NC Data Import to Support Legacy Data

Due to the need to modify a product during its product life, and thus to modify its associated data, and due to the very long lifecycle of machining data (especially in the aerospace industry), you need to be able to retrieve machining data generated with previous versions or other CAM systems, and modify them using V6 Machining products.

The Import APT, Clfile, or NC code command allows retrieving APT source files, CLFiles, and NC code. This section describes its capability and its scope for reviewing and reusing APT source files generated with previous versions or other CAM systems. See also Importing NC Data and Syntaxes Interpreted by APT Import.

This page discusses:

NC Data Import

NC data files (generated using previous versions) may be tagged with markers (OPERATION NUMBER or OPERATION NAME, prefixed either by PPRINT or $$) that identify the start of each operation. When an NC data file is imported, each operation identified in this way is defined as an activity in the resulting Manufacturing Program (APT Import, PP Instruction, Machine Rotation, INDEX/TRACUT/COPY, and so on).

Activity Types

The following types of activity is created.

Tool Change

A Tool Change is created whenever a CUTTER statement with 7 parameters is found in the imported file. In most cases, this Tool Change uses a End Mill defined from the parameters on the CUTTER statement. In some cases a Drill is used.

The parameters are

  • the tool radius,
  • the corner radius,
  • the horizontal and vertical distances from the center of the corner to the tool axis or bottom,
  • the bottom and flank angles,
  • the tool height.

Default values are applied to other parameters of the tool.

Notes:
  • You can edit a tool or a Tool Change.
  • No unnecessary Tool Change is created if you replace APT Import activities by operations using the same tool in a sequence of APT Import activities.

Machining Axis Change

A Machining Axis Change is created whenever the following statements appear in the APT source file:

  • *CATIA0
  • ORIGIN

The matrix associated with the Machining Axis Change is generated from the parameters associated with the *CATIA0 or ORIGIN statement.

The first *CATIA0 met generates a Machining Axis Change only if the associated matrix parameters are different from the machining axis system referenced by the Part Operation.

table Rotation (ROtabL)

Each time a sequence of ROtabL statements is clearly identified in the APT source file to be imported, a Machine Rotation is created in the Manufacturing Program to manage it.

The rotation matrix associated with the Machine Rotation is generated from the parameters associated with the *CATIA0 syntax that follows the ROtabL statement.

The supported forms of ROtabL/ axis, value, mode, way statements are all combinations of the following parameters:

axisRotation axis (A, B, C, AAXIS, BAXIS, or CAXIS)
valueAngle value of the rotation.
mode Definition mode of the angle:
  • incremental (INCR),
  • absolute mode (ABS or ATANGL).
wayDirection of rotation (CLW or CCLW).

The case of 2 successive table rotations is supported by Import APT, Clfile, or NC code. These rotations are followed by a single matrix definition.

Example:

	ROtabL/AAXIS,... 
	ROtabL/CAXIS,... 
	$$CATIA0 
	$$ 
	$$ a11 a12 a13 a14 
	$$ a21 a22 a23 a24 
	$$ a31 a32 a33 a34

Notes:
  • The incremental mode is not supported: a statement including INCR value is considered as a simple PP word statement and not as a table rotation.
  • If the axis name (A, B, C, AAXIS, BAXIS, or CAXIS) or way of rotation (CLW or CCLW) are not defined in the ROtabL statement, the creation of a Machine Rotation is not possible. This statements is considered as a simple PP words and not as a table rotation.

INDEX, COPY, and TRACUT

Each time an INDEX, COPY or TRACUT statement is found by Import APT, Clfile, or NC code, a COPY or TRACUT activity is created. The following forms of INDEX, COPY and TRACUT statements are supported.

INDEX/n where n is the index number.
INDEX/n,NOMORE
COPY/n,SAME,p where:
  • n is the index number,
  • p is the number of copies.
  • dx,dy,dz are the components of the translation vector,
  • a, b, c are the angle values,
  • s is the scale factor,
  • aij are the components of the matrix.
COPY/n,TRANSL,dx,dy,dz,p
COPY/n,XYROT,a,p
COPY/n,YZROT,b,p
COPY/n,ZXROT,c,p
COPY/n,SCALE,s,p
COPY/n,MODIFY,$
(MATRIX/a11,a12,a13,$
a21,a22,a23,$ 
a31,a32,a33,$
a41,a42,a43),p
TRACUT/(MATRIX/TRANSL,dx,dy,dz)where:
  • dx,dy,dz are the components of the translation vector,
  • a is the angle value of the rotation,
  • b is the angle value of the rotation,
  • c is the angle value of the rotation,
  • s is the scale factor,

  • aij are the components of the matrix.

TRACUT/(MATRIX/XYROT,a)
TRACUT/(MATRIX/YZROT,b)
TRACUT/(MATRIX/ZXROT,c)
TRACUT/(MATRIX/SCALE,s)
TRACUT/(MATRIX/a11,a12,a13,$ 
a21,a22,a23,$
a31,a32,a33,$
a41,a42,a43)

APT Import

The purpose of the APT Import activity is to store a tool path created from parameters included in the APT source file. The tool path comprises linear and circular displacements and PP words.

Note: APT Import activities are automatically locked during creation, thus allowing modifications of the tool path by the Tool Path Editor.

Creation Conditions for a New APT Import

A first APT Import activity (with a current tool path) is created when the APT source file is opened.

A new APT Import activity is created when the following parameters are decoded in the APT source file:

  • CUTTER (after creation of a Tool Change operation),
  • *CATIA0 or ORIGIN (after creation of a Machining Axis Change operation),
  • ROtabL (after creation of a Machine Rotation operation),
  • FROM,
  • TLAXIS,
  • OPERATION NUMBER or OPERATION NAME type comment.

Other Interpreted Parameters for APT Import

The other interpreted parameters for the created tool path are as follows:

GOTO and GODLTALinear displacements
INTOL, OUTTOL, AUTOPS, PSIS, INDIRV and TLONCircular displacements
MULTAX5-axis tool paths
FEDRAT and RAPIDFeedrate descriptions
SPINDLSpindle speed descriptions
UNITSCurrent unit (mm, inch, and so on)
TOOLCENTER, CONTACTPOINT and TOOLENDTool center point, contact point, and end point (or tip)

Syntaxes that do not include recognized parameters are stored as is in the tool path and are generated as is in the APT source file (for example, this is the case for PP words and comments).

Each time a sequence of PP word statements is clearly identified (with PPRINT OPERATION NUMBER) in the NC data file, a Post-Processor instruction is created in the Manufacturing Program. The created PP instruction is edited.

PP word statements defined in macros of a machining operation remain embedded in the tool path of the operation.

PQR Cutter Compensation

You can import an APT source file containing PQR cutter compensation data (that is, the drive surface normal).

This PQR data may be of 2 forms shown in the examples below.

Example 1:

	CUTCOM/ NORMDS 
	$$ START CUTCOM NORMDS XT,YT,ZT,I,J,K,P,Q,R 
	GOTO / 100.00276, -17.79095, 34.00000, 0.000000, 0.000000, 1.00000$ 
	0, 0.000000,-1.000000, 0.000000 
	... 
	CUTCOM/OFF 
	$$ END CUTCOM NORMDS XT,YT,ZT,I,J,K,P,Q,R

Example 2:

	CUTCOM/ NORMDS 
	$$ START CUTCOM NORMDS XT,YT,ZT,P,Q,R 
	GOTO / 100.00276, -17.79095, 34.00000, $ 0, 0.000000,-1.000000, 0.000000 
	... 
	CUTCOM/OFF 
	$$ END CUTCOM NORMDS XT,YT,ZT,P,Q,R

Transition Paths

A Transition Path is a complex activity including linear transitions and machine rotations. Therefore it is imported as several activities (APT Import and Machine Rotation).

Linear transitions are imported as APT Import activities. When a ROtabL is found, the APT Import activity is ended, and a Machine Rotation activity is generated. Then another APT Import activity is created for the next linear transitions.

The supported forms for ROtabL instructions are the same as described in table Rotation (ROtabL).

The names of all APT Import and Machine Rotation activities created from a Transition Path includes the Transition Path name.

NC Code Import

Sample Post Processor parameter files are delivered with Machine Programming in the folder ...\Startup\Manufacturing\PPPar which provides NC output for various machine types.

Post Processors are provided by Cenit, Intelligent Manufacturing Software (IMS), and ICAM Technologies Corporation.

Select the type of Post Processor parameter files to be made available for selection using the Output tab. If the output option is set to None, the PP File selection list does not appear in the NC File Import dialog box (no PP parameter files is available for selection).

For information about how to acquire Post Processor parameters files that provide machine specific NC code output, you must contact your sales representative.

Limitations

The following limitations apply. For more information, see Syntaxes Interpreted by APT Import.

  • The APT source file is not imported if it contains OUTPUT PROFILE, TOOL FLANK OUTPUT, TOOL CENTER OUTPUT, or NURBS statements.
  • When importing an APT source file, all tool motions are considered as Tip positions. This is due to the fact that in the APT source file, no compensation data is written. So, it is not possible to:
    • detect that the position is not the tip position, and
    • compute the tip point corresponding to the position written in APT source file.
  • A ROTHED statement cannot be imported.