PowerMILL 15.

Toolpath Templates

15. Toolpath Templates

Introduction
A Toolpath Template is created by filling in a standard toolpath strategy form with user
specific settings/values and then saving this as a Template for future use.

Setting up a template area

Once the set-up has been initiated the user can easily save Templates to this area as and
when required.

• Select Delete All and Reset Forms.

• From the top toolbar select Tools > Customise Paths.
• Select Template Paths from the pull-down menu.

Click on the Add Path button to bring up

the form below.

• Click on the Temp folder

in the C:\ drive.

• Click on New Folder.

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A New Folder is created inside the Temp

folder.

• While the word New Folder is still

highlighted blue, overwrite it with the
word Templates.

• Click on the Templates folder.

• Click on New Folder again.

• Rename the folder My Toolpaths.

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• Click the Templates folder again.

• Select OK.

The path is now set to C:\Temp\Templates

• Select Close.

• Click on the Toolpath Strategies icon to bring up the form.

An extra tab has been added to the form called My Toolpaths. At the moment when the tab
is selected the area is empty but later this is where the toolpath Templates will be saved.

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Creating Templates
Now that the ‘My Toolpaths‘ area is set up it is now possible to create and save some user
defined toolpath Templates.

• Select Delete All and Reset forms (if applicable).

• Open the Offset Area Clear Model form in the Toolpath strategies.

If a Tool is defined within a Template, PowerMILL will create a new copy of the Tool
every time the Template is opened. Hence it is not a good idea to include a cutting tool in a
toolpath Template.
If a tool is Active then it will already be specified in the toolpath strategy form on opening in
which case, from the explorer deactivate the tool to make the Tool selection tab blank.

• Change the Thickness to 0.5, Stepover to 10 and Stepdown to 3.

• Set the Lead In Moves to Ramping and select the ramp Options. Change
Max Zig Angle to 5.
• Accept (Don’t Apply) the Offset Area Clear Model form.

• Right click on the toolpath and select

Save as Template

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Select Save

• Double Click on My Toolpaths.

• Type Rough as the template filename

and select Save.

• Exit and re-start PowerMILL.

In Toolpath strategies under the

My Toolpaths tab should be a
template called Rough.

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• Open the 3D Offset Finishing in the Toolpath strategies.

• Define a 10bn tool.

• Change the Tolerance to 0.02 and Stepover to 0.5.
• In Leads and Links change Short links to On surface and Long links to
Skim.
• Accept (Don’t Apply) the 3D Offset Finishing form.
• Right click on the toolpath and select Save as template
• Type 3D_Off_Fin as the template filename and select Save.

There are now 2

templates under the
My Toolpaths tab
called 3D_Off_Fin
and Rough.

It is also possible to replace the default Favorites with User defined Templates by replacing
the files in D:\dcam\product\PowerMILL5xxx\file\templates\favorites with the .ptf files
and the .index file from a user Template.

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