Modifying Approaches and Retracts in Tool Paths

You can add or remove approaches and retracts in a tool path. You can also modify existing approaches or retracts.

  1. Start the tool path editor as explained in Editing Tool Paths.
  2. Click Approach and Retract Modification .
    The Approach and Retract Modification dialog box appears.

    Under Delete:

    • Select the type of passes to delete (Approach, Retract, Linking passes, Between paths). You can select one or more check boxes.
    • According to your needs, click Remove from whole tool path, or Remove from Area Inside Polygon. In the latter case, draw a polygon on the tool path and double-click anywhere in the work area to validate it.

  3. Select the portion of tool path that you want to modify or to add an approach or retract using one of the following commands:
    See Editing Points of a Tool Path.
  4. Select Apply to apply the selection mode.
  5. Select either the Approach or the Retract tab, select a mode and specify the corresponding parameters. Available modes are:
    Along tool axis

    		The tool moves along the tool axis for a given Distance
    None No approach, retract.
    Back

    		The tool doubles back like an arrow above the cutting tool path. You can either define this type with Cartesian coordinates (Distance and Height) or polar coordinates (Angle and Radius).
    Circular

    		The tool moves towards/away from the part in an arc. You can choose to compute the plane in which the tool moves either automatically or manually. The parameters that you can set are:
    • Distance
    • Angular Sector
    • Angular Orientation
    • Radius.
    Box

    		The tool moves across the diagonal of an imaginary box, either in a straight line or in a curve (Linking mode). Its length is the distance that the tool moves once it has crossed the box. The box is defined by three distance values:
    • Distance along the tangent (Distance, Tangent)
    • Distance along the tool axis (Distance, Tool Axis, is a negative value)
    • Distance along the normal axis (Distance, Normal Axis)
    • Direction of the box diagonal is defined by the Side of Normal Axis, whether you want to use the normal to the Left or the Right of the end of the tool path when looking along the tool path in the direction of the approach or retract.
  6. Click OK.