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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
  1. 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.

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    Figure 1

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    Figure 2


  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.

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    Figure 3


  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.

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    Figure 4

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    Figure 5


  4. 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.


  5. 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.

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    Figure 6


  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.


  7. 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).

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    Figure 7


  8. 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.

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    Figure 8


  9. 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.

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    Figure 9

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    Figure 10


  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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