Adding Processes to Strategy Manager

After selecting the required instructions in EdgeCAM and using the Output Process option in the context menu of the Sequence Window, open the context menu in the process browser with a right-hand mouse click and select Paste. A new process will be created.

Now right click on the new process and select Rename from the context menu. Give the process a meaningful, unique name that you can readily understand when creating strategies.

The Strategy Manager installation includes a template file (template.rbt) that is used to store default values for filter and cycle modifiers. The file is used to ensure that basic geometric level and depth are set to the feature attributes and that feed and speed parameters are related to the current job. Any modifiers set in this file will be applied to the new process created and will override the values set in EdgeCAM. Modifiers not set in the template file will not be given and will retain their values from EdgeCAM.

You can edit this file by opening the .rbt file in Strategy Manager.

The supplied template does not include any user defined attributes but these can be added, if required. When a new strategy is created in Strategy Manager, the user attributes from the template will always be copied into the new strategy file.

Adding a Process to a Strategy

To add a process to the current strategy, select it with a left mouse click and drag it to an appropriate place on the graphics area.

Note that the same process may be called in more than one place in the strategy but that it will always use the same modifier settings.

If modifiers are set to attribute values then they will always pick up the current value of that attribute. If the modifier is to be set to different values at different places in a single strategy then this must be done via a user attribute which can be set differently according to the route taken through the flow chart.

Setting Cycle Modifiers

Modifiers can be set before or after the process is used in a strategy but must be in place before the strategy is used.

Every cycle modifier that is geometry dependent must be set to a feature attribute or to a user attribute that has been defined.

Fixed values can be entered directly, but beware that these may not be '"fixed" if, for example, the units change between mm and inches or if a different type of tool is used.

Within the browser, each process is displayed using a tree structure. To expand, click on the + sign. (Clicking on the minus sign will collapse the tree). Each process contains instructions and if further expanded a list of EdgeCAM modifiers will be seen.

To set the modifier, either open the context menu with a right-hand mouse click and select Set Modifier or double left click. The modifier will be loaded into the Expression Input field. It can now be set to any valid expression for that modifier. If you make a mistake, for example by entering letter characters instead of numbers, you will see an error message, and you must correct the indicated error before you can continue. If you cannot correct the error, press the Escape key.