NC Preferences > Output

The Output tab of the NC Preferences dialog specifies the default settings of the NC program output settings.

To display the NC Preferences dialog, from the NC Programs context menu, select Preferences.

Note: To change the output settings for the selected NC program, from an individual NC Program context menu select Edit Selected option. To change the output settings for all existing NC programs, from the NC Programs context menu select Edit All.

This tab contains the following:

Use Project — Select the default output folder.

• On — Select to create a folder called ncprograms within the project folder.
• Off — Select to specify the output location of the NC program in the Output Folder field. Click to display the Select Path dialog to browse and select the output folder.

Output Folder — Edit the output folder of the selected NC programs. You can enter variables into the folder name which are resolved when you write the NC program.

Click to display the Select Path dialog; browse and select a different output folder.

Output File — Enter the name of the output file. You can enter variables into the filename which are resolved when you write the NC program.

Machine Option File — Click to display the Select Option File dialog and choose the default machine-tool option file for new NC programs.

Note: The changes made to the machine tool using the NC Preferences dialog is not valid for any existing NC programs. Use the Edit All option (available on the NC program context menu) or the Edit Selected option (available on the individual NC program context menu) to make changes to the machine tool in existing NC programs.

Machine Tool — Select the machine tool that you will use to machine the part. PowerMill saves the selection and uses the specified machine tool when simulating the machine tool.

Output workplane — Select which workplane in the PowerMill project aligns with the machine tool coordinate system. Selecting a workplane specifies the orientation of the part relative to the machine tool. This determines the output workplane on all new NC program dialogs. Click to lock the output workplane on individual NC program dialogs. Click to unlock it.

Output Workplane — Select which workplane in the PowerMill project aligns with the machine tool coordinate system. Selecting a workplane specifies the orientation of the part relative to the machine tool.

Automatic Tool Alignment — Select the default value for automatic tool alignment. Use Off when the output workplane is different from the toolpath workplane but you do not want any angular moves in the NC program file. For example, if you manually turn the head through the required angle.

Part Name — Enter the name of the part which is being cut. It defaults to the same name as the NC program and can appear at the beginning of the NC program file (depending on how the tape start is set in the machine option file).

Tool Value — Select the default value for the tool. Determines whether the output is specified in terms of Tool Tip or Tool Centre. The tool centre is the tool tip offset by the tip radius in the direction of the tool axis.

Connection Moves — Select how the tool moves from one toolpath to the next. This option is available only for multi-axis toolpaths.

You have the choice of:

• Move, Rotate — When selected, the tool moves to the new location and then rotates to the correct orientation.
• Rotate, Move — When selected, the tool rotates to the correct orientation and then moves to the new location.
• Simultaneous — When selected, the tool moves and rotates simultaneously. This is the default option.