Fundamentals

Application

In the Editor operating mode, you can use the Simulation workspace to graphically test whether NC programs are programmed correctly and run without collisions.

In the Manual and Program Run operating modes, the control shows the current traverse motions of the machine in the Simulation workspace.

Requirements

Description of function

In the Editor operating mode, the Simulation workspace can be open for only one NC program at a time. With this NC program the control displays the Control-in-operation icon next to the program name. If you want to open the workspace on a different tab, the control prompts you for confirmation. The query depends on the simulation settings and the status of the active simulation.

The Simulation settings window

If the simulation of another NC program is currently running, the control shows a window with the name of this NC program above the function bar. If you double-tap or click this window, the control switches from the active tab to the NC program currently being simulated.

The functions available in the simulation depend on the following settings:

  • Selected model type, for example 2.5D
  • Selected model quality, for example Medium
  • Selected mode, for example Machine

Icons in the Simulation workspace

The following icons are shown in the Simulation workspace:

Icon

Meaning

Open or close the Visualization options column

The Visualization options column

Open or close the Workpiece options column

The Workpiece options column

Open or close the Pre-defined views selection menu

Pre-defined views

Save as

Export simulated workpiece as STL file

Exporting a simulated workpiece as STL file

Open or close the Simulation settings window

The Simulation settings window

Dynamic Collision Monitoring (DCM (#40 / #5-03-1))

DCM active

DCM active with reduced minimum distance (#140 / #5-03-2)

Reduce the minimum clearance for DCM with FUNCTION DCM DIST (#140 / #5-03-2)

Advanced checks active

The Visualization options column

Number or name of the current tool

 
Tip

The display depends on the workspace size.

Current run time of the program in hh:mm:ss format

The Visualization options column

In the Visualization options column, you can define the following display modes and functions:

Icon or toggle switch

Meaning

Requirements

Select the Machine or Workpiece mode

In the Workpiece mode, the control displays the workpiece, the tool, and the tool carrier. Depending on the selected mode, different functions are available, such as a display of the setup situation.

If you select the Machine mode, the control additionally displays the setup situation and the machine.

Workpiece position

Use this function to define the position of the workpiece preset for the simulation. You can use a button to apply a workpiece preset from the preset table.

Preset management

  • The Editor operating mode

You can select between the following display modes for the machine:

  • Original: Shaded, opaque representation
  • Semitransparent: Transparent representation
  • Wire-frame model: Representation of the machine contours

You can select between the following display modes for the tool:

  • Original: Shaded, opaque representation
  • Semitransparent: Transparent representation
  • Invisible: The object is hidden

You can select between the following display modes for the workpiece:

  • Original: Shaded, opaque representation
  • Semitransparent: Transparent representation
  • Invisible: The object is hidden

You can show the tool paths during the simulation. The control displays the center-line path of the tools.

You can choose between the following display modes for the tool paths:

  • None: Do not show tool paths
  • Feed: Show tool paths with programmed feed rate
  • Feedrate + FMAX: Show tool paths with programmed feed rate and with programmed rapid traverse
  • The Workpiece mode
  • The Editor operating mode

Clamping situation

Use this toggle switch to show the worktable and fixture, if required.

  • The Workpiece mode

DCM

Use this toggle switch to activate or deactivate Dynamic Collision Monitoring (DCM ) (#40 / #5-03-1)) for simulation.

Dynamic Collision Monitoring (DCM) in the Editor operating mode

  • The Editor operating mode
  • Simulation reset or not started yet

Advanced checks

If you activate the Advanced checks toggle switch, the control provides the following checks:

  • Rapid-traverse cut
  • Collision between workpiece and tool
  • Collision between workpiece and machine
  • Fixture collision

Advanced checks in the simulation

  • The Editor operating mode

Program run options

If you activate this toggle switch, the control opens the Program run options window with the following selection options:

  • Perform conditional stop
  • The control offers the following breakpoints:

    • Before switch to rapid traverse
    • Before switch to feed rate
    • Between two rapid traverses
    • Before tool call
    • Before tilting the working plane
    • Before cycle call
    • In cycle call
  • Breakpoints

  • Skip block
  • If an NC block is preceded by a / character, then the NC block is hidden.

  • If you activate the Skip block toggle switch, the control skips all hidden NC blocks in the simulation.

  • Hiding NC blocks

  • If the toggle switch is active, then the control dims the NC blocks to be skipped.

  • Appearance of the NC program

  • Pause at M1
  • If you activate this toggle switch, the control pauses the simulation at each M1 M function in the NC program.

  • Overview of miscellaneous functions

  • If the toggle switch is inactive, then the control dims the M1 syntax element.

  • Appearance of the NC program

  • The Editor operating mode

The Workpiece options column

In the Workpiece options column, you can define the following simulation functions for the workpiece:

Toggle switch or button

Meaning

Requirements

Measuring

Use this function to measure any points on the simulated workpiece.

The control measures the distance between the measured surface and the finished part, using only the 3D model type.

Measuring function

  • The Workpiece mode
  • The 2.5D or 3D model type

Cutout view

Use this function to cut through the simulated workpiece along a plane.

Cutout view in the simulation

  • The Workpiece mode
  • The Editor operating mode
  • The 2.5D model type

Highlight workpiece edges

Use this function to highlight the edges of the simulated workpiece.

  • The Workpiece mode
  • The 2.5D model type

Workpiece blank frame

Use this function to show the outside lines of the workpiece blank.

  • The Workpiece mode
  • The Editor operating mode
  • The 2.5D model type

Finished part

Use this function to display a finished part that was defined by means of the BLK FORM FILE NC function.

Cutout view in the simulation

Software limit switches

Use this function to activate the software limit switches of the machine for the active traverse range in the simulation. By simulating the limit switches you can check whether the working space of the machine is sufficient for the simulated workpiece.

The Simulation settings window

  • The Editor operating mode

Workpiece coloring

  • The 2.5D model type
  • Model comparison function in the Workpiece mode only
  • Monitoring function in the Program Run operating mode only

Reset the workpiece

Use this function to reset the workpiece back to the workpiece blank

  • The 2.5D model type

Reset the tool paths

Use this function to reset the simulated tool paths.

  • The Workpiece mode
  • The Editor operating mode

Remove the chips

Use this function to remove from the simulation those parts of the workpiece that were cut off during machining.

Workpiece before clean-up
Workpiece after clean-up
  • The 3D model type

The Simulation settings window

Editor operating mode

The Simulation settings window contains the following areas in the Editor operating mode:

Area

Setting

General

  • Model type
    • 2.5D: quick solid-model view
    • None: very fast simulation without solid-model view
    • 3D: exact solid-model view
  • Quality
    • Low: low-quality model, low memory use
    • Medium: normal-quality model, average memory use
    • High: high-quality model, uses much memory
    • Highest: best-quality model, uses very much memory
  • Mode
    • Milling
  • Optimized saving of STL (#152 / #1-04-1)
  • If you activate the toggle switch, the control exports a simplified STL file. During this process, the control removes unnecessary triangles and simplifies the 3D model to max. 20 000 triangles. You can use the simplified STL file within BLK FORM FILE without any additional adaptation.

  • STL file as workpiece blank with BLK FORM FILE

  • Prompt when opening a new simulation
  • If the toggle switch is active and you open the Simulation workspace in a new tab, the control shows the Close current simulation window. You can exit the active simulation or cancel the process.

  • If the toggle switch is inactive, the control will not show the window.

  •  
    Tip

    If you open the Simulation workspace in a new tab while a simulation is running, the control will always show the Cancel running simulation window.

  • Active kinemat.
  • Select the kinematics model for the simulation from a selection menu. The machine manufacturer enables the kinematics models.

  • Generate tool-usage file
    • Never
    • Do not generate a tool-usage file

    • Once
    • Generate a tool-usage file for the next simulated NC program

    • Always
    • Generate a tool-usage file for every simulated NC program

  • Channel Settings

Traverse ranges

  • Traverse ranges
  • In this selection menu you can choose one of the traverse ranges defined by the machine manufacturer, such as Limit1. In each traverse range the machine manufacturer defines different software limit switches for each axis of the machine. For example, the machine manufacturer defines traverse ranges for large machines with two separate working spaces.

  • The Workpiece options column

  • Active traverse ranges
  • This function shows the active traverse range and the values defined for within that range.

Tables

You can select tables specifically for the Editor operating mode. The control uses the selected tables for the simulation. The selected tables are independent of any tables that are active in other operating modes. You use a selection menu to choose the tables.

You can select the following tables for the Simulation workspace:

  • Tool table
  • Datum table
  • Preset table

Tool tables

With the Reset button, the control selects the same tables for the simulation that are active for program run.

Program Run and Manual operating modes

The Simulation settings window contains the following setting in the Program Run and Manual operating modes:

Area

Setting

General

Model type

  • 2.5D: quick solid-model view
  • None: very fast simulation without solid-model view

You can open the Simulation settings window only if there is no active traversing command. In this case, the Control-in-operation icon is shown in white.

Action bar

The Simulation workspace in the Editor operating mode

In the Editor operating mode you can test NC programs by simulating them. The simulation helps to detect programming errors or collisions and to check the machining result visually.

The control shows the active tool and the machining time above the action bar.

Display of the program run time

The action bar contains the following symbols:

Symbol

Function

Control-in-operation:
The control uses the Control-in-operation symbol to show the current simulation status in the action bar and on the tab of the NC program:

  • White: no movement command
  • Green: active machining, axes are moving
  • Orange: NC program interrupted
  • Red: NC program stopped

Simulation speed

Simulation speed

Reset

Return to the beginning of the program, reset transformations and the machining time

Start

Start in Single Block mode

Run the simulation up to a certain NC block

Simulating an NC program up to a certain NC block

Simulation of tools

The control visualizes the following entries of the tool table in the simulation:

The control displays the tool in the following colors:

  • Turquoise: tool length
  • Red: length of cutting edge and tool is engaged
  • Blue: length of cutting edge and tool is retracted

The tool representation depends on the quality selected in the Simulation settings window. The control visualizes round tools as polygons. The lower the quality the fewer corners the polygon has, regardless of the tool diameter. Large tools also produce a more significant chord error, which means that the representation deviates more strongly from a circle.