Clearance: Create UCS

Access: Open this function from one of the following locations:

Note: UCSs can also be created in the Machine Preview environment.

Create a UCS for an NC procedure. During the creation process, the cutter is continuously displayed in the appropriate orientation. This operation is available both within an open NC procedure and when no NC procedure is open.

When machining deep cavities, large cores or prismatic parts, it is common to use 3+2 axis positioning in order to be able to employ shorter and more robust tools and to achieve faster and better machining. However, it is often a process of trial and error to determine the optimal orientation.

Cimatron provides dedicated functionality in this regard. It offers significant time savings by enabling you to repeatedly experiment and preview the orientation of the tool and its holder prior to creating the UCS.

This functionality will visually place any cutter from your cutter library on the selected point. This lets you check cutter positioning and clearance before you start programming the toolpath. While the cutter is being previewed, the tilt angle can be adjusted or fixed. Selecting other points will allow you to check the cutter at this angle in various positions, either with or without the remaining stock, providing a quick way to find the optimal programming UCS for 5-axis machining as well as 3-axis machining on angles.

This functionality is available in all toolpath types and for each procedure except Transformation, Automated Drill, Drill and Connection.

When this option is invokedinvoked (for more, click Access at the top of this Help topic), the New UCS Creation dialog is displayed. A very similar dialog is displayed when invoked from Remachine Segments > Edit Segments Dialog; this displays the Direction Definition dialog.

New UCS Creation dialog

Direction Definition dialog displayed when invoked from Remachine Segments > Edit Segments Dialog

Orientation Definition: Set the desired orientation.

Verification: Visual check for collisions.

UCS Creation: Creation rules; position and name.

Cutter: Check with other cutters/holders.

Parameters
Dialog Buttons

Finding a UCS normal to face in a prismatic part.

In this deep cavity, finding the best orientation that prevents the holder from gouging can be very difficult. The Create UCS option enables you to experiment dynamically in order to identify the best orientation and then create the new UCS accordingly.

     

Select a point (the cutter is displayed at the point) and set the parameters.

When a new UCS is defined and you press the OK button at the bottom of the dialog, this new UCS becomes the active UCS of the procedure (the UCS Name parameter in the Clearance & UCS table, is updated with the new UCS name). All subsequent settings are done according to the new UCS.

Parameters

When this option is invokedinvoked (for more, click Access at the top of this Help topic), the tool tip is positioned on the Reference UCS (set as the top of the New UCS Creation dialog). When you pick a point, the tool is positioned on the picked point

Reference UCS

The Reference UCS determines the base direction of the new UCS and is the reference for the new UCS orientation. Select a reference UCS from the dropdown list of options.

When the dialog is invoked from the parameter table, the following options are available:

Model UCS

The Model UCS.

Toolpath UCS

The UCS of the current TP folder.
This is the default option for the New UCS Creation dialog.

Current Procedure’s UCS

The UCS that is active when a procedure is defined.

Pencil Curve’s UCS

The selected pencil curve's UCS. This option appears in the Direction Definition dialog.
This is the default option for the Direction Definition dialog.

When the dialog is invoked from the menu bar, the following options are available (see the notes below):

Model UCS

The Model UCS.

Active UCS

The currently active UCS.
This is the default option.

Orientation locked for geometry pick

When this checkbox is marked , the tool orientation is locked when picking geometry. This means that the tool orientation is not changed regardless of the picked position and the face normal vector. This option can be used to place the tool at different points and keep the same orientation for checking purposes. When this checkbox is selected, the Tool Axis Orientation parameter is grayed out.

When this checkbox is OFF , the UCS orientation can be changed when picking faces according to the selection in the next parameter in the dialog.

Default = OFF

ExampleExample

Tool Axis Orientation

This parameter is grayed out if the orientation lock checkbox (the previous parameter) is ON .

If the orientation lock checkbox is OFF , then a tool axis orientation may be selected from a dropdown list.

    1.  

Changing the tool axis may reset any changes you have already made to the machine X axis.

Normal to Face

Create a UCS such that the tool axis is normal to the face it mills.

The tool orientation is normal to the face at the selected point. The Tilt Angle and Tilt Direction are changed accordingly, since they are measured from the Reference UCS.

ExampleExample

Normal to Face: The cutter is normal to the selected face and the Tilt Angle and Tilt Direction are calculated accordingly.

For the Tilt Angle and Tilt Direction, see Tool Axis Control below.

Tangent to Face

Create a UCS such that the tool axis is tangent to the face it mills.

The tool orientation is tangent to the surface at the selected point. The Tilt Angle considers the cutter's shape when calculating the required angle.
ExampleExample

Tangent to Face: The cutter is tangent to the selected face and the Tilt Angle and Tilt Direction are calculated accordingly.

 

Circle Segment cutters mill best with the largest radii of the cutter tangent to the surface it mills.

For Circle Segment - Barrel cutters, the best slope angle range for milling is displayed for a specific cutter below the cutter image in the Cutters and Holders dialog. This angle range specifies the angle between the cutter axis and the normal of the face it mills and indicates the minimum and maximum slope angles of faces that can best be milled by a specific cutter.

The best slope angle range for milling is displayed for a specific cutter.
The cutter mills tangent to the selected face.

These minimum and maximum slope angles may be used in relations using their respective short names: minslope and maxslope.

These slope angle ranges are currently only displayed for Barrel cutters. For all other cutter types, minslope = 0°, maxslope = 90°.

This range of best slope angles for milling is taken into account when calculating the Tilt Angle.

Fixed Tilt Angle

Create a UCS such that the tool axis is fixed in relation face it mills.

Similar to Normal to Face, however, the Tilt Angle does not change. This means that the tilt angle is fixed to the existing value and the Direction Angle is the angle of the face normal.

Swarf by One Point

Depending on the location of the selected point, one of the following occurs:

  • If the selected point is on a planar face, then the behavior is the same as for Normal to Face, however, the cutter is rotated 90 degrees on the plane defined by the face Normal and Z axis (to the direction of the Z axis). If both these axes are parallel, then the X axis is used instead of Z.

    • In the case of a Conic tool, the rotation angle is 90 degrees minus the taper angle.

  • In the special case of a sweep or a cylinder or cone, the face defines a unique direction that can be Swarf.

    • The direction is well defined if the curvature in one parametric direction (say U) is infinite while the curvature to the other direction (say V) is not. In this case, the tool direction is parallel to the tangent on U.

    • The direction is flipped to be closer to the Reference UCS Z axis.

    • A Conic tool does not change the direction of the tool in this case.

  • If the selected face is not planar nor "special", then the selection is ignored.

Swarf by Two Planes

Select two points on planar faces.

  • Points that are not on planar faces cannot be selected.

  • The direction is perpendicular to the normal of both selected points.

  • The direction is flipped to be closer to the reference UCS Z axis.

  • The planar face does not necessarily have to be a real plane; it can be a plane within the tolerance of the system.

  • In the case of a conic tool, the vector V is used, such that the angle between V and the normal of each face is 90 degrees minus the taper angle.

Note: The tool tip for the touch point is calculated after the orientation is calculated.

Tool Axis Control
Set the Tilt Angle and Tilt Direction, either by entering values or by using the appropriate slider. When the angles are changed, the tool is rotated around its tip. The sliders and value fields are color coded for user assistance.

Tilt Angle

The Tilt Angle is measured from the Z direction of the Reference UCS.

When the Tilt Angle = 0 and a point is selected, the tool is positioned on the selected point and the holder points in the + Z direction of the Reference UCS.

See the example below.

Tilt Direction

The Tilt Direction is measured around the X direction of the Reference UCS. When the Tilt Direction = 0 the tool tilts towards + X direction of the Reference UCS.

See the example below.

Tilt Angle/Direction ExamplesTilt Angle/Direction Examples

Normal to Face: The cutter is normal to the selected face and the Tilt Angle and Tilt Direction are calculated accordingly.

Tangent to Face: The cutter is tangent to the selected face and the Tilt Angle and Tilt Direction are calculated accordingly.

Flip Orientation
(face other side)

Change the direction of the selected face 180 degrees. This change is reflected in the Tool Axis Control area, above.

ExampleExample

Set X-Axis Direction

Control and change the direction of the X-axis manually. Any subsequent changes to the tool axis may reset the machine X axis.

Toggle Stock Display

Toggle to hide/show the stock. This can be used to visually verify that a collision is avoided with the stock. See the examples below.

ExamplesExamples

No stock displayed:

Stock displayed - visual check against stock:

Holder Offset

Set the holder safety distance to visually verify that a collision is avoided with the stock.
Default = 0

If Similar UCS Exists

If a similar UCS exists (having the same Z-axis), select from the following options:

Create New

Create a new UCS. This is the default option.

Use Existing

Use the existing UCS; do not create a new one.

New UCS Name

Set the name for the new UCS.

The default name is <procedure name>_<procedure number> for example for Rough Spiral: R-Spiral_13.

New UCS Location

Select the location of the new UCS from the following options (see the examples below):

Reference UCS

The new UCS is positioned on the Reference UCS.
This is the default option.

Last Indicated Point

The new UCS is positioned on the last indicated point.

ExamplesExamples

UCS at Reference UCS:

UCS at Last Indicated Point:

Change Cutter

Change the cutter. This displays the cutter table, enabling you to change the cutter, including creating a new cutter.

 

Notes:

  • If multiple cutters are used in the procedures, the active cutter is displayed and cannot be changed.

  • When the dialog is invoked from the menu bar, the following occurs:

    • The Reference UCS options are Model UCS and Active UCS, (default = Active UCS).

    • The stock display is grayed out.

    • The default New UCS Name is UCSxx, as if it were created as a new normal feature.

    • The cutter for the operation is the active cutter. If this does not exist, one is created.

Dialog buttons

OK - accept and save the changes and close the dialog.

In this case, the new UCS is created with the following characteristics:

  • The Z axis is on the cutter axis.

  • The origin is as defined in the relevant parameter.

  • The X axis is parallel to the projection of the X axis of the reference UCS on the XY plane of the new UCS.

  • The UCS name is as defined.

  • The new UCS become the active UCS of the procedure See the example below..

ExampleExample

Cancel - reject the changes and close the dialog without saving.

Some functionality may be dependent on the product package. Contact your Reseller if you require a license.