation uses a constant speed, distance/time regardless of the feed rate.

Display Focus

The simulation focus determines how the tool, machine, and material/workpiece display using one of the following options.

Tool Focus (T) - simulates the program with the tool and workpiece visible, with the tool remaining stationary.

Workpiece Focus (W) - simulates the program with the tool and workpiece visible, with the workpiece remaining stationary.

Machine Focus (M) - simulates the program showing the kinematic motion of all machine elements.

Control

The Control group on the Simulation tab contains buttons for controlling the playback of the simulation.

Run (R) - plays the simulation. You can click the down arrow under this button to select the Loop playback button.

Loop (L) - sets the simulation to run repeatedly, or loops back to the beginning of the simulation when the end is reached.

Stop (S) - stops the simulation at the current position and retracts the tool for you to view the cut stock material.

Pause (P) - stops the simulation at the current position without retracting the tool.

Fast Forward (Space) - advances the simulation to the last step without showing the simulation process in the simulation window. If a collision happens during fast run, it is reported.

Step Forward (Page Down) - allows you to incrementally move through the simulation by moving the simulation to the next toolpath point/segment.

Step Backward (Page Up) - allows you to incrementally move through the simulation by moving the simulation to the next toolpath point/segment.

Next Operation (Enter) - advances the simulation to the next operation (automatically simulating the previous operation).

Previous Operation (Backspace) - returns the simulation to the previous operation.

Restart (Home) - starts machining over again from the beginning and resets the material removal (Material Removal mode).

Simulation Run Speed

The speed slider allows you to control the speed of playback in simulation.

Simulation Speed (-/=) - allows you to run the simulation faster or slower. To decrease the simulation speed move the slider to the left. To increase the simulation speed, move the slider to the right.

Views

The view presets allow you to change the viewing orientation of the elements in the simulation window.

Fit (F) - makes all elements on the screen fit to the available window size.

Isometric (Ctrl - 7) - sets the isometric view.

Top (Ctrl - 5) - sets the top view.

Front (Ctrl - 1) - sets the front view.

Right (Ctrl - 4) - sets the right view.

Bottom (Ctrl - 6) - sets the bottom view.

Left (Ctrl - 3) - sets the left view.

Back (Ctrl - 2) - sets the back view.

Rotation Cube

The Smart View feature can be used by a simple click on each of the faces of the cube which is available in the graphical area. On the cube faces there are written the names of the views Top, Bottom, Right, Left, Front, and Back. Click here to see an example.

Other Controls in the Simulation Window

The viewing orientation of the elements in the simulation window can be controlled using the mouse as follows.

To pan the view, or shift the objects in the simulation window two-dimensionally, press and hold the right mouse button while dragging around the screen.

To zoom in or out, or move the objects in the simulation window closer or further away, roll the middle mouse button forward or backward.

To rotate the viewing orientation of objects in the simulation window, click and drag the left mouse button. Note that rotation occurs around the location that you click.

To access the right-click menu, double right-click in the simulation window. If you double right-click on an object, the object will highlight and you will see options to show, make transparent, or hide. If you right-click on a tool there will also be other options to control the view of the holder, arbor, shaft and flute individually.

• Pick-Point Dynamic Rotation - allows you to click a point on the model or machine to set as the point of rotation. Left-click once to disable. Click here to see an example.

  

• Other Visibilities - gives you access to the Show, Transparent, and Hide views for the following items.
• Toolpath
• Tool
• Workpiece
• Stock
• Initial Stock
• Machine Housing
• Fit to Screen - Fits all items into the simulation window.
• Isometric - Shifts items into an isometric view.
• Other Views - Accesses the Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Right and Left views.
• Capture Graphics Area - Saves a screen shot of the simulation to the folder specified in Capture Options.
• Start Capture Video - Beings recording the simulation window. Recording mode is evident by a red dot in the top right corner of the simulation window. To stop the recording, double right-click again and select Stop Capture Video.
• Capture Options... - launches the Machine Simulator Options.

Visibility

The visibility group of the Simulation tab provides options for you to change the visibility status of various items in the simulation window. Most of these buttons are three stage: show, transparent, or hide. Each time you click a button, it changes to the next option. You can also click the down arrow that displays under the button to select the exact status you want from a list.

Toolpath

Tool

Workpiece

Stock

Initial Stock

Machine Housing

Toolpath Rendering

The Toolpath Rendering group provides control over how the toolpath displays in the simulation window. Note that all of these options become unavailable when the toolpath visibility is set to hide.

Tool Center - the toolpath displays at the tool center.

Tool Tip - the toolpath displays at the tool tip position.

All Operations - shows the toolpath for all operations.

Current Operation - shows the toolpath for the current operation only.

Follow - shows only the machined toolpath.

Trace - shows only the remaining toolpath.

Segment - highlights the current toolpath segment during each tool movement.

Tool Vector - shows the tool-axis vectors at each toolpath point.

Toolpath Points - indicates each toolpath segment with start and end points.

Leads - shows or hides the lead-in and lead-out of the toolpath.

Links - shows or hides the linking portions of the toolpath.