About the Creo NC User Interface

Manufacturing > Manufacturing User Interface > About the Creo NC User Interface

The Creo NC user interface is Ribbon-based and consists of tabs with groups of frequently-used commands organized in a logical sequence. The group overflow area contains additional commands that are not frequently used. You can minimize or maximize the Ribbon display by double-clicking on a tab or by right-clicking on the Ribbon, and clicking Minimize the Ribbon on the shortcut menu.

The commands on these tabs guide you in setting up elements in a manufacturing process and enable systematic completion of tasks. For example, you can use commands on the NC tab to set up the manufacturing database items such as workcells, tools, and fixtures. After the database is set up, you can create Mill and Turn NC sequences to calculate and display tool paths.

These tabs also have commands that help you identify the validity of certain tasks or steps. For example, when you are creating a NC sequence, the Play Path command is activated only when all references for tool path calculation are completely defined. Another feature of this user interface is that if you omit specifying mandatory parameters, the system indicates appropriately.

You can also perform certain tasks in manufacturing using the earlier Menu Manager.

Basic Tabs

The following basic ribbon tabs are always available with the NC user interface:

• Manufacturing—Enables you to perform standard NC setup actions.

• Model

• Analysis

• Annotate

• Render

• Tools

• Applications—Enables switching between NC, Expert Machinist, and Process for NC.

NC Related Tabs

The following tabs are required for NC and their availability is based on the current active operation and the machine tool or work center it references. You can have only one operation active at a time.

• Mill—Available when the active operation references a Mill or Mill-Turn work center.

• Turn—Available when the active operation references a Mill-Turn or Lathe work center.

• Wire EDM—Available when the active operation references a Wire EDM work center.

The following table shows the tabs available for an active operation and the type of machine tool the operation references:

	Tabs
Machine Tool or Operation	Manufacturing	Mill	Turn	Wire EDM	Model	Annotate	Render	Tools	Analyze	View
No Operation	Y				Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Mill (3, 4, 5 axis)	Y	Y			Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Lathe (1, 2 turrets)	Y		Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Lathe (1, 2 turrets) with Milling Head	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Wire EDM (2, 4 axis)	Y			Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

Menu Manager

Some NC tasks are still performed using the Menu Manager cascading menus. These menus use check marks to select an option; more than one option may be selected at a time. When you choose Done from such a menu, the system will invoke the appropriate user interface for each selected option in turn.

If some selection is necessary at a particular point, the checkmark will be automatically turned on. For example, when you set up a 3 -axis custom trajectory NC sequence, the Parameters option will have a check mark next to it. You can turn other check marks on as well (for example, to specify the Start and End points), but you are not required to do so. Similarly, when you start defining the first NC sequence, you will have a checkmark at the Tool option. For the next NC sequence, however, the Tool option will not have a checkmark next to it (provided the previous tool is applicable). Turn it on only if you want to specify another tool.

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