Keep steep and shallow toolpath off flats?

[johnc4668]

I use the steep and shallow toolpath quite a bit but notice it likes to cut flats, Anyway to keep the toolpath off flats? I know you can do it with block but wonder if theres a better way? Thanks fellas!

[craig.shipley]

You could use the component thickness and set your flat surfaces to "collision" ?

Kind Regards

[cfastNJWK6]

Or create a boundary around the flat areas and limit the toolpath to stay outside of the boundary?

[johnc4668]

@craig.shipley heres the part, i want it to stay off all the inner flats but machine down to the floors with out making passes on the flats

[craig.shipley]

I can never see the images unless they're attached for some reason...

Any chance you can attach please?

Thanks

[johnc4668]

@craig.shipley 

[craig.shipley · Accepted solution]

Thanks

OK so can you set the bottom faces as collision?  If you do, the tool will get as close to the surface as possible without touching it...
Or you could use a coundary as suggested by another user...

I can't think of another way off the top of my head, of course your can just calculate the full toolpath then delete the flat segments afterwards, either my manual selection or using a boundary to EDIT > LIMIT...

Kind Regards

[Jonathan.Artiss-DSI]

You could also use a Min Z limit and set it just above that surface since it looks like that is the lowest point of the toolpath. 

[johnc4668]

@Jonathan.Artiss-DSI  i tried that earlier. it works but gets choppy at the floors. Maybe its a tolerance thing, im not sure.

[james.probert]

Good to see a solution has been accepted. I'll just add that we're currently working on a project that will allow users to automatically exclude flat areas from a steep and shallow toolpath.