Create Stock : Bounding Box

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

Select the toolpath for which the stock will be created, and then create the stock in one of the following ways:

Select NC Process > Process > Stock from the menu bar.
Select in the NC Guide Toolbar.

Define a stock that surrounds all selected entities. The resultant stock is a rectangular box which can be globally offset from the part. The offset value can be set separately for X, Y, and Z, with the Z offset having separate controls for the top and bottom to accurately set the location of the extra material.

By default, the stock box covers the whole part. The stock size and the XYZ coordinates of the two furthest diagonal points of the stock box are detailed in the Initial Stock dialog (see below).

To redefine the stock box, you can either select the entities to be included in the stock by picking By Box or by picking the following entity types: faces, sketches, composites, edges, curves, and points. As you pick individual entities, the bounding box is updated so that it encompasses all the selected entities (see the example of stock creation by bounding box).

Note: The cursor appearance changes as you move over the various entity types defined in the Selection Filter.

The following dialog is used for stock creation by bounding box:

Pick the surfaces to define the stock. There are several ways to pick surfaces. A popup menu is available for this option.

See the dialog Parameter definitions below for more information.

Procedures will update the stock immediately after their calculation or only when needed, depending on the relevant setting in the Preferences > NC > General Preferences.

Parameters

Micro Milling

When this checkbox is marked ,this defines the stock procedure as Micro Milling—If the procedure is located in the Micro Milling toolpath (TP) folder, the checkbox is ON by default; otherwise it is OFF.

Changing the checkbox in an existing stock from Normal to Micro Milling will invalidate all relevant stock calculations of subsequent procedures (after a warning).
Changing the checkbox in an existing stock from Micro Milling to Normal does not result in any other changes.

When calculating stock, the tolerance is considered as Micro Milling in either of the following circumstances;

If the relevant stock is defined as Micro Milling.
If the procedure itself is Micro Milling (that is, it is located in the Micro Milling TP folder).

Transparency

Control the hide/show state, transparency, and color of the stock.
See the Stock Display Options for the relevant detailed parameter explanations.

Ref. Stock Size

The reference stock size based on the entities you have selected. This area shows the size of the stock. The values are for reference only and cannot be changed in this dialog. The Z distance is the difference between the Max. Z and Min. Z values (in the Selected Geometry section of this dialog).

1st corner, 2nd corner

Based on the entities you have selected, this area shows the coordinates of the diagonal of the bounding box. The values are for reference only and cannot be changed in this dialog.

Total Surfaces Selected

The total number of surfaces selected to define the stock box. By default, all the surfaces in the part are initially selected to form the stock.

XY Offset

Z+ Offset
Z- Offset

Set the respective offset values for the stock. The stock will be offset from the part by this value in the specified direction(s). The offset value can be set separately for X, Y, and Z, with the Z offset having separate controls for the top and bottom to accurately set the location of the extra material.

The default value is zero.

ExampleExample

Stock Box: XY Offset = 0, Z+ Offset = 0, Z- Offset = 0

When changing the offset values, the Ref. Stock Size in the dialog is adjusted accordingly. The other parameters in the dialog are not affected: the Box Information section specifies the stock box size without the global offset.
Stock Box: XY Offset = 10, Z+ Offset = 0, Z- Offset = 0	Stock Box: XY Offset = 10, Z+ Offset = 15, Z- Offset = 0

Reset Selection

Reset: Reset all values and settings to the system defaults.

The following popup menu options (right mouse button)are available for selecting entities.

When finished, press one of the approval options.

	OK: Accept the changes, perform the operation, and close the current dialog/task. The stock/part is calculated.
	Apply: Accept the changes, perform the operation, and keep the current dialog/task open. The stock/part is calculated.
	Save: Save the settings. Suspend and calculate later.
	Cancel: Cancel all changes and close the dialog/task without saving the settings.

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