New Learning Module, Toolpath Generation and User Interface Improvements Highlight New SmartCAM V15.0 Release

SmartCAMcnc has announced the release of SmartCAM® V15.0 applications. Version 15.0 delivers a significant new tutorial module for learning the SmartCAM suite of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system software, and builds
on the toolpath, visualization and usability themes found in recent releases.

The SmartCAM product family consists of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software applications for milling, turning, fabrication and wire EDM.

“Our goals with each development cycle is to release a new version that advances SmartCAM on two main fronts,” said Doug Oliver, SmartCAMcnc’s Senior Product Manager. “First, capability improvements such as better CAD data handling and new toolpath generation; secondly, fundamental enhancements to the way users interact with SmartCAM, such as user interface improvements and new capabilities to learn the extensive power the product provides. SmartCAM Version 15 clearly delivers on both these goals.”

The new Learning SmartCAM™ module includes information, tutorials and exercises to assist both new and advanced users in learning SmartCAM V15. The web-based system is available on the SmartCAMcnc website, www.SmartCAMcnc.com, and is designed to help new users quickly become proficient with SmartCAM, as well as assist medium and advanced users resolve complex problems and show new processes and capabilities for completing various tasks. Even the most proficient SmartCAM users will find the tutorials useful.

The site is broken up into several sections: a SmartCAM overview, fundamentals of SmartCAM, advanced topics, automating SmartCAM with macros and custom panels, and working with code generation (post processors).

Version 15 also boasts a significant improvement to SmartCAM's ability to create and modify toolpath lead-in/lead-out moves (entries and exits). “Lead-in/out moves are now uniquely identified in SmartCAM, allowing them to be recognized visually,” Douglas went on to say, “then selected and changed using the new geometry edit capability created specifically for them. The user can change parameters or lead-type or in the case of closed profiles, specify a new start/end position and include an overlap amount. Users can experiment to find an optimal configuration and location, and then automatically update the model with the new definitions.”

 

Other Highlights

Continuing on the machining from solids improvements of v14, several new geometry modeling tools and selection techniques are provided:

 UI Improvements
• pull-down menus from previously static icon bars
• new context popup menus for graphics view and list view
Viewing and Visualization Improvements
• new View Orientation pull-right menu
• Navigator 3D Mouse devices now supported in Show Path toolpath and machining sequence
verification
CAD Data Improvements
• New model healing on import, which includes simplification and stitching
• The ACIS kernel has been upgraded to ACIS version 18.0