HIDE / SHOW TOOLPATH QUICKLY & EFFICEINTLY

[emlyn.stansbie]

Hi,

Is there a better way of hiding a toolpath without the need to look down the browser tree? I program a lot of parts on a HMC so I need to move from face to face (i.e. B rotation). Therefore, I end up with a long browser tree with lots of setup folders. This means that if I want to show or hide a tool path then I have to open the setup folder first to then be able to toggle/switch the tool path on or off; this is very painful and arduous to say the least. It's even more of pain if when you have to search for the current tool path which is currently on show, as you need to explore all of the setup tabs to find the tool path that you no longer want to see on the screen.

Is there a way of clicking on the toolpath graphic (on screen) and then switching it on or off? Or maybe clicking on the visible toolpath and right-click to then be able to go directly to where that toolpath is in it's tree/setup folder?

I appreciate you can 'expand all children' but this then shows a huge list which is very long and off my screen!!!!

Thanks for any help / suggestions anyone can offer.

Regards

Em

[rasmus.pedersen]

First thanks for sharing this feedback @emlyn.stansbie unfortunately I don't believe there is a good solution at the moment to what you are describing. To show a toolpath you can select an operation in the browser tree and that will show the selected toolpath (likewise if you "hover" over the toolpath), you can also toggle the eye icon next to a toolpath to toggle visibility of a specific toolpath.

What I can do is I share this with some others internally to raise awareness of this. That being said I cant make any promises other than we listen. What might help is if you could make a screencast that helps to describe the pain points your are seeing at the moment if possible.

[emlyn.stansbie]

Hi @rasmus.pedersen , thanks for responding. 

Here is the situation, hopefully I can explain it a little better!

Please refer to the attached screen grab 'FUSION 1'.

On my screen where the part is, I have one visible toolpath on the part. Unfortunately, I don't know which setup folder this toolpath resides in, as I would like to switch it off.  Therefore, I have to go and look/search for it in the numerous setup folders on the browser tree (luckily there aren't too many on this part!) this is very frustrating and very time consuming. 

Is there no way of clicking on the actual toolpath graphic or selecting the toolpath on the screen and then hiding it? Or perhaps clicking on the toolpath and then have an options windows with a right mouse click to go directly to the toolpath in the browser window and then switch it off?

I have programmed parts with over 50 setup folders, and when you need to switch the toolpath visual off it takes forever to find it. I would feel very sorry for any of my colleagues who had to interrogate my CAM session when I'm on holiday or away from work?!

Thanks for your help in this.

Kind regards

Em

[mattdlr89]

This is similar to something I have mentioned before with Autodesk. Where by any warnings, suppressedtoolpaths, optional toolpaths, invalidated toolpaths etc are not visible at a folder or set up level. We can add toolpath visibility to this list. 

It'd be useful if these icons were also shown at folder and/or set up level. Perhaps a half icon to illustrate its only part of that folders contents that have a problem unless it's all then a whole icon would work. It would make the workflow much smoother...

The visibility could work like it does with bodies or sketches in the modelling space where by you can turn them on off individually or completely at a higher level. Screenshot below highlighted blue. 

[DarthBane55]

I agree with all you guys said.  Right click on a toolpath in the graphics area would be awesome (to hide it).  That is, if I was showing the paths at all...

Why do you need to make a toolpath visible (with eye icon)?  I too have some parts with a lot of folders and setups, and I never show any toolpaths on the screen.  Can you explain the purpose of it? (honestly, I am curious).  I usually just select the path i want to see and it shows it.  I can select more than one with CTRL and it shows the paths selected.  If you select a folder (I tend to organise complex parts with folders), it shows all the paths contained within (makes it fast to find the path you are looking for).  Then you click somewhere else and the paths disappear.  Exactly what I like... but I might be missing out on something useful.  I didn't even know we could show the paths until recently, and that is probably because I use Inventor HSM most of the time, and in that, there is actually no options to show toolpaths, you just select them like I explained above.

But anyway, please let me know the use for "show toolpath" with the eye icon, I don't personally see a use for it!  😮