Differentiate lead ins based on whether it is outside-in or inside-out

[precicam]

Hi,

In case of roughing, offset flat finishing, etc toolpaths, is there any way to apply different lead ins to passes that start outside-in vs those that start inside-out? Case in point being that I would like to only apply ramping lead-ins to passes that start inside-out.

PS : Attached a sample project

[precicam]

Alternatively, is there a way to select all plunges happening outside the block? (without having to loop through all segments of the toolpath - which can take a lot of time)

[kamalrajcv]

Have you tried using the 'Select Plunge into stock' option available within PowerMill?

Right click on the toolpath-->Edit-->Select Plunge into stock, all the plunge moves are selected.
Please refer: https://www.screencast.com/t/Ie5yLlkQos

If you want to select the plunges outside the block then use the invert selection option after following the above procedure.
Please refer: https://www.screencast.com/t/49AMaOadj5o

[precicam]

Sorry, but this does not differentiate based on outside-in or inside-out. It merely selects all the plunges that go directly into stock. In fact, If I give a lead in to all the moves, it will not select anything. And If i remove the lead-ins, it will select everything. 

Screencast : http://autode.sk/2p0NuTz

(At the very end of the screencast, the two plunges I have selected are inside-out, and the rest are outside-in.)

[lokesh.kalia]

Hi @precicam . Unfortunately, as you've discovered, offset/raster flat finishing do not make this distinction. Roughing strategies do, e.g. model area clearance using offset model. In which case you could accomplish what you require by making 'Extended move' your first choice lead in and 'Ramp' the second choice. The 'extended move' will be tried first and added where it is safe to do so; the second choice ramp lead in will be added only where the extended move failed. Because of the extra checks employed for roughing strategies, the extended moves will not be added if they start inside the block. Note that you can make a model area clearance strategy just machine the flats only by setting a stepdown of 0.0 (or, when using a 'Manual' stepdown, by explicitly setting the zheights at the levels of the flats only.)

Hope this is of some help.

[precicam]

I wonder if those "extra checks" could (or rather - should) be applied to flat finishing as well.

[lokesh.kalia]

Yes, I agree we need to handle the stock better. - Just to give a bit of background, when the strategy was first offered we wanted to 'keep it simple', so it was offered as a finishing strategy. This meant that, just like other finishing strategies, we didn't handle the stock as we would for a roughing strategy. This is something we should improve generally for so-called finishing strategies to avoid the problem you described.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, that makes it easy to understand.