I give up: How do you tell an inside from an outside cut on a 2D Contour?

[michael55SE4]

I just wasted a 3rd 4x8' plywood sheet because a cut was supposed to be inside and it was supposed to be outside or vice versa.   How in the world am I supposed to reliably tell the difference?  The arrow direction doesn't seem to have any significance, nor does the color.  Like it or not (and I do not) the &(@&# CAM setup requires me to select every single cut separately, so the chances of making a mistake is especially high since there's no clear visible indication of the type of cut that is going to be made.

Is there some option to indicate inside/outside via color or some easily verifiable way?

Thanks,

[LibertyMachine]

Did you simulate with the stock turned on?

If you are selecting from the model and not the sketch, I find that it does the proper selection

[kellings]

Here is another way you can tell what side of the line the cutter will cut on without simulating. Make sure the red arrow is on the correct side that you want cut. 

Kevin

[LibertyMachine]

@kellings

That works when the feature being cut is larger than the arrow. I often find small holes are a guess as to what side it's going on

[michael55SE4]

Yup, I always simulate with the stock turned on, but its hard to see given its a 4x8' sheet and the bit is so small by comparison.   

In the stuff I'm cutting now there are no 3D models--  its just DXF files for flat pack furniture.  Someone probably has done a 3D model at some point, but I have no access to it.  

Relying on the software to just choose inside vs. outside for me does not sound like a reliable strategy from an engineer's perspective.  

[michael55SE4]

If the arrows looked like in the video, sure it would be easy, but here's what the model looks like.  Note that I even created a 3D model from the DXF and tried selecting the edges that way.  It just looks like a jumble of arrows.

[LibertyMachine]

Could you export and share the file?

File > Export > Save to local folder. Return to thread and attach the .f3d file in your reply

[michael55SE4]

I don't see an option in File->Export to save to a local file.

Note that I'm not saying its impossible to not get inside vs. outside right.  I'm just saying the GUI makes it especially difficult as I'm seeing it. 

[LibertyMachine]

Likely because it contains linked components. You could share the A360 link, which is found by right clicking on the file in the Data Panel

[kellings · Accepted solution]

Zoom in a little.......

[michael55SE4]

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.   Based on the replies here, it looks like its working as designed, which appears to be for small 3D objects.   Once you scale up to a 4'x8' sheet, then the proportion of the arrows and the lines covers up the details.   

I think using color on the arrows to signify inside vs. outside would reduce the number of errors, but for now my only option will be to spend extra time zooming in to check each of hundreds of cuts by hand.  

[michael55SE4]

I tried zooming, and it actually needs to zoom a lot to see the detail, viewing 1/10th of the design at a time, but there really isn't another option.

Thanks!

[HughesTooling]

If all the profiles are on one level it might be easier to create a 3d model than mess around trying to select in the CAM workspace.

You'll need all the profiles in one sketch, then draw a rectangle around them the size of your stock, window select and extrude a block thicker than your stock. Turn the sketch back on and extrude cut to the depth of cut leaving the parts stood up as bosses, the outside of all the parts should select as one then select any pockets. Now you should have a block with XY sizes the same as your stock but slightly thicker.

In the CAM select the body in the setup, for the stock thickness you might want to change it to match your stock, you will get a warning when you OK the setting, just ignore. Now selecting from the model should be the correct side. A workaround for selecting all the parts is setup a pocket selecting the face then use create derived operation and all your profile selections will still be selected in any contour op you create.

It would help if you could export an example. Looking at the export dialog image you uploaded there is something odd, you should have an option for Type and options for save to cloud or computer, even if you have linked designs. How did you get to that dialog? Are you using a PC or mac?

Mark

[Anonymous]

This is very helpful, however is there a way to set default to either inner or outer cuts, i.e. I have a lot of internal cuts and it seems to default to outer cuts, so that i then have to selcet the cut tehn click the arrow, if you have a lot of detail it is already a pain to select all the cuts..... then have to click all the red arrows again arghhhhhhh

[engineguy]

@Anonymous 

Not heard of this in a long time, I haven`t experienced any issues along those lines recently, usually if I select an internal shape I automatically get an internal toolpath and vice versa for outer shapes, it does seem to depend on the toolpath used and how the selection is done.

If you have a particular file that is giving you problems that you can share with us then please upload it, go to File>Export>select f3d format and save to your computer somewhere, then attach it to your reply 🙂

Stay Safe

Regards

Rob

[Anonymous]

There is an arrow once you make your chain or surface selection. Just put the arrow on the side you want ot machine. Then simulate and see if the change is implemented. 

[Anonymous]

Hi Rob

So in my file i have completed the toolpaths for the 1st 3 birds having to select and then change the toolpaths individually.

I.E on the 4th bird i have selected one internal shape which automatically chose an external cut and then the bird outline which automatically choose and internal cut.

what do I need to do so that it chooses the opposite please?

Best wishes

Phil

[Anonymous]

If you wanna cut inside profile, place mouse cursor on inside profile near the edge and click. Red arrow should be inside the bird now, indicating it selected internal edge.

For outside edge, click near edge outside of profile............ if either one is not what you intended, just click on red arrow to reverse side.

[engineguy]

@Anonymous 

Basically you need to do what Vic @Anonymous  posted above, if you want an internal cut then make sure that you actually select INSIDE the shape and OUTSIDE for an external cut.

I cleared all your selections and made just a single Bird as the whole thing was slowing my computer down and re-selected at random all the internal cuts just clicking inside every time and then the outer shape from the outside, all worked like a charm, I did the whole thing 4 times and it worked perfectly every time so in answer to your question that is all you need to do 🙂

If you can find an error on the above then you have better eyes than me 🙂

Modified file attached.

Stay Safe

Regards

Rob

[engineguy]

@Anonymous 

The above post is OK for the 1st and 5th birds, the second, third and 4th birds all had issues where some selections were OK and some were not so regarding those ones I have no idea, it may be something to do with their creation, how they were copied/moved etc.

How did you do that, did you copy the 1st one and the just remove some parts? Definitely not playing properly for sure 😞 😞 😞

Stay Safe

Regards

Rob