The Operations List

The Operations list has two context menus that contain several useful functions for finding, accessing and modifying operations. The first is found by right-clicking on the scroll arrows at the top and bottom of the Operations list. The second is found by right-clicking on an operation tile. The items found in the Scroll button context menu are for finding or managing operations. The items found in the Operation tile context menu are for modifying operations.

Scroll button context menu

The Find option allows a user to quickly locate the last operation or locate an operation by its number or the tool number used for the operation.

The Operation Manager is an expanded view of the Operation list. The Operation Manager can show 31 different operation parameters, can sort operation data and can calculate accurate runtimes. Additionally the Operation Manager and the Operations list have synchronized selection meaning that as operations are selected and deselected in one they are also selected or deselected in the other. Double clicking on an entry will load the operation's process tiles.

Right clicking on a column header

The items displayed in the Operation Manager can be customized. The Operation Manager supports 31 different parameters but it is impractical to try and view all at the same time. Right clicking on one of the parameter headers, such as the Depth parameter seen in the previous graphic, allows you to choose which parameters are displayed.

Right clicking on the title bar

The title bar offers access to several very useful commands including the sort command and runtimes. Additionally, the Operation Manager can be printed from here.

Selecting the Multi-Level Sort... command opens a dialog where you can select how you wish to sort operations. Operations may be sorted by up to four parameters and each may be in an ascending or descending order. The sorts are based on the parameters shown in the Operations Manager.

It is important to realize that performing a sort will change the order of your operations. If you are not careful you could tell the system to do something you do not want, such as tapping a hole before the hole is drilled. The system does have a reminder to warn you that performing a sort can be harmful but you should still be aware of the potential consequences.

Right clicking on an entry brings up the same menu as right clicking a tile in the Operations list. From this menu you can access Operation Data, Utility Markers, Redo functions etcetera.

Operation tile context menu

It is possible to edit certain operation specifications in the Operation Data dialog. The values in the text boxes with raised borders and the checkboxes that appear in the dialog with locks next to them can be changed. Values are locked by clicking once on the lock next to the text box. Unlocked values will return to their original values if the operation is reprocessed. Locked items will retain the values entered in this dialog even if the operation is reprocessed. Changes that affect the toolpath can be seen in the toolpath drawing and the rendered image. The information in the Process tile that created the operation will not be modified to reflect the changes made in the Operation Data dialog.

It is useful to change and lock values in the Operation Data dialog when multiple operations are created from a single Process tile. With this feature, it is possible to change certain specifications for one operation without changing them for all the operations that were created with the same Process tile. For example, if multiple pockets are machined from one Process tile, a separate operation is created for each pocket. If an Entry or Exit Clearance Plane needs to be changed to avoid a clamp between two of the pockets, this can be accomplished by changing the clearance values in the Operation Data dialog for one of the operations. The clearance values of the other roughing operations will not be affected.

Information entered in the Op Comment text box will appear in the posted output before the selected operation it refers to. Utility Data can also be entered in this dialog. Custom posts allow the user to input custom commands in the At Op Start and At Op End text boxes that will trigger actions inside the post processor. In addition, any text that appears in quotations in the At Op Start and At Op End text boxes will appear in the posted output. Each set of quotes will be on a separate line in the posted output.

The Program Stop checkbox is only available in the Operation Data dialog. If it is turned on, a program stop command will be added at the end of the operation in the posted output. It is off by default.

If operations contain locked values, a small lock symbol will appear on the Operation tile. If utility data is entered in the At Op Start text box, a small recessed square will appear on the Operation tile in the upper left hand corner. If utility data is entered in the At Op End text box, a small recessed square will appear in the lower left hand corner of the Operation tile.

This selection allows the user to manually edit the feed rates of toolpaths. When chosen, the dialog shown below will come up as well as the current operation's toolpath.

Preset on the toolpath are two markers; one is red the other black. The red marker is the active marker. When the Utility Markers dialog is opened, the active marker will be placed in the entry location. The black marker indicates the location at which the toolpath changes it's feed rate to the designated Contour Feed rate. When a marker on the toolpath is selected, it changes from black to red.

The Utility Marker can be dragged on the toolpath where you want to change the feed rate. The arrows below the marker cycle through all placed markers in sequential order.

Once a marker has been placed a feed rate needs to be assigned. The user may designate a preferred rate as shown. The feed rate applied to this marker will apply to the entire remaining toolpath or until another marker is placed and speed is indicated. If you place a marker by a corner to slow down the tool be sure to place another further along the toolpath to speed up the feed rate.

This image shows the use of Utility Markers. Here they are being used to slow the tool down as it enters a filleted corner and return to the base speed once out of the corner.

This menu option is available with drilling, pocketing and contouring operations. Users have the ability to quickly reverse a tool path in one step by selecting this option. It will change a tool path to the opposite of the original path. For example, if the face milling operation is originally cutting from the inside to the outside, after selecting Reverse Toolpath, the tool will cut from the outside-in. This function will also change climb cutting to conventional and bottom-up pocketing to top-down. It should be noted however, that this change will only be easily noticeable during cut part rendering, as the paths and angles of the tool cuts themselves will stay the same.

This menu option is only available with pocketing and contouring operations. Selecting this menu option will reorder the horizontal and/or vertical orientation of the toolpath of the selected operation by switching the toolpath from inside-out to outside-in or vice versa. Its functionality is the same as the Reverse Toolpath option with the exception that it leaves the toolpath's Z cut order untouched.

This selection enables users to either shrink or enlarge the toolpath of the selected tile. When chosen, the TP Shrinkage dialog comes up allowing for a reduction or an enlargement of the toolpath by entering the percentage desired. Users may also modify the toolpath around one axis by selecting the XYZ option and inputting the desired percentage in the appropriate text box. It should be noted that clearance planes are not scaled.

When Op To Geometry is selected, the highlighted operation's toolpath will be converted to geometry. This geometry can then be modified as needed and a center cut contour operation can be applied to it. This applies to contouring, roughing and surfacing operations. This may be useful for avoiding clamps and fixtures or editing a pocket or profile's toolpath for individual preferences.

Selecting this option will regenerate the toolpath for any selected (highlighted) operation.

This selection allows the user to move the currently selected operation tile or tiles to another tile location by entering the tab number of the destination tile location and clicking Move To. It functions exactly the same as the Move To item on the Tool and Process tiles.

The Find option allows a user to locate a specific tile by tile #, Tool # or find the last tile. It functions exactly the same as the Find item from the tile list Scroll Arrows.

The Sort Operations function reorganizes the Operations list.Clicking on the Sort Ops button reorganizes all operations by tool number and creation order, from lowest to highest tool number. When this function is selected the system examines all the operations and tries to group them by tool number to minimize the number of tool changes. Additionally, any blank spaces in the Operations list will be removed.

Operations created in a Process Group (a group of processes to machine the same geometry) will be sorted based on their order in the Process list when they were created. For example, finishing operations will never be placed before the roughing operations they follow in a Process list. Operations can be manually reorganized by dragging them to the desired locations in the Operations list. The order of machining in the finished NC program is the same as in the Operations list. Therefore, the order of tiles in the Operations list is very important. Operations can be organized anytime during the programming of the part.


!	Please be aware that sorting operations can be risky. For example, you could potentially tell the system to tap a hole before it is drilled. Please be sure to review the results of the sort to ensure you get the results you want.