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Filters
The Filter List box on the NC Operations Manager dialog box contains the SURFCAM filter options.
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ArcFltr
See Tool Path Smoother with the ArcFltr feature.
ArcFltrMx
See ArcFltrMx Filter.
NurbFltr
See NURB Filter.
ZRangeFltr
See Pattern Slicing with the Z Range filter.
Tool Path Smoother with the ArcFltr feature
A toolpath includes many short lines that approximate curves. The ArcFltr feature analyzes the sequences of these short lines to see if a group of lines can approximate an arc. Then that group of lines is converted to a single arc.
Run the SURFCAM ArcFltr option from the Operations Manager dialog box.
To move an operation through the ArcFltr,
1. Click the operation in the Operations Tree.
2. Click the ArcFltr option in the Filter List box.
3. Click the Filter Only button.
4. The Tool Path Smoother dialog box is displayed.
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Surface Tolerance
The arc that replaces the line segments approximately fits the curve of a surface at a location. The Filter Tolerance is the maximum distance that a point on the arc can be from the curve of the surface.
Max Deviation Off Plane
The arcs are created from a group of lines that are on the same horizontal plane. A line not on that plane is used if none of its points are more than a given distance from the plane. The given distance is the value of the Max Deviation Off Plane parameter.
Enter the required parameter values and click the OK button. SURFCAM creates the optimized toolpath and displays the Keep Operation dialog box. Click the Accept button. The icon for the optimized toolpath appears in the Operations Tree.
You can move the operation through the filter when you post. A new operation is not created. Click the operation and then click the Post button. The Arc Filter dialog box is displayed. When you click the OK button, the operation is moved through the filter and the post is completed.
The ArcFltrMx filter analyzes linear 5 axis moves in the NC output and translates them into separate XY and UV arc moves if they lie within a specified tolerance. This utility is specifically useful for 4 axis wire EDM machines and 5 axis controls that support arc interpolation. It is available on SURFCAM 4 Axis and above.
To use this, double-click the SURFCAM.PST file in the Explorer. The file will open in the SURFCAM editor. Locate the INC Filters section, then the line:
#IncFilter C:\SURFCAM\Surf2003\FILTERS\ArcFltrMx.dll
The # symbol at the beginning of the line indicates
that this line is a comment only.
Delete the # symbol and save the file. Then open SURFCAM. When you open the NC Operations Manager, you will see the ArcFltrMx listed.
This section describes SURFCAM’s NURB filter program that analyzes sequences of linear moves in an NC file and converts them to NURB spline moves.
The SURFCAM NURB filter program is run from the Operations Manager dialog box. The Filter List box contains the SURFCAM filter options. See The Filter List Box, page 814. When the default option <None> is selected, no filtering will occur.
NURB Filter can be run in conjunction with performing a post processing operation. To do so, click NurbFltr in the Filter List box before you proceed with post processing.
Immediately after you double-click the desired post (or click the POST button) to start the post processing, SURFCAM will display the NURB Filter Options dialog box.
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NURB Filter Options dialog box |
Do not check linear moves for tolerance
All lines will be fit to splines without checking the Surface/Curve Tolerance parameter. This is the fastest method. It is best used when the tool path is known to follow only NURB curves.
Check tolerance for each NURB spline
Lines are fit to splines and the Surface/Curve Tolerance parameter is checked only when the spline is completed. The spline is completed when records other than lines are encountered, such as an Arc or an end of row. This is the fastest method to use when the toolpath is known to follow some NURB curves.
Check tolerance for every linear move
Check the Surface/Curve Tolerance parameter as each line is added to fit a spline. This is the slowest method.
Surface / Curve Tolerance
The maximum deviation of the spline from the original line segments will be kept to less than this value.
Check Points Per Span
Specify the number of points along each span of the NURB curve to check the distance against the tolerance value.
Note The following parameters relate to optimizing splines. See Optimize, page 267.
Do Not Optimize
NURB spline moves are created by interpolations that use the original data points describing linear moves. No data points are discarded. This results in the fastest time through the NURB filter but the most data sent on to the post processor.
Use SURFCAM Spline Optimization
Use the optimization method used by the Create > Spline > Optimize and the Edit > Splines > Optimize commands. Optimization is achieved by discarding some of the original linear data points resulting in fewer nodes and control points (that describe spline moves) being sent to the post processor.
Use Total Least Squares Optimization
This usually results in the greatest number of data points being discarded, thus providing maximum optimization. Due to the number of calculations required, this method results in the slowest time through the NURB filter.
Optimize Deviation
This is the maximum deviation to be allowed between the original linear moves and the resulting NURB spline moves.
After you make the desired parameter settings, click OK. SURFCAM will display the NURBS Optimizing Toolpath dialog box as it analyzes the tool path to convert linear moves to arc moves.
When finished with the filter, SURFCAM will then perform the rest of the post processing.
ZRange Filter
See Pattern Slicing with the Z Range filter, page 407.
