Patent ID: 7979254

Claim:
An NC machining simulation method in which machining using a plurality of mechanical elements is simulated in accordance with an NC machining program, comprising the steps of: computing at least one of movement paths corresponding to at least one of the mechanical elements when simulation is being performed; memorizing the movement paths; performing a replay simulation for the mechanical elements based on the memorized movement paths in response to a replay instruction, wherein a current pointer position of the at least one of the mechanical elements is memorized as a replay start pointer position, wherein coordinates of the current pointer position of the at least one of the mechanical elements are read in a ring buffer, and the current pointer position is moved by one point, and wherein the replay simulation lasting for a predetermined time, which is based on the movement paths that have been memorized immediately before the replay instruction is given, is repeated from when the replay instruction is given until when the current pointer position is equal to the replay start pointer position and the replay instruction is suspended; displaying the mechanical elements when the replay simulation is being performed; and changing a point of view with respect to the mechanical elements in the replay simulation so that an operator is allowed to confirm the interference state of the mechanical elements from multiple points of view, wherein the NC machining simulation method memorizes the at least one path movement without the necessity of storing a corresponding image data and therefore a memory capacity required of the NC machining simulator is advantageously reduced compared to a case in which the corresponding image data is memorized.