CAM Camotics

CAM Camotics CAM Camotics

Menu location

CAM  CAMotics

Toolbar

Tool Commands (last entry)

Workbenches

CAM

Default shortcut

P C

Introduced in version

1.0

See also

CAM Simulator, CAM SimulatorGL

Description

The CAM Camotics CAM Camotics command simulates the selected Job with the external CAMotics simulator. Its tooltip reads: Simulates using CAMotics. The Job is post-processed with its Post-Processor, the resulting G-code is loaded into the CAMotics Python engine, and the simulated Stock is shown in the document as a Mesh object named Camotics. The command can also write a CAMotics project file and launch the CAMotics application on it.

Requirements

  • CAMotics 1.2.2 or newer installed with the camotics executable on the PATH and its Python module importable by FreeCAD’s Python.

  • Edit  Preferences  CAM  Advanced  Enable OCL dependent features must be checked; the command is only added to the toolbar when both conditions are met at startup.

  • A Job must be selected in the Tree view for the command to be active.

Usage

  1. Select the Job in the Tree view.

  2. Press the CAM Camotics CAMotics button or choose CAM  CAMotics, or press P then C. The Job is post-processed (without the G-code editor) and the simulation is prepared at high resolution.

  3. Drag the time slider to simulate up to that point in time; the progress bar and status text show the state and a Camotics Mesh object appears in the document.

  4. Press New CAMotics File to save a .camotics project (units, tools, workpiece from the Stock bounding box, G-code files) or Launch CAMotics to save the project and open it in the CAMotics application.

  5. Press OK to keep the Camotics mesh in the document, or Cancel to remove it.

Task panel

  • Progress bar.

  • Status label (initially Drag Slider to Simulate).

  • Time slider spanning the total machining time computed by CAMotics.

  • A text area.

  • Buttons Launch CAMotics and New CAMotics File.

There is no resolution control; the in-FreeCAD simulation runs at CAMotics 'high' resolution and the exported project uses 'medium'.

Tool Shape mapping

Tool Bits are translated to CAMotics tool shapes by Tool Shape: Endmill → Cylindrical, Ballend and TaperedBallNose → Ballnose, V-bit → Conical, Chamfer → Snubnose; all other shapes are simulated as Cylindrical. A Tool Bit may carry a custom Camotics attribute naming the shape to use in the exported project. Tool length and diameter are taken from the Tool Bit.

Notes

  • The post-processed G-code files are written to the Job’s output location as configured in the Job; the project file references them.

  • Units of the project follow the FreeCAD unit schema (imperial schemas export 'imperial', others 'metric').

  • CAMotics also supports rotary axes, which the built-in simulators do not.