Operation

This document explains how to customize machining operation settings for Machining products.

Select the Operation tab, which is divided up into areas.

Parameters in this area... Allow you to customize...
Default Values the use of default values
After Creation or Machining Process (MP) Instantiation what happens after creating machining operations or machining processes
When Copying the duplication of geometry links
Display tool path displays of operations
User Interface dialog boxes of 3-axis surface machining operations

Default Values

Select the check box if you want operations to be created with the values used in the current program.

The values and units of attributes at the creation step of an operation are set to the values and units of the last edited and validated operation whatever its type (that is, exit the operation definition dialog box by clicking OK).

Otherwise the default settings delivered with the application are used.

By default, this check box is selected.

Important Note: When operations are created, two steps are executed for parameters initialization.

The first step is the Default Values setting. As described above, values are stored after each operation creation and reused for any newly created operation.

The second step consists in setting specific parameters according to the operation type. For instance, some of parameters of Z-Level operations (such as Offset on part) are initialized relative to values set in features like Rework Areas and Slope Areas.

This second step of parameter initialization overrides the first step. Note that if a formula is set in the first step, it is not removed in the second step: it is just deactivated.

After Creation or Machining Process (MP) Instantiation

Select the desired check boxes to specify conditions to be applied when you create machining operations or machining processes.

Sequence machining operation

Machining operations are automatically sequenced in the current program after creation.
Otherwise, sequencing can be managed in the feature view.

Search compatible tool in previous operations

When creating an operation, if a compatible tool exists in a previous operation of the current program, it will be set in the new operation. Otherwise, the operation will be incomplete.

Use a default tool

When creating an operation, a search is done in the document to find a compatible tool. If no compatible tool exists, a default one is created in the document and set in the created operation.
If check box is not selected, no tool will be defined on the operation.

Note: These last two options are not available for creating operations through the Machining Process instantiation if a tooling query is used to find the tool.

Start edit mode (not available for machining processes)

When creating a machining operation, Edit mode is automatically started to allow modifying parameters of the created operation.
Otherwise, the operation is added to the program but the machining operation editor is not started.

MP instantiation: keep absolute position of tool axis and machining directions

When a machining process is instantiated, the tool axes and machining directions of the activities in the MP keep their absolute positions. Otherwise, if the check box is not selected, these positions are changed in order to keep the relative components of the tool axis and machining directions.

By default, these check boxes are selected.

When Copying

Select the check box if you want geometry links to be duplicated in a copied operation.

Otherwise the geometry must be defined for the copied operation.

Note: When this option is selected, if you copy an operation that references a machining feature (such as Machining area, Slope area or Rework area), the feature is not actually duplicated in the copied operation. However, the copied operation will reference the initial feature - this helps to factorize the geometry definition.

By default, this check box is selected. Performance is improved when this check box is not selected.

Display

Select the check box if you want to display tool paths of operations in the current Part Operation.

By default, this check box is not selected.

User Interface

Select the check box if you want to have the possibility of simplifying the dialog boxes of machining operations (that is, you can display the minimum number of parameters necessary for a correct tool path). This setting is available for 3-axis surface machining operations only.

By default, this check box is not selected.

 Reversing Operation

After Reverse Machining function is applied, the name of MO is appended with the Reverse Keyword.