Contact Us : +44 01189 226677 Home Products Support & Services Video Wall News & Events Downloads Partners Contact Us Home > Video Wall > Tips & Tricks | sitemap English (United States) ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Using Templates ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Using Templates When working with your drawings, do you ever wish that you didn’t have to recreate your User Layers every time you made a new drawing? Let’s look at Templates in ALPHACAM. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Specify Panel If you are working on panel style parts, this video will assist you in creating a panel form and the associated Work Planes to enable fast application of details to the sides of panel products. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Sloping and Profiled Sides 3D Machining without 3D Machining, or using the Sloping and Profiled Sides options allows for the production of one-off parts or samples where the cost of a dedicated tool could be an issue. Here we look at these two commands on the Rough and Finish cycle as well as the Pocketing cycle. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Size Checking If you need a fully descriptive drawing for your parts or maybe just need to understand what a single hole size is for reference, this video will explain some of the sizing options available in ALPHACAM. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Order Operations by Tool In some instances when you are adding machining, the tools may not be in the correct order for manufacture. Ordering by Tool can assist with this. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Optimize Toolpath Overlapping If you are Nesting and find that sometimes parts are too far apart when using differing diameter tooling for profiling, the Toolpath Overlapping command can help. This video will explain the use of the Toolpath Overlapping command. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - No Nest Zones Nesting panel materials can be expensive. To make the most of those scratched or damaged panels, you can utilize the No Nest Zones options in ALPHACAM. Here, we show you how. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Introduction to eSupport This video presentation is to introduce the ALPHACAM user to the eSupport platform and to demonstrate the differing areas where you can gain help and assistance from a wide range of other users as well as official information directly from the ALPHACAM team. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Folder Configuration This short video will explain the aspects you should understand about the location of the two most important folders in the ALPHACAM installation. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Edit Geometry by Node Manipulating geometries without having to redraw them is where the Edit Geometry by Node command excels. If you are making faceted arcs into real arcs, or making straight lines from odd, jagged shapes, this is the command to explore. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Drawing and Machining Precision When working with Feature Extraction, Surfaces, and Solid Machining, the precision of the toolpaths or the extracted geometries can have a huge impact on the finished product. Here we look at how you can alter this precision. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Wrap Around Geometry Whether a decorative engraving or a dedicated functionality, being able to wrap a 2D element around another can have some fantastic results for your parts. This short video will explain the basics of Wrapping. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Default Undos This short video will show you where to go to adjust the settings for your UNDO command and your AutoSave command. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Common Line Removal For those who have to work with third part dxf/dwg style files, overlapping lines can be an issue. Here we look at a simple command to make your work easier. ALPHACAM Tech Tip - Auto Break Out When working with grain type structured materials, do you ever suffer from your material splitting at the edges? Auto Break Out could be a solution. Support tags | Alphacam This command allows you to place support tags (also known as tabs) to tool paths that have been previously created in a drawing. Tags are used to stop a part from moving on the CNC table, and hold the component to the material stock. https://www.alphacam.com Common Line Removal Command | Alphacam This command allows you to remove elements that are overlapping or layered on top of one another. Geometries that are broken into individual elements and any elements that overlap will be deleted, leaving a single element or geometry. https://www.alphacam.com Profile Cut | Alphacam Profile cut is used where you would like to machine an edge profile on a component on the CNC. This can be achieved in Rough/finish or pocket cycles. https://www.alphacam.com Auto Break-Out Cut | Alphacam The auto break-out feature is a simple tool that allows you to automatically add a cut to the exit edge of the cut path to avoid any break out in the part material. File Inserter | Alphacam This tab enables you to insert Alphacam type files into the current drawing. Files are selected, using a Windows Explorer style browser, and drag and drop functionality is then used to insert the file into the Drawing Area. File Inserter can be seen as a tab or page in the project manager where you can create links and folders which contain Alphacam drawings, giving you a preview of the file you are going to insert. http://www.alphacam.com Program Stop Function | Alphacam Program stop is a method of inserting a pause or stop in the outputted machine program. Insert program stop can be very useful where a part may need to be handled during the cnc machining process. Creating user Layers | Alphacam Elements within Alphacam such as geometries, tool paths etc. are defined into layers or categories and are displayed in the drawing area on layers. We can also create custom user layers which can be used to assign toolpaths, with the aid of machining styles. Radial Wheel Menu | Alphacam The Radial Menu wheel is a great feature in which you can add all your most frequently used commands. In the modelling area, when you right click you will see the radial menu with various tabs and pop outs. Within each pop out is a group of commands. Parametric Sketcher | Alphacam Alphacam’s Parametric Sketcher is a geometry creation tool that enables parameterized shapes, drawings and parts to be created. The parametric sketcher can be used to quickly draw components that are the same, however vary in size. Waveform Roughing Strategy | Alphacam Alphacam Waveform roughing strategy is a high speed machining technique that maintains a constant tool cutting load by ensuring the tool engagement into the material is consistent. The tool path moves in a smooth path to avoid sharp changes in direction which maintains the machine tool’s velocity. 2D Transform Command | Alphacam 2D Transform is a geometry modification tool, which is a combination of four other commands. Move, rotate, stretch and scale. 2D transform combines these commands. Fabricate editing commands | Alphacam This menu contains the commands that allow you to use special geometry editing commands within Alphacam. These commands, basically, compile multiple commands into one, simple to use command. Edit Z point by point | Alphacam Edit Z Point by Point to create a tool path on a slope Question: I am creating a counter top with a built in drain board. Is there a way to create a tool path on a slope so that the water can drain? Ribbon Bar Interface | Alphacam In this video we are going to look at how to customize your ribbon bar interface within Alphacam. Machine Styles in Alphacam | Alphacam The use of machining styles can improve productivity when used with parts that have similar machining operations. A machining style can contain one or more 2D/3D machining operations, which can be individually applied to selected geometries or automatically to geometries on assigned layers. AutoSave with Alphacam | Alphacam Q. A current active Alphacam drawing wasn’t saved prior to a system failure on the computer. Can you help? A. Yes, it is called Auto Save. For more information please watch this short video. Equi Spaced Holes | Alphacam How do I equally space holes along a reference piece of geometry ? © 2021 Hexagon AB and/or its subsidiaries. Terms of Use Privacy Policy Software Compliance COVID-19 Coronavirus Supply Information Follow us