3D Roughing with Profile pass doubles toolpath time and distance

[careylee]

I'm using V10. When creating a 3D roughing toolpath with Z-Level, limit to vector with .27 offset and a profile pass first the toolpath takes twice as long as it should or could. In this case the profile pas clears all of the material around the outside of the object that needs removed on it's own then the toolpath goes back and and goes over the same space again with the z-level pass.

Am I doing something wrong? Shouldn't Aspire realize what was taken out by the profile pass and factor that in to the z-level roughing?

I realize I could remove the profile pass but this doesn't provide the results I want.

Thanks,

[dealguy11]

As has been discussed on this forum many times, Aspire does not keep track of what other toolpaths remove, except in cases where multiple tools are used in the same toolpath (for example, a pocket, a v-carve clearing path or a finish machining toolpath using multiple tools). The roughing toolpath doesn't know or care what any other toolpath did or may do later. If you want to change behavior, you'll need to generate the appropriate vectors and work out how to machine it with a minimum of air cutting. There's usually some way to at least make it better, but you might have to create new vectors to make it work.

[adze_cnc]

It's a bit hard to parse but I believe by "profile pass" the original poster is talking about the profile option the "Roughing Strategy" area of the 3D roughing toolpath. So there is not two separate toolpaths.

To the original poster:

In that 3D roughing "Z Level" toolpath that you have created do you have the profile option set to "first"?

Remember that main point of the profile option is to provide a smooth finish to the the walls of the cavity cut be the roughing toolpath. That is it will clean up "scalloped" edges left behind by the rastering process of the Z Level cut.

[careylee]

Yes, I do have the profile first turned on and that is needed in my case. It just so happens that this profile pass clears all the material the the roughing pass does in the outside of the object so in affect it's doubling the time and distance for no reason. I guess what I'm asking is why doesn't the roughing pass take into consideration what the profile pass already removed?

Thanks,

[careylee]

I see from the first reply that it is what it is. Aspire doesn't keep track of and treats the profile pass totally separate even though from a user standpoint I am generating one toolpath. As a hobbyist I don't make enough of any one item to spend the time needed to optimize the toolpath so I guess I'll have to live with it and hope that Vectric will fix/optimize this in a future release.

Thanks,