Photo Mode for Material Removal Simulation

task target This task shows you how to simulate the material removed by a machining operation in Photo mode.

For more information about this mode please refer to:
Select an operation in your program, then select Tool Path Replay . You can also right-click the operation in the tree and select Tool Path Replay. A dialog box appears for managing the replay and simulation.
scenario 1. Select Photo . The Setup Editor window switches to a window entitled Photo that shows the result of the material removal.

task target If needed, you can update the program data and the display by clicking on Photo again.
At any time you can pick on the surface of the workpiece. A dialog box appears giving information about the pick point.

  • The operation used for removing material.
  • The normal deviation between the workpiece and the design part.
  • The X, Y, and Z coordinates of the pick point.
  • The tool used for machining.
2. Zoom in the rounded corner of the Photo, and right-click Closeup.

 

The close-up shows a more precise Photo of the rounded corner.

Just right-click anywhere on the close-up and select Stock to return to the original Photo.
3. Select Analyze to analyze the result of the simulation. This is done by comparing the machined part with the design part. The Analysis dialog box appears.
4. Select the desired fault types to be analyzed and specify the Tolerance for the comparison. 

The fault filter setting permits three types of faults:

Remaining Material: areas where the tool has left behind material on the workpiece.

Gouge: areas where the tool has removed excess material from the workpiece.

Tool Clash: areas where the tool collided with the workpiece during a rapid move.

Remaining material, tool clashes and gouges will be displayed as colored zones according to the specified tolerances.
5. Click Apply. 

The machined part is compared with the design part based on the specified settings. 

Any point on the machined surface of the workpiece is considered to be part of a fault if the normal distance (normal deviation) to the design part surface is greater than the specified tolerance.

Results of the comparison are reflected on the workpiece, based on the extent of severity of the fault and the customized color settings.
Detected faults are listed in the Fault Selection list.

The faults are ordered in such a way that Tool Clashes appear at the top of the list followed by Gouges then Remaining Material. The gouges and remaining material are in turn sorted on the basis of decreasing fault area. 

When you select a fault from the Fault Selection list, the region corresponding to the fault is indicated by a "Fault Indicator" bounding box on the workpiece.

Other detailed information about the selected fault is displayed.
6. Click Cancel to quit the Analysis mode and return to the dialog box for managing the replay and simulation.
7. Click OK to quit the dialog box.
 

Photo Mode Considerations
    Please note the following points.
  • Turning operations and multi-axis machining operations are not supported.
  • Multi-axis machining operation are not supported. The Photo simulation will be done on the first operation previous to the selected multi-axis machining operation (going from the selected operation to the PO) that has a non-changing tool axis.
  • Boring Bars, T-slotters and Two Sides Chamfering tools are not supported.
  • If you select a Body (which may be in Show or Hide mode) as Stock, Design or Fixture then only sub-elements of the Body that are in Show mode will be used during material removal simulation. Hidden sub-elements will be ignored in the simulation.
  • Check surfaces are not taken into account in Photo mode.
  • Photo mode does not retain the collision color where the holder touches first and then the tool removes material. You should use the collision list to check for collisions, and not rely on the color alone.
  • When a Photo mode analysis is performed on vertical walls (walls parallel to the Z-axis of the Part Operation's machining axis system), the results of the analysis such as Pick Point Information, Analysis, Fault will not be accurate. This is a program limitation.
  • Photo simulation is possible along any fixed axis.
    This means that you can simulate machining operations (MO) whose tool axis is different from the Z-axis of the Part Operation's machining axis system.

    Case1: All MOs have constant identical axis not equal to Setup Z-axis.
    Photo simulation can be done on any one or all of these MOs.



    Case 2: All MOs have constant but different axes not equal to Setup Z-axis.
    Photo simulation can be done on any one of these MOs.

  • Any concavity details in the Stock will be filled out (see example in the figures below).
    Only the details on the machined surface will be shown and the surface boundary will be extruded to the show the entire stock. This is a program limitation.

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