fanuc GFK-1703 User Manual
Gibbs and Associates
323 Science Drive
Moorpark, CA 93021
(805) 523-0004
March 1999
GEOMETRY CREATION
USER MANUAL
PROPRIETARY NOTICE
This document contains propriety information of Gibbs and Associates and is to be used only
pursuant to and in conjunction with the license granted to you with respect to the accompanying Gibbs
and Associates licensed software. Except as expressly permitted in the license, no part of this document
may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language
or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or
otherwise, without the prior written permission from a duly authorized representative of Gibbs and
Associates.
It is strongly advised that you carefully review the license in order that you understand your
rights and obligations related to the licensed software and the accompanying user documentation.
Use of the computer software and the user documentation has been provided pursuant to a
Gibbs and Associates license agreement.
© Copyright 1996 Gibbs and Associates, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Acknowledgements:
Written by Shannon McConville.
Thanks to Tim Alvord, Sean Canterbury, Gary Esser, Bill Gibbs, Charles Haden, Tom Hubina, Pete
Jackson, Kristin Kelley, Michael Kelley, Israel Klain, James Moore, Jeff Myers and Robb Weinstein for
their input and assistance.
Trademarks:
Windows NT, Windows 95 and Windows 98 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
:
INTRODUCTION III
How to Learn the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Balloons and Prompting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Operating Systems Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
CHAPTER 2
:
INTERFACE 1
Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Clipboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
CHAPTER 3
:
PART SET-UP 13
Document Control Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
CHAPTER 4
:
GEOMETRY CREATION 16
Geometry Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Geometry Creation Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Geometry Expert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Free Form CAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Text Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Curve Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Workgroups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Shapes and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Edit Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Modify Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
File Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
File Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Workgroup Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Printing the Part Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
GFK-1703 Table of Contents
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
ii
CHAPTER 5
:
GEOMETRY EXPERT EXERCISES 58
Exercise #1: Shaft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Exercise #2: Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Exercise #3: Shuttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Exercise #4: Lathe Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Exercise #5: Doodle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Exercise #6: Bell Crank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
CHAPTER 6
:
FREE FORM CAD EXERCISES 135
Exercise #1: Shapes and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Exercise #2: Mill Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Exercise #3: Lathe Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Exercise #4: Shuttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Exercise #5: Text Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Exercise #6: Overlapping Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
CHAPTER 7
:
COMBINATION EXERCISES 245
Exercise #1: Loading Shapes ..................................................256
Exercise #2: Mill Tutorial ....................................................257
Exercise #3: Gear Housing ....................................................272
APPENDIX 1
:
OPERATING SYSTEMS 277
Launching the System........................................................277
Operating Systems Glossary ...................................................277
File Compatibility ...........................................................278
Standard Extensions .........................................................278
Post Processor Formats .......................................................279
APPENDIX 2
:
PART PRINTS 280
Part Print #1: Shaft ..........................................................280
Part Print #2: Chassis ........................................................281
Part Print #3: Shuttle.........................................................282
Part Print #4: Lathe Tutorial ...................................................283
Part Print #5: Doodle ........................................................284
Part Print #6: Mill Tutorial ....................................................285
Part Print #7: Gear Housing ...................................................286
Part Print #8: Bell Crank......................................................287
INDEX 288
GFK-1703 Introduction
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iii
CHAPTER 1
:
Introduction
HOW TO LEARN THE SYSTEM
Congratulations on purchasing the most productive programming system available! It is rec-
ommended that the Geometry Creation Manual be reviewed before moving on to either the Mill or
Lathe Module Manuals. The best way to learn the system is to read the reference information and
complete the geometry exercises. Then complete the tutorials provided in the module specific manuals. For simple explanations of on-screen items and their purpose, use Balloons and Prompting pro-
vided in the Help menu.
BALLOONS AND PROMPTING
Balloons and Prompting are built-in documentation and training information, also known as
CAT (Computer Aided Training). They can be turned on from selections under the Help menu.
Balloons provide reference information about any object that the cursor is placed over. Prompting
extends certain palettes in the system to provide useful suggestions about how to proceed. They are
very useful.
OPERATING SYSTEMS GLOSSARY
The Windows NT®, Windows 95/98® and MacOS® operating systems use different terminology for certain common items. A short list has been provided to help eliminate possible confusion.
Refer to the Operating Systems Appendix for additional information on the differences between the
Windows NT, Windows 95/98 and Macintosh operating systems.
EQUIVALENT TERMS
file = document
program = application
directory = folder
backspace key (not delete or del) = delete key (not del)
Operating system symbol : This symbol appears throughout the manual to indicate when
there are variations in specific system functions depending on the operating system.
O
S
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
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SYSTEM OVERVIEW
This system is designed to be extremely flexible, to allow the user the freedom to create parts
in any way that comes naturally. The "modeless" interface allows the user to have geometry creation, tools, machining capabilities and post processing functions available at all times. However,
there are certain basic elements required to create a part. There must be geometry, a tool, and a
toolpath (an operation) created before post processing. The Top Level palette is organized in a logical manner for building a part. A part does not have to be created in this order, it only serves as a
guideline.
Create a new file.
Create part geometry.
Create a tool.
Create a toolpath.
Cut Part Render
Post Process.
Change the view.
GFK-1703 Interface
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1
CHAPTER 2
:
Interface
This system uses a Graphic User Interface (GUI). This simply means that pictures or symbols
are used in place of text whenever possible. This section of the manual describes the different interface objects and their uses.
CURSORS
The cursor is the object moved with the mouse. Its appearance changes depending on its location. The appearance of the cursor dictates its usage.
Black Pointer : This cursor is used to select objects and geometry by clicking on them. Zoom
by dragging a rectangle around an area on the screen.
White Pointer : This cursor functions the same as the black pointer, except it is in multiple
selection mode. The white pointer appears when the Shift key is held down or when a geometry sub-palette is open. It allows more than one item to be selected at a time.
Mover Tool : This indicates that the cursor is placed on the edge of a palette or in a dialog’s
title bar. Move the palette or dialog by holding the mouse button down and dragging it to a
different location.
Pointing Finger : This indicates that the cursor is over a button. Push the button by clicking on
it.
Hand : This indicates that the cursor is over a draggable object such as a tile. Move the object
by clicking on it once and dragging it to the desired location. This cursor is also used to roll
the trackball.
Spot : The cursor changes to this while rolling the trackball.
I Beam : This indicates that the cursor is in a location where text input is accepted. It is a
flashing cursor.
Area Select : The cursor changes to this while doing a mouse drag or zooming in on an area.
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
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ACTIONS
There are a number of actions used throughout the system.
• Moving the cursor : The cursor is moved and positioned with the mouse.
• Click : A quick tap on any mouse button.
• Double-click : Two quick taps on the mouse button.
• Type : Using the keyboard.
• Drag : Position cursor, hold mouse button down, reposition cursor, release mouse button.
• Shift-click : Hold shift key down while clicking the mouse.
• Shift-double-click, Ctrl-click, Ctrl-double-click, etc. : Hold down stated key and
click (or double-click).
OBJECTS
There are several interface objects used throughout the system. The Tile Lists and Machining
Markers will be described in the machining manuals for the Mill and Lathe modules.
• Drawing Window
• Palettes
• Dialogs
• Tile Lists
• Menus
• Machining Markers
• Balloons/Prompts
• Wastecan
g
Menu Bar
Drawing
Window
Tile List
Balloon
Palette
Prompt
Dialo
Wastecan
GFK-1703 Interface
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3
DRAWING WINDOW
The drawing window is the full size of the screen. All drawing of geometry, toolpaths, and
rendered images appear in the drawing window. It is not moveable. All other interface objects
appear in front of the drawing window.
PALETTES
A palette is a collection of functions grouped together in a logical manner for the user. Some
palettes are moveable, others are not.
Top Level Palette: This palette is made up of buttons. These buttons can be either “on”
(depressed) or “off” (raised). Clicking once on a button turns it on and accesses the appropriate dialog or palette. Another click will turn the button off and put any dialogs or
palettes away. The top level palette cannot be moved.
Geometry Creation Palette: This palette is also
made up of a group of buttons. However,
when one of the buttons is clicked on, it does
not stay depressed. Instead, it brings up a
sub-palette or the Geometry Expert
Spreadsheet. The Geometry Creation Palette can be moved to any location on the screen. Move the
palette by placing the cursor in the title bar of the palette. When the cursor changes to the mover
tool, hold the mouse button down and move the palette. This action is called “dragging the edge”.
Mill
Machining Palette: This palette is made up of Function Tiles and
buttons. The four Function Tiles are moveable objects that can
be dragged to the Process List to create operations. The
Lathe Machining Palette can be moved to any location on the screen.
Render palette: This palette provides control over the cut part
rendering process. It allows the user to control rendering
speed, the operations that will be rendered, and the way the
tool will be displayed. This is also a moveable palette.
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
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View Control Palette (Trackball) : The View Control Palette allows the user to easily change the current view of the part. The buttons around the outside provide
standard view changes, redraws and unzooms. The center ball operates like a
trackball and rolls to allow the part to be viewed from any orientation. When
the cursor is placed over the ball, it changes into a hand, which indicates that
the ball can be rolled. Holding the mouse button down and moving the mouse
will roll the trackball. The black outlined box on the ball represents the orien-
tation of the part. The "T" identifies the top surface of the part. The dimensions of the box do not change with the actual part size. Once the desired view is obtained, and the
mouse button is released, the part is redrawn in the new view. The ball has four small solid black
rectangles around it, inside the ring of buttons (located at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00). These are called
ball "handles". Drag these handles for a single axis view change. The trackball is a moveable
palette, drag its edge to move it.
DIALOGS
Dialogs are used when information is needed from the user. This information is conveyed
through text boxes, radio buttons, yes/no buttons, and pop-up menus.
Text boxes: Items that require keyboard input
have a box next to them. If you click once in
a text box, a flashing text cursor will appear
where you clicked. Any typed input will
begin at the flashing text cursor. To move
the text cursor, simply click the desired location. Double clicking in a text box will select (highlight) everything in the text box. Anything
typed at this point will completely replace the current contents of the box. To select only portions of
the contents of the text box, click before or after the text to be edited, hold the mouse button down
and drag.
Moving from one text box to another can be accomplished by clicking or double clicking in
the desired box, or hitting the Tab key. Hitting the Tab key moves the cursor from box to box, and
highlights the entire contents of each box.
The contents of all text boxes can be cut, copied and pasted to and from the Clipboard by
choosing items from the Edit Menu.
Math Input in a Text box: All number input boxes will accept the four standard math function symbols
(+ - x / ), as well as a number of special functions, (both * and x are used for multiplication).
Hitting the equal key or tab key on the keyboard will display the final value. Special math functions
include:
r = squareroot
s= sine
c= cosine
t= tangent
a= arctangent
m= convert from inch to millimeter (x 25.4)
i= convert from millimeter to inch (/ 25.4)
Text Box
GFK-1703 Interface
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5
Angle values follow the standard Cartesian coordinate system, as shown below. Negative val-
ues are acceptable as input.
Radio buttons: Radio buttons come in groups. When one of the buttons in the group
is depressed (turned "on"), the other buttons in the group are "off." The button that
is depressed displays a small red dot or "light" to indicate that it is "on".
Yes/No buttons:Yes/No buttons come one per option. Depress the button for
yes, pop it up for no. The button that is depressed displays a small red dot or
"light" to indicate that it is "on".
Pop-Up menus : Pop-up menus provide multiple choices. A
pop-up menu looks like a button, but has an arrow indicating that there are more choices available. The menu is accessed by depressing it and dragging the
cursor down to scroll through the list. When the desired item is highlighted, release the mouse button to select it.
Geometry Dialog : Geometry Dialogs are
used for input of specific geometry information when creating shapes. All Geometry
Dialogs contains buttons that access the
Workgroup Information and Selection
Dialogs.
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
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Moveable dialogs : Some dialogs
may be moved around on the
screen. The area at the top of the
dialog is called the title bar. The
title bar shows the name of the
dialog. Drag the title bar to move
the dialog. The small box in the
upper left corner of the window is
the close box. Clicking in this box
puts the dialog away. Doubleclicking on the title bar will hide
the dialog and leave only the title
bar. An additional double-click
will restore the dialog. This is
useful for conserving screen
space. Most of the dialogs in the
system can be shrunk to the title
bar in this manner.
Text Creation Dialog : The Text
Creation Dialog contains “tabs” that
allow the user to access the Text,
Spacing, and Text Flow windows
contained within the dialog. Click
on the tabs to access the desired
window. The bottom portion of the
dialog where text can be entered
and the Process button remain available regardless of what window is
currently being viewed.
Close box
Dialog Name Title Bar
GFK-1703 Interface
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7
Open Dialog : The Open Dialog is used to locate, view, and open files. It comes up when Open is
selected from the File menu, or the Open button is depressed in the Document Control Dialog. The
part dimensions shown in the dialog below are for a mill part. If a lathe part is being opened, the
part dimension picture will change accordingly.
Workgroup Selection Dialog : The
Workgroup Selection Dialog is used to
create new workgroups, switch between
workgroups and select workgroups to
be viewed as background workgroups.
The current workgroup is highlighted in
yellow. Double-clicking on an eyeball
will change the viewing of a back-
ground workgroup. Geometry contained
in background workgroups will be drawn in gray, and cannot be edited or selected as a cut shape to
create machining operations. To select multiple workgroups to be viewed as background workgroups, use the Show Selected WG item in the View Menu. Holding down the Shift key will allow
more than one eye icon to be selected at a time to be viewed.
Current Directory/Folder:
displays a list of all
available files in the
current directory
Material Information
and Part Comment
Pop-up menu to
access a higher level
directory; displays
current directory
Button used to access the available drives
and disks contained on the system.
O
S
Name of the
current disk
On DOS, Windows NT an Windows 95
systems, it is the Drive button as
shown above. On Macintosh systems,
it is the Desktop button.
Part Preview:
displays the last
rendered image
of the part
Part Dimensions
Current Workgroup
Background Workgroup
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
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MENUS
Menu Bar: The menu bar, shown below, is located at the top of the screen. It is available to the user
at all times. To access the menu bar, position the cursor over the menu bar title, hold the mouse button down, drag the cursor down until the desired item is highlighted, and release the mouse button.
If a menu item is grayed out it cannot be selected. Selecting geometry or some other appropriate
item on the screen may change the menu item so that it becomes black and can be selected. Some
menu items are grayed out because certain modules of the software are not installed with the system.
Keyboard Shortcuts : Many menu items can also be accessed
by the keyboard. The symbol and letter next to the menu
item indicate that depressing a modifier key along with the
letter will access that menu item.
The modifier keys used to perform certain shortcuts in the system vary depending on the
operating system. The Shortcuts information card or the Shortcuts Appendix provide complete listings of the specific modifier keys used on each operating system.
BALLOONS/PROMPTS
Balloons and prompts provide on-line reference information about the objects and functions in
the system.
Balloons: Balloons are turned on in the Help menu. A bal-
loon containing reference information will appear when
the cursor is placed over an object on the screen.
Prompting: Prompting is also turned on in the Help menu.
Prompting extends the geometry and machining palettes to
include useful suggestions on how to use the software.
Error Balloons: Error balloons alert the user whenever an invalid value has
been entered. They are outlined in red and disappear when a valid entry is
made.
Keyboard Shortcut
O
S
GFK-1703 Interface
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9
SHORTCUTS
Button Shortcuts : In some cases, buttons may be depressed by actions other than clicking on them.
When a button has a black outline around it, it can be depressed by hitting the
enter or return key.
Geometry Dialogs give the user a choice of single or multiple feature cre-
ation. To create only one feature (a line, for example), click on the single line
button. To create more than one line, click on the multiple line button. One of the buttons will
always be highlighted. The highlighted button can be depressed by clicking on it, hitting the
space bar, the enter key, or the return key.
The Process button is found in some dialogs, primarily those found in the Modify
menu. It can be depressed by clicking on it, or by hitting the enter or return keys.
Palette Shortcuts: There are some keyboard shortcuts for functions other than menu choices in the
system. Simply hit the appropriate number to activate the button.
Geometry Creation Palette Point Sub-Palette
Line Sub-Palette Circle Sub-Palette
Auto-shape Sub-Palette
The system contains many other shortcuts that are described on platform specific Shortcuts
information cards and in the Shortcuts Appendix.
1234 5 7 986
12345 6
12345 6
123
123
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
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SELECTION
Three classes of objects may be selected in the system: text, geometry features and tiles. Text
and geometry can be cut, copied, and pasted to and from the clipboard within the same file by using
items in the Edit Menu. Selection techniques are described below.
TEXT SELECTION
To select text:
•
Click and drag the cursor over some text.
The text will become selected.
•
Double-click in a text box.
All text in the box will become selected.
•
Hit the tab key to move from text box to another.
All text in the box will become selected.
GEOMETRY SELECTION
To select a single geometry feature:
•
Click on a feature.
The feature will become selected. If any other features were selected, they will
become deselected.
To select multiple geometry features:
•
Shift-click on a feature.
If the feature was unselected, it will become selected and added to any other currently
selected features. If the feature was selected, it will become deselected and removed from
the currently selected group.
Holding down the shift key changes the cursor to multiple selection mode which
allows more than one geometry feature to be selected at a time.
To select an entire connected shape:
•
Double-click on a feature of the shape.
All connected features will become selected.
To select certain types of geometry:
•
Use the Select items found under the Edit menu.
All geometry that matches the selected type will become selected and added to the
currently selected group.
TILE SELECTION
To select a single tile:
•
Click on a tile.
The tile will become selected. If any other tiles were selected, they will become deselected.
To select multiple tiles:
•
Shift-click on a tile.
GFK-1703 Interface
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11
If the tile was unselected, it will become selected and added to any other currently
selected tiles. If the tile was selected, it will become deselected and removed from the currently selected group.
Holding down the shift key changes the cursor to multiple selection mode which
allows more than one tile to be selected at a time.
For additional selection shortcuts, refer to the Shortcuts information card or the Shortcuts
Appendix.
COLORS
The system uses colors to graphically display different items drawn on the screen. The color
scheme for geometry, toolpaths and rendering is listed below.
GEOMETRY
Yellow Unconnected Geometry
Dashed Yellow Unconnected Rapid Geometry
Light Blue Connected Geometry
Dashed Light Blue Connected Rapid Geometry
Gray Geometry viewed as a background workgroup
TOOLPATHS
Dark Blue Cut Shape; selected area of a shape to be machined
Solid Orange Feed Move in a Toolpath
Dashed Orange Rapid Move in a Toolpath
Dashed Gray Rapid Move used for positioning moves and tool changes
Solid Gray Approach Feed Move
RENDERING
Blue Stock
Yellow Rendering of selected operations, and/or selected tools
Gray Rendering of unselected operations and/or unselected tools
Red Tool Interference
CLIPBOARD
The clipboard is used as a temporary storage place for geometry and text. Using the Cut option
from the Edit menu will delete whatever items are selected and replace the contents of the clipboard
with them. Using Copy will leave the selected items in their current location and replace the contents of the clipboard with a duplicate of them. Choosing Paste can do two things. If something is
selected it will replace that selection with the contents of the clipboard. If nothing is selected the
contents of the clipboard will be pasted in either the drawing window or in an active text box
depending on whether the clipboard contains text or geometry. The clipboard can only hold one
selection at a time. This means that it can hold either text or geometry, but not both. If text is copied
into a clipboard holding geometry, the geometry in the clipboard will be lost. The contents of the
clipboard will also be lost, when a file is closed, the software is quit out of, or the computer is shut-
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
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down.
It is possible to cut and paste geometry within a part file between different workgroups.
However, geometry cannot be cut, copied or pasted between different part files because the contents
of the clipboard are deleted when the part file is closed.
GFK-1703 Part Set-Up
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13
CHAPTER 3
:
Part Set-Up
DOCUMENT CONTROL DIALOG
Clicking on the Document Control Button will bring up the Document Control
Dialog. This dialog is actually a combination of two linked dialogs. The top dialog
contains general information about the file and gives the user control over where it is
stored on the computer. The top dialog is the same for both the Mill and Lathe modules. All of the items in the top dialog, except for Material information, will be
described in this section. The Material database will be outlined in the machining
manuals for the Mill and Lathe modules.
The bottom dialog changes according to the Machine Type selected in the top
dialog. The bottom dialog contains information on stock size, clearance positioning
and tool change position. Only the stock size information will be explained in this section, while all
information on clearance planes, tool change, and automatic clearance (lathe only) will be described
in the appropriate machining manual.
Machine
Type
File
Management
Material
Information
Stock
Diagram
Comment
Measurement
Type
Tool Change
Position
Clearance
Position
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Geometry Creation User Manual GFK-1 7 0 3
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Machine Type: Clicking on the Machine Type
pop-up menu will produce a list of all machines
the system is set up to handle. The available
selections depend on which modules of the software that have been installed. There are both
horizontal and vertical selections for mills. The
shank size on the lathe selections refers to the standard tool holder size on a lathe. These shank sizes
are used to limit the number of inserts and holders in the tool database. If the Advanced Milling
module is installed, there will also be selections for four and five axis machines.
The buttons used for file management, described below, are also available under the File menu.
Open Button: Clicking on the Open button will bring up the Open Dialog which allows the user to
select which file to open. If a file is currently open, it will be closed and the selected file will be
opened.
New Button: This button will create a new file by opening a dialog and asking for a file name and a
location to save the new file. If there is a file open, it will be closed.
Save Button: If there have been any changes made while the file was open, this button will save the
changes.
Save As Button: This button will open a dialog asking for a file name and a location to save the current file. The changes made since the last Save command will be written into the new file. The original file will not be affected. The new file will become the current, open file.
Save a Copy Button: This button is very similar to the the Save As button. The system will create a
duplicate copy of the open file. The original file remains the current, open file. The name of the
duplicate file can be changed.
On Macintosh, Windows NT and Windows 95 systems, the word “copy”will be added at
the end of the file name to distinguish it from the original.
Close Button: This button closes the current file. If the file has not been saved before clicking on the
Close Button, a dialog will come up asking if the file should be saved.
Measurement Type: These two radio buttons determine whether values input will be
based on an English or metric standard and entered in inches or millimeters. The
measurement type used by the post processor is determined by the post processor
itself. There are English and metric post processors. If an English post is used on a metric part, the
posted numbers will be converted from millimeters to inches. Likewise, metric posts will convert
values from inches to millimeters.
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Lathe Mill
Mill Stock Size Diagram: This section of the dialog is used
to specify the starting size of the part stock. The numbers
will be used to draw the stock outline and origin marker
correctly, and to draw the stock during the rendering
process. These values will not affect the programming of
the part, but it is recommended that they closely correspond to the actual stock being used.
Lathe Stock Size diagram: This section of the dialog is
used to specify the starting size of the part stock.
The stock size entered here will be used by the system to determine positioning moves when the Auto
Clearance option is turned on, and toolpath moves
when the Material Only option is selected in a
process. If a custom stock shape has been created in
one of the workgroups, the system will use the custom stock size for toolpath and positioning
moves. In that case, the values entered here will only be used to draw the stock outline and origin
marker, correctly. The text box for the X dimension will be a radius or diameter value depending
on which option is selected for the X Dimension Style.
Comment: Any text entered as a part comment will be shown in the part preview section of the Open
dialog.
THE OTHER INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DIALOG, SUCH AS CLEARANCE PLANE
VALUES AND TOOL CHANGE POSITION WILL BE DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANYING
MACHINING MANUALS FOR THE LATHE AND MILL MODULE.
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CHAPTER 4
:
Geometry Creation
GEOMETRY OVERVIEW
Geometry must be created in order to machine a part. All part geometry is created using the Geometry Creation palette or imported through the Exchange option.
Creating geometry using the Geometry Creation palette can be accomplished in
three ways; using the Geometry Expert spreadsheet which combines the creation and
connection of all geometry features in one easy to use method, using the free form
CAD tools and connecting the independent features together, or using a combination
of these two.
This chapter details the different functions available for geometry creation and
provides detailed explanations of how shapes are created using the system. To gain practical
knowledge of the concepts outlined in this chapter, complete the exercises provided in the following chapters.
GEOMETRY EXPERT
Geometry Expert is a method of geometry creation which facilitates the fast creation of simple parts and the simplified creation of more complex parts, along with being very easy to learn
and use. Geometry Expert is designed to create a single, continuous, shape. It allows the user to
define, create and connect shape features while following along the path of the part.
Geometry Expert has a tabular format which operates much like a standard spreadsheet.
Features are defined by entering dimensions into the cells (text boxes) of the feature rows. Each
row creates a different feature. Features are defined in the same order as they are encountered
along the shape path.
Creating a shape using Geometry Expert is akin to “walking” around the path of the shape,
indicating such items as location, direction and the distance being traveled. While this is similar to
standard shape creation techniques, Geometry Expert goes one step further. It applies its inherent
knowledge of geometric principles and follows a logical course which allows for the creation of
complete, connected, geometrically correct shapes, requiring the least amount of input from the
user.
Geometry Expert, as the name implies, provides the user with a built-in consultant on the
rules and principles of geometry. The system makes the creation of simple parts as quick, easy,
and painless as possible. At the same time, it makes the creation of more complex parts as simple
as possible by calculating, creating and connecting shape features based on whatever part dimensions are provided.
The associative capabilities of Geometry Expert make editing any existing shape a very easy
process. The system handles the dimension changes while maintaining all the proper connections
and relationships between pieces of geometry (eg. intersections and tangencies). Geometry Expert
frees the user from needing to understand complex geometrical relationships and calculate feature
dimensions. Instead, the user can simply enter the specifications provided on the part blueprint
and let Geometry Expert do the rest.
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FREE FORM CAD
The free form CAD tools included in the system are also very powerful and easy to use.
Creating points and features is as easy as clicking on buttons and entering values. Likewise, connecting features to form shapes that can be machined simply involves selecting the intersecting
features and clicking on a button. Several different options are provided for creating points, lines,
circles, fillets, and chamfers making it possible to create any shape regardless of how the blueprint
is dimensioned. The free form CAD tools are particularly useful with parts requiring construction
geometry.
COMBINATION
Using both Geometry Expert and the free form CAD capabilities to create a part shape is a
very powerful combination. For example, a simple shaft with chamfers can be created in minutes
by using Geometry Expert to create the horizontal and vertical lines, and the automatic
fillet/chamfer option in the Geometry Creation palette to create the chamfers.
Additionally, Geometry Expert allows for the loading of any shape into its spreadsheet format. Loading an existing shape into Geometry Expert, whether it was created using Geometry
Expert, free form CAD, or imported using the Exchange option, is as easy as double-clicking on
any part of the shape while the Geometry Expert spreadsheet is open on the screen. All features of
the shape are listed and dimensioned in the rows of the spreadsheet where they can be checked
and changed. This provides the user with a quick and easy verification method and editing tool.
GEOMETRY CREATION PALETTE
Depressing the Geometry Creation button will bring up the Geometry Creation palette. The
Point, Line, Circle, Fillet-Chamfer and Auto-shape buttons access sub-palettes which provide various options for creating the selected type of geometry. The Geometry Expert button accesses the
Geometry Expert spreadsheet which allows the user to enter feature information and quickly
define a continuous shape. The Connect/Disconnect button allows the user to manually connect or
disconnect features. This palette also accesses different workgroups (layers) of the file and creates
new workgroups. For more information on workgroups, refer to the Workgroups section later in
this chapter.
All buttons in the Geometry Creation palette can be accessed from the keyboard by typing
the number of their position in the palette, (eg. type a 1 instead of clicking on the Point button, a 2
for the Line button, etc). The Geometry Creation palette can be moved (“dragged”) to any loca-
Spline
Button
Fillet-Chamfer
Button
Connect/Disconnect
Button
Workgroup Info
Button
Workgroup Selection
Button
Geometry Expert
Button
Coordinate System Button
(Adv. Milling only)
Title Bar
Line
Button
Auto-shape
Button
Close Box
Point
Button
Circle
Button
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tion on the screen by placing the cursor on the title bar of the palette so that the cursor changes to
the mover tool. Then, while holding down the mouse button, drag the dotted outline of the palette
to a different location, and let go of the mouse button.
When a sub-palette is open, the cursor will change to the selection cursor. This means that
any geometry that is clicked on will become part of the current selection. If the geometry is
already selected when it is clicked on, it will become deselected. This is the same as holding
down the shift key when not in a sub-palette.
GEOMETRY EXPERT
There are four general ways that Geometry Expert can be utilized as a geometry creation
tool. First, the creation of simple shapes, containing primarily horizontal and vertical lines, such
as shafts, is almost effortless using Geometry Expert. The default settings and automatic angle
toggling allow the user to create alternating, intersecting, horizontal and vertical lines in the fastest
manner possible. The user only needs to enter one value in order to define the line.
Second, the creation of more complex shapes, containing multiple arcs and angled lines, is
greatly simplified due to the fact that Geometry Expert constantly applies its built in logic and
knowledge of geometry to guide the user through the process.
Third, the user can doodle or sketch a rough part outline using the Mouse Line tool, and then
load the shape into Geometry Expert to properly dimension it. The associative capabilities of the
system will adjust the shape according the the new values entered, while still maintaining all the
correct connections and relational data to the other features of the shape.
Finally, Geometry Expert is a very powerful editing tool. Feature dimensions can be adjusted by simply changing the values in the spreadsheet. Geometry Expert handles all of the calculations and adjustments to the other features that are affected by the changes. Any shape, regardless
of how it was created, can be loaded into Geometry Expert, making it ideal for verifying and
adjusting imported IGES and DXF files, old CAD files, or frequently changing part files.
HOW GEOMETRY EXPERT WORKS
Geometry Expert is set up much like a standard spreadsheet. Feature specifications are
entered into cells which are contained in rows. Each row of the spreadsheet defines a feature.
Features are defined in the order that they appear along the path of the shape. When the
Geometry Expert spreadsheet is open on the screen the user can create fully connected shapes by
entering feature specifications in each of the rows. Because Geometry Expert creates connected
shapes, each feature is dependent on and aware of the preceding and following features.
The feature row that is being worked on at any given time is referred to as the “current row”.
The current row has an upraised frame and is outlined in either yellow or black. When the current
row contains adequate information, it is outlined in yellow. The prompt at the bottom of the
Cell
Feature Row
Scroll Bar
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spreadsheet, which gives the status of the current row, will indicate what will happen when the
row is entered.
The current row will be outlined in black if it does not contain enough information. The
prompt will indicate what additional information is needed to define the row. If the user attempts
to enter a row that does not contain enough information, an error balloon will come up, again indicating what other information is required. When the current feature row contains the appropriate
information, the row is entered into the spreadsheet by hitting the enter or return key. Entering a
new row moves the cursor down to the next row in the spreadsheet, which will now be the current
row. The enter and return keys only move the current row down in the spreadsheet if a new row is
being created. Otherwise, the arrow keys or the cursor must be used to maneuver through the
rows in the spreadsheet.
Each feature is drawn on the screen as soon as the spreadsheet contains the necessary information. Some features cannot be drawn until later features are defined. These are referred to as
“floating features” and are explained later in this section.
Creating part geometry with Geometry Expert is accomplished by walking along the path of
a shape, and defining features as they are encountered. In this way, all features are automatically
connected to the preceding and following features. Because of this methodology, sometimes it is
necessary to specify the correct direction of a feature, in addition to indicating its magnitude.
For arcs, the selected feature type indicates the direction, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. For lines, the angle value indicates the direction. For example, a horizontal line can either
be defined with an angle value of 0° or 180°; both will draw the same line, but in the opposite
direction. Specifying the correct line direction is only an issue if the previous or next feature is
going to be an arc. When that is the case, it is necessary to indicate to the system what direction
the line is moving. Again, checking the line direction should only be necessary when the line is
being connected to an arc.
CREATING SHAPES USING GEOMETRY EXPERT
When creating a part using Geometry Expert, the first thing that must be decided is the starting feature and the direction to travel around the part, either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
When the spreadsheet is first opened, the first row will default to a line with an angle of 90°. The
information in this row will need to be added to and/or changed in order to define the first feature.
The prompts indicate what additional information can be entered to define the feature. As
soon as the first row contains enough information to fully define the feature, the frame of the row
will become yellow. When the frame is yellow, the prompting information tells the user how the
feature will be created. A yellow frame around the row indicates that the user can press enter
without getting an error message. Hitting enter or return will create the feature and start a new
row. The reference number of the feature that was created will be placed in the Ref cell in its row.
The new row’s feature type will default to a line, and the angle will default to either 0°/180°
or 90°/270°. The angle value of the line will automatically toggle between either 0°/180° or
90°/270°. Once again, the prompt will indicate what information can be added to further define
the line.
In this case, and many others, the frame of the row will be yellow even if the row does not
contain enough information to fully define the feature. This is because it is still possible to add
information in subsequent rows that will fully define the feature. At this point, information can be
added to or removed from the row to define the next feature of the shape as dimensioned on the
print. When the information is correct, the feature is created by hitting the enter or return key.
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This process continues until the last feature of the shape is defined. When the last feature of
the shape is created it should intersect with the first feature of the shape. At this point the feature
must be connected using the Close Shape feature type.
Geometry Expert button: The Geometry Expert button is located in the last position in the
Geometry Creation palette. Clicking on this button brings up the Geometry Expert
spreadsheet, shown below, which allows the user to create connected shapes by entering
feature dimensions in the rows of the spreadsheet.
Feature Type: There are seven options available for the
feature type. They are (from left to right): line, chamfer,
fillet, clockwise arc, counter-clockwise arc, close shape, and macro. Each row must have a
feature type selected. To select the feature type, click on the feature type button which will
access the possible selections. Drag the mouse to the desired feature so that the button
appears depressed, and let go of the mouse button. That feature will now appear as the
feature type for the row. In some cases, depending on the previous feature, some of the
feature type options may be grayed out to indicate they are not valid selections. Also,
depending on the feature type selected, some cells may be grayed out indicating that the
selected feature type does not require that dimension. The feature type can also be selected
using keyboard shortcuts. Refer to the Shortcuts information card or the Shortcuts Appendix
found in the Machining Module Manuals for information on keyboard shortcuts for
Geometry Expert.
Reference #: Every feature that is created is assigned a reference number by the system. The
letter indicates what type of feature it is, L for line, C for circle, and the number indicates the
creation order. These reference numbers may change during the course of creating geometry,
but will not affect the shape.
Close box
Reference #
Feature Type
Current Row
Prompt
Horizontal coordinate
of Endpoint
(Z in Lathe, X in Mill)
Angle of Line/
Radius of Circle
Vertical coordinate
of Endpoint (Xd/Xr in
Lathe,Y in Mill)
Horizontal coordinate of
Line point/Centerpoint
(Z in Lathe, X in Mill)
Length of line
or chamfer Size box
Vertical coordinate of
Line point/ Centerpoint
(Xd/Xr in Lathe,Y in Mill)
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NOTE
For lathe parts, the horizontal coordinate is a Z value, the vertical coordinate is an Xd or Xr
value. For mill parts, the horizontal coordinate is an X value and the vertical coordinate is a Y
value.
EP Z (X): The number entered in this cell is the horizontal coordinate of the endpoint of the
current feature. When a feature is defined with an endpoint, the system will draw the feature
and trim it at the specified endpoint. Endpoint specifications are required if the next feature
needs a start point in order to be correctly defined.
EP Xd/Xr(Y): The number entered in this cell is the vertical coordinate of the endpoint of the
current feature.
EXAMPLE: The row shown below will create a 45° line with an endpoint drawn at
Z -2, Xd 3. The next feature that is defined in the spreadsheet will start at the end
point of this feature.
Angle/Rad: The number entered in this cell is dependent on the feature type selected.
If the feature type is a line, this number specifies the angle of the line. The angle value for a
line defaults to either 90°/270° or 0°/180° allowing for the creation of vertical or horizontal
lines, respectively. The system toggles between these angle values which makes the creation
of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines a very quick and easy process. The user can
change the default values by simply entering the new numbers in the cells. If the feature
type is a arc or fillet, this number specifies the radius.
EXAMPLE: The row shown below will create a fillet between the previous and following feature with a radius of 0.2.
Length: The number entered in this cell is the length of the current feature. The length cell
is only active if the feature type is either a line or a chamfer.
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LP/CP Z (X): The number entered in this cell is dependent on the feature type selected.
If the feature type selected is a line, this number is the horizontal coordinate of a line point
(LP). A line point is simply any point that lies somewhere on the line. Line points are only
used to draw and calculate the line, they are not part of the shape. Line points are not drawn
on the screen. Geometry Expert defaults to the LP/CP cell so it is more efficient when
creating lines to use line points whenever possible in order to reduce the number of key
strokes necessary. If the feature type selected is a circle, this number is the horizontal coordinate of the centerpoint of the circle.
LP/CP Xd/Xr (Y): The number entered in this cell is dependent on the feature type selected.
If the feature type selected is a line, this number is the vertical coordinate of a line
point. If the feature type selected is a circle, this number is the horizontal coordinate of the
centerpoint of the circle.
EXAMPLE: The row shown below will create a 90° (vertical) line that goes through
the point at X 4. When defining either horizontal (0°/180°) or vertical (90°/270°)
lines, only one LP coordinate is required. Refer to the section on Half Points in this
chapter for more information.
EXAMPLE: The row shown below will create a circle with a radius of 2 and a
centerpoint at X 2, Y 3.
Prompt: The information contained in the prompt indicates the status of the current row.
When a feature row is outlined in yellow, the prompt tells the user what specifications have
been entered for this feature and what will happen when the row is entered. If the feature row
is outlined in black indicating that more information is required, the prompt will tell the
user what additional information is required. The prompt also indicates if the system has automatically deleted a cell value because the feature row contained too much information that
overdefined the feature. This aspect of Geometry Expert is referred to as the “auto delete”
function which is explained in the Expert Aids section of this chapter.
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Close box: Clicking in this box will close Geometry Expert and allow the user to use the free
form CAD tools contained in the Geometry Creation palette. When Geometry Expert is closed,
all information is cleared out of the spreadsheet. When the Geometry Expert button is
depressed again, the spreadsheet will come up empty. In order to load or reload a shape into
the spreadsheet, simply double click on any feature of the shape while the spreadsheet is open
on the screen.
Size box: The size box allows the user to adjust the size of the Geometry Expert spreadsheet.
To adjust the size of the spreadsheet, click in the Size box and drag the window to the desired
size. The width cannot be changed, but the length can be adjusted.
Scroll Bar: The scroll bar and arrows allow the user to scroll through the rows contained in
the spreadsheet to make adjustments and check the values entered. This is useful if the spreadsheet needs to stay relatively small to fit on the screen, and/or if it contains many features.
EXPERT AIDS
There are several items built in to Geometry Expert that are designed to guide the user
through geometry creation. They include prompting, auto delete, and error balloons.
Prompting
The prompting information appears across the bottom of the Geometry Expert spreadsheet.
The prompt tells the user what actions are being taken by the system based on the information provided by the user. The user should be able to follow the prompts through the creation process to
get a good idea of what is happening.
Auto Delete
The auto delete function of Geometry Expert is intended to reduce errors resulting from features being overdefined because too much information has been entered in the feature row.
Geometry Expert is designed so that the user need only enter the minimum amount of information
to define a feature. The system will automatically delete the first entry made in the feature row
when the feature is overdefined. Auto delete is necessary in order to facilitate the associative
capabilities of Geometry Expert. Note that the default values, such as the line angle, are considered the first entry rather than any information entered by the user. The prompt will indicate what
information is being deleted.
Error Balloons
Geometry Expert also contains Error Balloons which appear on the screen whenever a problem occurs. The most common error messages appear when the system requires more information
for a feature being entered. For example, if a line needs another value for an end point, an Error
Balloon will come up indicating that a V or H value is needed to calculate the end point. The
Error Balloons and Prompting use the letters V and H, indicating Vertical and Horizontal, rather
than using X and Y (for Mill) or Xd/Xr and Z (for Lathe.) This way the error messages remain the
same regardless of what module is being used.
Another common error message indicates that the feature being defined cannot intersect with
the previous feature. The non-intersecting feature can still be created, but the message indicates to
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the user that the continuity of the shape has been broken and the subsequent features being created
will not connect to the existing shape.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Defaults
When entering features in the Geometry Expert spreadsheet, the system contains defaults for
the feature type and line angle. The standard feature type default is a line. When Geometry
Expert defaults to a line, it also enters an angle value, either 90°/270° or 0°/180°, depending on
the angle of the last line entered. Sometimes a line is not a possible feature type option, in which
case the system defaults to an arc. This only occurs when the previous feature is a floating line.
Geometry Expert dimensions the line according the preceding and following feature specifications.
Floating features are not drawn on the screen until the system contains the necessary information.
Post Targeting
Despite all of its expertise, Geometry Expert can’t always know the correct intersection point
to use for a connector. When there are two or more, equally valid points of intersection, the system will draw both points. This is referred to as post targeting. When post targeting is required, a
dialog will come up that asks the user to select the appropriate point and click on the OK button.
Once the user has selected the desired intersection point, Geometry Expert will make the appropriate connection and continue along in the spreadsheet defining and connecting features.
The Edit menu contains an item that will change the intersection point selected in a post targeting dialog to the other possible point of intersection. The menu item toggles between Use
Intersection #1 and Use Intersection #2, depending on the point selected and where it lies along
the path of the shape. This option will be an active item when a feature that required post targeting is selected on the screen.
Half Points
In certain cases, only one coordinate, either the horizontal or vertical, is required to define
the feature. This is referred to as a half point case. Half points are valid when Geometry Expert is
able to calculate the other half of the coordinate value from information contained in the spreadsheet. (Either preceding or following features.)
When a valid half point is entered, the row will be highlighted in yellow, allowing the user to
enter the feature row. If the half point entered is not valid, the row will be highlighted in black
and the prompt will indicate what additional information is necessary to enter the row. If an
incomplete row is entered, an error ballon will come up indicating what additional information is
required. There are three cases where half points are valid. They are listed and explained below.
Half Line Point: A half line point is valid only when creating either a horizontal line (angle
value = 0° or 180°) or vertical line (angle value = 90° or 270°). If creating a horizontal line, a
V coordinate must be given for a valid half line point. If creating a vertical line, an H coordi-
nate must be given for a valid half line point. Line points are not part of the shape, but are
only used to calculate the position of the line.
Half End Point: A half end point is only valid if the line is otherwise completely defined.
Given either the vertical or horizontal coordinate of the end point along with the other informa-
tion that defines the line, the system can calculate the other half of the end point. If a half end
point is used in the case of 0°/180° or 90°/270° lines, the half end point will function like a
half line point, in that an end point will not be drawn, although the correct line will be created.
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