Use the Define Face Plane dialog to define a Face Plane and Face Boundaries for the current Face window. You need to define these if you want to program using a 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 dialogwhen you are using:
- PartMaker/Mill:
- Mill XY Plane (Cylindrical stock only)
- Mill 4-Axis Plane (Cylindrical stock only)
- Mill End, Index
- Mill End, Polar
- Mill Polygon
- Mill Cylinder
- Mill Diam, Index
- Turn
- PartMaker/SwissCAM,
PartMaker/Turn-Mill and
PartMaker/Turn:
- Turn
- Mill XY Plane
- Mill ZY Plane
- Mill ZX Plane
- Mill Cylinder
- Mill Diam, Index
- Mill Polygon
- Mill End, Index
- Mill Diam, Index
- Mill End, Polar
- PartMaker/EDM
Settings
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).
When using Box stock in PartMaker/Mill, 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 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.
Turning Plane Angle — Enter the angle with respect to the ZX Plane, at which the Turning plane is set. The Turning plane is a plane in which turning geometry is extracted and profiles and toolpaths are displayed. This option is available only for Turn Face windows.
Index Angle — Enter the orientation angle of the stock that is required to achieve the desired face position while machining. This option is available only for Mill XY, Mill ZX and Mill ZY Planes for PartMaker/SwissCAM and PartMaker/Turn-Mill.
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).
OD — Enter the outside diameter (OD) of the stock. This option is available only for Mill Cylinder and Mill Diam, Index Face windows.
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.