Machine and NC Sequence Coordinate Systems
There are two types of coordinate systems in Manufacturing:
• Machine—Acts as the default origin for all CL data. This coordinate system is specified at the time of operation setup using the
Operation tab. To define the origin, click in the box adjacent to
and select or create a coordinate system. All NC sequences created within a certain operation will use the same Machine coordinate system.
• NC Sequence—Affects all the NC sequence data, such as retract surface and cut feed direction. This coordinate system is specified at the time of NC sequence setup using the box adjacent to
on the tab of the NC sequence you are creating. The NC Sequence coordinate system must be oriented in a certain way, as described in the following sections.
The NC Sequence coordinate system setting is modal, that is, once specified, it will stay for all subsequent NC sequences until you change it. For the first NC sequence, the Machine coordinate system specified for the operation will be implicitly used as the NC sequence coordinate system as well.
If the Machine and NC Sequence coordinate systems are different, then, upon creating an NC sequence, all CL data will be transformed and output in the coordinates of the Machine coordinate system. If the Z axes of the NC Sequence and Machine coordinate systems are not parallel, the tool orientation vector (i,j,k) or table rotation will be provided. This functionality allows you to post-process 3-axis operations to be performed on the 5-axis machines. In Turning, it can be used if the post-processor requires X-Y input.
| • Using the CL_DATA_MODE parameter, you may specify that the linear and rotational transitions between the NC Sequence and Machine coordinate systems be output in the CL file, instead of transforming all CL coordinates. • To output CL data with respect to the NC Sequence coordinate system, use the COORDINATE_OUTPUT parameter. |