Pocket Manager

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

Select NC Process > Model > Pocket Manager from the menu bar.
Click the button in the NC Guide Toolbar.

The Pocket Manager is a Feature Based Machining analysis function that recognizes pockets for safer and faster programming. The function automatically recognizes pocket (and slot) geometries, including open edges, and considers the height, shape, and draft angles of each pocket. The recognized pockets can be used in downstream procedures and templates and you can filter the selection by pocket attributes, such as open/closed walls, through/bottomed pocket, with or without draft angles.

The image below shows an example pocket recognized by the system; an open pocket with different draft angled walls.

The data from these recognized pockets can either be used in procedures specifically tailored for pocket operations (such as the Contours from Pockets option or the Volume Pocket procedure) or general NC procedures.

In general, some of these pockets can then be milled using 2.5-axis procedures such as Pocket, Profile, Chamfer, and 2D Cleanup. Other pockets that include features that cannot be milled by 2.5-axis procedures (for example pockets that include round corners between the floor and walls) can be milled by 3-axis procedures such as the Volume Milling (Rough or VoluMill procedures) or the Surface Milling Finish procedures, with the relevant geometry from the Pocket feature being automatically selected by the procedure.

The pockets are stored as features in the feature table and relevant NC procedures can retrieve their input from this table.

See Pocket Output Geometry for Downstreaming.

When this function is usedused (for more, click Access at the top of this Help topic), the Pocket Manager dialog is displayed.

This dialog is similar to that of the geometry Pocket Selection dialog and the Contour Manager dialog, with differences resulting from the functionality.

Note: When selecting geometry to define pockets, screen parameters may also be displayed to provide additional control over the types of geometry to be defined as pockets for a specific operation.

Active UCS	Set the active UCS which determines the direction in which the system detects the pockets.
Select All Displayed Surfaces	Select all the displayed surfaces in the geometry to analyze and detect pocket-like features. Screen parameters are displayed to refine the pocket detection analysis.
Advanced Selection	Manually define pockets that the automatic analysis was not able to detect due to the pocket recognition rules. Screen parameters are displayed to refine the pocket detection analysis.
By Contours	Manually define pockets (using contours) that the automatic analysis was not able to detect due to the pocket recognition rules. Activate a UCS and pick one or more composite curves to analyze and recognize the new pocket(s).
Expanded Pockets	Stepped pockets are automatically recognized vertically as column pockets by the system pocket recognition logic. This adds material to the volume of the pocket to consider the actual stock, thereby enabling safe machining. Expanded Pockets recognizes pockets by layers, in addition to those recognized using the default by vertical method.
By Criteria	Use criteria to pick geometry for pocket recognition. UCS and/or surface criteria can be defined. Screen parameters are displayed to refine the pocket detection analysis.
Show the Pocket Table	When ON, display the Pocket Table showing all the detected pockets. Each row in the table represents one pocket.
Ignore Circular Pockets of Diameter & Below	Ignore small CIRCULAR pockets or holes. Filter all detected circular pockets or holes to only show those with a diameter greater than the entered threshold value. The Pocket Table and graphics pane are updated accordingly.
Ignore ALL Pockets of Diameter & Below	Ignore ALL small pockets. Filter all detected pockets to only show those with a bounded circle diameter greater than the entered threshold value. The Pocket Table and graphics pane are updated accordingly. This option is similar to Ignore Circular Pockets of Diameter & Below, but refers to the parameter Max. Diameter which appears in the Pocket Table.

Note: When the system is in pocket selection mode (for example, when selecting pockets for procedures), in addition to the selection options available in the Pocket Manager, the pockets can also be selected By Box.

The lower part of the Pocket Manager dialog, Pocket Delete, Display, enables you to hide/show and delete pockets and provides you with the following information:

Show Pockets from Active Direction Only	Only show pockets created on the active UCS direction.
All NC Pockets	The number of all NC pockets detected with diameters greater than the threshold entered in the parameter Ignore Circular Pockets of Diameter & Below.
Filtered NC Pockets	The number of filtered NC pockets (the number of lines in the Pocket Table, whether or not the table is displayed).
Selected NC Pockets	The number of NC pockets currently selected.
Used Pockets	The number of used NC pockets.
Source to Expanded Pockets	The number of NC pockets used as a source for Expanded Pockets.

The option to hide/show and delete each of the above mentioned pockets groups.

Buttons

Original Display Attributes: Define the method of displaying the original geometry, from the following dropdown list of options:

Original	The original geometry is displayed as shaded or as it was set before the Pocket Manager was activated.
Dimmed	The original geometry is displayed as transparent.
Hidden	The original geometry is displayed as hidden; only the pockets are displayed.

Original:	Dimmed:	Hidden:

Volumes and Contours: Define the method of displaying the pockets, from the following dropdown list of options:

Volumes & Contours	For each pocket, display its volume and contours.
Only Volumes	For each pocket, display its volume only.
Only Contours	For each pocket, display its contours only.

Volumes & Contours:	Only Volumes	Only Contours:

OK: Accept the changes, perform the operation, and close the current dialog/task.

Apply: Accept the changes, perform the operation, and keep the current dialog/task open.

Cancel: Cancel all changes and close the dialog/task without saving the settings.

Pocket Manager

See Also

Buttons

See also