My system is a bit old. An IBM Z Pro with P4 Xeon 3.6Ghz. I've had VM5 then upgraded to VM6 but hasn't really done much with the software since most of my machining are 2 1/2 profile which I usually manually write the gcode. However, lately I'm beginning to explore making some simple molds with curved surfaces that require 3d profiling and I'm beginning to relearn VM again.
I have a few questions.
What's the recommended hardware to run VM?
Where can I find more information (book?) on the wide variety of tool paths that available in VM6 Pro?
What's the recommended setting for the typical 1/8 to maybe 1/16 ball end mill for generating tool path, ie stepover distance, so I don't waste cpu time in tool path calculation?
thanks,
John
Tool Path & Slow Performance
Re: Tool Path & Slow Performance
Not sure about books. Although, I did have a manual at one time.
youtube videos and search engines for help have worked some what for me. And of course, there is reading the "help" screens. I've often gone back through the MecSoft videos.
As for step over for those bit sizes, which is all I use for my work. Vastly depends on how smooth of surface you want with out having to go back and use a 'finishing" product to smooth out your surfaces. In my case, I cut aluminum and typically have to use fine grit sandpaper to get a smoother finish.
If you are using a hard material, the I'd use smaller step overs. If I use wood, I typically wont need such a small step over. Again, it comes down to how much detail you want to see.
I'd MUCH prefer to waste my CPU time vs my time on having to finish a product. Sort of defeats the purpose of CNC!
If you are using acrylic/clear type material. You want small step overs. Your cuts will really show up in such material. For that mater, even aluminum will show the cutter paths when the light hits it.
As for machine hardware. I use VM on an Intel centrion 2 chip set (dual processor - laptop) also use it on a quad processor on my home machine. However, It's a single threaded software at least this version is. And I was able to run it on an i7 intel system (wife's computer) and it ran really nice!
Since VM uses a dongle, you could always load the software to a USB Drive, load your files and head to a store and test your parts for speed. Some sales folks might frown upon doing this but hey, if it meets your satisfaction, you might make a purchase and they'll let it slide. the worse they can do is tell you no.
youtube videos and search engines for help have worked some what for me. And of course, there is reading the "help" screens. I've often gone back through the MecSoft videos.
As for step over for those bit sizes, which is all I use for my work. Vastly depends on how smooth of surface you want with out having to go back and use a 'finishing" product to smooth out your surfaces. In my case, I cut aluminum and typically have to use fine grit sandpaper to get a smoother finish.
If you are using a hard material, the I'd use smaller step overs. If I use wood, I typically wont need such a small step over. Again, it comes down to how much detail you want to see.
I'd MUCH prefer to waste my CPU time vs my time on having to finish a product. Sort of defeats the purpose of CNC!
If you are using acrylic/clear type material. You want small step overs. Your cuts will really show up in such material. For that mater, even aluminum will show the cutter paths when the light hits it.
As for machine hardware. I use VM on an Intel centrion 2 chip set (dual processor - laptop) also use it on a quad processor on my home machine. However, It's a single threaded software at least this version is. And I was able to run it on an i7 intel system (wife's computer) and it ran really nice!
Since VM uses a dongle, you could always load the software to a USB Drive, load your files and head to a store and test your parts for speed. Some sales folks might frown upon doing this but hey, if it meets your satisfaction, you might make a purchase and they'll let it slide. the worse they can do is tell you no.
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Mark Angus
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:15 pm
- Location: London UK
- Contact:
Re: Tool Path & Slow Performance
How long is it taking? I would say rough 20/25%. smooth 10/15% . fine 5/2.5 % of cutter diameter for finish a parts. It also depends on material . Something must be wrong because I think that V5/V6 only uses 1 core to calculate toolpaths. Verson 2012 is alot faster because it is 64bit and uses more that one processor core- I think.
Re: Tool Path & Slow Performance
My tool path generation sometimes takes more than 10 minutes. . . .
My current step over for the 1/8" end mill is at 10%. The model is around 2"x2". I will be cutting on mdf/urethane foam board, and maybe aluminum. The horizontal roughing and finishing goes by pretty quick, but the computer really slows down when I try to use the ball end mill for 3d contouring.
The visualmill manual is a bit cryptic at time, ie for Valley Remachining, I don't quite understand the Reference Tool Parameter setting. I think I want to set the limiting steep angle to be less than 90 degrees to prevent using the ball endmill from remachining the vertical walls that has already been profiled with a regular endmill. . . but I don't really understand the rest of the parameters.
I don't mind the trial and error method, but sometimes the tool path generation simply takes too long. . .
My current step over for the 1/8" end mill is at 10%. The model is around 2"x2". I will be cutting on mdf/urethane foam board, and maybe aluminum. The horizontal roughing and finishing goes by pretty quick, but the computer really slows down when I try to use the ball end mill for 3d contouring.
The visualmill manual is a bit cryptic at time, ie for Valley Remachining, I don't quite understand the Reference Tool Parameter setting. I think I want to set the limiting steep angle to be less than 90 degrees to prevent using the ball endmill from remachining the vertical walls that has already been profiled with a regular endmill. . . but I don't really understand the rest of the parameters.
I don't mind the trial and error method, but sometimes the tool path generation simply takes too long. . .
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Mark Angus
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:15 pm
- Location: London UK
- Contact:
Re: Tool Path & Slow Performance
The ref tool is the tool you used before valley machining. So if you used a 12mm ball end cutter for parallel finishing on your model but your smallest "internal" corner radius is 6mm on your model. Then you can use valley machining to go into those corners where the 12mm cutter could not get into. You select your tool as 6mm but your ref tool will be 12mm.
I think this method only generally works for ball ended cutters.
I think this method only generally works for ball ended cutters.