If you place your cursor over an individual NC Program and right click with the mouse you see the following context menu:
XYZ - this is the name of this menu and is the name of the selected NC program.
Simulate from Start - enables you to simulate the selected NC
program. The NC Program Toggle on the Simulation toolbar is updated with this NC Program. You can then use the Simulation Play
buttons to simulate the NC Program. For more information see Example of Toolpath Animation (see "Toolpath
Animation" on page 1077), ViewMill Simulation Procedure (see "ViewMill Simulation" on page 1078) or Example of Machine Tool Simulation (see "Machine Simulation" on page 1082). This feature is for visualisation purposes only and is not intended for use as a gouge
Write - postprocesses the NC program provided that you have specified your machine option file and any other preferences. For more information see Post Processing Toolpaths.
Setup Sheets (on page Error! Bookmark not defined.) - lets you create setup sheets straight away with the default set of templates included with your PowerMILL installation. You can also tailor the template set to match your needs, or completely re-design it with 3rd party
applications, such as Notepad, Excel, Dreamweaver, or Amaya. Activate - it makes the NC program the active NC program.
Activate Workplane - activates the workplane used to create this NC program and is the one that will be used on the machine tool.
Settings - allows you to change the setting you defined when you create this NC Program initially. Any changes made here affect the SELECTED NC Program, not new ones. This displays the NC Program dialog (on page 38). For more information see Creating Toolpaths in an NC Program (on page 35).
Edit Selected - allows you to change the setting you defined when you create the NC Programs initially. Any changes made here affect ALL SELECTED NC Programs, not new ones. This displays the Edit Selected NC Programs dialog (on page 60).
Statistics - displays the length and time of all the leads, links and cutting moves as well as the number of lifts relating to the active NC Program. If this option is dimmed check that the NC Program is the active NC Program.
Draw - determines whether the NC program is displayed on the screen or not. So it toggles between and .
Add to Folder - adds the selected entity to the active folder. If the option is greyed out check that you have an active folder.
You can only add a Toolpath entity to a Toolpaths folder. You cannot add a Toolpath entity to a NC Program folder.
For more information see Folders (on page 260).
Rename - allows you to rename the entity to give it a more meaningful name.
Text Block (see "NC Program - Text Block" on page 28) - a command item that can be added anywhere in an NC program, just like a
workplane. This contains the commands to be passed directly through to the machine tool.
Insert (see "NC Program - Insert" on page 32) - inserts Workplanes and Tool Change Points into an NC Program.
Edit (see "NC Program - Edit" on page 33) - edits the active NC Program Remove From Folder - removes the feature set from the current
folder. It converts this:
to this:
For more information see Folders (on page 260). Delete NC Program - deletes the NC program.
NC Program - Text Block
Text Block is a command item that can be added anywhere in an NC program, just like a workplane. This contains the commands to be passed directly through to the machine tool.
Create - creates a Text Block in the NC Program. Once you have created the text block you can edit it using the context menus.
A Text Block in an NC Program has its own context menu (see "Text Block context menu" on page 29).
Import - opens an existing text block. The Import Text Objects dialog is displayed. This is a standard Windows Open dialog.
Text Block context menu
Right clicking on a Text Block in the explorer displays the following menu:
Text Block - the name of the menu.
Settings - this displays the NC Program Text dialog (on page 29). Remove Text Block - removes the current text block from the NC program.
Export - saves an existing text block. The Export Text Objects dialog is displayed. This is a standard Windows Save dialog.
Copy Text Block - copies the current text block, but doesn't add it to an NC program.
Name - the name of the Text Block. Type - there are three types of text blocks.
The different types are represented by different icons in the Explorer:
Comment - this will appear in the NC Program Output file as a comment. For example, if you have This is a Comment then your NC Program Output file will contain something like
N…(This is a Comment).
Insert - this text will appear in the NC Program Output file. So this must be meaningful to the machine tool. For example, if you have M90 then your NC Program Output file will contain
something like N…M90.
PP Function - this is an instruction to the post processor. You must have the appropriate block in the postprocessor option file. For example, if you have Rotate 230 a suitable block needs to be added to the option file:
define block ppfun Rotate A Argument
end define
then your NC Program Output file will contain something like N…A230.
The bottom pane is where you type your text block. You can use variables (such as %[tool.radius]) in the text.
Rotation - forces a C axis rotation in the postprocessor. If you enter 180 you will see C180 in the tape file and the postprocessor
moving from C180. This enables you to rotate around the tool axis. The difference between this and using ppfun Rotate 180 is that the postprocessor takes account of the movement, so if the next move could be C10 or C170, C170 is chosen.
New Text Block - creates a text block, but doesn't add it to an NC program.
Add Text Block - adds the current text block to the current NC program.
Remove Text Block - removes the current text block from the NC program.
Copy Text Block - copies the current text block, but doesn't add it to an NC program.
Delete Text Block - deletes the current text block.
Import - opens an existing text block. The Import Text Objects dialog is displayed. This is a standard Windows Open dialog.
Export - saves an existing text block. The Export Text Objects dialog is displayed. This is a standard Windows Save dialog.
NC Program - Statistics
Statistics displays the length and time of all the leads, links and cutting moves as well as the number of lifts relating to the active NC Program. If this option is dimmed check that the NC Program is the active NC
Program.
For more information see Toolpath - Statistics (on page 89).
NC Program - Insert
Inserts Workplanes and Tool Change Points into an NC Program.
Tool Changes - inserts the current active workplane as a tool change point before each toolpath in an NC Program. It converts this:
to this:
Workplanes - inserts the active workplane before each toolpath in an NC Program. It converts this:
to this:
Adding a workplane at the start of an NC Program automatically makes it a tool change point.
NC Program - Edit
Copy NC Program - creates a copy of the NC Program containing all the toolpaths of the original. The new NC Program has the same name as the original with the addition of -1. So a copy of xyz becomes xyz_1.
Notes - allows you to add notes to an NC program. Displays the Notes for NC Program dialog. In this case, the NC Program is called 2.
Date - defaults to today's date, but can be edited.
Programmer - defaults to the programmer for the NC program, but can be edited.
Notes - area where you record NC program notes.