Drag and Drop: The #1 Reason I switched from Mastercam to TopSolid

The action of "dragging and dropping" to manipulate files and folders has existed for many years, across many different devices and platforms. So it shouldn't have surprised me when I saw it applied to a tool path inside TopSolid 7. I should have just expected that a CAD/CAM/CAE software package that is fully certified for Windows? 7 & 8, would have applied a familiar action like dragging and dropping to the creation of tool paths. When I did finally get a chance to see it in action though, I'm sure my jaw hit the floor. Creating a tool path takes work. That's what I've been used to saying because that was my experience. And I was good at it. Or so I thought and have been told.

The reality though is that I've been working much harder than I needed too. When I first saw a demonstration of dragging and dropping with tool path creation, it wasn't just the fact that you could essentially "copy and paste" a tool path between similar geometry. It was the fact that you could apply this time saving shortcut to geometry with different topology, and TopSolid is smart enough to figure out what type of operation to apply. You do have the ability to override some selections, and force the software to "bend to your will" if you absolutely need it to. The "magic" for me though is that you don't really need to very often. Because TopSolid uses a "setup" document that positions your stock solid relative to your fixture and part geometry, TopSolid is always trying to make your tool approach the material from the outside. This minimizes the cases where a helical or ramp entry is needed to enter a cavity-type shape.

Dragging and Dropping is basically just a shortcut for performing a copy/paste operation on a tool path. The reality though is there are some other benefits that occur as well. When you grab a tool path, and go into the "drop" mode, this performs your selection at the same time. So you might have selected a flat floor face for the first roughing tool path. If you "drag" (CTRL + Left Click and hold) on the tool path, and then "drop" it on an angled face, the software creates a "plane" orientation, based on the kinematics of your machine, and automatically causes a rotation to that plane for orienting the tool path. In addition, the path that is created always uses the in-process stock solid. This means every path is checked against the stock. This allows TopSolid to extend or trim the tool path motion, and generate the proper lead in/out moves every time, without any user intervention necessary. This is incredible technology. The amount of time it saves when you create a NC program is astounding.

With NC Programming, the devil is in the details...

NC Programming has been an incredibly humbling and rewarding career for me. I love the intersection of math, computer skills, material knowledge, and machine knowledge that is needed to do higher-level programming. As anyone that has been programming for a while knows though; the devil is in the details. What do I mean by this? It certainly has nothing to do with religion. The "devil" in this case is the requirement that every word/address block of code in the NC program be absolutely correct for the machine and control that it is being run on. Why? Because having the wrong G-code or M-code block can break your tool, ruin your holder, blow your spindle, or crash the machine.

So it is necessary to get good NC code, that runs the machine without crashing. The reason I bring this up is that a good portion of shops still use hand-editing, either by the programmer or by the operator on the shop floor, to try and make the program more efficient. This is often due to tool paths that cut excessive air. TopSolid keeps this to an absolute minimum, since even the regular 2D tool paths are "fit" to the stock. By being able to produce more efficient NC code, and also "knowing" the kinematics of your machine, TopSolid delivers the ability to completely stop the practice of handing editing your NC code.

So dragging and dropping ending up being my #1 reason for switching to TopSolid, partially for the "cool" factor, but mostly because it drastically reduces the time needed to program a part, especially if you do a lot of 4X Rotary, or 3+2 positioning work. The results are dramatic, and speak for themselves. I'd encourage you to get a demo and see why TopSolid is the best CAD/CAM system I've ever seen, and how it can help you get your programs done in record time.

In case you missed any of my previous posts, here are the top 15 reasons I switched to TopSolid:

1. Drag and Drop Technology for Tool Paths, and everything else!
2. Selection Intelligence - A responsive UI that "knows" what you selected.
3. User Experience - A modern interface, native 64-bit, streamlined workflow.
4. Virtual Jog and Inter-Link Edits - Drive your actual machine, control retract and approach moves for even the most complex machine.
5. Methods - Create "step-by-step" macro driven dialogs to capture programming knowledge.
6. Parameters - Design intent, knowledge capture, real engineering and manufacturing data.
7. Kinematic Tool Path Knowledge - Tool path options are presented, based on the capabilities of your actual machine.
8. Multiple Gauge Points - Ultimate control over driving and orienting your tools.
9. Solid Tool Definitions - Collision Avoidance, real clearance checking, and the ability to import tool data from a variety of digital sources.
10. Kinematic Awareness - Real machine definitions that allow you to control even the most complex Mill-Turn machines. All calculations done inside TopSolid, no need for complex math in the post.
11. Multiple Pieces of Stock - Load any number of parts and stock pieces into your assemblies. Verify with confidence.
12. Stock Awareness - All tool paths extend/trim to the stock automatically.
13. PDM - Store, retrieve, and manage your data. Keep complex engineering and production data organized automatically. Never loose a file, and reuse data.
14. Full Assembly Modeling - TopSolid is a real parametric modeler, and truly is a world-class Computer Aided Engineering tool, allowing full motion simulation and FEA analysis.
15. Parametric Design - Capture Design Intent by creating dimension and constraint driven models.