In general the V4 customer's process is to use the CATIA V4 utility (CATNC) to obtain the APT source file, which is then processed by the APT processor. The INDEX, COPY, TRACUT statements as well as the APT macros are translated by the APT processor. The result is a clfile which is then processed by the Post Processor to get machine code.
This process is not modified when using CATIA V5 to convert CATIA V4 NC programs.
The methodology to get an APT source file allowing a successful association to the program read in NC Review, requires that COPY and TRACUT operations are not treated by the V4 CATNC utility, so that the corresponding statements remain in the APT source file.
In V5 the customer has the ability to perform replay of V4 Index/Copy operations, and to generate INDEX and COPY statements in the APT obtained using the V5 MfgBatch utility.
Note that many V4 NC MILL programs use Index/Copy features and, in some cases, multi-level indexes.
When reading V4 programs in NC Review, each time a Copy operation is treated, it is replaced by a COPY operator entity. This COPY operator entity is automatically created.
The possible cases for COPY statements in V4 are as follows:
COPY/n,SAME,nb
COPY/n,TRANSL,dx,dy,dz,nb
COPY/n,XYROT,angle,nb
COPY/n,YZROT,angle,nb
COPY/n,ZXROT,angle,nb
COPY/n,SCALE,factor,nb
COPY/n,MODIFY, $
(MATRIX/ ...),nb
In all cases, the Copy number (n), which is a kind of identifier, and the number of copies (nb) are stored on the Copy operator entity.
A specific conversion rule is defined for each of the COPY cases and is described below.
Copy operation type: SAME
This type of Copy is transformed into COPY operator with:
Transformation type: Matrix (identity)
In Absolute Machining Axis System
Copy operation type: TRANSL
This type of Copy is transformed into COPY operator with:
Transformation type: Translation
Translation type: Absolute coordinates
Distance along X, Y, Z: values of the components along each axis.
Note that TRANSL processing is not correct if the reference machining axis system of the Part Operation is not the absolute axis system. In this case you must re-define the transformation manually.
Copy operation type: XYROT, YZROT, ZXROT
This type of Copy is transformed into COPY operator with:
Transformation type: Rotation
Rotation type: Machining axis (current machining axis to be selected)
Angle: rotation angle in degrees.
Copy operation type: SCALE
This type of Copy is transformed into COPY operator with:
Transformation type: Scale
Machining Axis System: Current Machining Axis System to be selected
Scale factor: scale factor to be applied along the 3 vectors.
Copy operation type: MODIFY MATRIX transformation
This type of Copy is mapped into a Matrix type of COPY operator in Absolute Machining Axis System.
Note that MATRIX processing is not correct if the reference machining axis system of the Part Operation is not the absolute axis system. In this case you must re-define the transformation manually.
V4 INDEX and INDEX/NOMORE entities are converted into V5 INDEX and INDEX/NOMORE activities, which are considered as markers in the program: they delimit the copied part of the program in the tree.
When reading V4 programs in NC Review, each time a Tracut operation is treated, it is replaced by a TRACUT operator entity. This TRACUT operator entity is automatically created.
The possible cases for TRACUT statements in V4 are as follows:
TRACUT/(MATRIX,TRANSL,dx,dy,dz)
TRACUT/(MATRIX,XYROT,angle)
TRACUT/(MATRIX,YZROT,angle)
TRACUT/(MATRIX,ZXROT,angle)
TRACUT/(MATRIX,SCALE,factor)
TRACUT/(MATRIX/ matrix transformation components)
A specific conversion rule is defined for each of the TRACUT cases and is described below.
Tracut operation type: TRANSL
This type of Tracut is transformed into TRACUT operator with:
Transformation type: Translation
Translation type: Absolute coordinates
Distance along X, Y, Z: values of the components along each axis.Note that TRANSL processing is not correct if the reference machining axis system of the Part Operation is not the absolute axis system. In this case you must re-define the transformation manually.
Tracut operation type: XYROT, YZROT, ZXROT
This type of Tracut is transformed into TRACUT operator with:
Transformation type: Rotation
Rotation type: Machining axis (current machining axis to be selected)
Angle: rotation angle in degrees.
Tracut operation type: SCALE
This type of Tracut is transformed into TRACUT operator with:
Transformation type: Scale
Machining Axis System: Current Machining Axis System to be selected
Scale factor: scale factor to be applied along the 3 vectors.
Tracut operation type: MATRIX transformation
This type of Tracut is mapped into a Matrix type of TRACUT operator in Absolute Machining Axis System.
Note that MATRIX processing is not correct if the reference machining axis system of the Part Operation is not the absolute axis system. In this case you must re-define the transformation manually.
V4 TRACUT/NOMORE entities are converted into V5 TRACUT/NOMORE activities, which are considered as markers in the program: they delimit the transformed part of the program in the tree.
V4 INDEX, INDEX/NOMORE and TRACUT/NOMORE entities have no replay. During APT generation, they allow INDEX, INDEX/NOMORE and TRACUT/NOMORE statements to be generated.
As V4 COPY and TRACUT entities are converted into COPY and TRACUT operators, their replay can be done.
During APT generation, COPY and TRACUT entity processing defines a COPY or TRACUT statement, or the tool path which has been displayed during Replay, depending on the MfgBatch utility settings.