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      <title>Start/Drill Points page</title>
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      <div class="title_topic3" id="xps10_pagetitle">Start/Drill Points page</div>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/noncut_moves_ov.html');return(false);">Overview</a></p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/ncm_list_opt.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/ncm_list_rt.html');return(false);">Related Topics</a></p>
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      </table><br><p class="para_topic">You can specify multiple start points and pre-drill points, and they line up by default.</p>
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Overlap Distance</b> group
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Overlap Distance</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Specifies how far to overlap the end of a cut to blend with the start.</p>
                  <p class="para_td">The Overlap Distance will assure a full cleanup at the point where engage and retract moves occur. The value you specify represents the total overlap distance as illustrated below. The paths overlap equally on each side of the original start point of the cutting path (distance A below). Overlap is implemented whenever Automatic engage and retract moves are used.</p>
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                  <div class="title_figure">Overlap Distance for Engage and Retract</div>
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Region Start Points</b> group specifies where to start machining.
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Default Region Start</b></p>
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                        <p class="para_item"><b class="uiTerm">Midpoint</b> (default)
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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">When cutting closed shapes in Cavity Milling and Zlevel Milling, NX tries to locate <b class="uiTerm">Mid Point</b> start points on the longest linear segment for a shape of a machinable region at each cut level. If the system can't find the longest linear segment, it looks for the longest length segment. This provides more room for circular engages and retracts, and decreases the chance of starting in a corner. 
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                        <p class="para_item"><b class="uiTerm">Corner</b></p>
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      </table><br><table base="file:///D:/perforce/workdocs/XPS/products/nx/nx5/english/tdoc/mfgmilling/entities/ncm_specify_point_ent.xml" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="2" width="100%" align="center">
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Specify Point</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Specifies the point either by selecting predefined points, or by defining the point using the <b class="uiTerm">Point Constructor</b>.
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">List</b> displays the specified points, and allows deleting unwanted points.
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Effective Distance</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Select <b class="uiTerm">Specify</b> to enter a maximum value for the software to ignore points outside that distance. Select <b class="uiTerm">None</b> and any point will be used.
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Pre&ndash;Drill Points</b> represent pre&ndash;drilled holes for the cutter to drop into and start machining without any special engage.
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      </table><br><table base="file:///D:/perforce/workdocs/XPS/products/nx/nx5/english/tdoc/mfgmilling/entities/ncm_specify_point_ent.xml" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="2" width="100%" align="center">
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Specify Point</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Specifies the point either by selecting predefined points, or by defining the point using the <b class="uiTerm">Point Constructor</b>.
                  </p>
                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">List</b> displays the specified points, and allows deleting unwanted points.
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      </table><br><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>
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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"> 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>
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      <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.
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      <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>
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         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl53.gif"></p>
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      <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.
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         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_figurespl54.gif"></p>
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      <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. 
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      <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>
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