Mastercam Art Lithophane Cheat Sheet

Choosing your picture: The resolution setting on your camera should be as high as possible to ensure success when machining the lithophane. If you are finding the image on the internet, a picture with a high number of pixels is a must. Keep it simple! If the picture has a plain background and a lot of contrast, it is easier to be successful. Material: Using the medallion card, the Quick Fix, and 2 inch plastic disks will keep machining time down to about hour. Once you have learned the process (the more you cut the better you will get) you can create your own size lithophane and your own project. Use the steps below as a guide and change the measurements to match your project. We would recommend as a next step trying a 3 x 31/2 inch piece. This can be attached using the odd job card with hold downs and illustration board as a sacrifice plate. Tooling: An1/8 inch 30 degree chisel point engraving tool will work on most lithophanes created on 1/8 inch thick material. If you are using thicker material, or having troubles with resolution, a inch bit will be more rigid and could improve the final result. Hints: Dont forget to save your file often. The speeds and feeds are for a new tool bit and thin material. As the tool bit dulls, slow down or replace it. The part must be held tight to the bed of the mill. A sacrifice plate underneath the plastic is a good idea (occasionally we have had the tool bit cut all the way through, despite our best efforts! One good spray with Teflon will keep plastic from melting and adhering to the bit. This allows a higher cut speed. Please read the warnings on the Teflon spray can as it can be a hazardous material.

CREATING THE GEOMETRY 1. Open Mastercam X and choose your Machine Type. 2. In the Operations Manager, double click on Properties, click on Stock Setup, and set stock origin to lower left corner (top of stock/red rectangle)

a. In the area that shows the stock graphic enter X = 3, Y = 7.0, Z = thickness of material (white discs are about 0.118). This sets up the graphic for verifying the part.

3. Create a rectangle 3 x 7 (lower left hand corner at the origin 0,0,0). 4. Create an arc (Create Circle Center Point). Enter X = 1.5, Y = 2.875, Diameter of 2, and then click on your graphic screen to place the circle.

5. Make a boundary for the Art Surface you are going to create: Xform, offset, and change the offset to 0.1. 2

a. Click on the circle and then click on the inside of the circle (to indicate offset directions). Click on the green check mark, click on the screen clear colors icon or menu choice.

6. From the Art Menu: New Art Base Surface from Image and select your image.

7. Convert to Grayscale: Alternate Grayscale Conversion and Maximize Contrast works the best. If you get an error, go back and select Maximize Contrast only.

8. Import Image Settings: Under Invisible change the Width (X) to 2 and hit enter. Change the Height Range (Z) to 0.08 (this is recommended for 0.118 thickness of this plastic only - see instructor if using other material or thickness). Always measure the material with a caliper or micrometer to be sure of the thickness.

9. Move the Art: Art, Xform, Translate Active Art Base Surface. Enter X = 0.5, Y = 2.0. This is probably not where you want the picture. Go back and repeat this step 4

until you get the picture centered or placed in the circle where you want it. The inner circle is where your picture will be cropped.

10. Mirror your Art: Art, Xform, Mirror/Rotate Active Art Base Surface. Mirror the Z only.

11. Drop your Art below Z-0: Art, Xform, Set Active Art Base Surface Top to Z plane. Surface Top to 0.01. (See picture on following page)

12. Complete the boundary (this will be a tool containment) line for the Art Surface: a. Create a horizontal line on the top edge and bottom edge of the picture. b. Trim/Break these lines to the inside circle. c. Delete the top/bottom arc of the inner circle to complete the boundary. In order to do this you must break the arc at the intersection with the lines. See below for a visual:

Sample of completed lithophane project with lettering (toolpaths included):

CREATING THE TOOLPATHS: 1. From the Art Menu: Toolpath Active Art Base Surface. 2. **This step is extra if you already have the proper tool bit in your library**. If you do have the tool defined simply select it from the library. If not, follow the steps and screen captures below:

a. Right click on the tool window and select create new tool. b. Select the taper mill and fill in the parameters below.

c. Click on parameters and complete as shown below

d. Click on save to library e. Click on save

3. Fill in the rest of the parameters screens to match those shown below:

a. There are no changes on Art Base Surface Machining Parameter page.

b. Pay special attention to the Art Base Surface Toolpath Parameters page. i. Cutting Method: Parallel spiral up to boundary ii. Toolpath Tolerance: Extra Fine iii. Click on Inside-Out icon iv. Click on Tool Confinement, Click on Chain Icon, Click on your boundary (cropping lines of picture).

4.

Now complete a contour toolpath for the lettering (if you chose to include some). When you are done it should look like the screen below.

5.

Verify the part:

6.

You are now ready to machine the part. See your instructor and the hints on the front page.

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