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Mirroring Program and Outputting Mirrored Code

Anonymous

Mirroring Program and Outputting Mirrored Code

Anonymous
Not applicable

I am aware that in order to mirror a program, I need to add it to a mirror pattern. However, this only mirrors the selected toolpaths within my setup, and if I post process and run that program, the program will run my normal toolpaths and the mirrored ones in the same program. I want to know if there is a way to mirror an entire setup. I am programming some extremely intricate uprights and I do not have the time for (or frankly the interest in) copying the setups and applying them to a mirrored model. Does anyone know if I am able to mirror a setup and output a program that is mirrored, rather than a program that has mirrored toolpaths in it?

 

Thanks in advance!

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DarthBane55
Advisor
Advisor

Hmm, if I get it right, why don't you uncheck the check box that says "keep original" in your mirror pattern?  That way it will only output the mirrored one and not the original.  Is that what you wanted?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

I thought about this, but i was hoping someone who has experience with doing that could confirm that I don’t need to change my WCS zeroes. If I’m probing a corner of my stock, do I need to probe a different corner? I ask because when I select “do not keep original”, it shows the mirrored toolpaths outside of my setup stock. I’m looking for a way to program a part, run that part with one program, and then run another part at a different time with the mirrored program. Any ideas?

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DarthBane55
Advisor
Advisor

For example, if you mirror about the Y-Z plane, then the X would be on the other end.  To visualize that, if you put X-Y in the center of a hole on your part, and you mirror about the "Y axis" (or Y-Z plane), the hole would be on the other side after mirroring, so your X-Y would be in the center of your new hole.  Hopefully that makes sense...  the work offset remains on the feature you 1st pick, but on the new mirrored imaginary part.

You need to be aware tho, that when you do that, mirror is an actual mirror... that means that whatever was climb milling, will now be conventional milling on the mirrored part.  That is most of the time not suitable.  So there is another way around this:

-copy your entire setup with all the operations.

-Change climb to conventional on everything (you can do that in 1 shot using "edit and compare").

-regen all toolpaths.

-mirror those.  So now, because you changed them to conventional mill in your copy, they will become climb again!

 

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Anonymous
Not applicable

That seems like the best thing to do. If I'm starting with a big brick and just probing a corner, should I probe the same corner for the mirrored program as I probed for the non-mirrored program? I suppose I might be able to figure it out by probing and just running the program in single block to see if everything is where it's supposed to be.

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DarthBane55
Advisor
Advisor

It's like I said just before, it will be on the same feature, but mirrored.  It depends the mirror plane you pick, but it is the exact same corner, mirrored...so physically, it is not the same work offset coordinates, but it is the same feature, which moved because it has been mirrored. 1.png

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