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      <title>Streamline overview</title>
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      <div class="title_topic5" id="xps10_pagetitle">Streamline overview</div>
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               <p class="para_td">Overview</p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/streamline_list_ht.html');return(false);">How To </a></p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/streamline_drive_method_dialog.html');return(false);">Options </a></p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/streamline_list_rt.html');return(false);">Related Topics </a></p>
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      </table><br><p class="para_topic">The <b class="uiTerm">Streamline</b> drive method builds an implied drive surface from the selected geometry. <b class="uiTerm">Streamline</b> enables completely flexible tool path creation. A well ordered grid of regular faces is not required.
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         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/itp_wheel_center.gif"></p>
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      <div class="title_figure">Streamline example: large face surrounded by many small irregular faces</div>
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         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/streamlineinsteadofsurfacearea.gif"></p>
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      <div class="title_figure">Close-up of tool path at fillets</div>
      <p class="para_topic">Differences between the <b class="uiTerm">Streamline</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Surface Area</b> drive methods include:
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Surface Area</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Streamline</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Can only work with surfaces.</p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Can work with curves, edges, points, and surfaces.</p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Has <b class="uiTerm">On</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Tanto</b> tool positions.
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                  <p class="para_td">In addition to <b class="uiTerm">On</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Tanto</b> tool positions, allows a <b class="uiTerm">Contact</b> tool position for fixed axis machining.
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                  <p class="para_td">Requires a well-ordered grid of surfaces. The surfaces must match corner-to-corner, and you must select them in a specific order.</p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Does not require a well-ordered grid of surfaces. (Notice the example above.) You can machine any collection of flow/cross curves or surfaces that together form a 2, 3, or 4 sided drive surface. Streamline also handles configurations where 2 or more closed flow sets or surfaces define a drive surface.</p>
                  <p class="para_td"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/streamline_flow-cross_ok-3.gif" border="0"></p>
                  <p class="para_td">See<a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/streamline_flow_cross_curves.html');return(false);"> Flow and cross curve examples</a> for more details.
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                  <p class="para_td">Does not support <b class="uiTerm">Cut Area</b>.
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                  <p class="para_td">Allows selection of <b class="uiTerm">Cut Area</b> faces. Cut area faces are used as containment geometry while the cut area boundaries are used for <b class="uiTerm">Automatic</b> generation of Flow and Cross curve sets. In addition, the software makes part geometry outside of the Cut Area transparent to the Projection module which greatly facilitates tool path generation in the occluded areas.
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                  <p class="para_td">Does not handle gaps.</p>
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                  <p class="para_td">The software automatically fills the gaps within Flow and Cross curve sets.</p>
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      </table><br><div class="title_division">Variable Streamline</div>
      <p class="para_division"><b class="uiTerm">Variable Streamline</b> supports all the <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/tlax.html');return(false);"><b class="uiTerm">Tool Axis</b></a> options available in variable axis surface contouring.
      </p>
      <div class="title_division">Automatic drive surface creation</div>
      <p class="para_division">For simpler machining, select a cut area and set <b class="uiTerm">Selection Method</b> to <b class="uiTerm">Automatic</b>. The software:
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         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Derives flow and cross curve sets from the Cut Area boundary edges.</p>
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         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Eliminates holes and small internal trim areas.</p>
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         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Fills small gaps and smooths out small kinks within flow and cross curve sets.</p>
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
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                  <p class="para_note_body">If the <b class="uiTerm">Cut Area</b> geometry is selected from several disconnected areas, the software identifies and processes a single contiguous area that has the longest periphery. All other areas are ignored.
                  </p>
                  <p class="para_note_body">If the <b class="uiTerm">Cut Area</b> geometry is selected from different bodies, <b class="uiTerm">Automatic</b> treats them as disconnected.
                  </p>
                  <p class="para_note_body">You can use <b class="uiTerm">Specify</b> to manually define curve sets with gaps or to select curves from multiple bodies.
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                  <p class="para_note_body">See <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/itp_curve_selection_tips.html');return(false);">Tips for selecting curve sets with gaps</a> for more information.
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      <div class="title_division">Manual drive surface creation</div>
      <p class="para_division">For more precise control of the tool path, set <b class="uiTerm">Selection Method</b> to <b class="uiTerm">Specify</b> and manually define the section curves for the drive surface. The software fills small gaps and smooths out small kinks within flow and cross curve sets.
      </p>
      <p class="para_division">You define a drive surface for the <b class="uiTerm">Streamline</b> drive method by selecting <b class="uiTerm">Flow</b> (A) and optional <b class="uiTerm">Cross</b> (B) curves. Select face edges, wireframe curves, or points to create any number of flow and cross curve combinations. If you don&rsquo;t select cross curves, the software connects the flow curve ends with linear segments (C).
      </p>
      <p class="para_division"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/mfg_cm5010_flow1.gif" border="0"> <img align="bottom" src="graphics/mfg_cm5010_flow2.gif" border="0"></p>
      <p class="para_division">With manual drive surface creation:</p>
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            <p class="para_item">If you specify a cut area it acts as containment.</p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">You can machine from wireframe only. It is not necessary to select part geometry.</p>
            <p class="para_item"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/curvesonlynopartnofaces423.gif" border="0"></p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">If you select part geometry, wireframe curves are projected (along the specified <b class="uiTerm">Projection Vector</b>) onto the part geometry.
            </p>
            <p class="para_item"></p>
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      <div class="title_division">Tool path generation</div>
      <p class="para_division">By default, the tool path starts at the first cross curve and travels along the flow curves until it reaches the final cross curve, then adds a stepover and makes the next pass. You can change the tool path direction as desired with the <b class="uiTerm">Specify Cut Direction</b> vectors.
      </p>
      <div class="title_division">Where do I find it?</div>
      <p class="para_division">Click <b class="uiTerm">Create Operation</b> <img align="bottom" src="../graphic_library/icons/toolbars/manufacturing/manufacturing_create/create_operation.gif" border="0"> on the <b class="uiTerm">Manufacturing Create</b> toolbar.
      </p>
      <p class="para_division">In the <b class="uiTerm">Create Operation</b> dialog box:
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            <p class="para_item">To create a fixed axis operation select <b class="uiTerm">mill_contour</b> from the <b class="uiTerm">Type</b> list and select <b class="uiTerm">STREAMLINE</b> <img align="bottom" src="../graphic_library/icons/dialogs/manufacturing/create_operation/streamline.gif" border="0"> from the <b class="uiTerm">Operation Subtype</b> group.
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         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">To create a variable axis operation, select <b class="uiTerm">mill_multi-axis</b> from the <b class="uiTerm">Type</b> list and select <b class="uiTerm">VARIABLE_STREAMLINE</b> <img align="bottom" src="../graphic_library/icons/dialogs/manufacturing/create_operation/variable_streamline.gif" border="0"> from the <b class="uiTerm">Operation Subtype</b> group.
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