You can use the Strategy tab of the Wire Feature Properties dialog to edit the strategy attributes of a Wire feature.
Operations — Select the operation that you want to use to cut the feature.
You can have more than one operation by selecting the primary operation in the Operations list and then selecting the Cutoff or Contour options.
- Use on both ends of skim passes — This applies the Retract Length to both ends of skim passes (the wire does not return to the start point at one end). See example.
Stepover — Enter the stepover amount between passes for Pocketing and Zigzag operations.
Finish allowance — This is the amount of material left after a Pocketing or Zigzag pass. Even if a Cleanup Pass is used, the finish allowance still remains.
Cut Angle — This sets the cutting angle for a Zigzag operation.
Cleanup Pass — Enable this option to create a finishing cut at the end of a Zigzag operation.
The contour is cut with a contour parallel finishing path to remove any rough edges left by the stepover between passes.
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Cleanup Pass
Stop code — For Stop operations you can choose from:
- M00 is program stop. This stop is always performed.
- M01 is optional program stop. There is a setting on the machine tool to observe or skip these stops.
Stop length — Enter the distance from the normal contour end position to the inserted stop or end position.
Overlap — Enter the distance by which the normal contour end position is overcut for Stop and Cutoff operations.
Contour Overlap — This is used only by the Contour operation. It is the amount by which the Contour operation overlaps.
Total Stock — This applies to Pocketing and Zigzag operations.
Linear Approx is for 4-axis EDM. All arcs are converted into small line segments. This parameter controls how finely arcs are refined into lines. The smaller the number, the more points arcs will be broken down into.
Keep wire vertical at retract — This keeps the wire vertical after Retract and Cutoff operations for 4-axis features.
The following example shows the end of a Retract operation with Keep wire vertical at retract selected:
This is the same example with Keep wire vertical at retract deselected:
Skim Pass Options button