Geometry selection based on Layer/Names

BobCAD-CAM Software Discussions
#1

Hi,

customer of mine are looking to get faster g-code creation for recurring tasks. Using templates is clearly a thing here. However, for each task, about 15 to 20 different contours have to be milled with exactly the same operations. And each task always contains different contours to the previous task. Each contour reflects one workpiece that have to be clamped on the machine.

Is there any idea or approach to automate geometry selection for the milling operations? All contours are given in one CAD file laying in different layers?
Wishfull thinking: load geometries, hit a button and each contour gets assigned to predefined (template) operations.

Sadly, direct posting of just one operations isn’t possible without setting the remaining ones not to be posted (see Post Feature/Operation only). So this is also a hard task to do for 15 to 20 pieces :frowning:

Regards, Harald

#2

you can rename features. if that helps also holding shift you can select a chain.

#3

Hi Eric,

thx. yep.

But is not the solution I’m looking for. Should be something like auto assigning layered curves to labeled operations or something in this way.
Will not work at this time. Just a wish… Perhaps possible with Phyton/Rhino scripting?

Bye, Harald

#4

Hey Harald,

I definitely understand your request is. Would like to pick your brain a little bit about the workflow you envision for this. I am thinking something like an automated or batch scripting process.

Would you see at something like:

  1. Open the part file with the geometry already organized on layers or by colors or something like that
  2. Load in a CAM tree template
  3. Have some way to map the features in the tree to the layers / colors whatever to assign the geometry
  4. Compute all the toolpath and post

Is that kind of the workflow you are thinking?

Or something even higher level where you could assign a CAM tree template and multiple bbcd files that are already organized and have it do all that almost externally?

#5

Hi Greg,

yes, this is the workflow I am searching for. The hard part is how to solve step 3 and 4 to do it (almost) automatically :wink:

It is not worth to work against multiple CAD files. But who knows when this will get an issue.

Bye, Harald