Lesson 3 - Create Features

00:09

Now with our 5-axis part completely setup, we're ready to start creating 3+2 or 5-axis positional features.

00:18

Now as we take a look at this part, you may notice that all of the features on this part look like basic 2.5D features

00:25

that we saw in the FeatureCAM standard class.

00:28

So, as you may expect, we’ll be programming this part by recognizing 2.5D features off of the solid model.

00:36

However, we'll see that there are a few differences between programming 2.5D features on a 3+2 machining part

00:44

and programming 2.5D features for your regular 3-axis mill.

00:49

Let's start by recognizing this hole feature on the top of the part.

00:53

As we can see, this hole is on the top of the part and is aligned along the positive Z direction.

00:58

So we should be able to recognize this how we would recognize in the other 2.5D feature.

01:04

So I’ll select features, create a hole from dimensions, but make sure to check extract with feature recognition.

01:12

As I press "Next", we can see FeatureCAM asks us, what vector is this hole along?

01:18

Along the set of Z axis or along another specific vector?

01:24

This one is along the Z axis, so we'll select along the Z axis, "Next", and recognize and construct multiple holes.

01:33

And we can see this counter bored hole with the chamfer on top has been completely recognized for us.

01:39

I’ll select that hole, press "Finish", "OK", and just like that created our first feature in our first 5-axis part.

01:48

Now, you may notice that as we step through that wizard, it only recognize this top hole.

01:53

We have a bunch of holes around the OD of this part that FeatureCAM didn't seem to recognize.

01:59

Let's go back into the new feature wizard and explore how we can recognize these holes around the OD of the part.

02:06

Open the new feature wizard, select hole, extract with feature recognition.

02:13

And this time, let's select along a specific vector.

02:18

You'll notice down below, it tells us to pick two points to define the Z direction.

02:23

Now, what this really means is that if we wanted to program each one of these holes manually, we would have to pick two points to define the Z direction for every single hole all the way around the part.

02:35

This can be tedious and FeatureCAM has another option that says recognize all holes.

02:41

If I check that option, press "Next", recognize and construct multiple holes, we can see it automatically recognizes all holes that are not aligned with our setup Z location.

02:54

So rather than having to define a specific vector five times, FeatureCAM automatically recognizes them for us and it's picked up all of these counter bored holes along this OD of the part.

03:06

So with those recognized, let's "Select All", "Finish".

03:10

And we've created all of the hole features necessary to accurately machine this model.

03:15

Now that we have all the hole features created, let's move on to these two remaining features.

03:20

It looks like we have a basic pocket feature and an open side feature.

03:25

Let's start with the pocket feature.

03:28

As we saw with the hole features, FeatureCAM needs to know what vector to look along when recognizing features.

03:36

So for the holes, we were either looking along the Z direction or we could specify our own vector.

03:42

Now holes had the option to automatically recognize, but other 2.5D features such as pockets and sides will need to specify exactly what vector we'll be machining along.

03:54

The way we do this in FeatureCAM is just by creating a new setup

03:57

where the Z direction is consistent to how we would like our tool aligned when machining the feature.

04:03

When recognizing any feature type with the exception of holes, as we saw, we will need to create an additional setup before recognizing the feature.

04:12

So I'll open up the new feature wizard and before recognizing this pocket, notice an option to create a new setup.

04:20

We can select that, step through this setup wizard similar to our import wizard, and align the positive Z direction so that we can machine this pocket.

04:29

So select the lines of our geometry, select the option to align Z perpendicular to a horizontal surface and grab this bottom surface.

04:40

Make sure that the Z is pointing upwards or out of this pocket.

04:44

Select "Next", and we really don't need to worry about where the X direction is pointing.

04:49

The important thing here is that our Z direction is aligned with what we want our tool axis to be while machining this pocket.

04:57

Select "Next", to finish out the wizard, "Finish" and now select pocket and extract with feature recognition.

05:06

As we move through this wizard, you'll see the process is just like recognizing 2.5D features on a 3-axis milling part, like we saw in the FeatureCAM standard class.

05:15

So let's recognize this feature by selecting the side surfaces.

05:19

Next, I’ll select all of the side surfaces that define this pocket by "Ctrl" selecting each surface...

05:30

and adding them into the feature.

05:32

With all those side surfaces selected, we’ll press "Next", confirm the top and bottom which are pulled from selecting the side features, take a look at our dimensions.

05:43

We could add a chamfer if we want, but we'll just leave it as is.

05:47

Confirm our strategies and take a look at the operations it's created for us.

05:53

Does look good, pretty standard.

05:54

Roughing finish this pocket.

05:56

So with that, let's press "Finish", "OK", and move on to our final feature, this open side feature.

06:05

So as a review, to create all features in 5-axis 3+2 machining parts, we need to somehow tell FeatureCAM the vector that we would like to machine along for a given feature.

06:17

For holes, we were able to simply specify or automatically recognize that vector.

06:22

But for all other 2.5D and 3D features, we need to create new setups with the Z direction defining our tool axis.

06:30

With that in mind, we can program the remaining feature on this model.

06:34

I'll open the new feature wizard, create a new setup, make sure that the positive Z direction is perpendicular to this horizontal surface.

06:48

And once I have that setup created, we can create the new side feature just like any other 2.5D model.

06:55

Let's try to automatically recognize this feature.

06:58

It looks like FeatureCAM picks it up easy enough.

07:00

We’ll select the side feature, "Finish", "OK".

07:04

And with that, we recognized all the features necessary to machine our model.

07:09

We're ready to move on to the simulation and revision stage of our workflow.

07:14

In Review, 3+2 machining is very similar to any 2.5D or 3D milling part that we've seen up to this point.

07:23

The only difference is, first, we need to define where we would like to lock our rotational axis, by defining a Z direction that is aligned with our tool axis.

07:35

With that, we're ready to move on to the next section.