Patent ID: 7149599

Claim:
A tool path creation method performed by a computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium comprising the steps of: reading cutting path data as tool path information necessary for performing a cutting operation by a tool, in accordance with both first tool path information defining a position and a direction of a tool used for cutting a material and second tool path information defining a position and a direction of the tool when used for subsequently cutting the material after a cutting operation along the first tool path; preparing a medium tool path in a u-direction which is a cutting path direction vector in the first tool path information identical with another position and direction vector in the second tool path information; further preparing a medium tool path in a v-direction which is a direction toward a succeeding cutting path between the first tool path and the second tool path; still further preparing a medium tool path in a w-direction which is a direction from the first tool path to the second tool path; calculating a medium tool solid having a position vector and a direction vector defined by a set of medium tool paths in each of the u-direction, the v-direction and the w-direction tool path; further calculating a set of third tool paths between the first tool path and the second tool path; and sequentially cutting the material according to the first tool path, the third tool path and the second tool path.