Ordering Zones

This task will show you how to set the order in which the zones on a part are machined.
Zones can be either pockets or the outer part.
This is only an example. The menus available and the setup of the dialog boxes may change depending
on the workbench you are working in.
You can only order sweep areas.
Areas that will be machined with a path of ZLevel type and horizontal areas cannot be ordered.
You must have a part that has a point or a plane defined in the each of the zones you want to select.

 

 

  1. Open ZoneOrder.CATProcess from the samples directory.

  2. Click the Roughing icon .

  3. Click the red sensitive area and select the whole part to be machined.

  4. Click Zone order

    and select the zones to machine by clicking on the point in each as shown below:

    When you select a face, an annotation appears. If this annotation is not in the pocket to be machined, you must create a point in this pocket and select it as explained above.

  5. Click Replay. The zones will be machined in the order they were selected. 

  6. Use the Video from last saved function ()  to check that the zones were machined in the right order.

  7. Now create another Roughing cycle with the same ordered zones and, in Zone order contextual menu,
    deactivate the Machine only ordered areas option. 

  8. Click Replay.

    • Note that the whole part is machined (including the outside of the part)
      and not only the zones you ordered.
    • If a tool path cannot be computed because of invalid faces,
      an explicit error message like this one will appear: