Project mirroring overview

You can mirror a project in PowerMill. This enables you to machine symmetric parts and maintain the machining characteristics. PowerMill mirrors all of the geometric entities, except for workplanes that are used for NCProgram or ModelLocation output. In many cases, PowerMill geometrically mirrors the toolpaths and boundaries if the Optimise setting is used. This option preserves post-calculation edits. Otherwise, PowerMill may need to recalculate entities that could not be transformed. PowerMill warns you if any edits are not preserved, and places all toolpaths that need recalculating into a group.

Note: You need to manually recalculate any pre-drill holes created for Area clearance approach moves, these toolpaths are placed in a group.

After you have calculated a toolpath, you may want to edit the model entities. PowerMill can mark edited toolpaths as changed, depending on your selection from the Machining mode list. If your surfaces are in a Thickness Set where the Machining mode is set to Machine or Collision, the parameter NonIgnoredModelState marks the toolpath as changed. If you select Ignore from the Machining mode list, the parameter is not marked as changed. To remove a changed state from a toolpath, you can invalidate or recalculate it. The state is checked during project mirroring. Toolpaths marked as changed are placed in a group for you to manually recalculate: recalculation of toolpaths and their dependants does not occur automatically.

As PowerMill may have to recalculate the Area clearance toolpaths, use Thickness sets to specify surfaces to machine or ignore when you create or remove capping surfaces for individual toolpaths.

Note: Use File tab > Options > Application Options > Import > Model > Calculated toolpaths and boundaries ignore new models, to recalculate existing toolpaths without having to manually change the thickness sets.

Options controlling project mirroring are found in the Mirror project dialog.