Define Face Plane dialog (with Set Face Origin settings) (PartMaker)

Use the Define Face Plane dialog to define a Face Plane, as well as set Face Boundaries and a Face Origin for the current Face window. You need to define a Face Plane and Face Origin if you want to program using a solid model.

Warning: You must define the Face Plane and set the Face Origin before creating any group profiles or geometry in the Face window. If you do not do this, you may have to manually translate any existing group profiles or geometry in the Face window to match the position of the Face Origin you have defined for the solid model.

To display this dialog:

• Select Solids > Face Coordinate System > Define Face Plane; or
• Select a surface on a solid model, click the right mouse button and select Define Face Plane.

The settings available on the Define Face Plane dialog depend on the PartMaker product and the machining function you are using. The settings described below are displayed on the Define Face Plane dialogwhen you are using:

• PartMaker/Mill :
  • Mill XY Plane (Box stock only)
  • Mill 5-Axis Plane (Box or Cylindrical stock)
  • Mill 4-Axis Plane (Box stock only)
• PartMaker/SwissCAM and PartMaker/Turn-Mill :
  • Mill 5-Axis Plane

Mill 5 Axis Plane (Box or Cylindrical stock)

When using the Define Face Plane dialog for a Mill 5-Axis Plane, the following settings are available:

Set Face Plane — Select this option if you want PartMaker to use your selections on the solid model to set the Face Plane for the Face window (and not the Face Origin).

You can define a Face Plane in any of the following ways:

• Define by Angles — Select so the Face Plane is defined using the Index Angle (C) and the Inclination Angle (B).
• Parallel to a Plane — Select so the Face Plane is parallel to the named plane and passes through the origin. Depending on the Face window this could be Parallel to XY Plane, Parallel to ZY Plane or Parallel to ZX Plane.
• Parallel to the Selected Surface — Select so the Face Plane is coincident with the planar surface selected on the solid model.
• Normal to Cylinder, Top — Select so the Face Plane is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical surface selected on the solid model and passes through the end of the cylinder designated to be its top end.
• Normal to Cylinder, Bottom — Select so the Face Plane is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical surface selected on the solid model and passes through the end of the cylinder designated to be its bottom end.
• Normal to Cone, Top — Select so the Face Plane is perpendicular to the axis of the conical surface that you select from the solid model and passes through the end of the cone designated to be its top end.
• Normal to Cone, Bottom — Select so the Face Plane is perpendicular to the axis of the conical surface that you select from the solid model and passes through the end of the cone designated to be its bottom end.
• Selected Three Vertices — Select so the Face Plane passes through three vertices selected on the solid model.

Reverse Machining Side — Select this option so PartMaker reverses the machining side (that is, the tool side) of the Face Plane. This is applicable only to the following methods of defining a Face Plane:

• Parallel to a XY Plane (XY Plane, ZY or ZX Plane)
• Normal to Cylinder, Top
• Normal to Cylinder, Bottom
• Normal to Cone, Top
• Normal to Cone, Bottom
• Selected Three Vertices

Index Angle (C) and Inclination Angle (B) — If you have selected the Define by Angles method of defining a Face Plane, enter the index and inclination angles to define a 5-Axis Face Plane.

Set Face Origin — Select this option so PartMaker uses any entities you select on the solid model to set Face Origin parameters (as opposed to Face Plane parameters).

Select the method for defining the Face Origin from the New Origin drop-down list box:

• Selected Vertex — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the vertex that you select from the solid model onto the Face Plane.
• Projected Part Origin — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the Part Origin onto the Face Plane.
• Enter Coordinates — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the part coordinates you enter onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Surface Center — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the geometric center of the planar surface that you select from the solid model onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Cylinder Top — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the top center of the cylindrical surface that you select from the solid model and projecting it onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Cylinder Bottom — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the bottom center of the cylindrical surface that you select from the solid model and projecting it onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Cone Top — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the top center of the conical surface that you select from the solid model and projecting it onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Cone Bottom — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the bottom center of the conical surface that you select from the solid model and projecting it onto the Face Plane.

X, Y and Z — These options are available if you choose the Enter Coordinates method of defining a Face Origin. These are the part coordinates of the point, which, when projected onto the Face Plane, will be the new Face Origin for the current Face window.

Set Boundaries — Select this option for PartMaker to use the imported solid model to set the Face boundaries.

For PartMaker/Turn, PartMaker/Turn-Mill and PartMaker/Mill with a cylindrical stock, selecting this option sets the diameter and the length of the stock, based on the imported solid model.

For milling with a rectangular stock, selecting this option resets the rectangular Face Boundaries, as well as the height of the stock, based on the bounds of the transferred geometry and the height dimension of the solid model that corresponds to that particular milling face.

Preview — Click to preview the effects that the current settings in the Define Face Plane dialog will have in the Solids window.

Mill XY Plane (Box stock) and Mill 4-Axis Plane (Box stock)

When using the Define Face Plane dialog for a Mill XY Plane (Box stock) and Mill 4-Axis Plane (Box stock), the following settings are available:

Set Face Plane — Select this option if you want PartMaker to use your selections on the solid model to set the Face Plane for the Face window (and not the Face Origin).

In PartMaker/Mill when using Box stock, selecting this option for:

• The first face with FRONT orientation sets the Z Face so the local origin always coincides with the part origin.
• All other faces sets the Z Face to the level of the selected face.

You can define a Face Plane in any of the following ways:

• Parallel to XY Plane — Select so the Face Plane is parallel to the XY Plane and passes through the origin.
• Parallel to the Selected Surface — Select so the Face Plane is coincident with the planar surface that you select from the solid model.

Z Face — Enter a Z Face coordinate for the Face plane. PartMaker updates the Solids window to display the Face Plane at the specified Z Face coordinate value and updates the Z Face field value on the Setup dialog to reflect the new value.

Stock Index Angle (C) — Enter the angle at which the stock must be oriented to machine this face. This option is available only when using a Rotary 4 Axis Table (with the Mill 4-Axis Plane machining function), a Rotary 5 Axis Table (with the Mill XY Plane or Mill 4-Axis Plane machining functions), or a Vertical Rotary Table (with the Mill XY Plane machining function).

Face Orientation —Select the side of the part that the Face window represents in the finished part displayed during simulation. The FRONT face of the part is always parallel to the XY plane and has the Z axis pointing upward.

Note: This field is available only for a Mill XY Plane on Standard or Tombstone tables when setting the Face Plane parallel to the XY Plane.

Stock Positioning Angle — Enter an angle to specify how the stock for this Face window is oriented during machining when compared to finished part. The NC code is not affected by the value you enter here, but during simulation the toolpath is rotated according the value you enter in this field. If you are rotating the part to 90 or 270 degrees, you will also need to adjust the coordinates of the boundaries in the Setup dialog.

Note: This field is available only for a Mill XY Plane on Standard or Tombstone tables when setting the Face Plane parallel to the XY Plane.

Set Face Origin — Select this option to specify that you want your selections on the solid model to apply to the Face Origin (as opposed to the Face Plane) settings.

New Origin — Select the method for defining the Face Origin:

• Selected Vertex — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the vertex that you select from the solid model onto the Face Plane.
• Projected Part Origin — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the Part Origin onto the Face Plane.
• Enter Coordinates — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the part coordinates you enter onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Surface Center — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the geometric center of the planar surface that you select from the solid model onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Cylinder Top — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the top center of the cylindrical surface that you select from the solid model and projecting it onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Cylinder Bottom — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the bottom center of the cylindrical surface that you select from the solid model and projecting it onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Cone Top — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the top center of the conical surface that you select from the solid model and projecting it onto the Face Plane.
• Selected Cone Bottom — The Face Origin is defined by projecting the bottom center of the conical surface that you select from the solid model and projecting it onto the Face Plane.

X, Y and Z — Enter the part coordinates of the point, which, when projected onto the Face Plane, will be the new Face Origin for the current Face window.

Note: These settings are available if you select the Enter Coordinates method of defining a Face Origin.

Set Boundaries — Select this option for PartMaker to use the imported solid model to set the Face boundaries.

For PartMaker/Turn, PartMaker/Turn-Mill and PartMaker/Mill with a cylindrical stock, selecting Set Boundaries sets the diameter and the length of the stock, based on the imported solid model.

For milling with a rectangular stock, selecting Set Boundaries resets the rectangular Face boundaries and the height of the stock, based on the bounds of the transferred geometry and the height dimension of the solid model that corresponds to that particular milling face.

Preview — Click to preview the effects that the current settings in the Define Face Plane dialog will have in the Solids window.