The “Import Vector Turning” toolpath allows you to create custom contour turning designs that cannot be achieved with traditional cutter profiles. It converts a 3-axis profile toolpath, from 3rd party CAD/CAM software, into a rotational turning path in CCAM Pro. Using a ball-tipped cutter, it follows a custom vector curve to cut along a spindle’s surface while the stock rotates, enabling smooth, detailed contour effects.
00:19:31:12 – 00:19:58:00
Speaker 1
Hey, hey. Welcome back to another training video. I’m Chris, and today we’re going to be jumping in conversational cam Pro cam Pro specifically with a toolpath called import vector turning. This will give us the ability to create contour turning designs. When traditional cutter profiles just won’t work. So to help, answer two questions, we’re going to answer one is what is import vector turning.
00:19:58:03 – 00:20:19:13
Speaker 1
What does it do. And to how do we program it. And so that’s going to we’re going to cover those two questions today to help visualize this. We’re going to be using our vitreous software which is a key element in producing the actual toolpath at first. And then we’re going to bring it into Conversational Cam Pro to convert the G-code for contour turning procedures.
00:20:19:16 – 00:20:31:21
Speaker 1
So this is a really interesting, but awesome way of producing contour turnings. We’ll then finish off the video by going into the actual cutting results showing the machine in action and explaining what is taking place.
00:20:31:21 – 00:20:51:29
Speaker 1
so let’s jump on over to our veteran software to see what we need to do. Okay, so for this design and we’ve already in previous videos we have done two tool pass to the spindle. First we took a surfacing cutter and we actually turned it round across that cylinder section all the way across.
00:20:52:01 – 00:21:20:04
Speaker 1
And then second we took our two inch classic spiral and did some turning tool profiles here, here and there. And if you haven’t seen those videos on how to do those, I highly recommend it. They are definitely key turning elements for most spindle designs. This video is no different when it comes to the vector turning process. It is one of the most common, most popular turning elements that you’re going to be using on Legacy’s turning center.
00:21:20:07 – 00:21:47:05
Speaker 1
So let’s, set up what we need to do here. So the toolpath itself for these original turning round and turning tool profiles were all done in Cam Pro. The the G-code that’s going to end up in C Cam Pro is also going to be generated from C Camp Pro, but the original G-code is not going to start from C Cam Pro for this vector turning process.
00:21:47:08 – 00:22:06:19
Speaker 1
The way this is going to work is we’re going to create an actual curved design here, and we’re going to generate a three axis tool path. And then we’re going to take that, G-code that we generate here in the metric software. And we’re going to import it into C Cam Pro to convert it okay. So in order to do that though we have to set up this part correctly.
00:22:06:19 – 00:22:26:15
Speaker 1
So I’m going to go here to my job setup. Originally it didn’t matter where our x and our y zero and our z zero was all placed throughout this process. In this particular toolpath it does okay. So we still want x zero to be on the left side of our spindle. But we need y zero to be in the center of our spindle.
00:22:26:15 – 00:22:47:13
Speaker 1
Because the center of rotation is where y is zero is in our turning center for the machine to do that, we’re actually going to use what’s called a offset position here in the datum. So if we check use offset I’m going to put a negative y axis offset just half the width of the y axis. So two and three quarter is going to be 1.375.
00:22:47:13 – 00:22:58:12
Speaker 1
But again we’ll put a negative in there. So it shifts in the right direction. There you go. So you can see it now puts the Y down the dead center of our spindle which is exactly where we need it to be
00:22:58:12 – 00:23:05:08
Speaker 1
So that is the only critical step that we needed to produce for this process. It doesn’t matter where zero is located.
00:23:05:08 – 00:23:21:27
Speaker 1
Same as the material thickness. So those are the only changes that we had to make to this part. So let’s push. Okay. And now let’s lay out a design of what’s going to take place. So contour turning is where we’re not using the shape of a cutter to quickly, cut or turn a profile.
00:23:21:29 – 00:23:40:28
Speaker 1
But we’re actually going to be creating a custom curve of some kind. So I’m going to draw just a polyline here. You can approve. And so we’re going to start from the end of this round a bit profile here. And I’m just going to click a couple of times just to create a few points of contact. And we’ll finish that off okay.
00:23:41:01 – 00:24:01:19
Speaker 1
Now we’re going to actually turn this into a curve. So if we go here to our node editing and we’re going to change all of these nodes to smooth points. Smooth points. I’m going to do it to all of them okay. And now what we’re going to do is I’m going to adjust these nodes until this turns into a very appealing curve shape that I like.
00:24:01:21 – 00:24:30:02
Speaker 1
Okay. So I’m just going to be modifying these node positions until I find something that I really, really like. Oh okay. We’re getting actually pretty close already. So I like how this transition is happening and it’s gradually coming down. Let’s move the end of this node here. Tell it just kind of meshes and transitions over. You can see it’s kind of crossing a little too much there case which is transitioning right into the curve of that cutter.
00:24:30:04 – 00:24:51:18
Speaker 1
And that will work beautifully okay. So if I unclick that you can see that curve take place. Let’s take this curve and we’re going to mere copy it to the other side just so we can see what the actual result is going to be. And awesome. Okay. So that creates an actual contour effect. If I didn’t like the results after I mirrored it, I can always take it and modify it even more.
00:24:51:18 – 00:25:13:18
Speaker 1
Perhaps I want it to shift this over here so that it’s not uniform. It’s not again, as long gated for the contour, but a little more shorter before it starts dipping down. This is all preference when it comes to these types of points. Okay. So let’s say I liked that shape a little bit better. Well, I can always delete this one.
00:25:13:20 – 00:25:36:10
Speaker 1
And I can premiere copy this one. And looking at that, I like that better. Just from those little changes makes it look a little more elegant. Okay, so that’s just my personal preference. After that we can actually delete. This isn’t requires for programing, but we can delete all these other lines because all that material is going to be machined away, from this contour effect.
00:25:36:12 – 00:26:02:15
Speaker 1
So these lines will disappear. We can actually take and trim away so that I can find these lines here and there. We have a beautiful contour being brought into what’s already been done to the spindle using the turning tool profiles with these cutters. Okay. So now the key thing about this toolpath is that again, we can’t use a traditional shape of a cutter to do this.
00:26:02:15 – 00:26:26:08
Speaker 1
For example, I can’t take something like this to create a contour. The only way to actually turn contours that is reliable and consistent is to use a ball shaped cutter, something that the tip of the cutter has a radius or a ball to it in some in some ways. So this is a, for example, a tapered ball cutter that tapers down to an eighth inch ball on the on the point.
00:26:26:10 – 00:26:48:26
Speaker 1
You can use larger diameters. What you’re limited to is what the tightest radius is going to be in the design. Okay. This this is a, a go to for the size of eighth inch taper ball cutter is a go to for a lot of contours because it can get tighter into these kind of square crevices. If my contour effect again was, really, really unique in getting into unique shapes.
00:26:49:00 – 00:27:09:05
Speaker 1
Okay. This is pretty gradual. So this will work just fine using that same cutter. So we’re going to be tool passing this using the eighth inch tapered ball cutter okay. So with that in mind let’s actually select this. And we’re going to go generate an actual toolpath here in metric. So the one we’re going to use is a profile toolpath.
00:27:09:07 – 00:27:17:13
Speaker 1
And what we need to do simply is to make sure it doesn’t matter what our cut depth is, as long as it does it in one full pass.
00:27:17:13 – 00:27:28:00
Speaker 1
But there is one critical thing that we have to pay attention to based on the shape of the cutter that we’re using. Okay. So I mean, this cutter has a, you can see the shape of the cutter goes from the point all the way up here to the end of the taper.
00:27:28:00 – 00:27:47:24
Speaker 1
So that technically is the profile height of the actual cutter, which is about one inch. And so I like to have my cut depth greater than the profile height of the tool that I’m going to be using that makes it so that the metric software doesn’t accidentally shift my cutter, the wrong distance away from the original contoured line.
00:27:47:27 – 00:28:05:09
Speaker 1
Okay. So that’s why I have a big, big cut depth here of two inches and it’s going to do it all in one pass. That again, it’s not going to actually do that for cutting from the side. This is what we’re simulate. We’re simulating this in this software as if it’s cutting from the side of this contour effect.
00:28:05:16 – 00:28:23:03
Speaker 1
Just a flat stock component. But again that G-code is going to get brought in to see Cam Pro and be converted to cut along the top. Okay. So we’re going to be doing something like this. It’s going to take a think of it as an eighth inch cutter cutting from the side here. We had to do something right.
00:28:23:06 – 00:28:42:20
Speaker 1
And it’s following along this contour to again cut this out. And that’s what what’s going to take place in this toolpath that we’re programing. But in C cam C Cam Pro it’s actually going to convert that G-code to cut from the top like this okay. So it’s going to be following along that contour face cutting along the top.
00:28:42:23 – 00:28:58:05
Speaker 1
So that’s why we have to start out with a flat surface and try to lay this out to where there’s not multiple passes, only one pass. And we have to make sure we’re cutting on the correct side of the line. So if I select my contour effect I always, cut on the the out of the two contours.
00:28:58:05 – 00:29:18:15
Speaker 1
I always choose the top one. And so we’re going to cut on starting at this point on the left side of the actual vector. So that’s why I’m choosing left with a big cut depth at one pass. And make sure that we’re using the same diameter of cutter that we plan to use in C Cam Pro for the tip of the ball.
00:29:18:17 – 00:29:45:11
Speaker 1
Okay, so here I’ve chosen an eighth inch ball cutter okay. And it doesn’t matter what the tool number is, what the feed rate is, what the spindle speed is. All of that is going to be overridden in C Cam Pro. All we have to pay attention to is to make sure the diameter is the same as what we want to use in Cam Pro, and that the cut depth okay is covering the entire cut profile greater than and is done in one pass.
00:29:45:11 – 00:30:01:21
Speaker 1
Those are all the critical items. Other than that, all we have to do is come down here, give it a name such as I’m going to call this import contour to remind me of what this G-code is used for. I’m going to be importing it into my C Camp Pro software, and we can push and calculate. Thanks for that.
00:30:01:24 – 00:30:17:28
Speaker 1
Okay, so that gives us a again a 2D layout. Sorry, this is actually a 3D layout of what the toolpath is going to do. B and C is going to cut two inches deep. But what I want to pay attention to is going to go back to my 2D view here. I want to make sure the cutter is on the correct side of the line.
00:30:18:00 – 00:30:38:13
Speaker 1
For example, here, if the toolpath was on the other side, it would be cutting too deep, right? We would be actually, getting the right diameters and the contour effect. We need to make sure the cutters on the correct side. So that’s all I’m verifying. So this represents the center of the cutter traveling down the edge of that line.
00:30:38:15 – 00:31:03:10
Speaker 1
And that is correct. So now we’re ready to save out our G-code. So if we close our preview here and we go to save toolpath we need to select a specific post processor for this, specific technique. And here we have updated the name to keep things uniform for you guys. It’s called the legacy Delta vector turning post processor.
00:31:03:18 – 00:31:15:00
Speaker 1
And you’re going to find vector turning as the name and Cam Pro as well so that the names match up. So it’s really easy to to remember this process okay. So let’s save out that G-code.
00:31:15:09 – 00:31:35:12
Speaker 1
We’ll put this in the import vector turning demonstration folder that we specifically made for this video. And again I’m going to keep this as import contour. If you want to put G-code on the end you can. But I’m just going to leave the title as import contour and save. Okay. So we have done the first step of this process, which really isn’t very difficult.
00:31:35:12 – 00:31:59:26
Speaker 1
It’s just creating a vector shape. And then assigning a toolpath a profile toolpath to cut on the outer edge, or in this case the left edge of the line down that length. All in one pass. Right. So that’s all we’ve done. So now we can open up C Cam Pro. And we’re going to go back to the project that was created in the previous videos for this spindle.
00:31:59:28 – 00:32:21:18
Speaker 1
And we’re going to training samples I’ll select that project. I’ll go to the workstation. And there we have the turning round sample project that we did earlier. And there were already two toolpath from the two previous videos, the turning round process and the tool profile process. We need to add a new a new toolpath to this for the vector turning.
00:32:21:21 – 00:32:51:08
Speaker 1
So if we go here to manage tool paths, and over here we have an option for importing vector turning okay. And again this is the specific post that the specific toolpath that’s going to convert the gcode that is generated from a third party CAD cam software as a three axis component or a three axis profile cut. I’m just going to convert it to a top cut following along the z axis, and it will add the rotation of the stock at the same time.
00:32:51:11 – 00:33:10:17
Speaker 1
So let’s add that toolpath to our list. And now let’s go do this conversion process. So we’re going to go to vector turning. And the first thing we need to do is import our G-code. So let’s go click on the field here so we can go find our G-code file that we had created. So that is right here okay.
00:33:10:17 – 00:33:34:16
Speaker 1
Under the import vector turning folder import contour. Just barely saved that out. And we can open that up. And that has now been imported into the software for it to use and convert. Now for the Delta system okay. So you have two different controllers on your on your courses, legacy CNC systems. For the delta systems you’re going to have the option here for cutting mode of turning and indexing.
00:33:34:22 – 00:33:51:29
Speaker 1
Turning is what you’re going to be using pretty much a majority of the time. If you have a mark three system, it’s not going to give you this option. If you have a mark three system chosen as your machine profile, this won’t even show up as a questionnaire. It will always put it in indexing mode for your Mark three systems.
00:33:52:01 – 00:34:19:20
Speaker 1
Okay. Just so you’re aware of how the software is going to interact based on which machine profile you have selected. Okay. Now this is already defaulted to say when it’s rotating the stock throughout this contour turned process, it’s going to be rotating the stock at 200 rpm. So again, just visually as this cutter is traveling from one end all the way down to the next over here, that’s just going to constantly be rotating at 200 rpm.
00:34:19:22 – 00:34:42:12
Speaker 1
Okay. So with that in mind, we just need to fill out a few more parameters and we’re done with this toolpath. So the first one is our section diameter here. And that is referring to what is the material that the cutter needs to approach so that we’re not jamming the cutter into the material. Preemptively. Okay. So for example, we’ve turned this round.
00:34:42:15 – 00:35:06:29
Speaker 1
Okay. Beforehand, we can actually measure this if you’d like. We turned this round as a vertical dimension to two inches in diameter. Sorry, 2.5in in diameter. Okay, so that’s where the material is around the entire, cylinder are being turned round. 2.5in is where the cutter is going to be entering the material. So that’s the parameter we’re going to put in our section diameter.
00:35:07:01 – 00:35:28:22
Speaker 1
This is where the cutter is going to meet the material at 2.5in in diameter. Now we get to choose the tool that we want to use. And so this is where we match the same again tool that we’ve been talking about the entire time a tapered ball cutter using an eight inch diameter ball on the tip. And I’m just going to use the quarter inch shank diameter.
00:35:28:25 – 00:35:47:22
Speaker 1
Yeah. For that for this tool. So we’ll select that cutter. That’s the one that I want. And we need to assign this to a tool number. Now, because this is being applied to a spindle that already has an existing tool pass tied to them. For example the surfacing cutter is tool number one to turn the stock round.
00:35:47:25 – 00:36:06:28
Speaker 1
And the classic spiral was tool number two to turn the tool profiles here we’re going to make this one tool number three just to keep things in linear order of the cutter, being applied to the spindle. Now the last thing we need to apply. And again, these are all other things that we can control and do with the with the platform.
00:36:07:04 – 00:36:29:14
Speaker 1
We’ll cover these in other videos. I just want to get you started with the basics. The last thing we need to, make sure we’re taking care of is what’s called the stepover. Okay, now you can have the system automatically calculate your step over the Stepover is how far the cutter travels down the stock per rotation. Okay. And this is going to be rotating at 200 rpm.
00:36:29:14 – 00:36:50:14
Speaker 1
And so that’s going to be able to travel down the stock. You could say quickly per rotation. Right. But it can’t go too fast or else it won’t leave a smooth finish. So what we found is that we, we made it so that this field will automatically calculate to take a 2.5% stepover of the diameter of the cutter that you’re using.
00:36:50:17 – 00:37:19:07
Speaker 1
So if we have an eighth inch tip, okay, eighth inch ball tip here, that means that it’s going to take 2.5% of an eighth of an inch for my stepover. Now that works just fine. But I find just so you don’t have to do this calculation, I just want to show you what that actually means. And so if you took an eighth of an inch again, ball cutter, and we multiply it by two and a half, percent, your step stepover is only three thousandths of an inch.
00:37:19:07 – 00:37:47:16
Speaker 1
That’s really small, 3000 of an inch per rotation as it’s traveling down that stock. Now, here’s what I found. Is that anything smaller than six thousandths of 0.006, you can’t tell the difference in the finish, okay? It’s just too small to make any difference. So what I like to do is that if my stepover is on a smaller cutter like this is just going to be too small, we don’t have to wait or cut it at that speed.
00:37:47:16 – 00:38:04:29
Speaker 1
We can actually just say, I want to do a manual step over and just make it 6000. I’m just going to round it up to the number that I found. Always gives me a smooth finish. If I was using a bigger ball cutter, like maybe a one inch half inch two inch diameter ball cutter, I would automatically calculate my stepover.
00:38:05:02 – 00:38:34:27
Speaker 1
But for this one, for the small little tapered ball cutters, I always put in six thousandths. Okay. And we’re done. That’s all we have to take care of in this process. And we can go finish and save. Okay, so now we have the tool paths all combined together. However, instead of saving all of these out to G-code again, we’ve already in previous videos, done the turning round process and the tool profiles, the three tool profiles for the spindle.
00:38:34:29 – 00:38:59:05
Speaker 1
So all I need to see about for this program is just the vector turning. Okay. Because that’s all that’s left over. That’s in the machine. So let’s go generate that G-code. And this is now a sign that tapered ball cutter two tool number three. And it’s added and again converted this code for us. It’s kind of simple to point out is that you still have the X positions.
00:38:59:07 – 00:39:26:01
Speaker 1
But instead of Y coordinates that was that’s what how the G-code here, when it was cutting here generated from our aspire software, it was doing X and Y movements to cut along the edge of the line. But you can see here that the software has converted all the y axis to z axis commands for us, so that now it’s cutting from the top, right along the y zero position directly above the material.
00:39:26:04 – 00:39:40:01
Speaker 1
So does all that conversion for us automatically, thank goodness. So we don’t have to do that ourselves. And this is now ready to save out. So let’s go save our gcode file.
00:39:40:15 – 00:39:48:15
Speaker 1
And I’m going to call this the vector turning G-code and save.
00:39:48:15 – 00:39:51:18
Speaker 1
So now let’s go out to the machine and see what it does.
00:39:51:18 – 00:40:04:02
Unknown
Through.
00:40:04:04 – 00:40:17:12
Unknown
Some.
00:40:26:28 – 00:40:35:28
Unknown
Rough. Rough.
00:40:35:28 – 00:41:53:11
Unknown
Ground that.
00:41:53:11 – 00:41:57:18
Speaker 1
and will be applied to every single one of these vector turning tool paths.
00:41:59:12 – 00:42:03:01
Speaker 1
Now, these types of videos generate a lot of different questions
00:42:03:04 – 00:42:29:21
Speaker 1
I recommend you take advantage of two resources to answer your questions. First is head on over to our website at Legacy woodworking.com. There you’ll find all the different product information, additional cutting demonstrations, and much more. The second resource I recommend doing is actually getting in contact with one of our CNC experts. You can call them at (801) 491-0010. They will be happy to answer any of your questions.
00:42:29:21 – 00:42:40:04
Speaker 1
Put on software or cutting demonstrations with the machines and point you to additional resources again to, fulfill your needs. Now, if you’d like to just simply watch more videos,
00:42:40:04 – 00:42:51:05
Speaker 1
I don’t blame you. Just click right over there. I think we all know what to do if you want to be notified of a future videos. Just click that button down below and don’t hesitate to give us a like if you liked what you saw.
00:42:51:07 – 00:43:03:16
Speaker 1
As always, thanks for watching. And remember, legacy solves more woodworking problems and allows you to say yes to more opportunities than any other CNC manufacturer in the industry.