Alphacam V8 What`s New

Alphacam V8 What’s New
Contents
Notes ............................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Installation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Module Restructure ....................................................................................................................................................... 2
General ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Simulation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Lathe ........................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Add-Ins ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12
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Alphacam V8 What’s New
Notes
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This listing contains an overview of the new features within Alphacam V8. Please see the Alphacam V8
Release Notes for additional, important information including an extensive listing of all new product
features, enhancements, changes, fixes as well as post processor and API enhancements.
Installation
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Updated Install
The Alphacam Product installation has been updated and enhanced.
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Distribution Media
The Alphacam installation package is now distributed on a single DVD.
Module Restructure
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Restructured Feature Sets
Alphacam V8 feature sets (levels) have been restructured and renamed, providing additional functionality
to the lower-level modules.
New Module/Level Structure
Essential
Router
Mill
Stone
Lathe (New)
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Standard
Router
Mill
Stone
Lathe
Wire
Advanced
Router
Mill
Stone
Lathe
Profiling
Wire
Ultimate
Router
Mill
Stone
Lathe
Profiling
New Module Names
Lathe
Alphacam View+ Lathe
Alphacam Essential Lathe
Alphacam Standard Lathe
Alphacam Advanced Lathe
Alphacam Ultimate Lathe
Mill
Alphacam View+ Mill
Alphacam Essential Mill
Alphacam Standard Mill
Alphacam Advanced Mill
Alphacam Ultimate Mill
Profiling
Alphacam View+ Profiling
Alphacam Advanced Profiling
Alphacam Ultimate Profiling
Router
Alphacam View+ Router
Alphacam Essential Router
Alphacam Standard Router
Alphacam Advanced Router
Alphacam Ultimate Router
Stone
Alphacam View+ Stone
Alphacam Essential Stone
Alphacam Standard Stone
Alphacam Advanced Stone
Alphacam Ultimate Stone
Wire
Alphacam Standard Wire
Alphacam Advanced Wire
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Page 2 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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Feature Adjustments (may not apply to all modules)
Many features have been moved from the Standard level down to the Essential level.
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On Screen and Manual True Shape/Rectangular Nesting of Geometries/Tool Paths (No Nest Lists)
3D Engraving
Conventional Turning (Lathe Only)
More…
Many features have been moved from the Advanced level down to the Standard level.
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3D Surfaces
Set Geometry Z Levels
3D Project (Global 3-Axis)
3D Wrap Onto Surface (Global 3-Axis)
Full Nesting
Take Account Previous Machining
Helical Interpolation
Cut Spline or Polyline
3D Surface Machining (Parallel & Z Contour Roughing)
Edit Z Point by Point
C-Axis Machining – Set Work Area for Y-Axis (Lathe Only)
C-Axis Machining – Rotate Y-Axis Work Area (Lathe Only)
Auto Z Machining
More…
All 3D Surface Machining and 3D Solid Machining features have been moved from the 3D 3-Axis level
(which is now obsolete) to the Advanced level.
The Ultimate level now includes the Alphacam Part Modeler.
General
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Updated Help File
The Alphacam help file (ACAM3.chm) been restructured and updated.
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New Input Image
Standard level and higher
This command will insert the selected image (.bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .emf, .tiff, .png) at a specified location in
its true size (calculated from its dimensions (pixels) and Dots Per Inch (DPI)). Upon insertion, a rectangular
boundary is created around the boundary extents.
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Page 3 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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Enhanced Tool Definition
Applies to Mill, Router, Stone, Lathe
New Tool Holder and Tool Tip to Gauge Line Length properties have been added to calculate the tool
position during simulation and can be used as an alternative to tool holder graphics.
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Enhanced Project Manager Functionality
Objects can now be copied or moved from one Work Plane or Layer to another within the Work Plane or
Layer tab via new Cut/Copy/Paste commands within the object’s right-click menu. Objects can also be
copied or moved from one Work Plane or Layer to another by dragging objects from one Work Plane or
Layer to another (to copy, use CTRL key while dragging).
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Page 4 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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CAD Enhancements
A number of CAD features have been enhanced to provide additional ease of use.
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When creating 2 Point or 3 Point circles, a preview of the resulting circle is displayed.
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When creating tangent circles where there may be several possible results, those results and
contact points are now made visible, allowing for selection of the desired circle as well as adjusting
of the contact points.
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When inserting, moving, copying or rotating objects, a live preview of those objects is displayed
while dragging. When using Snaps, the preview is displayed at the respective Snap position. This
allows the destination to be viewed prior to accepting.
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Page 5 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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Sawing Enhancements
Does not apply to all modules
Sawing can now be done using Auto Z and Partial Machining. A new Elements option has also been
added which allows sawing to be easily applied to only the selected elements of a closed geometry, without
having to break or explode the geometry first.
New Cut To/Cut On/Cut Past options have been added for sawing open ended elements.
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Cut Holes with Auto-Z
Stone module only – Standard or higher
A new Cut Holes with Auto-Z feature has been added to the Stone module.
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CAD Translators
CAD file translators have been updated to handle current versions.
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Feature Extraction
There have been many enhancements and fixes to the Solid Feature Extraction (see Release Notes for full
listing).
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Page 6 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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Alphacam API
The Alphacam API has been updated to reflect all additional features and enhancements (see Release
Notes for full listing).
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More…
See Release Notes for full listing.
Simulation
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Enhanced Machine Simulation
Does not apply to all modules
The Alphacam Simulation has been virtually rewritten and contains a number of enhancements.
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Standard (shaded) and Solid Simulation now reside within main Alphacam drawing screen
Inherits the same Zoom, Pan, Rotation, etc. as Alphacam
Utilizes new Machine Configuration features
More realistic visualization/multi-axis movements (e.g. B/C-axis rotation rather than tool movement)
Simultaneous tool/machine movements
Operations can be switched on/off during simulation
New Simulation Project Manager page contains access to simulation controls and settings
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Page 7 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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New Machine Configuration
Advanced level and higher - does not apply to all modules
This new feature allows for creation and manipulation of a Machine Configuration and its components for
use within the new Simulation.
Machine Components can be created easily from existing geometries or solid bodies. The Machine
Configuration and Machine Component properties provide full control over the machine’s axes movement
and rotational behavior.
Mill, Router, Stone…
Lathe…
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Page 8 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
A new Machine Configuration tree has been added to the Layers tab within the Project Manager for easy
access to all Machine Components. This tree contains a list of layers which contain only the objects
pertaining to the Machine Configuration. These layers act very much the same as Alphacam User Layers
and can be edited (e.g. rename, change color) and turned on/off in the same way. Objects can also be
dragged and dropped to and from the Standard layers to the Machine Configuration layers.
Mill, Router, Stone…
Lathe…
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Alphacam V8 What’s New
Lathe
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Rapid Management System
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Enhanced Auto-Lead In/Out
Auto-Lead In/Out for Roughing/Finishing now has independent length values.
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Page 10 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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Enhanced Grooving Functionality
The Lathe’s Grooving feature has been vastly enhanced to contain the following new options.
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New Rough Options
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New Width of Cut Options for Multi-Cut
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None: Finishing Only
Single-Cut: One pass at the deepest central part of the selected Geometry
Multi-Cut: Multiple passes with Width of Cut options
Constant: Works across the groove with a constant step-over controlled by Width of Cut
Variable: Varies the Width of Cut to maintain the Maximum Error as specified
Pecking: Full or Partial Retract, Peck Decreasing Factor, Minimum Peck Depth, Cutting
Order by Zone or by Level
Clean Profile with Each Cut: Can eliminate the need to do a Semi-Finish pass, works as
the Diameter roughing option
New Semi-Finish and Finish Options
These new options allow for configurable Lead In/Out moves, Stock Amount, Minimum Overlap of
left/right passes, support for 2 Programming Points, and use of G41/42.
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More…
See Release Notes for full listing.
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Page 11 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
Add-Ins
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Alphacam Productivity Pack
The Alphacam Productivity Pack is now part of the Alphacam install. Previously, this was distributed
separately, primarily in the USA.
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Boring Along 2D Line
CAD to CAM (Extra Cost Option for Standard level, Free for Advanced)
Multidrill (enhanced version)
Nest Reports and Labels
More…
New Drawing Template (SysMacro)
Allows for drawings to be opened and saved as templates. Template files will be saved with all geometries,
tool paths, etc. (if any) within the active drawing as well as all User Layers, Work Planes and Constraint
Parameters/Equations.
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New Styles-Tools Sync (Mill/Stone/Router/Lathe)
This command will analyze the tools stored in all Machining Styles and compare update their data to its
corresponding tool in the Alphacam Tool Library. Missing tools can also be “extracted” from the Machining
Styles and saved to a specified location.
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New AutoCutout (Stone/Router)
This command will generate a start or clearance hole at the beginning of a tool path and machine the
cutout using the clearance hole as its start and end point.
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New ReliefCut (Stone/Router)
This command will generate a relief cut at a specified distance and location, machine the main specified
path, and prompt to apply a manual Lead-In/Out to both tool paths.
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Common Add-Ins Are Now Always Loaded
Many commonly used add-ins now reside in Alphacam’s SysMacro folder so that they are always loaded
and available for use.
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3D Part Rotation
Break at Distance
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Page 12 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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Common Line Removal
Extend by Distance
Line Properties
Parametric Rules
Project 3D to 2D
Nesting Extensions (Productivity Pack)
Save Solid Bodies to Files
Work Plane by Line Element Vector (formerly Work Plane by Polyline Vector)
3D Part Rotation
New Rotate Text and Create Work Volume options have been added as well as other enhancements/fixes.
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AutoStyles
Machining start point can now be set to the middle of the longest element (for closed geometries).
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Common Line Removal
The user is now asked if the resulting geometries are to be joined; otherwise they are left as open
elements.
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Create Default Material
The menu item (English) has been changed to “Auto Set Material” and a new Ignore Tool Paths option has
been added.
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Page 13 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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Line Properties
A new Custom color option has been added to allow for extended color selection (beyond the standard 16
colors).
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Parametric Rules
A new Import feature has been added which allows importing of rules from another drawing.
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Save Solid Bodies to Files
Advanced level or higher
This feature has been enhanced to now ask to select which Solid Bodies are to be saved as well as where
to save them. The saved drawings are now named the same as the original name of the Solid Body
(numbers are appended only for bodies with identical names).
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Page 14 of 15
Alphacam V8 What’s New
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Multidrill (Productivity Pack version)
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New Machine Undrilled Holes feature
This new feature allows for a Machining Style to be used to machine holes which were unable to be
drilled by the multi-spindle drill unit. The Machining Style can contain any type of operation and are
applied as-is to the undrilled holes. Meaning, all machining data applied to the undrilled holes
comes from the Machining Style.
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New Re-Multidrill during Nesting option
This new feature adds a Re-Multidrill option to the Nesting Parameters. With this option checked,
as a nested sheet is complete (fully nested), all existing Multidrill operations are deleted and then
reapplied to the nested sheet using the same database and settings that were originally used. This
allows for rotating of parts with Multidrill operations (previously not possible) and also provides
optimization on a per sheet basis, rather than a per part basis.
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More…
See Release Notes for full listing.
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