Face window, CAM mode, Turning (PartMaker)

A Face window is where you define geometry (when in CAD mode) or groups of part features, such as holes and profiles (when in CAM mode) that need to be machined.

You can view the Face windows and any groups of part features programmed in those Face windows in the Job Explorer pane.

Use the CAD/CAM Switch in the bottom left of the Face window to switch between CAD and CAM modes:

indicates you are in CAD mode and indicates that you are in CAM mode.

Icons

Using the icons on the left side of a Face window you can specify new hole locations and create new profiles. One icon is always selected to indicate the current mode.

Note: When working in a Face window, pressing the Esc key cancels your current selection and returns to selection mode.

Turning icons

The following icons are available when programming turning operations in a Face window in CAM mode:

Selection icon

Zero icon — Use this icon to define a new part origin using snap modes.

Define Profile icon — Use this icon to create a profile using snap modes. This icon is available only if a profile group already exists and is selected. This icon is displayed in the following PartMaker faces:

Chain Geometry icon — Use this icon to define a profile, by selecting an end point of a line or an arc. PartMaker automatically finds all connected lines and arcs. This icon is displayed in the following PartMaker faces:

2-Point Chain icon — Use this icon to define a profile by selecting its start and end points on a contiguous piece of geometry.

This icon appears in the following PartMaker face windows:

  • Turn
  • Mill XY Plane
  • Mill 5 Axis Plane
  • Mill ZY Plane
  • Mill ZX Plane
  • Mill Polygon
  • Mill End, Polar
  • Mill Diam, Polar
  • Mill Cylinder
  • WireEDM

Profile Info icon — Use this icon to select an element(line or arc) on the profile curve and view information about the element on the Profile Info dialog. This icon is available only if a profile group already exists.

CAD/CAM switch — Use this button to switch between CAD and CAM modes in PartMaker. When the icon is displayed, it indicates that PartMaker is in CAM mode. Clicking the button switches PartMaker into CAD mode.

Solid model icons for programming on solids

Layout icons

Split Screen icon — Click this icon to split the display, so that the Face window and the Solids window take up an equal amount of space. This icon is displayed only when a solid model is loaded.

Maximize Solids Window icon — Click this icon to maximize the Solids window. This icon is displayed only when a solid model is loaded.

Minimize Solids Window icon — Click this icon to minimize the Solids window. This icon is displayed only when a solid model is loaded.

Color Palette

In CAM mode, use the Color Palette change the color of a group:

  1. Select a group in the Job Explorer pane.
  2. Click a color in the Color Palette to make it the sample color:

    To display more colors, click >> to display the Color dialog.

  3. Click the sample color. PartMaker changes the color of the group to the sample color.

Displaying the axes

You can display the axes in a face window by selecting View > Show Axes.

Displaying the grid

You can display the grid in a face window by choosing View > Show Grid.

Displaying the boundaries

You can display the boundaries in a face window by choosing View > Show Boundaries.

Displaying different Face windows

When you have multiple CAM Face windows, you can quickly switch between them by selecting the name of the Face window you want to display from the Window menu. For example:

Parent topic: Face window (PartMaker)