Creating Geometry Name Plate

Creating a Rectangle
Create
Create Rectangle
Click F9 to show/hide the coordinate axes
Position the mouse close to the origin
Notice that the auto cursor snaps to the origin
Left click the mouse

Pull the mouse into quadrant 1 and notice the dynamic rectangle

Y+
1
X+

Enter the width and height values

in the ribbon bar boxes as shown.

Enter
Esc
Click Fit

Name Plate 1
Offset a Contour
Xform
Xform Offset Contour

Make changes

Don’t click Ok
Click on the line shown

Click Ok

Name Plate 2
Make changes

0.15
New for X
Notice as the
Enter
values are Notice the offset
entered the on the screen
changes can be
seen.

Click Ok

Fit

Result

Clear Colors

Result

Name Plate 3
Translating in the Z axis
Isometric View
Fit
Xform
Xform Translate
Notice the prompt

Change the selecting option to Chain using the drop down arrow.

Select the inside rectangle as indicated

Click End Selection or Enter

Name Plate 4
Make changes

Ok
Clear Colors
Fit

Result

Name Plate 5
Translate 2 lines in the Z axis

Xform
Xform Translate
Notice Prompt

Change selecting method to Single

Select lines 1 and 2

Of the inside rectangle
1

Enter or End Selection

Make Changes

Enter value
and notice
result

Ok
Fit
Clear Color 6
Name Plate
 Result

Save File

Name Plate 7
 Creating Two 3 Point Arcs

Create
Arc
Create Arc 3 points
Let the auto cursor assist
and click on the points

2
Midpoint 3

5
Midpoint 6

Esc or Ok

Result

Name Plate 8
Creating Letters
Top View
Create
Create Letters
True Type R…
Select Comic Sans MS
Ok

Make Changes

Ok

Enter Starting Location of Letters

by clicking approximately

Result

Name Plate 9
Dragging Geometry to a New Location
Xform
Xform Drag…
Select the Window option of selecting

Select entities to drag 2

Click location 1

Enclose the text within

the window
1
Click location 2

Result

Enter or End Selection

Choose Move icon

Select the Starting Point by

clicking on any letter

Drag the text until it is centered

Click
Ok

Result

Name Plate 10
 Creating a Ruled/Lofted Surface
Click on Isometric View
Create
Surface
Create Ruled/Lofted Surface
Change changing option
to single
1

Select arcs
1 and 2

Ok 2

Esc

Result

Alt S turns shading on/off

Save file
Name Plate 11
Create a Tool Containment Rectangle/Box

Click Top View

Create
Create Rectangle
Click position 1
Click position 2
Exact position is not needed
2

Click Apply Ok

Result

Save
Name Plate 12
Creating Tool Paths Name Plate

Select Machine Type

Machine Type
Mill
Click on your machine or a generic 3 axis VMC

Notice that the information stored in the Operations Manager

Name Plate 13
Click to show Stock setup

Click

Make changes

To move arrow
location, click
desired location

Ok

Name Plate 14
Creating a Pocket Tool Path
Top View
Toolpaths
Pocket Toolpaths
Select Chain and Inside

Make Changes

Click on the outside rectangle

Until it is all selected
End Chain

End Chain

Click on all the letters until all the letters are yellow

Ok
Name Plate 15
Select library tool…

Unclick Filter Active

Select an 1/8” ball endmill

OK

Make Changes

Don’t click Ok

Click on the No
Pocketing parameters tab

Name Plate 16
Make changes

Don’t click Ok
No

Select Roughing/finishing parameters tab

Make changes

Ok

Name Plate
17
 Result

Isometric View

Save

Name Plate 18
Creating a Projected Tool Path
Alt T Show/hide displayed
Select Standard Selection
tool path
Isometric View
Alt S Shading on/off
Select drive surface by clicking o
Toolpath
any part of the surface
Surface Finish
Finish Project Toolpath Enter or End Selection

Should have 1 Drive

Ok

Select the
same tool

Make changes

Click No

Name Plate 19
Make changes

No

Select next tab

Make changes

OK
Name Plate 20
Result

Save

Name Plate 21
Creating a Surface Finish Tool Path

Toolpaths
Surface Finish
Finish Parallel Toolpath
Select surface by clicking any where on the surface
End Selection or Enter

Click on the arrow by

containment

Select the chain that creates a box around the letters

Ok

There should be
1 Drive and
1 Containment

Ok
Name Plate 22
 Make changes

No

Make changes

No

Name Plate 23
 Select Finish Parallel Parameters

Make changes

Ok

Result

Name Plate 24
Verifying Selected Operation

Isometric View
Fit
Drag the mouse over the
Toolpath page and notice
how the buttons light up

Holding down the shift key

check operations 2 and 3

Verify Selected operation

Click Configure to define stock size

Name Plate 25
Use Stock Setup values
Verify changes

Ok

Play

Result

Exit

Save
Name Plate 26
Posting the G and M Code
Click to post code

Only operations 2
and 3 should be
checked

Make Changes

Ok

No

Save to the desired destination

Make the chips fly
Name Plate 27
Cutting Tools Sources
MSC Industrial Supply Co.
1-800-645-7270
www.mscdirect.com

J&L Industrial Supply

www.jlindustrialsupply.com

Enco
www.use-enco.com
1-800-USE-ENCO

Micro 100 Tool Corporation

1-800-635-3080
Creating Geometry Name Plate
Creating a Rectangle 1

Offset a Contour 2

Translating in the Z axis 4

Translate 2 lines in the Z axis 6

Creating Two 3 Point Arcs 8

Creating Letters 9

Dragging Geometry to a New Location 10

Creating a Ruled/Lofted Surface 11

Create a Tool Containment Rectangle/Box 12

Creating Tool Paths

Select Machine Type 13

Creating a Pocket Tool Path 15

Creating a Projected Tool Path 19

Creating a Surface Finish Tool Path 22

Verifying Selected Operation 25

Posting the G and M Code 27

Name Plate