3D Adaptive taking a loooong time...

[gj101]

I'm trying to optimize this toolpath strategy of this mesh but it's taking a long time, I tried to reduce the tolerance and have a stepdown equal to the width of the 1/4bit. Would it be better to use a 2D pocket or adaptive first to rough out, then followup with a parallel or scallop? 

[BobVawter · Accepted solution]

The "Flat Area Detection" option, with its very small stepdown value, might be working against you.

[seth.madore · Accepted solution]

Because you're working with a mesh body, your only option is to use the 3D toolpaths. If this is wood, you might have good luck with the 3D Pocket toolpath, as calculation tends to be fairly quicker.

But yeah, your Flat Area Detection, and specifically the Minimum Stepdown, tend to be the larger bottlenecks here

[gj101]

Yep that was it. Thanks!

[gj101]

Thanks Seth! The other issue I'm having to is after the 3d adaptive pass, then the parallel pass for detail, I need to cut it out of the wood and leave some tabs. However the 2d contour toolpath seems to not allow me to select the model/mesh as the profile to cut around and also I'm unable to add holding tabs. Thoughts? 

[seth.madore]

No, it won't. You could model up some tabs and place them around the part and use 3D toolpaths to cut it out, or you could create a sketch and use 2D Contour with tabs

[programming2C78B]

It may be less work to model the tabs and try using 3D contour. 
In general, using STL Mesh's in Fusion is a difficult process. Try converting to a body.

[gj101]

Hey Seth - I went ahead and modeled some manual tabs for this piece, but when I use the 3d adaptive and select the machining boundary to the outer round sketch profile in green, it  doesn't want to seem to cut around the entire mesh for some reason but it does cut the tabs. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

 

[marcus.toepke]

Make several parts from your part and then screw them together later.
For example, make the outer ring with the lettering into one part. First mill the inner part, then clamp the inside and then mill the outer part.

This also makes it easier to produce the inner part.
Milling the ropes with all the undercuts is almost impossible anyway, so it looks really good.

It might be quite good if you make a deep engraving relief out of it.

But if you really want the inner part to be like this, convert it to a solid, then you have more options. Also in the construction!

That's my unprofessional opinion!

If you need help with the conversion to a solid model, just upload the part here, it would be an honor for me to try it.

[seth.madore]

I second what @marcus.toepke said; if you could share the file here, we'd be honored to assist you in creating this medallion 🙂

File > Export > Save to local folder, return to thread and attach the .f3d/.f3z file in your reply.

If it's an .f3z file, you'll need to drop it in a .ZIP file and upload that instead

[gj101]

Thanks a ton Seth and @marcus.toepke - I've attached it here!

I still feel like it can be cut as one piece of walnut contrary to what Marcus said. The top is essentially a relief and the outside (with the rope border) I was just expecting to cut it straight down along the profile edge of the ropes without undercuts.

Excited to see what you come up with! 

[seth.madore]

Well darn. I made a video, it's only 9 minutes long but the forum tells me it's too large to put here. I'll upload it elsewhere and paste a link here

Let me know if this link works for you: Mesh Machining Tips.mp4

[gj101]

Hey Seth - that video helps a ton! I'm going to study it a bit more and try those toolpaths tomorrow. I'll keep ya posted. Thanks again!

[marcus.toepke]

I had hoped to be able to convert the mesh to a solid so that it would be easier to work with, but the quality of the meshes is really bad.

Overlapping surfaces, internal connections, all the horrors you can imagine!

I moved the internal part together in the Z-axis so that it doesn't stick out so high.

So it could work for a relief.

If you need better quality it would probably soon be easier to redesign the whole thing than to edit the mesh.

Maybe the attached file will help.

I'll have another look and see if I can come up with something better.

Personally, I would make the font around it flatter, but that's just a matter of taste

[gj101]

I finished the piece and am quite happy with it. Thank you guys for the help! @marcus.toepke 

[seth.madore]

That's awesome!