PRIME MOTIONStock and setups
A tool run is created by pointing it at the Model — tap the body — and saying where work zero is. With Stock Top the origin snaps to a corner of the stock box, and the panel names which one it landed on, so you can read it back rather than trusting a preview.
Before a toolpath can be generated, CAM has to know three things that have nothing to do with the model: what material you are cutting from, how it is held, and where zero is.
That is what a Tool Run captures.
Geometry — the model and where zero is
Model is the body being machined. Profile is the sketch outline where an operation needs one.
WCS origin is the important one: it decides where the program's X0 Y0 Z0 lands.
| Choice | Zero ends up |
|---|---|
| Stock top | The top surface of your material |
| Model | The model's own origin |
| Custom | Wherever you specify |
Stock — what you are cutting from
The block the part comes out of. It decides how much material roughing has to clear, and it is what the simulation removes.
Fixture — how it is held
Where the clamps are matters, because the machine will happily traverse straight through one.
Program — what gets posted
The output settings for the finished program.