Ideas
+1
Expand Optimize Path to Work with Clearance Planes
As of version 2019, the legacy Optimize Path tool has been removed, and the new Optimize Path (formerly "Preview" as opposed to "Legacy") chokes on MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands. Since clearplane moves can be controlled in the Edit window they are much more versatile than the clearance cube, and for flat parts they are much more efficient than Auto Insert Moves. It should not be hard to make the Optimize Path tool work with clearance planes - please do so!
Customer support service by UserEcho
Hi Matthew,
Do you mean that the new Optimize Path algorithm is not considering the MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands in the measurement routine where as the legacy Optimize Path algorithm does?
Yes, except that the new version doesn't just disregard MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands - they somehow break the path optimization algorithm so that it scrambles the features without making the path any shorter. The legacy optimization tool handled them fine in 2018 R1, but I've had to optimize a couple of programs by hand since switching to 2019 R1.
I have tried 2018R1 and above. What I see is the following. In 2018R1 if I create a program with clearplane/on. Using the demo block. I select the bolt pattern circles on the top of the block. I get a move clearplane command before each circle. In 2018R1 the move clearplane commands are removed and the features are reordered by optimize. The new algorithm does not remove the move/clearplane command but does reorder the features. What are you expecting as results? Do you have an example program you can share that shows the issue?
All the programs I've run into this issue in are for ITAR-sensitive parts, so I can't post. To replicate what I'm seeing, start by making a bunch of features with clearplane commands (as you did). In 2018R1, you can go here to change whether to use the legacy or preview:
If you select Legacy and then run Optimize Path, it will sort the features into an improved order. If you select Preview, it will jumble the features with no improvement. In neither case am I allowing it to delete my move commands - I want to keep the clearplane movement behavior. In 2019R1, this dropdown is gone and running Optimize Path produces the latter result.
The features I usually need to sort are measured points - for all I know, it may behave better with auto features that use clearplanes.