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Suggested Technique for Demonstrating the User Interface in the
Customize Environment.
The Customize Environment provides a means to interactively modify the
cut motions created from the menu picks for the NC Sequence, in addition
to allowing the creation of new cut motions, tool motions, and CL
commands. This document provides an overview of how to master the user
interface and functionality of the Customize Environment.
Procedure
- After defining the appropriate
tool and sequence parameters for the NC Sequence being created and then
specifying the machining references, a default Cut Motion is created
consisting of Automatic Cut features. The associated Approach and
Tool motions are listed with the Automatic Cut as indented objects. This
Cut Motion can then be customized to change the Tool Motions associated
with this Cut Motion by selecting Customize from the NC
SEQUENCE menu. Upon selecting Customize, two dialogs are
presented; the Customize dialog shown in Figure 1 and the CL
Data window as seen in Figure 2.
Figure 1
Figure 2
- The Customize dialog is
composed of two main sections; a Current Tool Motion(s) list, and
a Create/Edit Tool Motion(s) button section, with standard
OK and Cancel buttons at the bottom. The functionality of
each section of this dialog is shown in Figure 3 and presented below.
Figure 3
- Current Tool Motion(s)
section
The Current Tool Motion(s) list window displays all the
information on all Cut Motions, Tool Motions and CL Commands currently
contained in the NC Sequence. As seen in Figures 4 & 5, the window
contains all the Current Tool Motions including the added CL Commands.
When a Tool Motion, Cut Motion or CL Command is selected in this list
window, the item is highlighted in the Current Tool Motion(s)
window and the location of this Tool Motion, Cut Motion or CL Command on
the toolpath is also highlighted in the CL Data window and
displayed in the graphics window, in the appropriate location on the
toolpath, if applicable.
Any of the list items are selectable by the using the left mouse
button. Items can be unselected by holding down the CTRL key and picking
with the left mouse button. Multiple, consecutive items can be selected
using the left mouse button click and drag. Individual items can be
added or removed from an existing list of selections by holding down the
CTRL key and picking with the left mouse button. A range of items can be
selected by picking one list item and then holding down the SHIFT key
and picking another item with the left mouse button.
The term "Cut Motion" may be familiar from older releases of
Pro/ENGINEER. From Release 20 onward, the term Automatic Cut is used.
Automatic Cut items typically include an Auto Plunge, and a default
Follow Cut tool motion. Default control points are now created at the
start and end points of each Automatic Cut, and do not need to be
separately created to be used as references for Tool Motions.
In addition to displaying the selected item in the CL Data window,
selecting items from the Current Tool Motion(s) list will
highlight and display them on the toolpath in the Pro/ENGINEER graphics
window.
The tool is now visible in the graphics window at all times during
customize. As soon as the customize environment is entered, the tool is
displayed at the start of the cut, on the retract plane or at the start
point when defined. As Tool Motions are created, the tool is visible at
the end of each motion.
Figure 4
Figure 5
- Create/Edit Tool Motion(s)
section
Customize Dialog Box Buttons
The Customize Buttons will only apply an action to one or more
items selected from the Current Tool Motion(s) list. There Is no
ability here to choose and modify items from the CL Data listing.
Use the functionality from the main MANUFACTURE menu (CL
Data, Edit) for that. If there are no items selected in
either of the lists, the buttons (except for Insert) will be
grayed out.
Buttons that do not apply to CL Commands and allow multiple selection
will not allow combinations of CL Commands and Tool Motions. If both a
Tool Motion (such as a Follow Cut) and a CL Command (such as
COOLNT/FLOOD) are selected, then the only buttons that will be usable
are those that will function on both entities; therefore the
Params button, for instance, would be grayed out.
- The Insert Button
The Insert button will either create or insert a new Cut
Motion, Tool Motion or CL Command and place it in the Current Tool
Motion(s) list window according to a selection from within the list.
If nothing is selected in the list, then the new item will be added as
the last item in the list. If an item is selected, the new item will be
inserted before it. This button will only allow the selection of one
item from the list. If multiple items are selected, the Insert
button becomes unselectable. Prior to selecting Insert, a Cut
Motion, Tool Motion or CL Command must be selected from the pulldown
menu as seen in Figure 6. Selecting Insert at this point then
enters the appropriate user interface, depending upon whether it is a
Cut Motion, Tool Motion, or CL Command that is to be inserted.
Figure 6
- Customize Buttons
Redefine Button
The Redefine button allows the redefinition of Cut Motions,
Tool Motions and CL Commands. This button will only allow the
selection of either one Cut Motion, one Tool Motion, or one CL
Command. If more than one list item is selected, the Redefine
button is grayed out. Depending upon which item is selected in the
Current Tool Motion(s) list window, selecting Redefine
then displays the appropriate User Interface depending on the selected
item as follows:
Cut Motion: Displays the INT CUT menu, containing picks
for creating and modifying geometry of cut motions, approach and
exit motions, corner conditions, and cut parameters.
Tool Motion: Displays the applicable Tool Motion dialog
box, such as Follow Cut, Goto Point, or Plunge.
Cl Command: Displays the CL Command dialog box.
Modify Button
The Modify button will display dimensions for the selected
list item. This button will only allow the selection of either one Cut
Motion or one Tool Motion from the list. If multiple items are
selected this button is not selectable.
Params Button
Selecting the Params button will call the Param Tree with the list
of parameters for the selected Cut Motion or Tool Motion. This button
will only function if one Tool Motions or Cut Motions has been
selected from the list. It will not allow selection of a combination
of Cut Motion(s) and Tool Motion(s), nor will the button function if a
CL Command is selected.
Cut Button
The Cut button will delete the currently selected items from
the list and copy them into the buffer. This button can be applied to
multiple items simultaneously.
Copy Button
The Copy button will copy the currently selected items from
the list into the buffer. This button will also allow the selection of
multiple items from the list..
Paste Button
The Paste button will insert the contents of the buffer
before the currently selected list item or append the contents of the
buffer to the end of the list if no list items have been selected. If
multiple items are selected and this button is picked, the
Paste button will insert the contents of the buffer before the
first item selected in the list.
Delete Button
The Delete button will delete the currently selected items.
This button will allow the selection of multiple Cut Motions, Tool
Motions and CL Commands from the list. Upon selection of the items and
selecting Delete, a confirmation dialog box will be displayed
and the deletion action must be confirmed before it proceeds.
Clipboard Button
Selecting the Clipboard button will display the Cut/Paste
Buffer window showing the current contents of the buffer.
- Cl Command Dialog Box
The Cl Command dialog box contains all the tools required to
create CL Commands at specified points during the current NC Sequence.
This includes a placement selection, a text area to manually enter the
command, a menu from which to select common commands, and a file
retrieval option to retrieve predefined CL commands. The CL Command
dialog box is shown in Figure 7. To display this dialog, select an item
in the Current Tool Motion(s) list (if none is selected, it will
be appended to the end of the list), select CL Command from the
pulldown menu, and then choose the Insert button (if it is not
automatically chosen).
Figure 7
- CL Command Placement
The first section of the dialog box contains the user interface for
choosing the location of the command. This can be accomplished in a
variety of ways, as evidenced by the four radio buttons which represent
the methods for placing a CL Command. The default, Current will
place the CL Command at the currently selected location in the
Current Tool Motion(s) list, or at the end of the list if there
is no selection. On Tool Path expands the dialog to reveal a
selection box for the element of the toolpath on which to place the CL
Command. A GET SELECT menu is activated to prompt for selection
of a location along an existing toolpath (highlighted in yellow in
Figure 8; dialog is shown in Figure 9.). This selection can be redefined
later by selecting the arrow button. Near Datum Point provides a
selection box for a datum point, and a menu which prompts for the
selection or creation of a datum point. If no datum points exist, then
Near Datum Point will be grayed out. On Surface expands
the CL Command dialog to include a selection box for a surface, as well
as radio buttons to specify whether the CL command should be placed on
the first, last, or all of the passes, where applicable. A menu is
provided to select solid and/or quilt surfaces to use as references.
Figure 8
- Command Display/Edit Area
The second section of the dialog box contains a dynamic text area. By
placing the cursor into this text area, the CL Command syntax can be
directly entered via the keyboard, and Pro/ENGINEER makes no checks as
to its validity, save for preventing the entry of illegal characters.
The text area will also accept input from the Menu and
File buttons. Input from these buttons is described below.
Command Creation Options
The third section of the dialog box contains the buttons; Menu
and File. These buttons are not mutually exclusive. They can be
used in any order or combination.
Menu Button
Selecting the Menu button displays the CMD EDIT menu.
Making a selection in this menu and subsequent menus, the syntax for
the CL Command can be constructed. Once the command syntax is
completed, the CL Command is displayed in the text area as seen in
Figure 9.
Full edit functions are available in the text area after the
creation of a CL Command from menus. The command can be created using
the menus with the option to edit it in the text area of the dialog
box prior to committing to its creation by selecting OK.
Cl Commands created using Menu will always begin on a new
line. If the Menu option is used more than once, each new
command will be written as a new line in text area. If another option
has been used or a CL Command was entered as a line of text into the
text area directly, the CL Command from menus will always be appended
to the end of the existing lines of commands.
File Button
Selecting the File button allows the input of a file
containing CL Commands. These files can be plain text files, but the
file extension should be "*.cmd" and by default the filter in the
Open dialog will look for files of this type, as seen in Figure
10.
Cl Commands created by the File option will always be
appended to the end of the current CL Command list. If the File
option is used more than once, each new command will be appended to
the end of the existing lines of commands.
Figure 9
Figure 10
- Standard Buttons
The last section of the CL Command dialog box contains the
standard tool motion dialog box buttons; OK, Preview and
Cancel. Functionality associated with each of these buttons is as
follows:
OK; Add the current CL Command into the CL File and close the
dialog box.
Preview; Temporarily place the current command into the CL
File and display it in the NCL File window.
Cancel; Abort creation of the CL Command and close the dialog
box.
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