Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

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derkork
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:45 pm

Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by derkork »

In the part design workbench I have created a part based on a sketch painted on a datum plane, so the part will match the dimensions and orientation of another part. This however means, that the part is now aligned to the other part and is angled in 3D space like this:

Image

Now I want to CNC machine this part using the path workbench. However in order to do this I would need to lay the part flat on one of its faces, so I can basically 2D-machine it out of a thin stock. I tried to lay it flat using the angle/axis settings in the placement options of the model in the path workbench but it is basically impossible to get it absolutely flat by trial and error. Slicers like Cura have an option to pick a face and they will lay the model flat based on that face, so I wonder if there is some functionality like this hidden somewhere in Freecad?

I also tried to use the sketch i made for this part as the basis for the CNC machining, but for some odd reason the sketch does not appear in the 2D section when I create a new pathing job. I wonder if i am approaching this the wrong way. Maybe I am not supposed to align parts in the part design workbench. Can this be done better in a different way, that makes using the path workbench later easier because the parts are not rotated in 3D space?
chrisb
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Re: Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by chrisb »

- Install addon macro FCCamera.
- When you create a job, a clone of the model is created Job->Model->Model-<<name of the object>>.
- Execute FCCamera.
- Select the face you want to have on top
- Switch the view to top view
- Use in FCCamera "Align Object to View"
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derkork
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Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:45 pm

Re: Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by derkork »

Thank you very much. I tried the plugin you mentioned but it would seem the alignment doesn't work the way I would need. When I click "Align Object To View" basically nothing happens. Interestingly enough "Align view to face" works but it rotates the view and not the part.
chrisb
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Re: Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by chrisb »

Did you select the face before invoking the tool?
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derkork
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Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:45 pm

Re: Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by derkork »

Yes I did. Aligning the view to the face worked but aliging the face to the view did not. I wonder if it may be confused by the holes the face. It's probably a simple little thing that I miss.
chrisb
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Re: Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by chrisb »

Can you upload the file? I give it a try.
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derkork
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Re: Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by derkork »

Yes, I have uploaded it here: https://privfile.com/download.php?fid=6 ... 6-OTIwOA== (because it is bigger than the forum allows). Thank you for helping me with this one!
chrisb
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Re: Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by chrisb »

It turns the object, but not correctly. Mario, care to take a look? I tried the following:
- turn view to top view
- select the upper (biggest) face of Job003->Model003->Model-Side Plate
- Align to view

This should look roughly like this:
SnipScreenshot-d62aa8.png
SnipScreenshot-d62aa8.png (2.93 KiB) Viewed 1706 times
While it indeed looks like this:
SnipScreenshot-35ff10.png
SnipScreenshot-35ff10.png (3.62 KiB) Viewed 1706 times
mario52 wrote: pinged by pinger macro
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jamtek
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Re: Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by jamtek »

Fairly new to FreeCad myself, but I will definitely try the FCCamera macro. I have run a couple of small Path jobs using the A2plus workbench, adding a part called stock to your design in this case 200x200x4mm rectangle and then importing the parts into a new file with the A2Plus work bench and laying them all flat.
I did have a little trouble with your model there was a sketch for one of the parts outside of its part container once I dropped it back into its Part container in the model tree I was able to import the shapes into A2plus assembly.
Screenshot from 2021-07-28 21-34-34.png
Screenshot from 2021-07-28 21-34-34.png (188.81 KiB) Viewed 1670 times
I had posted earlier in the Path/CAM forum with a link to the YouTube video that gave me the idea.
https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=59037
GeneFC
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Re: Path workbench, how to lay a part flat?

Post by GeneFC »

I am a bit puzzled.

The datum plane was set to a specific angle, in this case apparently 60 degrees. (I looked at the placement and attachment settings used when the datum plane was created.)

I simply rotated the "model-side plate" in the Job003 by 60 degrees and I was able to proceed with creating paths for the outlines and holes with no difficulty.

I move and/or rotate almost every model I use in a Job operation. Purely manually with no FCCcamera tricks. Very easy.

I must be missing something.

Gene
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