4 CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
4.5 C ONFIGURE : D RAW AND N EST
This option enables the configuration of the parameters corresponding to Drawing and Nesting. The system will display Configure : Draw and Nest window, which is composed of six different tabs that separate the parameters per the following groups:
4.5.1 General
• Import parts that do not exist: Enable this option to import parts that do not exist.
• Overwrite quantity when importing existent parts: Select this option to overwrite the quantity of the parts when importing the existent parts, or when a part already exist in the database with a defined quantity and the user imports the same part again. The system can be configured to add the quantity of the new part to the previous one or to replace the old quantity by the new one.
• Warn in case of changing the material, thickness or machine of a machined part or with technology or nested: Select this option to get a Warning message while changing the material, thickness or a machined part.
When modifying and/or importing a part, if it already had technology assigned or was machined, the system will allow the user to create a new part coming from the original. If enabled, the system will allow overwriting the part or creating a new one.
Now the system will warn if the part has been nested. Besides, when the warning is shown, it says how the part is, whether it has been only machined, or it only has technology or whether it has the three things.
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• Allow to create a copy of the part: Select this option to create a copy of the part. This option will be activated only when Warning message option is enabled. This option allows the user to save an already machined part with a different reference when the machine and/or material and/or the thickness have been changed.
• Large icons: This option permits the visualization of the icons of the main window in a large format.
• Warn parts without geometry detection entering nesting and machining module: Select this option to get warning message if parts are detected without geometry.
• Set not nested parts free: In order to set not nested parts free, select the required option from the drop down list provided: No, Always and Ask.
• Set not nested parts of filling hollow free: When importing parts from the database, the user will have two options depending on a parameter: Parts of filling hollows or normal parts.
• Only one machine, material and thickness for a job: Select this option to make sure that there is only one machine, material and thickness is used for a particular job.
• Only one machine, material and thickness for a kit: Select this option to make sure that there is only one machine, material and thickness is used for a particular kit.
• Delete the CNC when deleting the nesting: Select this option to delete the CNC code while deleting the nesting.
• Create a .ZIP file of the exported job: Select this option to create a .zip file of any file which is being exported. The user can also create a .ZIP file from an exported manufacturing order. The compressed file will be stored in “Lantek \ Expert \ Export \ M.O. name \”.
• Work with the machine files in network: With this option the user can work with the machine files which are in the network, networking with all or some machine files. Supposing that all the users are on the same network, the way the system will work as follows:
1. The first user configuring the system to work in this way, the system will copy the local machine desired file or files into a defined network directory and will start working with this copied file.
2. The following users will be able to join to this network but their local machine files will not be copied into the network directory.
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If you click Navigation button the system will display Machine files in network dialog box as shown below:
Figure 44: Machine files in network dialog box
• There are some restrictions to work with some machine files:
o If you use networking with the Material-Thickness files and not with the CT
(Technological Configuration) files, when configuring the CT file to work through the network (in the future) you may have problems because the CT parameters will not be copied to the network directory.
o The following applications are not working through the network = PrepMach, ExpSetUp and MchSetUp.
4.5.2 Auxiliar
• Adjust sheets to sides: If this parameter is activated, the sheets are drawn in one corner of the graph area. If deactivated the sheets are adjusted to the center of the graph area. Activation of this parameter is recommended since, if the sheets are drawn in a corner, more space will be available for the part screens.
• Work with sheet references: If this parameter is disabled all the sheets with the same thickness, material and size will be assumed to be equal, however if it is enabled it is possible to differentiate
133 between sheets with the same thickness, material and size, by giving them a reference name. When
creating a new sheet, if this parameter is enabled, the system will prompt for a reference.
• Automatic sheet references: Using this option the user will be able to define a specific format in order to automatically obtain sheet references. If this option is enabled, when clicking on the navigation button the system will display Automatic sheet references format dialog box as shown below to define the format of the automatic references.
Figure 45: Automatic sheet references format dialog box
When defining the format, the user can combine the value of the fields Material, Length, Width and Thickness.
• Verify the machining of the sheets while saving: When saving the sheet, the system will test that the machining process has been done properly looking if all the parts and contours are machined, there is no overlapping between parts and auxiliar geometry. If there is any error the system will display a warning message showing where the error is. If not the system will display All machining on the sheet has been executed completion message.
• Define the default snap mode: When this option is active, a new button will be displayed at the snap mode toolbar and it will allow defining the snap mode by default. The selected option will be displayed with a red frame all around the button. Each time the user uses another option different than the default option, the system after applying the option selected will come back to the default option. To disable any default option you have to make double click on the new button.
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• “Undo” option: Undo option is very useful when making changes, given that it allows going back to previous states of the system. Here the user should decide how many levels to use in Drawing and Nesting modules. The user will have to select between:
o All levels: With this option the system will store in the memory the highest number of levels possible. It is important to understand that this choice will make the program use the memory of the computer, so if the amount of RAM memory is small (64 MB or less), it is not advisable to use this option.
o Defined number (Number of levels): Instead of all levels, the system allows to configure the number of levels the program is going to remember for the Undo option. Five
numbers of levels is the value recommended for those computers whose RAM memory is small (64 MB or less).
• Scale factor for keyboard and wheel zoom: Using this option the user can configure the scale factor while doing the zoom, both for the keyboard and wheel zoom. The value to enter as scale factor should be in the range of 0.1 to 100, being 2 the default value. A smaller value than 1 inverts the zoom behavior, the page up key makes zoom-out and the page down key makes zoom-in. The same is applicable for the mouse wheel. If the value is 1 the zoom is not performed.
• In case of the mouse wheel consider the following:
o Moving the mouse wheel forward, the system will perform a zoom–in and moving backward the system will perform a zoom-out.
o If the mouse right button is pressed while moving forward the mouse wheel, the drawing will be moved down and if the mouse right button is pressed while moving backward the mouse wheel, the drawing will be moved up.
o If the mouse left button is pressed while moving forward the mouse wheel, the drawing will be moved to the left and if the mouse right button is pressed while moving backward the mouse wheel, the drawing will be moved to the right.
o Keeping the middle button pressed while dragging the mouse you pan the screen.
o Keeping the middle button and shift key pressed while dragging the mouse you do a dynamic zoom. As mouse cursor moves up the screen view should zoom in. As the mouse cursor moves down the screen view should zoom out. To configure mouse the sensibility or change its behavior you can change this parameter:
135 o Parameter >= 1.0 up = zoom in; down = zoom out.
o 0.0 < parameter < 1.0 up = zoom out; down = zoom in
• Quadrant angle: This is the angle in which the circles are going to be divided. The default angle is 90 degrees, therefore there are four possible points.
• Use: When calculating the material optimization, the user will have to select between the following three options:
o Real area: This is the external area without the interiors.
o External area: This is the area of the exterior perimeter of the part.
o Rectangular area: This is the area of the minimum rectangle of the part.
• Generate sheet box windows metafile while saving (WMF): When saving, the system will generate a WMF file with the current sheet box nesting. The WMF is a standard graphic format which can be treated from many external applications. The file will be generated inside Database folder.
• Generate sheet windows metafile while saving (WMF): When saving, the system will generate a WMF file with the current sheet nesting. The WMF is a standard graphic format which can be treated from many external applications. The file will be generated inside Database folder.
• Generate sheet DXF while saving: As the previous option, if enabled, the system will generate a DXF file. DXF files are standard drawing exchange formats. When saving, the system will generate a DXF file with the current sheet nesting.
• Generate part DXF while saving: Same as the previous option, if enabled the system will generate a DXF file with the current part nesting when saving.
• Save auto recover information: This option saves the automatically recovered information of the current work in the drawing and nesting modules. The desired time can be set to save the auto recovered information.
• Order subjobs: Whenever entering the Nesting module the subjobs will be ordered depending on the configuration made here.
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• Contour Attributes: The postprocessor will generate the proper CNC code for the attributes of the contours here defined. The system will display Contour Attributes dialog box as shown below, where the user will have to introduce the required data:
Figure 46: Contour Attributes dialog box
4.5.3 Do All
• Order of Sheets: In order to select the sheets, the system will first look for the status of the Remnants before sheets parameter. In case of selecting the sheets, it will get first the largest, the smallest or the one with the highest priority, depending of the selection mode. The user will be able to select between; Largest to smallest, Smallest to largest and By priority.
• Remnants before sheets: If enabled, when doing the nesting the system will use first the generated remnants and then the sheets.
• Select sheets for quotation: This option enables the user to accept a sheet quotation. The user will be able to select between; No, Yes, Only these and If the job is for quotation.
• Look for sheets in stored nestings: If enabled, the behavior of the option “Do all” will change in such a way that the system will search first for the nestings saved as “Stored nesting”. Once enabled, another bunch of parameters will be enabled.
o Criteria: Activate this to filter the stored nestings that are required to be used. The criteria window is similar to Import nestings window.
137 o Delete existent machining: By activating this parameter, if any of the nestings to be used
has machining on it, it will be previously deleted before including it in the job and it will be machined again during the process.
o Regenerate: By activating this parameter, if any of the nestings to be used has machining, it will be completely regenerated before including it in the job and will be machined again during the process.
• Only use sheets according to the criteria for sheets selection: When Do All option is executed and after performing all the machining, those sheets whose efficiency is not bigger than the value here configured will be delete. By means of this option, the user can decide if these criteria are useful for Do All option. Therefore, if activated, Do All option will make use of the sheets that match with the defined and stored criteria.
• Look for the best format of sheets: Using this option the user can find the best sheet format for the automatic nesting. This option finds the best sheet from the store and will nest all the parts in the selected sheet, using as many sheets as needed. The system will make a pre-nesting with all the available sheets making an analysis of the sheet usage result, and will later use the best.
• Look for the best combination of sheets: By means of this option the user can find the best sheets in the store and will nest all the parts. If there are pending parts, the system will repeat the algorithm and will try to find another sheet which can be defined from the previous one. This method will be repeated until the sub jobs are finished. On the other hand, when executing Do All option, if this parameter is enabled, the system will calculate which will be the best sheet order to use always trying to get the maximum sheet performance with the maximum number of nested parts possible. The user can define a minimum efficiency percentage which may comply with a sheet for being used.
• Rectangular nesting – Maximum efficiency: In this field the user will have to introduce the Maximum efficiency percentage.
• Minimum efficiency to eliminate each sheet: Here the user can define a Minimum efficiency to eliminate sheets. After performing the nesting if the efficiency does not reach the percentage set here, the system will delete the sheet and leave the parts to nest later on.
• Minimum efficiency: This parameter will only be activated if Look for the best combination of sheets is enabled. Here the user can define a minimum efficiency percentage for a sheet. After executing the nesting, if the minimum efficiency is not reached, the system will discard the sheet and try nesting in another one until the minimum efficiency percentage is reached.
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• Minimum efficiency calculation mode: This option allows deciding the way that the Minimum efficiency will be calculated. The user can select between the following options:
o Real area: Sum of all real parts area.
o External area: Sum of all external parts area.
o Rectangular area: Sum of all rectangular parts area.
o All parts bounding box: Area of all parts bounding box.
• Generate remnants after nesting: If enabled, when the nesting has been executed, the remnants (if any) will be automatically generated for every sheet.
• Cut after nesting: If enabled, the system will perform the machining operation after the nesting has been executed.
• Deal with equal sheets: By means of this option, the system will calculate how many copies of this same sheet it is possible to create, instead of going through all the same process with the same parts and sheets in Nesting and Machining module, avoiding waste of time.
4.5.4 Print
• Print sheets while saving: If enabled, the system will print the sheets while saving.
• Print machining: If enabled, the machining will also appear in the worksheet.
• Print the full remnants: If enabled, the remnants will be filled with linear texture making easier the differentiation between sheet and remnant when printing.
• Prompt for sheets before printing: Do All option may generate more than one sheet. If this option is enabled, the system will ask for the sheets required to print instead of printing all of them.
• Print: The system will generate the worksheet of the sheets selected here. The user can select between; The current sheet, Every sheet of the subjob, Every sheet of the job and Select sheets.
• Prints identifiers of parts: If enabled, the identifiers of the parts will be included in the printing worksheet.
• Identifiers: The user can select between the following options:
139 o Print the name: The system will include the name of the part inside the geometry.
o Print the index: The system will insert the same number to every equal part of the sheet.
This index is very useful because it will be printed in the Factory sheets list.
o Print the order: The system will include in the parts the number that corresponds to their order.
• Line width: When printing, the width of the different elements involved can be modified in order to make easier their identification. The user will be able to set the Line width of the Geometry part, Geometry sheet, Machining part and Machining sheet.
• Prompt for template name before printing: If enabled the system will prompt for the template name to use before printing. This option is useful when the user has more than one template defined. These templates, also called boxes, can be parameterized. In other words, the user can define the line thickness, position and dimension of the drawings, text format and database fields required in the boxes. In order to define a new box, contact the product support team.
4.5.5 Colors
This window allows configuring the colors of the whole system. The user will get the list of elements/aspects that can be configured by clicking the drown down arrow located at the top of the window. The configurable aspects are the following: Background, Cursor cross, Axis, Background of sheets, Edge of sheet, Background of remnants, Edge of remnants, Clamps and work zone, Straight, Point, Selection, Dragging, Machining, Machining with multitorch, From Point, Rapids, Cycles, Machining texts, Punched, Punch attribute, Common punch attribute, Shear attribute, Mark attribute, Cut attribute,
This window allows configuring the colors of the whole system. The user will get the list of elements/aspects that can be configured by clicking the drown down arrow located at the top of the window. The configurable aspects are the following: Background, Cursor cross, Axis, Background of sheets, Edge of sheet, Background of remnants, Edge of remnants, Clamps and work zone, Straight, Point, Selection, Dragging, Machining, Machining with multitorch, From Point, Rapids, Cycles, Machining texts, Punched, Punch attribute, Common punch attribute, Shear attribute, Mark attribute, Cut attribute,