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      <title>Control Geometry options</title>
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      <div class="title_topic3" id="xps10_pagetitle">Control Geometry options</div>
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      <div class="title_division">Points</div>
      <p class="para_division">Pre-Drill engage points allow the tool to descend along the tool axis into a vacancy where it can begin a pocketing cut. Region Start Points determine the proximity of engages and step overs. Both methods allow you to specify depth values that determine which cut levels utilize these points. Points displays a dialog box containing the options described below.</p>
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               <p class="para_th">Pre-Drill Engage Points</p>
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            <td colspan="1" rowspan="1" valign="top">
               <p class="para_td">Specifies engage locations within previously drilled holes or other vacancies in the Blank material</p>
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            <th colspan="1" rowspan="1" valign="top">
               <p class="para_th">Cut Region Start Points</p>
            </th>
            <td colspan="1" rowspan="1" valign="top">
               <p class="para_td">Defines the tool engage position and the step over direction by specifying Custom or Default Start Points</p>
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      </table><br><div class="title_division">Pre-Drill Engage Points (Pocketing only)</div>
      <p class="para_division">Pre-Drill Engage Points enable you to specify engage locations within previously drilled holes or other vacancies in the Blank material. The defined point projects along the tool axis to the Clearance Plane where it positions the tool. The tool descends along the tool axis into the vacancy and moves directly to the processor determined start point for each cut level. Pre-Drill Engage Points are not applied to Profile and Standard Drive Cut Types.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl50.gif"></p>
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      <div class="title_figure">Pre-Drill Engage Point</div>
      <p class="para_division">In the above figure, the tool:</p>
      <ol type="1" start="1">
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Descends into the pre-drilled hole to cut level 1</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Moves to the processor determined start point for level 1.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Begins a Follow Periphery pattern with an Outward direction.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Retracts.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Traverses to the next pre-drilled hole.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Descends to the next cut level (2) and moves to the processor determined start point for that level and so on.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Repeats as necessary.</p>
         </li>
      </ol>
      <p class="para_division">If you specify multiple Pre-Drill engage points, the point closest to the processor determined start point for that region is used. The tool uses the Pre-Drill engage points only when descending to cut levels within the specified depth. Once the cut levels exceed the specified depth, the processor disregards the Pre-Drill Engage Points and uses the processor determined start point. Pre-Drill Engage Points are active only when the Engage Method is set to Automatic.</p>
      <table border="0">
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
            <td valign="bottom" align="left" width="100%">
               <div class="para_note">
                  <p class="para_note_body"> NOTE: These Pre-drilled engage points are not utilized by the Predrill Points option in the Point to Point drilling module. The Point to Point module only utilizes the system generated predrill points created in Planar and Cavity Mill using the options Engage/Retract, Method&gt; Pre-drill.</p>
                  <p class="para_note_body"></p>
               </div>
            </td>
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      </table>
      <div class="title_division">Active</div>
      <p class="para_division">Active indicates that the tool will use the specified control points to engage the material.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Display</div>
      <p class="para_division">Display allows you to highlight all of the control points along with their associated point numbers as temporary screen displays for visual reference.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Edit</div>
      <p class="para_division">Edit allows you to specify and delete Pre-Drill Engage Points. Edit does not enable you to move points or change attributes of existing points. You must Remove existing points and Append new ones. Edit displays the Pre-Drill Engage Points dialog box containing the following options.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Append allows you to initially specify points as well as add points later.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Remove allows you to delete points. Use the cursor to select the points to be removed.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Point/Arc allows you to specify the Pre-Drill Engage Point at an existing point or at the center of an existing arc.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Cursor allows you to use the cursor indicate a point position on the XC-YC plane of the WCS.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Generic Point allows you to use the Point Constructor Subfunction to define associative or nonassociative points.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Depth allows you to enter a value that determines the range of cut levels that will utilize the Pre-Drill Engage Point. The system utilizes the Pre-Drill Engage Point for cut levels at or within the specified Depth. The system disregards the Pre-Drill Engage Point for cut levels below the specified Depth. You may apply the Pre-Drill Engage Point to all cut levels by entering a large enough Depth value or by leaving the Depth value at the default of zero.</p>
      <p class="para_division">The system measures the depth along the tool axis from the top level plane whether that plane is defined by the highest Part boundary or by the Blank boundary as illustrated below.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl51.gif"></p>
      </div>
      <div class="title_figure">Depth</div>
      <p class="para_division">In the above figure, the Depth is measured from the plane defined by the Blank boundary. The Pre-Drill Engage Point is utilized for Cut Level 1 because this cut level is within the specified depth. Cut Level 2, however, does not utilize the Pre-Drill Engage Point because this cut level is below the specified depth. Instead, Cut Level 2 uses the processor determined start point.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Be sure to set the depth value before you specify a point, otherwise the depth value will not be attributed to the Pre-Drill Engage Point.</p>
      <table border="0">
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
            <td valign="bottom" align="left" width="100%">
               <div class="para_note">
                  <p class="para_note_body"> NOTE: You cannot edit the Depth of an existing Pre-Drill Engage Point. To specify a new depth, you must Remove the existing point and then Append a new point in its place, being sure to set the new Depth value before specifying the new point.</p>
               </div>
            </td>
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      </table>
      <p class="para_division">Reselect allows you to discard all of the previously defined points and select new control points.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Information allows you to review a list of all of the control points and their associated point numbers, absolute and work coordinate values, and depth attributes.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Display allows you to highlight all of the control points along with their associated point numbers as temporary screen displays for visual reference.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Cut region start points</div>
      <p class="para_division">You can define the tool engage position and the step over direction by specifying custom or default region start points. Custom enables you to determine the proximity in which the tool approaches the wall of each cut region, while the Default options (Standard or Automatic) allows the system to determine the start points automatically. Region start points apply to all patterns (Zig-Zag, Follow Part, Profile, etc.).</p>
      <table border="0">
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
            <td valign="bottom" align="left" width="100%">
               <div class="para_note">
                  <p class="para_note_body"> NOTE: Since Zig and Zig with Contour rigorously maintain a Climb, Conventional, Forward, or Reverse cut, specifying a Cut Region Start Point will not affect the initial cut direction for these two cut types.</p>
               </div>
            </td>
         </tr>
      </table>
      <p class="para_division">Custom start points do not necessarily define the exact engage position, but rather the general area in which the tool engages. The system determines the exact position for each cut region based on the start point location, the specified <b class="uiTerm">Cut Pattern</b>, and shape of the cut region. If multiple start points are specified, each cut region uses the closest point to the cut region.
      </p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl52.gif"></p>
      </div>
      <div class="title_figure">Cut Region Start Points, Profile Cut Pattern</div>
      <p class="para_division">In the above figure, the system uses custom start point A to define the engage position for cut level 1, and custom start point B to define the engage position for cut levels 2 and 3. Because the tool cannot position exactly to point A or B, the system defines an engage position for each region as closely as possible to the nearest region start point.</p>
      <p class="para_division">The system determines the nearest Custom Cut Region Start Point by measuring the distance in a 2D plane normal to the tool axis. It does not determine the nearest start point by measuring the shortest 3D distance. In the following figure for example, the system considers both start points (A and B) to be equal distance from the cut region when measured in the XC-YC plane even though point A is actually farther away (in the ZC direction) from the cut region.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl53.gif"></p>
      </div>
      <div class="title_figure">Nearest Cut Region Start Point Measured in a 2D Plane</div>
      <p class="para_division">Custom start points also determine the location of the step over move between passes of <b class="uiTerm">Follow Periphery</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Follow Part</b> when <b class="uiTerm">Region Sequencing</b> is set to <b class="uiTerm">Follow Start Points</b>. The following figure illustrates a <b class="uiTerm">Follow Periphery</b> pattern.
      </p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl54.gif"></p>
      </div>
      <div class="title_figure">Stepover Direction</div>
      <p class="para_division">When <b class="uiTerm">Region Connection</b> is <b class="uiTerm">Optimize</b>, the processor finds an optimal way to connect passes while cutting one machinable region. 
      </p>
      <p class="para_division">To specify custom cut region start points, select Points in the Planar or Cavity Mill dialog box and Edit in the Cut Region Start Points section of the Control Geometry dialog box. You may then specify the Upper and Lower Depth and then define the points.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Active, Display</div>
      <p class="para_division">Active and Display function in exactly the same way as described in Pre-Drill Engage Points.</p>
      <div class="title_division">Edit</div>
      <p class="para_division">All Edit options for Cut Region Start Points work in exactly the same way as the Edit options described under Pre-Drill Engage Points except for Upper Depth and Lower Depth which replace the Depth option in the Pre-Drill Engage Points dialog box.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Upper Depth and Lower Depth define the range of cut levels that utilize the Custom Cut Region Start Point. Only the cut levels falling on or between these depths utilize the Custom Cut Region Start Point. If both Upper and Lower Depth values are set to zero (default), then the Cut Region Start Point applies to all levels. Cut levels falling outside of this Upper and Lower range use the Default Cut Region Start Point. Be sure to set the depth values before you specify a point, otherwise the depth values will not be attributed to the Cut Region Start Point.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Upper Depth allows you to specify the upper limit to the depth range where the current Custom Cut Region Start Point can be used. This depth is measured along the tool axis from the highest level plane whether defined by a Blank boundary or a Part boundary. The Custom Cut Region Start Point will not be used for any Cut Level above the Upper Depth.</p>
      <p class="para_division">Lower Depth allows you to specify the lower limit to the depth range where the current Custom Cut Region Start Point can be used. This depth is measured along the tool axis from the highest level plane whether defined by a Blank boundary or a Part boundary. The Custom Cut Region Start Point will not be used if the current Cut Level is below the Lower Depth.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl55.gif"></p>
      </div>
      <div class="title_figure">Custom Cut Region Start Point Applies Only to Cut Levels 1 and 2</div>
      <table border="0">
         <tr>
            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
            <td valign="bottom" align="left" width="100%">
               <div class="para_note">
                  <p class="para_note_body"> NOTE: You cannot edit the Depth values of an existing Custom Cut Region Start Point. To specify new depth values, you must Remove the existing point and then Append a new point in its place, being sure to set the new Depth values before specifying the new point.</p>
               </div>
            </td>
         </tr>
      </table>
      <div class="title_division">Default</div>
      <p class="para_division">Default allows you to specify one of two methods for the system to automatically determine Cut Region Start Points. The system uses the Standard or Automatic Default Cut Region Start Point only when there are no Custom Cut Region Start Point defined (the Active button is turned off) and for cut levels that do not fall within the Upper and Lower Depth range. You can set the Default to one of the following two options.</p>
      <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl56.gif"></p>
      <p class="para_division">Standard establishes the Cut Region Start Point as closely as possible to the start point of the region boundary. The shape of the boundary, Cut Pattern, and position of islands and pockets may influence how closely the system positions the Cut Region Start Point to the Boundary Start Point. Moving the Boundary Start Point affects the location of the Cut Region Start Point. In the following figure for example, moving the Boundary Start Point can prevent the tool from becoming embedded in the corner of the part.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl57.gif"></p>
      </div>
      <div class="title_figure">Standard Cut Region Start Point</div>
      <p class="para_division">Automatic assures that the tool will stepover or engage the part at a location least likely to cause the tool to become buried in the material. It establishes the Cut Region.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl58.gif"></p>
      </div>
      <div class="title_figure">Automatic Cut Region Start Point</div>
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