Creating 4th axis files with "A" Rotational movements

[mrwilson]

I am demoing MeshCAM. I want to use the 4th axis file creation. I pick generate a single file when I save the tooling path. All I get in the gcode is the top section. Is the file supposed to contain all the rotations with the rotational movements between the sections or should I use the generate separate files and paste them together adding the rotations manually?

Mike Wilson

[Randy]

Hi Mike, and welcome to the forum. With 4th axis, you will get only one gcode file but it should contain all 4 sides. There is an old thread on 4th axis at viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1050&p=2456 that I'll refer you to. It has a pertinent question "what post are you using?" that would be useful information.

I don't know of a tool to preview 4th axis gcode "in the round"--any tools I have used just do show the top side but the rotary indexing lines should be present in the gcode (ref. the above thread). If I haven't answered the question properly please post back.

Randy

[mrwilson]

Thanks Randy,
I'm using the Mach 3 inch PP. Mach will show a full preview of the tool moves. I've done some manual gcode editing adding the "A" moves and you can get a good idea of what the part will look like in Mach 3. Not a complete simulation. Right now I'm using Vcarve Pro with the Z profile turning gadget. It is real simple and can produce a layered raster path along the A axis or a single full depth path. They use a wrap PP to create the gcode. I haven't looked at it but I think that they have a wrap x or y tag for their PP. I'd be happy with a raster roughing path that left .25 in. and then a raster finishing pass that can be a smaller step over to finish out the part. I can do that with two sides on this part. It is completely symmetrical. I'll take a look at the gcode and search for the "A" moves. I like the different tool paths that MeshCam has to offer. I think I will go ahead and purchase it. It will be useful to have the 4th axis capability from a STL. and the 3 axis capabilities with the different tool paths for the STL files. Any rumors when Version 7 will be released? I downloaded the beta but haven't used it yet. I guess my temp license will work with it?

Thanks,
Mike

[mrwilson]

Yep I found the A moves. But ouch... I did a roughing and an finishing pass. It does the roughing and finish then rotates and does it again. I want to use an end mill to rough it out and a ball nose to finish. For me that is three tool changes instead of one. I guess I'll be editing the files to combine the roughing passes. At least they are well annotated.

Mike