3D Cut Software
In this document, we will walk you through the basic interface of the program and how to prepare a 3D cut file for the ShopBot machine. This example shows how to mill a model that fits on one block of material. If your model is more complex and requires milling more than one piece, please consult the Fab Lab staff.
1. After creating your 3D file, export it into .stl, or .obj. Open the file in the software by opening the “model” drop down menu and selecting “Import Component/3D Model.” Left click to rotate the model; right click to zoom; left and right click to pan.
After a file is loaded, you will see these icons and options in the interface:
- Initial Orientation: To flip a model on the surface of x and y.
- Interactive Rotation: To freely rotate your 3D model.
- Model Size: put the exact number of the model’s size. The numbers need to fit within the material you will use. If you will mill a model from one material (no sliced layers) you have to scale the z to fit with the material height. If the ratio doesn’t matter, uncheck the “Lock XYZ ratio” to change the number freely.
- Units: Stay in Inches because the machine works in inches.
- Zero Plan Position in Model: To position the depth of your 3D model inside your stock material.
2. After choosing your settings in step 1, click the OK button to move onto the “3D Model Tools” menu. In the modeling workspace you can:
- Import a component or 3D model.
- Look at and change the properties of your component.
- Create a vector boundary for machining your component.
- Apply a smoothing filter to your component.
- Scale the Z height of your model.
- Slice your model into individual components.
- Add a plane component to your model
3. If you are cutting your shape out of the stock material you will need to add tabs to hold the model to the leftover material. To do this go to the “cliptart” tab at the bottom of the modeling menu on the left and then click on the “3D Tabs” folder. Find your desired tab shape and then drag and drop as many tabs as you need onto your model. From here you can adjust the dimensions of your tab by clicking the component properties icon back in the modeling menu. 4. After you are satisfied with the orientation, scale, and tabs of your model select the “Toolpaths” menu on the right side of the screen. You can “pin” it so it won’t close automatically when you click somewhere else. You should see these icons on the right side of the screen in your interface.
4. After you are satisfied with the orientation, scale, and tabs of your model select the “Toolpaths” menu on the right side of the screen. You can “pin” it so it won’t close automatically when you click somewhere else. You should see these icons on the right side of the screen in your interface.
5. Before we begin creating our toolpath we need to check our material setup. To do this click the button that says “Set…” under the Material Setup heading.
After you click the “Set..” button, you will see these icons and options in the interface:
- Thickness: Adjust the thickness of your stock material.
- XY Datum: Set the X,Y Zero position in relation to your stock material.
- Z-Zero: Sets the Z Zero position to either the top of your stock material or to the machine bed.
- Model Position in Material: This is where your model is in relation to your stock material. The light brown portion is the actual model and the dark brown is the amount of stock material above and below your model.
- Rapid Z gaps above Material: This sets the amount of distance between the tool and your material. You should not need to adjust this.
- Home / Start Position: You can adjust where you want the machine to start from, you will almost always keep this at X=0 , Y=0.
6. Once you have your material set up correctly select “3D Roughing Toolpath” to get started with a toolpath that will remove the bulk of your material with an end mill. After you click the roughing toolpath button, you will see these icons and options in the interface:
7. Click “Select …” to select a bit. See the table of CNC bits for more information. A menu should put up with the following options:
- Pass Depth: To set how much deeper the bit will go from one pass to another.** Pass depth should be narrower if running on a hard material.
- Stepover: To set how far (space) the bit will go from one point on the same level to another. (You will want to adjust this number for the Finishing Toolpath. Smaller numbers get smoother but slower; big numbers give small bulge lines on the surface but faster.)
- Cutting Parameters and Feeds and Speeds: Change the parameters according to the material, and please ask the staff if you’re unsure. Usually the harder the material is, the slower the speed.
8. When you are finished with your tool selection and parameters click “apply” and then “OK”. This will take you back to the Roughing Machine Toolpath menu:
- Machining Limit Boundary: This sets the boundary for your toolpath in relation to your 3D model.
- Model Boundary will machine to the boundary of your 3D model
- Material Boundary will machine to the edges of your stock material.
- Selected Vector(s) lets you choose a previously drawn vector as the machining boundary.
- Selected Level: Lets you select a level from your component tree.
- Boundary Offset: Adds an offset amount to the boundary you have chosen.
- Machining Allowance: This is how the bit stays far on the edge of the model border. This should be matched with the selected bit diameter.
- Roughing Strategy:
- Click “Calculate” when you are happy with your selection.
9. Select the “3D Finishing Toolpath”
- Do the same steps in the Finishing Toolpath but consider how you will select bits and other adjustments for your finishing cut. Click “Calculate when you are happy with your selections.
10. To preview your toolpaths select the “Preview Toolpaths” button in the Toolpath menu on the right. You can either preview an individual toolpath or your finished cut. There is also a “Toolpaths Summary” button that will give you a machine time estimate, although not always accurate it will give you a better sense of the total cut time needed.
11. Now, in the last stage, you must save the file into separate files of the toolpaths to run with the machine. Remember to always select ShopBot TC (Inch) as the post processor. ** Rename the file something unique and let yourself know which is the roughing and finishing path to avoid duplicated names with someone else’s files in the machine’s computer.