The Toolpaths menu is raised by right clicking on the Toolpaths entry in the Explorer.
Toolpaths - this is the name of this menu.
Toolbar - raises the Toolpath toolbar at bottom of the graphics window.
For more information on this toolbar see Toolpath Toolbar (on page 909). Create Toolpath - creates a new toolpath. The New dialog is
displayed. For more information see Toolpath Strategies (on page 467). Toolpath Names (on page 71) - defines the template that will be used for all new toolpaths.
Batch Process - processes the batch toolpaths marked .
When you create a batch toolpath PowerMILL generates a file containing all the relevant parameters to create the toolpath at a later date. It is fully defined in the sense that it can be selected and saved to session files. It just has not computed cutting moves.
Any attempt to use the toolpath in operations such as editing, ViewMill, toolpath output on a batch toolpath will result in an error dialog stating that the toolpath is un-computed.
When you click on Batch the progress dialog can be raised to process the model. It needs to do this to check that the model is valid but it will not go on to compute the toolpath.
Invalidate All - allows you to invalidate calculated toolpaths. This changes the toolpaths to batch toolpaths marked with a . When the toolpath is locked by a Stock Model you have to unlock the Stock Model before invalidating the toolpaths.
This can be useful if you have created a set of toolpaths for one model and require a similar set of toolpaths for a similar model.
For more information see Updating Toolpaths when a Model Changes (on page 75).
Deactivate - de-selects the currently active toolpath.
Draw All - displays (draws) all the toolpaths on the screen. So all toolpaths are drawn .
Undraw All - hides (undraws) all the toolpaths on the screen. So all toolpaths are undrawn .
Draw Links All - displays (draws) all the toolpath links on the screen. Undraw Links All - hides (undraws) all the toolpath links on the screen. Draw Leads All - displays (draws) all the toolpath leads on the screen. Undraw Leads All - hides (undraws) all the toolpath leads on the screen.
Thickness - allows you to give different components (say surfaces or models) different thicknesses (Axial and Radial). It also allows you to give a single component different thicknesses for different toolpaths. For more information see Component Thickness (on page 72).
Create NC Program - create a new NC Program. It displays the NC Program dialog which allows you to specify a new NC Program.
Type in an appropriate Name and then click on Accept if you are happy with the default values. This NC Program is now the active NC
Program and any toolpaths that you create will be displayed in the NC Program list as well as in the Toolpaths list. For more information on this dialog see NC Program Dialog (on page 38). For more information see Creating Toolpaths in an NC Program (on page 35).
Create Individual NC Programs - automatically creates an NC Program for each selected toolpath. You will end up with one toolpath in each NC Program and the NC Program will have the same name as the toolpath. For more information see Creating an NC Program for each Toolpath (on page 73).
Add to NC Program - adds all the existing toolpaths to the currently active NC Program. This option is only available if there is a currently active NC Program. Any new toolpaths that are created will also be added to the currently active NC Program.
Create Folder - creates a folder called Folder1. You can then rename this folder in the normal way, and then drag and drop entities into the folder. For more information see Folders (on page 260).
Delete All - deletes all the toolpaths.
Toolpath Names
If you are going to create multiple toolpaths, and wish to control the naming of them, select Toolpath Names - Rename : You are prompted to enter the 'template' name, so enter the generic type of toolpath you will be creating, for example:
Rename - displays the Enter Template dialog which allows you to specify a new template.
Enter the name of the template prefix that you want to insert and then click . This displays Toolpath Names - Rename: Finishing on the menu, so that you can easily see what the prefix is. All new toolpaths will now be automatically named using this prefix (so, the next toolpath to be created will be called Finishing1, the one after that will be called Finishing2, and so on):
Toolpath Names - Rename: None - no prefix is added to all new toolpath names.
Toolpath Names - Rename: Finishing - a prefix of Finishing is added to all new toolpath names.
Off - removes the template so that all new toolpaths will not use a template. Existing toolpath names will remain unchanged.
Component Thickness
The Components tab allows you to give different components (say surfaces or models) different thicknesses (Axial and Radial). It also allows you to give a single component different thicknesses for different toolpaths. Most of the dialog is greyed out until you select one of the thickness sets from the list.
For more information on radial and axial thickness see Thickness (see "Component Thickness" on page 454).
Creating an NC Program for each Toolpath
You can automatically create an NC Program for each selected toolpath. This gives you one toolpath in each output file. So, if you select 20 toolpaths this functionality will create 20 NC programs each containing one toolpath and each NC program will have the same name as the toolpath. These toolpaths can then be written.
2. Select the toolpaths that you want to turn into NC Programs (in this case all of them). Then display the context menu. Select the
Create Individual NC Programs option.
3. PowerMILL will now create an NC Program for each toolpath, with the same name as the toolpath.
5. These NC Programs can then be output using the NC Program context menu and selecting the Write All command.
6. For information as to how to post process these toolpaths see Post Processing Toolpaths (see "Postprocessing toolpaths" on page 57).