MogulTx
04-19-2011, 10:05 AM
I am having trouble with some functionality in PW. I am using a new version I just loaded, but this occurred before I upgraded- so it is a learning topic for me, not really a new SW problem. The scoop: I am cutting panels that sometimes have radiused corners. These panels are often trapezoids. I cut these to the outside of the lines that I have drawn. The problem is that PW will cut outside the first line, but where it changes to a radius it MAY change to cutting to the inside. ( It seems random, but I am sure the software has a logic to it. I just can't define it for you yet...). I am looking to hold dimensional tolerances that are better than .03, so you KNOW this is a problem when the cutter is .24-.25" diameter!
Things I have tried: (1) Combine the lines in PW using the tool available. Result= bad cut with some segments being cut inside and some going to the outside.
(2) I have used a "combine lines" tool in the drafting software that I use before I even save the DXF. Result: PW does not notice the difference. Still makes erroneous cuts inside and outside.
(3) There is a second type of Tool that allows me to combine multiple Objects into a single entity. I have tried this one as well. Same result.
What I am looking for: A method to be able to define all these line segemtns into a single entity that I can cut in a single cut operation so that the machine is not doing separate ramps for each line, and so it never returns to the 0,0 so that I get a more compact cut file and much less run time.
If that is not possible, I want to learn how to do an edit on this so that I can combine the line segments manually so that I can set up the cuts and check them ( visually, via the cut simulator) and then modify, as needed and eliminate all the repetitious starts... I already go in and tweak files and am willing to do this so I can spend less time on the cut side of things. I am finding that I will use about 75% of my files over again, so I want to get them right so that I don't have to mess with them the next time through...
See the attached pdf to see the latest design I have been working with. For this file, I cut the pockets first then do a peripheral cut through the material outside the lines/arcs shown.
Any direction/suggestions you guys can offer will be very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Monty
Things I have tried: (1) Combine the lines in PW using the tool available. Result= bad cut with some segments being cut inside and some going to the outside.
(2) I have used a "combine lines" tool in the drafting software that I use before I even save the DXF. Result: PW does not notice the difference. Still makes erroneous cuts inside and outside.
(3) There is a second type of Tool that allows me to combine multiple Objects into a single entity. I have tried this one as well. Same result.
What I am looking for: A method to be able to define all these line segemtns into a single entity that I can cut in a single cut operation so that the machine is not doing separate ramps for each line, and so it never returns to the 0,0 so that I get a more compact cut file and much less run time.
If that is not possible, I want to learn how to do an edit on this so that I can combine the line segments manually so that I can set up the cuts and check them ( visually, via the cut simulator) and then modify, as needed and eliminate all the repetitious starts... I already go in and tweak files and am willing to do this so I can spend less time on the cut side of things. I am finding that I will use about 75% of my files over again, so I want to get them right so that I don't have to mess with them the next time through...
See the attached pdf to see the latest design I have been working with. For this file, I cut the pockets first then do a peripheral cut through the material outside the lines/arcs shown.
Any direction/suggestions you guys can offer will be very much appreciated.
Thanks,
Monty