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I have made (in CAD) a 2 sided object in BobCAD that I want to use for a jig I am making.

I got as far as computing the toolpath for the top of the part and everything is fine there.

When I flip the part over and try to compute the toolpath for the bottom side of the part, the CAM program still sees it as the same surface facing up (even that it is now down) and when I hit the "compute toolpath" button, it does it, but is coming from the bottom instead of the top.

I think I need to flip the part over, but for the life of me I cant figure out how to flip just the part and not flip the planes they are on.

Anybody got any ideas? I'm sure there is some common command among CAD programs that will allow you to flip an object, but so far I havent found it. Any help would be appreciated!

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Reguards,

Ken H

Hey Ken, it sounds like you are only changing your point of view and not actually rotating the part. The command you are probably looking for is probably rotate, rotate 3d, or something along those lines.

I'm not a BobCAD guy though...so I can't say for sure this is what is happening.

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http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

Ken,
I'm also not a Bobcad guy, but your Z axis needs to point up the router spindle.
Look for a command like rotate, translate or Coordinate system. Generically you make a new coordinate system with the Y and Z axis, or X and Z axis reversed and program in that coordinate system.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Thanks guys!!

I found the rotate command and I'm doing my best to rotate it. If that doesnt work, I'll try the translate feature.

Thanks again!
Ken

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Reguards,

Ken H

Ken does the newer Bobcad have the ability to save as different files? I know my older version could only save as .cad, .dgn and .dxf. Can your version save a iges, stl, dwg, or even Rhino's 3dm?

I understand they can open 3dms so I am curious about saving as.

Anyway, if you can get this done, let me know and I will give you my email address, send it to me and I will flip it for you. One other thing you might try is to do a mirror image in the z axis, assuming Bobcad can do that. My older version could do x/y but not z!

Mike

It took both the rotate and the translate functions to get where I wanted it to be, but I now have the part upside down and the toolpath made for the cut.

Thanks for the info guys!!

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Reguards,

Ken H

I have the latest version (22) and it can save as
bbcd
dxf
dwg
sat
3dm
stp- step
stl


so it pretty much covers all bases and is interchangeable between different CAD programs.
The only problem is that when I receive a program written in one of the other programs, it is MOST difficult to modify those files and any additional items added to another program's files cant be blended together. That may be because of inexperience on my part, but if it can be done I havent figured out how to do it.

I did manage to get this particular item flipped over so that could cut the other side.

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

Ken--I was going to suggest, only as a last resort, running the same program for the top of the part with at least one of the axes on your CNC software set to a scale of -1. This normally provides a mirror image part but that may not be what you're needing.
I've used this method after digitizing a contour and using the pointcloud output to machine a mating part to fit that contour. Have to run the Z axis as -1 scale as well as X or Y depending in which plane the part is inverted.
Nelson Palen