There is no tool containment.

1. After you click OK to exit the Cut or Swarf dialog, the Select Point menu appears.

2. Click the intersection of two surface flow curves to select a patch corner. Then Click the opposite corner, as shown in the following illustration (right).

The new toolpath appears. The tool containment restricts the cut to the part of the tool that touches the patch, as shown by the shaded area in the following illustration (right). The shaded area is the area that is cut.

A surface patch is a 4-sided area. The sides are portions of the surface flow curves.

For these Tool Containment examples, it may look like the toolpath does not match the boundary. This is because the Tip or Center of the tool marks the toolpath. However, the tool always respects the boundary.

 

You cannot use the Spline option on trimmed NURB surfaces.

Spline types

The Surface Intersect, Fillet Edge and Projected Splines

These splines are drawn on the surface. The tool containment limits the cut to the part of the tool that touches the surface, not the center of the tool.

The Cutter Intersect Spline

This spline is not drawn on the surface. The tool containment contains the center of the tool. The cut extends to the center of the tool. This tool containment is like the tool containment in the 3 Axis Planar and the Z-Finish operations (see Bounding Curves).

1. Select the Spline option under any of the following conditions.
   
    A single closed spline defines the area to machine.
    A set of closed splines defines the area to machine.
    A single open spline defines the area to machine.
    A set of separate open splines defines the area to machine.

2. When you finish your other parameter selections, click the OK button on the Cut or Swarf dialog box. SURFCAM displays the Select Point menu.

3. A prompt tells you to select the first element on the boundary curve.

4. Follow the directions on the prompt line. Select the first element on the boundary curve.

Expand the correct section below according to the condition in the first step.

A single closed spline defines the area

A set of closed splines defines the area

A single open spline defines the area

A set of separate open splines defines the area

1. Chain of the closed boundary curve.

2. The Chain Bound menu is displayed. Ignore this menu now. Use this menu with a set of open splines. See A set of separate open splines defines the area, below.

3. To select the surface side, click either the inside or the outside of the closed boundary curve.

4. The prompt to select the first element is again displayed. The Select Chain menu is again displayed. Click the Done command.

5. SURFCAM draws the toolpath and displays the Keep Operation dialog box.
   

 

 

When closed splines define the area, the area normally machined is inside of each spline or outside all splines.

1. Chain a closed spline and select the inside or the outside. Ignore the Chain Bound menu.

2. Repeat this process on the other closed splines.

3. After all the splines are chained, click Done .

4. The toolpath appears.

SURFCAM uses the following test to determine if the area is a closed area or an extended area.

1. SURFCAM determines the distance between the end points of the open spline. Call this distance X.

2. SURFCAM determines the distance between those end points and the edges of the surface. Call this distance Y.

3. If X < Y, the area is closed. If X > Y, the area is extended.

A Closed area
A closed area is the area between the spline and a line that connects the spline end points.

You can machine the inside of this area or the outside of this area.

An Extended area
SURFCAM defines an extended area with lines from the surface edge that are tangent to the spline at its end points. The tangent lines are projected on the surface. The extended area is the area between the spline, these projected lines and the surface edge.

You can machine the inside of this area or the outside of this area.

When a single open spline defines the area,

1. Chain the open spline.

2. Select the side of the open spline to machine.

3. Click Done on the Select Chain menu, and the toolpath appears.

An open spline that defines a Closed area

An open spline that defines an extended area

 

Use the Chain Bound menu. Click the button to switch between Connect and No Connect.

No Connect
SURFCAM automatically connects one end point of a spline to the other end point of the same spline. After you select all of the splines, you will have several separate closed tool containment areas.

Connect
SURFCAM automatically connects the last end point of one spline to the first end point of the next spline that you select. After you select all of the splines, you will have one tool containment area.

When a number of separate open splines defines the tool containment area,

1. Select the first element of the first boundary curve.

2. Select the last element of the first boundary curve or close the chain.

3. The Chain Bound menu is displayed.

4. To create one tool containment area, toggle the No Connect command to the Connect command on the Chain Bound menu.
   
   When you chain the splines, an end point of one spline is automatically connected to an end point on the next spline. The sequence of selection is important. The last point on the first spline is connected to the first end point that is selected on the next spline.

5. To create several tool containment areas, toggle the Connect command on the Chain Bound menu to the No Connect command. There will be a tool containment area for each spline.

6. Chain the splines. SURFCAM determines if each spline is a closed area or an extended area. The tool containment area is machined according to the results of this test. See A single open spline defines the area.

7. Click Done . SURFCAM draws the toolpath and displays the Keep Operation dialog box.
   
   Open splines, No Connect option
   
   Open splines, Connect option
   

If surface patches and splines overlap, you can use the patches and the splines together to define a tool containment area.

1. Select the Both option, and click OK to exit the Cut or Swarf dialog. The Select Chain menu appears. The prompt tells you to select the first element of the boundary curve.

2. Chain the boundary curve and click Done on the Select Chain menu.

3. The Select Point menu appears. Select a corner of the surface patch.

4. Select the other corner of the surface patch.
   
   The toolpath appears. The spline and the surface patch define two different tool containment areas. The area of overlap of these two areas is machined.

 

Example, with an Intersect Spline
Create a spline with Cutter Intersect and Surface Intersect , on the Create > Spline menu to define a tool containment area.

Two surfaces that intersect and a cutter intersect spline

Toolpath