Facing Operation tool containment

[deutirium]

I'd like to create a bounding box or selection filter for my facing operation. I'm using toe clamps and I would like the cutter to remain inside the stock (in the Y direction) so that I wouldn't have to worry about avoiding my clamps without needing to add them to my CAM Model. Is there a straightforward way of doing this or is another toolpath a better option ?

[a.laasW8M6T · Accepted solution]

You could use the FLAT toolpath with a sketch for the containment boundary

make the sketch say a rectangle that is wider than the part by at least the tool diameter plus some for lead-ins and then make it the width you want to keep the tool in in the Y, then select the sketch as a boundary and use tool inside boundary mode.

[deutirium]

Thank you, I have marked this as a solution. To anyone else having this issue, please note that (as far as I'm aware) this method will not work if you simply select the top surface/face, you need to go back to the modelling tab and project it onto a sketch in order to have the toolpath face the entire surface.

Nevertheless, this seems rather like an unnecessary workaround for a very simple option that shouldn't be very hard to program.Autodesk needn't remove such settings in order to make the facing tool simple to use for beginners.

[a.laasW8M6T]

So the flat toolpath is 3D and looks at the model geometry to determine which flat areas to machine.

You don't "select faces" as such.

the only reason I mentioned using a sketch was to contain the toolpath so it wouldn't hit your clamps.

otherwise you normally need no containment at all, and don't need to tell it which faces to machine.

Without seeing the particular part I cant really comment on the issue you mention. 

[deutirium]

I create molds where there are large cavities starting from the top of the stock. I realise now, after trying another model that the flat toolpath does not face the cavities (which I would agree with, if not for the fact that I using the toolpath to "face"), even when I select the option to machine over holes. It seems my only solution is to create another solid body devoid of any cavities/features except the parts I do not wish to machine over, then I should create a new setup, and use the flat toolpath. An incredibly tedious and unnecessary process for something as simple as selecting the geometry I would like to face.

[a.laasW8M6T]

ahh yes I understand better now, I had no context of how your part looked before.

unfortunately there is no "one click" type toolpath that will do what you want.

2D face will face the entirety of the stock, but will also mill into your clamps, you can make a selection for the "stock contours" but this doesn't actually contain the tool to those contours.

another option can be do drive a 2D contour with a couple of sketch lines.

You could also create a very simple patch surface from a rectangular sketch and Drive the FLAT toolpath with that.

I'll see if I can make a screencast of what im talking about if I get a chance.

[deutirium]

To make my situation clearer: Consider a top flat face that has both a fixture and a blind hole as part of the model geometry. I cannot use "FACE" because it will machine over the fixture, and I cannot use "FLAT" because it will not machine over the hole (though it should given the appropriate option is selected in the toolpath menu). The end result is that I need to create another model without the hole and use "FLAT" on that. This means I need to go back to the modelling environment, proect and extrude geometry, go back to the manufacturing environment, create a new setup deditcated specfically for that operation in order to select the new body as my model, and then perform the "FLAT" operation.