PowerMill Viewer overview

PowerMill Viewer is a feature-restricted application that you can run on multiple computers at no additional cost.

Note: PowerMill Viewer is included in your installation only when you update to PowerMill 2020.2 or later.

PowerMill Viewer lets existing PowerMill projects be opened, examined, simulated, and verified. Importantly, PowerMill Viewer does not let you save or export key data, including projects, toolpaths, models, boundaries, or patterns. PowerMill Viewer is also unable to postprocess NC programs, generate setup sheets, create macros, or work with COM.

Common use cases

PowerMill Viewer can be used in several different ways. For example:
  • Machine operators wanting to check PowerMill projects before running them on a CNC machine tool. These checks may include confirming size of models or blocks, positions of datums, feeds and speeds, as well as verifying toolpaths to identify collisions, and validating tool lengths.
  • Project or operation managers needing a general overview of the PowerMill project, to assist with estimating machining cycle times or planning production.
  • Sales personnel using PowerMill Viewer for estimating purposes when prospecting for new business.

Start PowerMill Viewer

  1. Ensure that you have PowerMill 2020.2 or later installed on your computer.
    Note: If you want to run PowerMill Viewer on multiple computers, PowerMill must first be installed on each computer.
  2. Open your Windows Start menu or Start screen.
  3. Click Autodesk PowerMill > Autodesk PowerMill Viewer.
Tip: You can download and install the latest PowerMill update from your Autodesk Account or from the Autodesk desktop app.

Restricted features

The features unavailable in PowerMill Viewer:

File tab commands

  • File tab > Info > Save Settings to a File
  • File tab > Open > Archived Project
  • File tab > Save As > Project
  • File tab > Save As > Archived Project
  • File tab > Save As > Template Objects
  • File tab > Import > Archived Project
  • File tab > Export > Export Model
  • File tab > Options > Manage Installed Plugins

Home tab commands

  • Home tab > Macro > Record

Boundary tab commands

  • Boundary tab > File > Export

Pattern tab commands

  • Pattern tab > File > Export

Hole Feature Set tab commands

  • Hole Feature Set tab > File > Export

Stock Model tab commands

  • Stock Model tab > File > Export

Machine Tool tab commands

  • Machine Tool tab > File > Export

Simulation tab commands

  • Simulation tab > ViewMill > Export

NC Program tab commands

  • NC Program tab > Post > Write
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > Project > Current View Snapshot
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > Project > Preview Snapshot
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > Project > Preview All
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > Project > Export All
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > NC Program > Preview Snapshot
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > NC Program > Preview
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > NC Program > Export
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > NC Program > Current View
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > Toolpaths > Current View
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > Toolpaths > State View
  • NC Program tab > Setup Sheets > Toolpaths > ISO View

View tab commands

  • View tab > Utilities > Screenshot

Dialog commands

  • About dialog > Manage License
  • Customise Colours dialog > Export Colour Table
  • NC Program dialog > Write
  • Probe Tool dialog > Save Tool Stem
  • Probe Tool dialog > Save Probe Body
  • Save Strategy dialog > Save
  • Slice Editor toolbar > Save Slices as a Picture
  • Tool Assembly Preview dialog > Export
  • Tool Database Export dialog > Define a New Stock Material
  • Tool dialogs > Save Tool Profile
  • Tool dialogs > Save Tool Shank
  • Tool dialogs > Save Tool Holder

Context menu options

  • Machine Tool > Export Machine Tool
  • NC Programs > Write All
  • NC Programs > Setup Sheets > Project Snapshot > Current View
  • NC Programs > Setup Sheets > Project Snapshot > Preview
  • NC Programs > Setup Sheets > Preview All
  • NC Programs > Setup Sheets > Export All
  • NC Program > Write
  • NC Program > Write Selected
  • NC Program > Setup Sheets > Snapshot > Current View
  • NC Program > Setup Sheets > Snapshot > Preview
  • NC Program > Setup Sheets > Snapshot > All Toolpaths > Current View
  • NC Program > Setup Sheets > Snapshot > All Toolpaths > Current State View
  • NC Program > Setup Sheets > Snapshot > All Toolpaths > ISO View
  • NC Program > Setup Sheets > Preview
  • NC Program > Setup Sheets > Preview Selected
  • NC Program > Setup Sheets > Export
  • NC Program > Setup Sheets > Export Selected
  • Boundary > Save
  • Pattern > Save
  • Hole Feature Sets > Export
  • Hole Feature Set > Export
  • Models > Export All
  • Model > Export Model
  • Stock Model > Export
  • Macros > Record

Other

  • Executing commands using COM.
Parent topic: PowerMill overview