WHATSNEWINARTCAMPRO8

What's New in

ArtCAM Pro 8.0

By Delcam plc

Issue: 8.000f Date: 30/03/05

DisclaimerDelcam plc has no control over the use made of the software described inthis manual and cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damagehowsoever caused as a result of using the software. Users are advised thatall the results from the software should be checked by a competentperson, in accordance with good quality control procedures.Information contained in this manual is subject to change without noticeand does not represent a commitment by Delcam plc. The softwaredescribed in this manual is furnished under licence agreement and may beused or copied in accordance with the terms of such licence. No part ofthis manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by anymeans, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording,for any purpose without the express permission of Delcam plc.

Copyright 2005 Delcam plc. All rights reserved.Delcam plcTalbot WaySmall Heath Business ParkBirmingham B10 0HJEnglandTel: (UK) 0121-766-5544

(Int) +44 (0) 121-766-5544

What's New in ArtCAM Pro 8.0 Contents i

Contents

Introduction 1Overview..........................................................................................1

New Features 3New Fade Relief Tool ......................................................................3New Mirror Merge Relief Tool........................................................7Improved Constant Height Lettering ...............................................9Multiple Relief and Bitmap Undo/Redo........................................10New Maximum Diameter for Sculpting Tools ..............................11New 2D Bitmap Contrast Tool ......................................................11Enhanced Zooming ........................................................................12New Toolpath Ordering .................................................................13New Colour 2D Toolpath Simulation............................................14Improved Arc Creation ..................................................................16Enhanced Nesting with Sheets.......................................................18Enhanced Multiplate Tool with Sheets ..........................................23Enhanced Toolpath Lead Moves ...................................................25New Toggle Visibility for All Layers............................................25

Tutorial Combining and Fading Reliefs 27Overview........................................................................................27

Preparing the Model ............................................................27Importing the Reliefs ...........................................................28Fading the Relief..................................................................32Re-importing the Relief .......................................................36

Index 39

What's New in ArtCAM Pro 8.0 Introduction 1

Introduction

OverviewArtCAM Pro 8.0 offers all the original features of ArtCAM Pro 7.0and the following new features:

New Fade Relief Tool. You can now quickly fade andfeather an existing relief, providing a tapered effect.

New Mirror Merge Relief Tool. You can now mirror anexisting relief in several different directions.

Improved Constant Height Lettering. ArtCAM Pronow adjusts the angle and height of the letter when a sharpcorner is found in the vector text from which it is beingcalculated. ArtCAM Pro also preserves the integrity of theconstant height associated with the vector text's spine.

Multiple Relief and Bitmap Undo/Redo. You can nowcancel a sequence of relief or bitmap editing actions, orrepeat them. This allows you to experiment with modifyingyour relief with the safety of being able to revert to aprevious state at any time.

New Maximum Diameter for Sculpting Tools. Themaximum diameter of ArtCAM Pro's range of sculptingtools has been increased, allowing you to sculpt large reliefareas quickly.

New 2D Bitmap Contrast Tool. You can now adjust thecontrast of a bitmap image shown in the 2D View windowusing a slider on the 2D View toolbar.

Enhanced Zooming. The magnification of the Zoom InTool on the 2D View toolbar has been improved, allowing

2 Introduction What's New in ArtCAM Pro 8.0

you to apply a zoom factor of up to 40 on an area of yourvector and bitmap artwork.

New Toolpath Ordering. You can now control the orderin which your toolpaths are machined.

New Colour 2D Toolpath Visualisation. You can nowdraw a toolpath in the 2D View window as a solid colour,which allows you to clearly see the areas of the vectorartwork that a selected tool will machine. This is useful forviewing toolpaths which include multiple tools and also foridentifying problem areas in a toolpath.

Improved Arc Creation. You can now create an arc bydefining its start point, exact radius and end point from the2D View window. You can also control the direction of thearc.

Enhanced Nesting with Sheets. ArtCAM Pro replacesthe concept of nesting vectors across separate layers withthat of nesting across sheets of material. The use of sheets isspecifically designed to mimic the use of sheets of material.

Enhanced Multiplate Tool with Sheets. ArtCAM Proreplaces the concept of creating plates across separate layerswith that of creating plates across sheets of material.

Enhanced Toolpath Lead Moves. You can now controlthe angle of linear lead moves that you add to a profile passwithin a toolpath strategy.

New Toggle Visibility for All Layers. You can nowtoggle the visibility of all layers in a model on and off atonce.

Only new features available in ArtCAM Pro are documented here. Forinformation on bug fixes, known bugs, corrections and compatibilityplease look at the release notes (readme.txt).For complete information about all other features see the in-line help,displayed in the Assistant window using the Show Help option,and the ArtCAM Pro Reference Manual.You can also find advice on using ArtCAM Pro on the ArtCAM UserForum. From the Main menu bar, click on the Help menu, followedby the ArtCAM Pro On The Web > ArtCAM Pro Forum option.If you have not yet registered as a Forum member, please click on theJoin option on the Forum's Home Page. You can also access theforum at http://forum.artcam.com.

What's New in ArtCAM Pro 8.0 New Features 3

New Features

New Fade Relief ToolArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to fade and feather all or part of a relief.You can control the strength and direction of the fade that is applied tothe relief.Before After

Coupled with the Envelope Distortion tool, the Fade Relief toolis particularly useful for adding perspective to your designs. It alsoallows you to graduate textures applied to the relief surface. Perhapsmost importantly, the ability to fade a relief assists in assuring that youremain within the constraints of a block of material when combiningreliefs.The Fade Relief tool is located in the Relief Editing area of theAssistant's Home page:

4 New Features What's New in ArtCAM Pro 8.0

To fade an area of the relief currently shown in the 3D View window:

1. Click on the Fade Relief button in the ReliefEditing area of the Assistant's Home Page to display theFade Relief page.

2. If you only want to fade a specific area of the relief, makesure that you draw and then select the vector that identifiesthe boundary of the fade. If you do not, the fade will beapplied to the entire relief.

3. In the Fade Strength area, set the strength of the fadeeffect that you want to apply to the relief using either of thefollowing methods:

Click and drag the slider to the right to increase thestrength of the fade, or click and drag to the left toreduce the strength of the fade or feather.

Type the percentage in the box.Using a strength of 100% will fade the relief to zero, whilsta strength of 0% will not fade the relief at all.

4. If you want to fade the relief in the opposite direction, clickto select the Reverse option . This option is deselectedby default.

5. In the Fade Type area, click to select the method you wantto use when fading the relief:

Linear this allows you to create a straight-edgedsloped shape between two defined points. The firstpoint identifies the original height of the relief,whilst the height at the second point depends on yourFade Strength setting.For example, take a row of six rectangular shapeseach with a height of 25 mm. If you create a linearfade horizontally across the relief surface applying astrength of 50%, the resulting height at the first pointis 25 mm whilst the height at the second point is 12.5mm.


Before After Linear Fade

Radial this allows you to create a convex orconcave shape, depending on whether you haveselected the Reverse option or not, using a definedcentre-point.If you select this method, you must click to select avector drawn in the 2D View to define the area ofthe relief in which you want to apply the fade.For example, applying a radial fade with a strengthof 100% to a textured relief within a selected circularvector produces the following results:

Greyscale of Textured Relief Selected Radial Vector


Radial Fade Radial Fade Reversed

Between Boundaries this allows you to create aconvex or concave shape between two closedvectors, depending on whether you have selected theReverse option or not.If you select this method, you must click to selecttwo vectors drawn in the 2D View to define the areaof the relief between which you want to apply thefade.For example, applying a fade with a strength of100% to a textured relief between a selected circularvector and a rectangular vector produces thefollowing results:

Greyscale of Textured Relief Selected Vector Boundaries


Fade Between Boundaries Fade Between Boundaries Reversed

6. In the Options area, define the point(s) in the model areathat you want to use to control the position and direction ofthe fade.Use the following method when creating a linear fade:

First, click on the Start button. Next, move the cursor over the location in the model

area that you want to define as the start point, andthen click. The co-ordinates of the point aredisplayed in the Fade From area.

Finally, move the cursor over the location in themodel area that you want to define as the end point,and then click. The co-ordinates of the point aredisplayed in the Fade To area.

Use the following method when creating a radial fade: First, click on the Select Centre button. Next, move the cursor over the location in the model

area that you want to define as the centre point, andthen click. Typically, this will be inside of theselected vector used to define the radial fade area.The co-ordinates of the point are displayed in the Xand Y area.

7. Click on the Create button to fade the relief according tothe settings on the page.

8. Click on the Close button to return to the Assistant'sHome page.

New Mirror Merge Relief ToolArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to copy and mirror different halves of arelief. This allows you to create repetitive symmetrical designs very


quickly, and means that you now only need to create a partial relief inorder to output a complete relief design.For example, you can create a full weave pattern relief using a partialweave pattern relief occupying only a quarter of the model area in twosteps:(1). Original WeaveRelief

(2). Mirror Relieffrom Left to Right

(3). Mirror Relieffrom Top to Bottom

The Mirror Merge Relief tool is located in the Relief Operationsarea of the Assistant's Home page:

To mirror the relief currently shown in one half of the model area overto its opposite half:

1. Click on the Mirror Merge Relief button in theRelief Operations area of the Assistant's Home Page todisplay the Mirror Merge Relief page.

2. Click on the button associated with how you want to mirrorthe relief:

Click on the button to mirror the relief from theleft side of the model area to the right.

Click on the button to mirror the relief from theright side of the model area to the left.


Click on the button to mirror the top half of themodel area to the bottom half.

Click on the button to mirror the bottom half ofthe model area to the top.


Improved Constant Height LetteringArtCAM Pro 8.0 offers a vast improvement in constant-heightlettering over that produced in previous versions of ArtCAM Pro.The ISO-FORM Letters button is located in the Relief Creationarea of the Assistant's Home page:

ArtCAM Pro now adjusts the angle and height of the letter when asharp corner is found in the vector text from which it is beingcalculated. ArtCAM Pro also preserves the integrity of the constantheight associated with the vector text's spine. In creating constantheight lettering this way, the drastic tabs or 'wings' that couldpreviously result on the serifs within the three-dimensional letter areno longer evident.For example, you can see below just how different the top-right areaof a letter 'M' now appears:Constant Height Letter inArtCAM Pro 7.0

Constant Height Letter inArtCAM Pro 8.0


Multiple Relief and Bitmap Undo/RedoArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to perform a sequence of relief or bitmapediting techniques without having to apply each of your changes inturn.To cancel each of your consecutive editing actions, workingbackwards:

Click on the Undo button in the File area of theAssistant's Home Page.

To repeat each of the editing actions you have previously cancelled insuccession, working forwards:

Click on the Redo button in the File area of theAssistant's Home Page.

The number of times that you can undo or redo your actions dependson the size of the 'scratch' file associated with ArtCAM Pro, as well asthe magnitude of your editing. For example, a sequence of smallchanges to the relief or bitmap will store more undo actions than largermodifications.To set the size of the 'scratch' file associated with the Undo andRedo buttons:

1. Click on the Options button in the File area of theAssistant's Home Page to display the ArtCAM Optionspage.

2. In the Scratch File Settings area, type the amount ofspace that you want to allocate on your computer to thetemporary scratch file. The default size is 100mb.The scratch file is stored in the Temp directory associatedwith the User currently logged-in to Windows. For example,C:Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Temp.

3. Click on the Apply button, followed by the icon at thebottom of the page to apply your settings and return to theAssistant's Home Page.


New Maximum Diameter for SculptingTools

ArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to sculpt a much larger surface area in arelief using the familiar collection of Interactive Sculpting tools.In previous versions of ArtCAM Pro, the maximum diameter of asculpting tool was 100 pixels. The maximum tool diameter has nowbeen increased to 200 pixels, allowing you to sculpt a large area of arelief far more efficiently.Tool Diameter at 100% inArtCAM Pro 7.0

Tool Diameter at 100% inArtCAM Pro 8.0

This increase in tool diameter allows you to sculpt a surface area witha single stroke up to 400% larger than in previous versions ofArtCAM Pro.

New 2D Bitmap Contrast ToolArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to adjust the contrast of a bitmap imageshown in the 2D View window, making it far easier to draw vectoroutlines representing specific areas within the bitmap image.The contrast command changes the amount of shading applied to abitmap image shown in the 2D View window. You can use it to blurthe image, to make colours appear more saturated.


2D Bitmap Contrast slider set at100%

2D Bitmap Contrast slider set at50%

The ability to adjust the contrast of a bitmap image from withinArtCAM Pro greatly reduces the need to edit the image elsewherebefore it is imported. It is a particularly useful tool when working withscanned or faxed data.The 2D Bitmap Contrast slider is located on the far-right side of the2D View toolbar, as shown below:

To set the contrast applied to the bitmap image, click and drag on the2D Bitmap Contrast slider. Click and drag the slider to the right torestore the image to its original sharpness, or click and drag the sliderto the left to blur the image.

Enhanced ZoomingArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to focus on areas of vector and bitmapartwork in far greater detail. The maximum zoom factor associatedwith the Zoom In Tool is now forty times greater than thatpreviously available in ArtCAM Pro.


For example, within an overall model area of 8 feet (2400 mm) by 4feet (1220 mm), a zoomed area of 1 inch (25 mm) actually appears at0.001 inches (0.025 mm).The Zoom In Tool button is located on the far-left side of the 2DView toolbar, as shown below:

New Toolpath OrderingEach time a new toolpath is created or calculated it is listed on theToolpaths Home page. The previous toolpath is then moved down aposition in this list of toolpaths. This can often mean that the final listof toolpaths does not reflect the order in which you want to machine ajob.ArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to reset the order in which created andcalculated toolpaths are listed on the Toolpaths Home page to reflectexactly how you want to machine the job. This concept is very similarto that which is already employed when merging toolpaths.The toolpath-ordering buttons are located beneath the list of calculatedtoolpaths shown on the Toolpaths Home page.

To set the order in which created and calculated toolpaths are listed:1. Click to select the name of the toolpath that you want to

prioritise. Its name is highlighted in blue.2. Use the buttons on the page to set the position of the

toolpath in the list:

Click on the button to move the toolpathupwards.


Click on the button to move the toolpathdownwards.

New Colour 2D Toolpath SimulationArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to simulate calculated toolpaths in the 2DView window as a solid colour. This toolpath simulation method is amore informative display of the toolpath than that offered by thetraditional red wireframe drawing that made up a toolpath preview inprevious versions of ArtCAM Pro.

You can simulate any toolpath as a solid colour in the 2D Viewwindow providing that it has been calculated and a 2D Preview hasalso been created. The name of a calculated toolpath is shown on theToolpaths Home page in black. If it is shown in red, the toolpath hasnot yet been calculated and therefore cannot be simulated.The Draw Solid option is located beneath the list of calculatedtoolpaths shown on the Toolpaths Home page.

To simulate a toolpath in the 2D View window as a solid colour:1. Click to select the calculated toolpath listed on the

Toolpaths Home page that you want to simulate.


2. Click to select the Draw Solid option beneath the list ofcalculated toolpaths. If you only want to view a solid coloursimulation, make sure that the Draw Wireframe option isdeselected also.Using the Draw Solid option allows you to clearly see theareas of the vector artwork that the selected tool willmachine, and how effectively the toolpath reproduces theintegrity of the original design.In the example below, the solid colour simulation on the leftconfirms that we would need to use a tighter tolerance inour toolpath in order to preserve the profile of the letter. Theimage on the right shows the solid colour simulation of thesame toolpath after its tolerance has been adjusted.

Letter 'a' using a loosetolerance

Letter 'a' using a tightertolerance

3. If you want to change the colour of the solid toolpathsimulation, click on the colour spot beside the name of thetool used in the toolpath listed on the page to display theColor dialog box:


For details on using this dialog box, see "Assigning aColour To A Layer" in the Working with Models chapter ofthe Reference Manual.The default colour assigned to each and every tool usedwithin a toolpath is brown. However, if you assign a newcolour to a tool at any stage, this colour will be maintainedin all subsequent toolpaths listed on the Toolpaths Homepage in which the same tool is used. For example, if blue isassigned to a 3 mm End Mill tool, then the solid simulationfor all subsequent toolpaths using a 3 mm End Mill tool willalso be blue. This does not apply retrospectively, soprevious toolpaths using the same tool will not adopt thenewly assigned colour.

4. If you want to hide the solid toolpath simulation at any time,you can either:

Click to deselect the Show In 2D option beside thename of the calculated toolpath .

Click to deselect the Draw Solid option .

Improved Arc CreationArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to create an arc vector by defining itsstart point, end point and radius. You can also control the direction inwhich the arc is drawn.


The Create Arcs button is located in the Vector Editing area of theAssistant's Home page:

To create an arc by defining its start point, end point and radius:

1. Click on the Create Arcs button in the VectorEditing area of the Assistant's Home Page to display theArc Creation page.

2. In the Arc Type area, click to select the Start End Radius option. The Clockwise option and the Radiusbox are activated, while the editing boxes at the bottom ofthe page are greyed-out.

3. Define the direction of the arc. The arc is drawn in an anti-clockwise direction by default, meaning that theClockwise option is deselected . If you want to draw thearc in a clockwise direction from its start point, make surethat the Clockwise option is selected .


4. Type the radius of the arc you want to create in the Radiusbox.

5. Move the cursor over the model area and click on theposition that you want to set as the arcs start point. The Xand Y co-ordinates of the point are displayed in the StartPoint area of the page.

6. Move the cursor over the model area and click on theposition that you want to set as the arc's end point. The Xand Y co-ordinates of the point are displayed in the EndPoint area of the page.

7. If you want to see a preview image of the arc before it isdrawn, click on the Preview button.

8. If you want to draw the arc and remain in arc creation mode,click on the Create button. If you want to draw the arc andreturn to the Assistant's Home page, right-click on yourmouse.

Enhanced Nesting with SheetsIn the previous version of ArtCAM Pro, vectors were nested acrossseparate layers. ArtCAM Pro 8.0 replaces the concept of nestingvectors across separate layers with that of nesting across sheets ofmaterial.In light of this change, you will notice that the Multi Sheets intoLayers option previously found on the Nesting page has beenremoved altogether.Sheets of nested vectors are listed on the Layers page, and only onesheet can be active at a time. ArtCAM Pro merges all sheetscontaining an identical number and layout of nested vectors into asingle sheet, and names it so that you can easily identify what of theoriginal nested sheet output makes up the merged sheet.Using sheets is a far more efficient concept for handling parts. Forexample, a cabinet project might comprise of thirty panels nestedacross five sheets of wood. If we were to display all five sheetssimultaneously, the 2D View would be incredibly congested and itwould be impossible for us to determine the purpose of any singlesheet. By displaying only one sheet at a time, the purpose of eachsheet is made explicit.


To nest a selection of vectors onto multiple sheets:

1. Make sure that you are in Select Vectors mode . Fordetails, see "Selecting Vectors" in the Working with Vectorschapter of the Reference Manual.

2. Click on the Nest Selected Vectors button in thePosition Size Align Vectors area of the Assistant'sHome Page to display the Nesting page.

Note: You can also display the Nesting page from the Main menubar, by clicking on the Vectors menu followed by the NestVectors option.

3. If the current model area does not represent the piece ofmaterial in which you want to nest objects:

First, draw and select the vector representing thepiece of material you have available to machine.

Next, hold down the Shift key down on yourkeyboard and select all of the vectors that you wantto nest within the selected vector.

By default, selected vectors are always nested within thevector you select first in the 2D View window.If the model area (the white area) shown in the 2D View isrepresentative of your exact material dimensions:

Click to select the Model is Sheet option . Select all of the vectors that you want to nest within

the model area.In the following example, the model area represents ourmaterial. We can see that all of the vectors we want to nestwithin the model area are selected.


4. Define the diameter of the cutting tool that you are using tomachine the nested vectors in the Diameter (D) box.

5. Define the amount of additional material that you want tosurround each of the nested vectors in the Tool Clearance(C) box.If you want to allow the selected vectors to be rotatedduring the nesting process, click to select the Allow PartRotation option and then define the increment by whichyou want ArtCAM Pro to rotate the vectors in the StepAngle (A) box.For example, if the Step Angle (A) is defined as 90,ArtCAM Pro attempts to nest the vectors, rotating them by0, 90, 180 and 270 in sequence.This and the remaining options on the page provideArtCAM Pro with flexibility when fitting vectors into theavailable space.

6. If you want to allow the selected vectors to be mirroredduring the nesting process, click to select the AllowMirrored Parts option .

7. If you want to allow the selected vectors to be nested insideof those vectors within the selection that have a centralcavity, click to select the Allow Parts in Parts option .


8. Click to select one of the following options from the NestFrom list box:

Bottom Left To nest the selected vectors from thebottom left corner of the material area.

Bottom Right To nest the selected vectors fromthe bottom right corner of the material area.

Top Left To nest the selected vectors from the topleft corner of the material area.

Top Right To nest the selected vectors from thetop right corner of the material area.

9. Click on the Nest Direction list box, and then on the axisalong which you want to nest the selected vectors.

10. Define how closely you want the cutting tool to maintain theshape of the nested vectors in the Curve Tolerance box.

11. If you want to nest a block of vector text or a group ofvectors exactly as it is shown in the 2D View window, clickto select the Don't nest inner vectors (preservegroups) option .

12. If you want to create a vector in the shape of the disposablematerial that remains after the selected vectors have beennested, click to select the Create Leftover MaterialVector option .

13. If you want to nest multiple copies of each of the selectedvectors, click to select the Nest Multiple Copies option

and then define the number of copies that you want tocreate in the box below.

14. If you want to group the vectors contained on each sheet,click to select the Group Nested Vectors option .

15. Click on the Nest button to nest the selected vectors ontosheets.The arrangement of the rows and columns of sheets shownin the 2D View window will vary according to the mosteconomical use of the available space.In our example, we have allowed for part rotation using astep angle of 45 degrees only. The default sheet and the foursheets of nested vectors are arranged as shown:


Each sheet of nested vectors is listed on the Layers page.You can control which sheet of nested vectors is shown inthe 2D View window by clicking to select the name of thespecific Sheet you want to view from the Active Sheet listbox. Only one sheet can be active at any given time,although it is possible to preview the contents of all sheets.You can only edit the vector artwork on the active sheet.In our example, the sheets are listed as shown with Sheet1selected as the active layer:


All identical sheets of nested vectors are merged into asingle sheet. For example, if the second, third and fourthsheet of nested vectors were identical, all of them would bemerged into a single sheet named Sheets 2 to 4.

During the manufacturing process, you need only create thenecessary toolpath(s) using this single sheet and machine itthree times to machine the required number of pieces.

16. Click on the Close button to return to the Assistant'sHome Page.

Enhanced Multiplate Tool with SheetsIn the previous version of ArtCAM Pro, plates were created acrossseparate layers. ArtCAM Pro 8.0 replaces the concept of creatingplates across separate layers with that of creating plates across sheetsof material. This same principle is now also applied when nestingvectors.After you have created the plates using your selected vector artworkand text data, each sheet of plates is listed on the Layers page.


You can control which sheet of plates is shown in the 2D Viewwindow by clicking to select the name of the specific PlateSheet youwant to view from the Active Sheet list box. You can only view onesheet of plates at a time. You can only edit the vector artwork on theactive sheet.The arrangement of the rows and columns of sheets shown in the 2DView window will vary according to the most economical use of theavailable space.For example, 186 plates divided across 4 sheets appear as follows:


Enhanced Toolpath Lead MovesArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to control the angle of linear lead movesthat you add to a profile pass within a toolpath strategy. To find outwhich toolpath strategies contain a profile pass, refer to the"Machining Models" chapter of the Reference Manual.

When editing lead moves associated with a profile pass used tomachine inside of a defined area, the distance of a linear lead move orthe radius of a circular arc move is now considered.When adjusting the position of a linear lead move, ArtCAM checks toensure that the distance of the lead move remains within the boundaryof the profile pass. If the current distance of the lead move intersectswith the profile pass, its distance will be cropped so that it does not.When adjusting the position of a circular arc lead move, ArtCAMchecks to ensure that the radius of the lead move remains within theboundary of the profile pass. If the current radius of the lead moveintersects with the profile pass, the lead move is converted to a linearmove instead with a distance that does not.

New Toggle Visibility for All LayersArtCAM Pro 8.0 allows you to control the visibility of each of thelayers that make up an ArtCAM model simultaneously. In previousversions of ArtCAM you could only control their visibilityindividually.


The Toggle All Visibility button is located above the list of layersshown on the Layers page. The Layers page is displayed by clickingon the Layers tab.Click on the Toggle All Visibility button to toggle the visibility ofall layers that make up a model either on or off.Toggle All Visibility ON Toggle All Visibility OFF

What's New in ArtCAM Pro 8.0 Tutorial Combining and Fading Reliefs 27

Tutorial Combiningand Fading Reliefs

OverviewThe following tutorial demonstrates how to combine two separatereliefs that typically exceed the limitations of a block of material, sothat they fit within the available block.The stages that you will cover during the course of this tutorial are:

Preparing the model Importing the reliefs Fading the relief Re-importing the relief

The tutorial will lead you through each of these stages, guiding youthrough the complete process of combining two separate reliefsoriginally created using the Face Wizard, and editing one of the reliefsusing the Fade Relief tool so that they both fit within the constraints ofthe material dimensions when combined.

Preparing the ModelFirst we will set up the dimensions of the ArtCAM model thatrepresents the block of material that we have available for thisparticular job:

1. Click on the Create New Model icon in the CreateNew Model area of the Assistant's Getting Startedpage to display the Size For New Model dialog box:

28 Tutorial Combining and Fading Reliefs What's New in ArtCAM Pro 8.0

2. Make sure that the Units option is selected according tothose units of measurement that you want to use (imperial ormetric).

3. Type 150 mm (6 inches) in both the Height (Y) and Width(X) box.

4. Click and drag on the Resolution slider to set theresolution of the model to 2534464 (1592 x 1592) points.

5. Click on the OK button to close the dialog box and createthe ArtCAM model file according to these dimensions.A 2D View window fills the previously empty designwindow area. This window represents the block of materialwhen viewed down the Z-axis. A 3D View window is alsocreated, and at present contains a three-dimensionalrepresentation of the relief's zero plane only.

Importing the ReliefsWe are now ready to import and combine two separate reliefs andcalculate their combined maximum Z height. We need to consider thatwe only have available a block of material 10 mm (0.4 inches) thick inwhich to machine the combined reliefs.

1. Click on the Load Relief button in the ReliefOperations area of the Assistant's Home page to displaythe Open dialog box.


2. Click on the Look in list box, and then browse to the FadeRelief folder within the Examples directory on yourArtCAM Pro 8.0 Installation CD.

3. Click to select the male.rlf file, followed by the Openbutton to display the Load Relief dialog box.

4. Make sure that the Pasting option is selected, and thenclick on the OK button to display the 3D Clipart dialogbox:


A red vector outline of the male head is also shown in the2D View window. This represents the area of the malerelief.

5. Click on the Mode tab, and make sure that the Add optionis selected in the Paste Mode area. This is the method wewant to use to combine the male head with the existingrelief in the model.

6. Click on the Paste button to add the relief to the model.7. Click on the Close button to close the 3D Clipart dialog

box.

8. Click on the Greyscale View button on the 2D Viewtoolbar to display a greyscale of the existing relief in the 2DView window.


We can see that the male head now makes up our relief. Inthe Project Information area of the Assistant's Homepage, we can see that the height of the relief is now 7.271mm (0.29 inches) or thereabouts. This is within theconstraints of our block of material.


10. Click on the Look in list box, and then browse to the FadeRelief folder within the Examples directory on yourInstallation CD.

11. Click to select the female.rlf file, followed by the Openbutton to display the Load Relief dialog box.

12. Make sure that the Pasting option is selected, and thenclick on the OK button to display the 3D Clipart dialogbox.

13. Click on the Mode tab, and make sure that the MergeHighest option is selected in the Paste Mode area. Thismethod allows us to merge the female head with the malehead, so that only the highest points in the two remain.

14. Click to select the From Current option in the Settingsarea. This instructs ArtCAM Pro to combine the femalehead with the existing relief from its highest point.

15. Click on the Paste button to combine the female relief withthe male relief, thus forming a new relief.


16. Click on the Close button to close the 3D Clipart dialogbox.

17. Press the F3 key on your keyboard to display the 3D Viewwindow.

18. Click on the Draw Zero Plane button on the 3D Viewtoolbar to hide the zero plane. The relief appears as follows:

In the Project Information area of the Assistant's Home page, wecan see that the height of the relief is now 11.679 mm (0.46 inches).Since we want to machine the relief in a block of material 10 mm (0.4inches) thick, we must scale its height somehow whilst preserving itsdetail.

Fading the ReliefSince the relief dimensions exceed that of our available block ofmaterial, we must undo our most recent relief changes. After we havedone this, we shall scale the height of the remaining male relief usingthe Fade Relief tool. We will use the outline of the previouslyimported female relief when doing so to determine the scope of thefade.

1. Press the F2 key on your keyboard to display the 2D Viewwindow. We can see a greyscale image of the combinedmale and female heads that make up the current relief.


2. Click on the Greyscale View button on the 2D Viewtoolbar to hide the greyscale image of the relief from the 2DView window. This will make it easier for us to view thevector artwork drawn in the model area.

3. Click to select the vector outline of the female relief. Thevector turns purple to indicate that it is selected.

4. Press the Ctrl + C keys on your keyboard to copy the vectorto the ArtCAM clipboard.

5. Press the Ctrl + Z keys on your keyboard to undo thecombination of the female relief with the male relief. Thiscompletely removes the female head from the existingrelief.


6. Press the Ctrl + V keys on your keyboard to paste thevector outline of the female relief back into the model area.We can now see the shape and position of the female head,although it is no longer part of the relief.

7. Click to select the vector outline of the male relief. Thevector turns purple to indicate that it is selected.

8. Click on the Fade Relief button in the ReliefEditing area of the Assistant's Home page to display theFade Relief page.

9. Type 80 in the Fade Strength box.10. Make sure that the Linear option is selected in the Fade

Type area by clicking on its radio button.11. Click on the Start button and then click on the two

positions shown below in turn to define the start and endpoints of the linear fade respectively:


First, move the cursor over to the position on thevector outline of the male head where the foreheadmeets the hairline and then click to define the startpoint. The point co-ordinates appear in the X and Yboxes in the Fade From area.

Second, move the cursor over to the centre of thevector outline of the female head and then click todefine the end point. The point co-ordinates appearin the X and Y boxes in the Fade To area.

12. Click on the Create button to fade the relief between thetwo defined points, creating a slight tapered effect across itssurface.


14. Press the F3 key on your keyboard to display the 3D Viewwindow. The faded relief should now appear something likethis:


In the Project Information area of the Assistant's Home page, wecan see that the height of the relief is now 5.341 mm (0.21 inches) orthereabouts. This is 1.93 mm (0.07 inches) lower than its previousmaximum Z height, or thereabouts. This is obviously within theconstraints of our block of material.

Re-importing the ReliefNow that we have applied a linear fade to the male relief, we are readyto import the female relief once again.

1. Press the F2 key on your keyboard to display the 2D Viewwindow.


3. Click on the Look in list box, and then browse to the FadeRelief folder within the Examples directory on yourInstallation CD.

4. Click to select the female.rlf file, followed by the Openbutton to display the Load Relief dialog box.

5. Make sure that the Pasting option is selected, and thenclick on the OK button to display the 3D Clipart dialogbox:

6. Click on the Mode tab, and make sure that the MergeHighest option is selected in the Paste Mode area.


7. Click to select the From Current option in the Settingsarea.

8. Click on the Paste button to combine the female relief withthe male relief.

9. Click on the Close button to close the 3D Clipart dialogbox.

10. Press the F3 key on your keyboard to display the 3D Viewwindow. The finished relief now appears as follows:

In the Project Information area of the Assistant's Home page, wecan see that the height of the relief is now 8.57 mm (0.34 inches) orthereabouts. This is 3.109 mm (0.12 inches) lower than the maximumZ height when the two reliefs were previously combined without usingthe Fade Relief tool, or thereabouts. This is because the linear fade hassufficiently reduced the surface height in the area of the relief wherethe female head is positioned. This new height means that we couldnow successfully machine the finished relief in a block of material 10mm (0.4 inches) thick.

What's New in ArtCAM Pro 8.0 Index 39

Index

22D Bitmap Contrast Tool 112D View

bitmap contrast tool 11zooming 12

AArc Creation 16

CColour 2D Toolpath Simulation 14Constant Height Lettering 9

FFade Relief Tool 3

IInteractive Sculpting 11

LLead Moves 25

MMirror Merge Relief Tool 7Multiplate Tool 23

NNesting Vectors 18

OOrderToolpaths 13

RRelief

constant height lettering 9fade 3mirror merge 7multiple redo 10multiple undo 10sculpting tools 11

SScratch File 10Sheets

multiplate tool 23nesting vectors 18

TToggle All Visibility 25Toolpaths

lead moves 25ordering 13simulating 14

VVectors

arcs 16constant height lettering 9multiplate tool 23nesting 18

ZZoom In Tool 12

40 Index What's New in ArtCAM Pro 8.0

WHATSNEWINARTCAMPRO8

Documents

Transcript of WHATSNEWINARTCAMPRO8