You have shown us the video for creating tool paths starting with a tool. Since this is a Solidworks Concept are there more options for creating tool paths. When we left Autocad and went to Solidworks it was at first hard for people to grasp sketch,dimension and it changes with you. Everything did not have to be defined up front like Autocad. I want to use Solidworks cam the same way but I don't see that I can. It seems like I am being forced into following old practices.
Example:
1. Create model
2. Install Solidworks Cam
* At this time I have a model that was created in Solidworks, I made a square and extruded it out .5 in. I select a surface and create a sketch. I put a ciclre by using extrude cut.
3. I want to in "Solidworks Cam" select a surface, profile, edge what ever... then select and operation.
* I know what operations I want and how I want to make my part. I thought about all that while creating the model.
4. I select the bottom edge of my square and select contour mill. BOOM! I have a tool path and now I define my tool.
5. I select the bottom edge of my hole and select contour mill. BOOM! I have a tool path that I now define.
* Bottom line I want to pick a surface, profile, edge what ever... and tell Solidworks Cam what operation to use. That will allow my work flow to stay the same from concept to the machine.
Hey Grace,
To be fair this really is not a SOLIDWORKS Concept. It was not developed by SW. It is CAMWorks that has been tweaked by SW. I'm sure with time it will end up being more like SW.
As far as what you are describing it works very similar. Since CAMWorks/SW CAM is a feature based CAM package you must create a feature for that specific operation. It works exactly like you are describing except not the toolpath operation itself. You specify that you are working with a pocket, hole, boss for example and make the surface/face selections and it then creates the toolpath. From there a rough and contour are typically created and you can delete the roughing if you desire. If you never want the roughing for that type of operation you can save the operation back to the Technology Database and it will remember the settings for that feature following those parameters. So in theory its working very similar to what you are describing except not with the specific toolpath operation like contour. Once a feature has been created then you can do so but there needs to be a feature first in order to work like that.
I hope that helps.
-Derek