Re: software rant but a good idea in here

Look at the material block as just a tool path limit in x,y,z. Place
your part inside the block and define your tool paths by your part,..
don't add any part of the block like the top face to your tool paths.
FeatureCam is a fast part to Gcode program ! I love it.

I never use their Cad though, I design my parts in SW, save it as IGS
and open this in Featurecam. Simple and fast! Study the example files

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., machines@n... wrote:
> I've looked at Feature Cam, in fact I have an old version here I
> bought second hand. It's a nice program but because of what Johnno
> has mentioned below it's long winded.
> I get the impression it's more for mould work where you start off
> with a block of material.
> Not all jobs are like this. There are many jobs where the milling is
> a second op on a part finished part or casting that is a bit hard to
> define. In this case you have to 'imagine' an envelope just so you
> can go to the next stage.
> It woould be nice to cut to the chase so you can get on and do
> something reasonably simple and not limit the program to complex
> press tool moulds where 8 hours setup and programming is not
> excessive.
>
> John S.
>
> >--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "FIK" <vrojas@p...> wrote:
> > In order to create a toolpath the un-worked raw material must be
> >defined,
> > you can't get one step further. The program would not allow you to
> >go to the
> > next step until you define the
> >
> > 1) milling or Turning
> > 2)2axis, 3 axis 4 axis???
> > 3)What are the limits of travel in all axii
> > 4)draw the raw part dimension on a screen that was generated from
> >the
> > questions above.
> >
> > 5)Build a tool library, either from choices or from scratch
> > 4)THEN start creating a machining sequence of events to convert
the
> >defined
> > raw part into the item desired based on information that the
> >software has
> > learned from polling the user.
> >