Select Show Stock Axis from the Show submenu of the View menu. This is the wrapping axis.
Click on the Stock
step in the Steps toolbox. This will walk you through the
stock wizard. During this process make sure that:
On the Dimensions page of the Stock wizard, you create round stock. For the Axis select the desired wrapping axis. Click here for more details on the dimensions page.
On the Multi-axis positioning page of the Stock wizard, you click 4th axis positioning and Index around X if you chose X as your Axis, or click Index around Y if you chose the Y axis. Note that most 4th axis post processors provided with FeatureCAM wrap around the X axis.
When creating a feature that you would like to wrap:
Position it using the Radial about X axis option in the Location dialog box.
After creating the feature, edit it and check the Wrap feature around X axis.
Select Post Process… from the Manufacturing menu.
Click the Browse button to specify your post processor.
Select a post from the 4thxs directory. Make sure to select a post processor that matches the index axis you selected in the Stock wizard.
Click OK.
Generate the tool paths with Show centerlines. Notice that the toolpaths are wrapped around a cylinder. Centerline and 3D solid simulation will allow you to preview the wrapped toolpaths.
If the wrapped feature is too chunky, you may need to lower the Wrap tolerance default attribute. It is located on the Misc. tab of the default attributes.
Click the NC tab in the Manufacturing Results window.
See also fourth axis overview