Creating a Curve Following Operation

You can create a Curve Following operation.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
Curve Following

Creating a Curve Following Operation

  1. Activate the Manufacturing Program and click Curve Following from the Prismatic Machining section of the action bar.

    The Curve Following workflow appears in the work area.

  2. In the Tool Search dialog box that appears:
    1. Select the tool type.
    2. Select the required tool or tool assembly and click one of the following:
    OptionDescription
    Select in Session Select an existing tool or tool assembly from the Resource Configuration View.
    Search in Database Select a tool or a tool assembly from the database.
    Look Into Catalog Browse for a tool or a tool assembly in the catalog.
  3. Optional: Close the Tool Search dialog box by pressing Esc. Then, click Search Tool to research a tool in the database.
  4. Follow the workflow instructions to create a curve following operation.

    A Curve Following entity is added to the Manufacturing Program.

    The Curve Following dialog box appears directly in the Geometry tab .

  5. Click in the title bar of the dialog box to edit the name of the manufacturing pattern, such as CurveFollowing.x.
  6. Optional: Click New Feature to apply a machining area feature, or click Create Feature to create a new one.

    Note: You can export a feature by clicking Export Feature .

  7. In the Mandatory section, verify the mandatory input parameters.

    Note: The following icons are used to describe the status of a parameter:
    Icon Description
    Parameter defined.
    Mandatory parameter not defined.
    Optional parameter not defined.
    Parameter not up to date.
    Broken link.

  8. Optional: Do any of the following:
    1. Click to remove the input parameter.
    2. Click to display additional information on the parameter in the work area.
    3. Click to display the parameter's context menu.
  9. In the Optional section, verify the optional input parameters.
  10. In the Other section, verify additional parameter inputs.
  11. Verify the parameters in the following tabs:

    • Tool: Select a tool.
    • Strategy: Select a Tool path style.
    • Feeds and Speeds: Specify the feedrates and spindle speed.
    • Macros: Specify transition paths.

  12. Click Compute to compute the tool path with the specified parameters.
  13. Click OK to validate and exit the dialog box.
  14. Click Cancel to exit the dialog box without saving.

The curve following operation is created as CurveFollowing.x. It is visible in the Activities Process Tree.

Creating a Curve Following Operation with the Legacy Interface

  1. Activate the Manufacturing Program and click Curve Following from the Prismatic Machining section of the action bar.

    A Curve Following entity is added to the Manufacturing Program. The Curve Following dialog box appears directly at the Geometry tab .

    The guiding curve in the icon is colored red indicating that this geometry is required for defining the operation. All other geometry is optional.



  2. Still in the Geometry tab:

    See Selecting Geometry

    1. Click the guiding curve in the icon, then select the required curve in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

      This may be one curve or a series of joined curves.

      The Selecting Edges and Faces to Define Geometry appears to help with this selection.

      When the curve is selected, the guiding curve of the icon is colored green indicating that the geometry is defined.

      Important: The direction of tool path machining is in the opposite direction to curve selection. You can quickly verify this by means of a Tool Path Replay.
    2. To machine according to curve selection order, click the blue arrow in the sensitive icon or the highlighted arrow in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to reverse the driving mode.
    3. Set an Axial Offset on the guiding curve, if required.
  3. Select the Strategy tab and specify the machining, axial, and user parameters, Tool Path Style: One way, Axial tab, Maximum depth of cut: 3mm, Number of levels: 5.


  4. Go to the Tool tab to select a tool.

    See Assigning a Tool Element to a Machining Operation

  5. Select the Feeds and Speeds tab to specify the feedrates and spindle speeds for the operation.
  6. Select the Macro tab to add approach and retract motions to the operation.

    See Defining Macros on Milling Operations

  7. Click Display or Simulate to verify the validity of the operation.

    See Simulating the Tool Path.

    • The tool path is computed.
    • A progress indicator is displayed.
    • You can cancel the tool path computation at any moment before 100% completion.


  8. Click OK to create the operation.