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McamX4 Toolpath Refinement Advertisement
McamX4 Toolpath Refinement Advertisement
Mastercam’s 3D Advanced Toolpath Refinement – A Quick Q&A
Mastercam X4’s 3D Advanced Toolpath Refinement gives you a single control panel for two powerful
methods of toolpath improvement. The first method ‐ Line /Arc Filtering – you may already be familiar
with. The second method of toolpath refinement– Smoothing – is new to Mastercam.
Note: The Cut Parameters Smoothing option used to round corners in high speed toolpaths is unrelated to 3D Advanced
Toolpath Refinement.
Here are a few commonly asked questions that should help you decide if the new Smoothing feature is
for you:
What toolpaths can use Smoothing?
All 3D surface toolpaths and surface high speed toolpaths have the option of using the new technique.
This includes both roughing and finishing toolpaths.
What does Smoothing do?
Smoothing distributes a toolpath’s node points, avoiding the clustering and grouping of points that can
cause marks and other imperfections. It does this through shifting, removing, and/or adding node points
along an already generated toolpath.
What are the benefits?
Smoothing delivers three clear benefits on certain parts:
1. Superior finish quality. Tests show a much smoother, consistent finish with fewer visible tool
marks on many parts.
2. Reduced machining time. Smoothed toolpaths eliminate many of the small moves common to
3D toolpaths, letting you run the program at much higher feed rates.
3. Reduced tool wear.
How do I access the Refine Toolpath options?
Choose a 3D surface toolpath or a surface high speed toolpath from the Mastercam Toolpath menu or
toolbar.
Then choose one of the following actions based on your toolpath selection:
For tree‐style toolpaths:
• Choose the Arc Filter/Tolerance page.
• Enter a Total Tolerance value.
• Then click the Refine Toolpath button.
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For tab‐style toolpaths:
• Choose the toolpath's parameters tab (for example, Rough radial parameters or Finish project
parameters).
• Enter a Total Tolerance value.
• Then click the Total Tolerance button.
Why is this new feature not included as the default method?
Since greater benefits are seen with some parts versus others, you have the option to choose which
technique is best for your parts – the standard method or this new technique. Also, toolpaths that use
the new technique take slightly longer to calculate (approximately 10%). Fortunately, you can try out the
new technique as much as you like before deciding to set it as your default.
We encourage you try out this powerful new technique and see for yourself the smoother, faster results
it can deliver. We also encourage you to use it in concert with Mastercam’s standard Line/Arc filtering,
as the two techniques work well together.
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