Creating an Operation

Each tile in the Process List will be applied to the selected geometry. A Process Tile is created by dragging a Function Tile from the Machining palette and a Tool Tile from the Tool List to the same location in the Process List. They can be dragged in any order. When a Process Tile is complete, a Process dialog specific to the chosen machining function will appear. This dialog contains detailed information about the way the operation's toolpath will be created.

Contouring and roughing functions require that geometry be selected to act as the cut shape for the operation. Machining Markers are used to select the portions of the geometry to be used as the cut shape when creating a toolpath. The markers will appear on the geometry when it is selected. If a drilling or threading function is being used, no geometry is required to create an operation.

After the information in the Process dialog has been entered, place the machining markers in the correct locations on the geometry. Machining Markers are not used for drilling and threading functions. Clicking on the Do It button will create an operation(s). The operation(s) will be placed in the Operation List. If any completed operations are selected (in yellow), the Do It button becomes the Redo button. If the Redo button is depressed, the selected operations will be replaced by the new operations. Clicking on an empty operation location or an insertion point between operation locations will deselect all the operations.

Operations contain the finished toolpaths. A toolpath consists of the actual moves the tool will make. The toolpath is based on the cut shape. The data contained in the operation is what the post processor will use to make G-code.