Save CAM Simulation as a Body

[Anonymous]

Being able to save CAM simulations as a body would:

• Allow users to quickly check dimensions of remaining stock and therefore tool path clearance, without modeling the fixture
  • This would be particularly useful for low production volume parts.
  • For example, the clearance of a workstop that protrudes .250 inches from the face of a vise jaw could be checked against the remaining stock after a 2D contour with tabs strategy has been used.
• Create a quick way to model stock for multiple setup parts
  • Fixturing for the remaining operation(s) could be designed more efficiently.
• Allow more accurate representations of the final part without extra modeling
  • Features such as fillets and chamfers would be generated based on tooling limitations, and would therefore be more accurate. This could lead to more accurate part drawings in assemblies and renderings.

[DubManufacturing]

This would be excellent for me to be able to pull a surfaced part's simulation in at a high simulation resolution, then pull it into the render environment to show what that paticular surfacing pattern would look like before actually machining it, without having to design it into the part! 

[roambotics_scott]

This is related to something I asked for a long time ago because I'd really like to be able to carve out a cavity in a part to accommodate motion of an assembly plus some offset (in which case it'd be in the design than CAM environment, but basically doing the same thing)

[friesendrywall]

The ability to directly measure/inspect the cam simulation would be pretty nice

[keqingsong]

Thanks for your idea! This is something we definitely want to provide, and is part of a bigger plan where we have derived assets for not just CAM but Simulation, 2D Drawings, etc. Ultimately we imagine a scenario where you have 1 model that contain derived parts for the different states in the manufacturing process. This is a big project and is still a ways out, so I'm changing this to future consideration. 

[vzagainov]

Strongly support this idea, a great time saver this feature could be.

Every time I have to model a stock for next CAM operation I'm literally going crazy. Believe me or not but I have to do that for 95% of my work.

thanks

[marlinconcepts]

Only work around, (Save partially milled stock, import as mesh to model, turn off history, save as body(which is not the actual shape if you zoom in there are ridges and such in the conversion), create new setup and load that body as the stock) bombed out. Still had issue when running the post on the machine, set origin run post went to wrong spot changed the xyz on its own, reset origin rand fine after that. big hassle especially if i changed the model i have to remember to run the first setup and resave the mesh create a new body to reset the stock body, and do that for each setup... to much hassle. 

[lukerl]

Yes! I've gone so far as to scale the simulation on my screen to match up a physical ruler to a known dimension and then take further dimensions off that... 

[jirvanWGG8B]

This has several useful applications. Verification of work holding clearances and quick creation of combine tools for making  soft jaws and fixture plates between multiple roughing / finishing setups come to mind initially.

I have a complex part right now that this is really causing me grief on. I need to change my WCS and create a fixture for a partially finished part that holds a roughed in face at the correct angle for a finishing pass from a different cutting angle on a 3-axis machine. It's not an easy task since I can not use the exported STL's as combine tools, and the STL's are full of tri's that stop them from being converted to a useful model type. 

There are other ways to work around this, but they are all cumbersome and prone to error.