Enhancements Available in Version 8

All Products

1. Smaller file sizes. FeatureCAM uses compression technology to reduce the size of an FM file. 65% reduction in file size has been observed.

2. All-new 3D simulation available

• 3D simulation can now be quickly rotated or scaled without recalculating.

• A very fast 3D simulation mode is now available in FeatureMILL3D that does not simulate the tool. See the toolpaths results in a matter of seconds.

• Graphically compare toolpaths to final model to see where material is remaining.

• Limit the simulation to a specific region to quickly study a localized area.

• 3D simulation for 4th-axis milling in FeatureMILL 2D, complete with animated part.

3. Import of dimensions from DWG and DXF files.

4. More robust DXF export (all arcs have positive normals now).

5. Number of digits of precision can be selected by the user for geometric parameters program-wide (geometry, features, surfaces, solids, etc.)

6. Graphics enhancements:

	Better memory usage and performance for shaded renderings.
	Surface shading is brighter, clearer.

12. Centerline simulation enhancements:

	Centerline simulation stays on the screen for easy viewing and examination.
	Viewing controls are available when paused in the centerline simulation.
	Centerline speed control.
	Toolpath preview for the operations list.

13. Tri-variate functions: X=F(t), Y=G(t), Z=H(t).

14. More consistent UI in regard to picking curves and surfaces. We upgraded the surface, solid and curve pages to behave like the feature pages. Benefits of this scheme, which have been available to the feature pages since V6.0, are that you get region select and unselect. Also, you can do a Select All, and then hit the "+" button while the stitching dialog is up, for example. Finally, the "Boundaries..." dialog in the feature properties pages also received the treatment.

15. Ability to pick the circle in select circle dialog. Also, the ability to specify the selection tolerance.

16. Uninstall.

FeatureMILL 2D




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1. Zig-zag milling.

2. Radial positioning of features around the index axis, without having to create individual setups.

3. Patterns around the C axis are supported for 4th-axis milling.

4. Computed drilling cycles for milling (and millturn) – Use a post without G codes listed for hole drilling cycles and the drilling cycles will be computed.

5. Feed, Stop spindle, retract (FSR) bore cycle for reaming operation cycle type choice.

6. Spot drilling, use RPM for diameter that tool penetrated material.

7. Feed rate optimization.

FeatureMILL 3D




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Major Enhancements of 3-axis Milling Techniques

1. Boundary curve support, with islands, for z-level finish, isoline, parallel, and radial.

2. Z-level finishing remachining.

3. Automatic calculation of part silhouette for spiral machining.

4. Automatic curvature-based tool selection.

5. Combination operations:

	Horizontal (spiral or parallel) only, vertical only (z level) combination. Finish (with scallop height?) or semi-finish.
	Two-pass parallel. Second parallel is at +90 degrees and uses steep slope remachining. Rough or finish combination.

6. New 3D surface milling interface

	New wizard New feature-properties dialog box
	Ability to control include/exclude for every surface of every operation.
	Isoline direction control is enhanced -- can be set on a per surface basis.
	Isoline ordering of surfaces is easier.
	Edge protection is now controllable at the operation level.

7. 3D grooves use arcs wherever possible. Formerly in V7, the toolpath was composed entirely of G1 moves.

8. Cylindrical stock for wrapping

9. Solid stock

10. Wrapping performed on a per feature basis.

11. Transitions:

	Fixed angle (from horizontal) lead in/out for surface machining.
	Clear up gap vs. stepover confusion (stepping over when should be retracting).

Robustness of 3-axis Milling Techniques

1. Smarter edge protection – Typically the internal-only setting will work for most cases.

2. Better vertical surface handling ("auto-flip") -- FeatureCAM is now better at automatically figuring out which side to machine on vertical surfaces.

3. Better performance -- better memory usage in remachining.

4. Preprocessing -- FeatureCAM now does some of the computation of your surface milling feature up to the feature level instead of doing it all at the operation level, as was done in V7. This results in better performance, plus it improves the answers that can be computed for your surface milling feature.

5. Curvature-based refinement - gives guaranteed tolerance.

Basic Solid Modeling Enhancements

1. Ability to use solid modeling to define clamps/fixtures for 3D simulation.

2. Extrude a surface

3. Revolve a surface

4. Solid fillet UI improved for ease-of-use.

5. Explode solid into surfaces.

6. XMT Export.

7. Can now pick an elevation in the flat surface dialog.

8. Draft individual faces of a solid.

9. Feature patterns can now be converted into a solid feature

Solid Manufacturing Tools

1. Provide a mode of core/cavity that automatically splits surfaces based upon a given parting surface.

2. For V8 we've made some changes to core/cavity that will make it work more automatically for simple parts. You may have noticed that core/cavity splitting in V7 can involve a number of steps, depending upon the complexity of the part. We trying to reduce the number of these steps in V8. Specifically, we've:

	provided a mode of core/cavity that automatically splits surfaces, and
	provided a mode of core/cavity that automatically splits the surfaces based upon a given parting surface.

3. A "parting surface constructor" that is normal to a parting curve, and dZ==0.

4. "Silhouettes of the solid" are now considered as part of the parting line. In V7, only silhouettes of individual surfaces are returned.

5. You can now delete face(s) from solid or sheet.

6. Even better, for suppression 2D features, you can also delete face(s) from solid or sheet with healing. What does "with healing" mean? This means that the FeatureCAM will attempt to fill in the gap with new surfaces so that a solid is maintained. This can be used to delete holes from solid models. It works when the healed portion is part of a single surface, or even when it straddles a boundary between two surfaces. But in more complicated cases it doesn't work.

FeatureTURN




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1. Subspindle support.

 

FeatureTURN/MILL




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1. Turn/Mill is implemented as a turning setup that allows the user to add milling features.

2. Turning features and milling features are ordered together in a single setup.

3. Features easily oriented.

4. Patterns around the C axis are supported.

5. MBUILD and TBUILD are unified into a single program, for easy creation of Turn/Millposts.

6. Computed drill cycles are supported. These are required by some lathes for drilling with a live tool.

7. Turn/Mill is packaged as a separate product. But it is linked to milling and turning, in that if you have Turn/Mill turned on, then you also get milling and turning included.

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