CNC terminology
CNC data are descriptions of the size and location of holes, slots, marks and cuts that are on materials whose specific size and shape are also described. CNC data may also contain specific commands for the CNC machine that receives the download file. The format of CNC data is set based on the " CNC type " for whichever setup configuration is the currently selected " CNC configuration ."
A CNC item is a hole, mark , slot, bevel cut, flange cut, flange thinning or cope operation. Each operation on a piece of material is verified independently.
A CNC mark is a hole with zero diameter, which when applied by a punch or drill becomes a shallow divot placed on the surface of a material. In Modeling and the Drawing Editor and for the purpose of illustration on these pages, a CNC mark is designated by an X. See CNC marks in Modeling .
The CNC type is a set of programming instructions for a specific class of CNC machines or for the generation of a fabrication report . SDS2 sells licenses for dozens of different CNC configuration types, each of which may represent many different machines with similar controllers. The field " CNC configuration type " selects the CNC configuration type. The " CNC configuration type " that you select sets the general file format of the download file . Today the most commonly used CNC type is DSTV.
A download file may be generated for each material that you select after you press the " Download " button or Download Material by Location or Download Members by Location -- or you may get an error message instead of the download file. Most files are named for either a member piecemark (upper case) or a submaterial mark (lower case). Each file contains the CNC data required for the fabrication of CNC items (holes, marks, etc.) on a particular material. The code (computer language) the download file is written in depends on the " CNC type " that is reported on the Computer Numerically Controlled window. In some cases, the download file must be translated into another format by third-party software before it can be read by a CNC fabrication machine. When a download file is generated for a member, pressing " Status " on that member's edit window confirms that "
Downloaded to CNC " is checked on the Member Status Review window. When a download file is generated for a material, " CNC Downloaded " on the General Information window reads ' YES '. See the next entry -- CNC downloaded flag .
The CNC downloaded flag is set automatically whenever a download file is generated. In other words, downloaded items (members or submaterials) are marked as having been CNC downloaded whenever you " Download " from the Computer Numerically Controlled window or Download Material by Location or Download Members by Location . The flag can also be set (or cleared) manually, by users. You can track (or change) this information on the member edit > press " Status " > Member Status Review window (" Downloaded to CNC "). For submaterials, you can track (but not change) this information on the General Information window (" CNC Downloaded "). To change the downloaded status of submaterials, you can use the " Mark submaterial CNC downloaded " option in Change Options . The Update Attributes option " CNC downloaded " can be used to alter the downloaded status of members. Members or submaterials that have been downloaded can optionally be hidden on the selection dialog that you get when downloading CNC files from the Computer Numerically Controlled window -- this is done using User and Site Options > Site > " Hide items that have been downloaded from CNC selection menu ."
An error message indicates that the CNC machinery (as modeled by the currently selected " CNC configuration ") will not be able to fabricate one or several CNC items associated with a material. Error messages may be generated as a result of verification , which you can turn off by checking the box for " Disable error checking ." You may get an error message instead of a download file . Click here for documentation on specific error messages.
A fabrication report is a report of one of the following type: the Standard Punch List , the Saw Report , and the Cope Report .
Hard coded instructions are programming instructions which cannot be altered by the user. For typical CNC types , the tool location and face of operation is hard coded, whereas the maximum and minimum tool size is user configurable.
A CNC configuration provides setup instructions for a specific CNC machine. The name of the currently selected setup configuration is the " CNC configuration " reported on the Computer Numerically Controlled window. A setup configuration contains user-configurable instructions that modify the non- hard-coded instructions for a particular machine in order to control what CNC data can be downloaded. Verification references current setup options to prevent downloads or reports from being created on materials that cannot be fabricated using a particular machine. Many different setup configurations can be created for a single CNC type , which means that you can use one CNC type for many different machines. There are two ways to create a CNC configuration: 1 ) Press the "file cabinet" browse button (
) on the Computer Numerically Controlled window, then press the " New Config ..." button. 2 ) If you have received an " Export ... " of a .cnc configuration, you can press the "file cabinet" browse button (
The 3D model is the SDS2 3D model , the database that the CNC Module interprets in order to mathematically describe in a download file the positioning of CNC items on a material. The positioning of CNC items in a download file is derived from the 3D model. In Modeling , you can view and edit the particular 3D model that is associated with your current Job .
Verification is a process that checks for CNC errors. Verification models the operation of your fabrication machine (as that machine is described in the currently selected " CNC configuration ") to determine which CNC items (holes, copes, etc.) can or cannot be fabricated. Verification takes place when you " Download " or generate a fabrication report . Exception: Verification does not take place when the box for " Disable error checking " is checked. To verify only: Press the " Download " button then check the box for "