The 3-D rotation window allows activating and deactivating tilting of the working plane for the Manual and Program Run operating modes. This allows restoring the tilted working plane and retracting the tool, e. g. after program cancellation in the Manual operation application.
Application
Related topics
- Tilting the working plane in the NC program
- Reference systems of the control
Tilting the working plane with PLANE functions (option 8)
Requirements
- Machine with rotary axes
- Kinematics description
- Advanced Functions Set 1 (software option 8)
- Function enabled by the machine manufacturer
- Tool with tool axis Z
To calculate the tilting angles, the control requires a kinematics description prepared by the machine manufacturer.
In the machine parameter rotateWorkPlane (no. 201201), the machine manufacturer defines whether tilting the working plane is allowed on the machine.
Description of function
The 3-D rotation window can be opened with the 3D ROT button in the Manual operation application.

The 3-D rotation window contains the following information:
Area | Contents |
---|---|
Kinematics | Name of the active machine kinematics |
Handwheel superimpositioning coordinate system | Coordinate system in which handwheel superimpositioning is effective Activating handwheel superimpositioning with M118 |
Manual Operation | Status of tilting function in the Manual operating mode:
The control will not take the rotary axes positions that are not equal to 0 into account. Traverses are effective in the W-CS workpiece coordinate system. Workpiece coordinate system W-CS The control takes the positions of rotary axes and columns SPA, SPB and SPC of the preset table into account. The traverses are effective in the WPL-CS working plane coordinate system. The control takes the columns SPA, SPB and SPC into account, but no rotary axis positions that are not equal to 0. Traverses are effective in the W-CS workpiece coordinate system. This is relevant only for head rotary axes. The traverses are effective in the T-CS tool coordinate system. |
Program run | When activating the Tilt working plane function for the Program run operating mode, the entered angle of rotation applies from the first NC block of the NC program to be run. If you use Cycle 19 WORKING PLANE or the PLANE function in the NC program, the angular values defined there become effective. The control will reset the entered angular values to 0. |
Confirm the settings with OK.
When a tilting function is active in the 3-D rotation window, the control displays the corresponding icon in the Positions workspace.
3D ROT setting
When selecting the 3D ROT setting, all axes move in the tilted working plane. The traverses are effective in the WPL-CS working plane coordinate system.
Working plane coordinate system WPL-CS
If a basic rotation or 3-D basic rotation has additionally been saved to the preset table, it will automatically be taken into account.
The control displays the angles that are currently effective in the entry field of the Manual Operation area. The spatial angle can also be edited.
The 3D ROT entry field in the Manual Operation area displays the currently active angles. The machine manufacturer uses the machine parameter planeOrientation (no. 201202) to define whether the control calculates with spatial angles SPA, SPB and SPC or with the axis values of the existing rotary axes.
When editing values in the 3D ROT entry field, the rotary axes must be positioned afterwards, e. g. in the MDI application.
Basic rotation setting
When selecting the Basic rotation setting, the axes move while taking a basic rotation or 3D basic rotation into account.
Basic rotation and 3D basic rotation
The axis movements are effective in the W-CS workpiece coordinate system.
Workpiece coordinate system W-CS
If the active workpiece preset contains a basic rotation or 3D basic rotation, the control additionally displays the corresponding icon in the Positions workspace.
The 3D ROT entry field has no function in this setting.
Tool axis setting
When selecting the Tool axis setting, traversing is possible in both the positive and negative direction of the tool axis. The control locks all other axes. This setting makes sense only for machines with head rotary axes.
The traverse is effective in the T-CS tool coordinate system.
- This setting is used e. g. in the cases below:
- When retracting the tool in the direction of the tool axis during an interruption of a 5-axis machining program.
- When traversing with the axis keys or the handwheel with a pre-positioned tool.
The 3D ROT entry field has no function in this setting.
Notes
- The control uses the COORD ROT transformation type in the following situations:
- if a PLANE function was previously executed with COORD ROT
- after PLANE RESET
- with corresponding configuration of the machine parameter CfgRotWorkPlane (no. 201200) by the machine manufacturer
- The control uses the TABLE ROT transformation type in the following situations:
- if a PLANE function was previously executed with TABLE ROT
- with corresponding configuration of the machine parameter CfgRotWorkPlane (no. 201200) by the machine manufacturer
- When setting a preset, the positions of the rotary axes must match the tilting situation in the 3-D rotation window (option 8). If the rotary axes are positioned so that they differ from the definition in the 3-D rotation window, the control cancels this process with an error message by default.
- A tilted working plane will remain active even after a control restart.
- PLC positionings defined by the machine manufacturer are not allowed when the working plane is tilted.
In the optional machine parameter chkTiltingAxes (no. 204601) the machine manufacturer defines the control reaction.