Amada Co., Ltd.

Software Call Center

2001/06/05

Purpose: Flow of Sample Preparation

Text No.: 4-1. Use of General-purpose CAD
Sample Drawing No.: ecad01.DXF

Points:
! How to start an unfold drawing
! Explanation of the screen configuration
! How to specify a command
! How to use Help
! Understanding DXF data
! Explanation of conditions
! DXF input
! How to perform printing
! Drawing function
! Printing process
! Layer operation
! 2D face extraction
! How to output data to DXF

1
Command Operations
How to start the CAD program

Two methods are available to start AP100CAD.

1. Select (1) Start-(2) Programs-(3) ASIS100PCL and

then (4) Unfold Drawing from the Windows taskbar
5 using the mouse.

2. Select (5) Unfold Drawing from the AP100 Main Menu

2 3 4 using the mouse.

Explanation of the screen configuration

2
This section provides an overview of the AP100CAD screen.

(1) Toolbar area: This area allows the display of icons. The
6 display of frequently used icons in this area enables direct
execution of commands, thus allowing you to reduce the number
of operations.
(2) Menu area: When you select a menu using the mouse,
commands will appear under the menu.
(3) Work area： ： This area displays imported data.
3 5 (4) Message area: This area displays a message prompting you
to input data during command execution. Alternatively, place the
mouse pointer over the menu or icon to display brief command
explanations.
4 (5) Console area： ： This area allows the input of coordinates
during command execution.(6) Detection message area： ： This
area displays a message, for example, when an end point,
intersection point and middle point are detected.

2
How to specify a command

To execute a command, specify a menu item using the mouse or if

a command you wish to execute is frequently used, first iconize the
command by pointing to View, Toolbars and Command
Definition.

1. Menu specification

If you specify the first menu, the second menu appears. Move the
mouse close to the command marked with a ▲ on the right in the
second menu to display the third menu.

2. Icon specification

You can execute a command by directly specifying an icon using

the mouse.

3
 How to use Help

AP100 comes with a wide range of Help options.

Context Help

This Help assists you to understand the function of each

command.

1. Click Help and then click Context Help using

the mouse.

2. The shape of the mouse changes.

3. Point to the target command. Here, click File (F) and

then click Import from DXF(R) to open Help.

4. Press at the top right corner of the Help

window.

Find Topic

Open DXF loading Help as you did using the Context

Help.

1. Click Help and then click Find Topic using the

mouse.
1 2
2. The Find Topic dialog box appears.

(1) Contents: You can find the target command and

display its help information by selecting an index
displayed. Clicking using the mouse displays a
list of Help topics under the index, and pressing
displays the target help information.

Example) Select Creating a new part drawing-

Calling data- Loading a drawing in the DXF
format [DXF loading] to display help information.
3

(2) Index: Input a keyword to find the relevant help

information. Input DXF and select DXF loading
from among the indexes displayed.

(3) Find: You can find all the topics that contain a
specific word or phrase. The dialog box shown on the
left appears first. When you input “Loading a drawing
in the DXF format” after pressing the Next button and
then on pressing the Completed button, the help
information you are looking for appears.

4
 Understanding DXF Data
Customer
DXF represents a CAD data format developed by
Design CAD AutoDesk. Since this format is presently considered a de
You facto standard, data created in this format can be imported
AP100 into a range of CAD software programs. Data can be
transmitted conveniently via E-mail. To transfer a large
DXF data capacity data, you can use “e-receipt CADNAV” (maximum
transmission capacity of 25 MB).

DXF Input

This section explains the processing flow using sample

DXF data.

Specifying conversion parameters and

conditions

If you specify conversion parameters and conditions before

making input in DXF format, you can smoothly perform
conversion to AP100 data (sheet metal data).
Specifying conversion conditions

1. Select (1) File (F)-(2) DXF/DWG Setup (F)-(3)

Parameter Setup using the mouse.

2. Point to (1) Parameter Setup and then point to (2)

Dimension Line in the dialog box displayed, switch
from Shape Oriented to (3) Attribute Oriented
and press the (4) OK button.

Next, save the changes. Press (1) Close using the mouse,
then, press (2) Yes when asked if you wish to register
the changes, and press the (3) Save button. You can
also save changes under a different name.

Note) By switching from Shape Oriented to

Attribute Oriented, you can convert dimension
lines created in DXF format to dimension lines
in AP100 format. This makes operations such
as deletion and moving between layers easy.
However, note that care must be taken when
performing post-conversion handling of data
such as drawings originally created in reduced
scale and dimensions manually changed in the
CAD program.

5
 Specifying conversion parameters

You can specify conditions for automatic processing during

DXF data import. AP100 also allows you to perform
conversion while manually checking the shape without
using automatic processing.

1. Select (1) File (F)-(2) Condition Setup (Y)-(3)

Graphic Transformation sheet using the mouse.

2. Press the Help button in the dialog box displayed.

3. Select a target Graphic Transformation sheet from

the Help information displayed.

4. Each condition is detailed below.

A. Multiple Line Process (A): Automatically deletes

overlapping lines.
B. Auto Merge (D): Automatically merges line segments
shorter than the specified value (G. Criteria distance).
C. Defines Special Shape Holes (S): Determines
conditions for converting concentric circles into burrings,
tappings and center punches in accordance with the
conversion table.
D. Defines Standard Shape Holes (T): Determines
conditions for converting circular and rectangular drawings
with dimensions smaller than the specified value (F.
Maximum value representing the dimension of the hole
A defined as standard) into standard holes.
B E. Point Conversion: Converts points in DXF format data
C into center punches.
D
E
F
5. You can change the size of the Help window or move
G it. If you no longer require the Help window, click
at the top right corner of the window to close the
Help window.

6. Since manual operation is performed for this sample

data, use initial values. Press the OK button.

Note) It is recommended that you use automatic

processing after consulting with your
customers.

6
 Loading DXF files

1. Click (1) File-DXF loading using the mouse to move

to the folder that contains the sample data,
“ecad01.dxf”.

2. Click the displayed “ecad01.dxf” file using the mouse

and press the Open button.

3. A confirmation dialog box appears. Press the OK

button.

Note) If two-byte characters (kanji characters) are

used in DXF data, the Change Name dialog box
appears.

Drawing functions

1. Maximize the Parts window. Click at the top

right corner of the window’s title bar using the mouse.

2. Maximize the imported drawing. Click View –

Zoom All .

3. Other view commands include Zoom Window and

Redraw Partial Zoom View.
Zoom Zoom All
window

Printing process

Print out imported data.

1. Click File-Print-Range.
Specify an end
point while 2. Specify the range you wish to print out using the
dragging the mouse.
mouse.
3. When the Print dialog box appears, press the OK
Specify a start point button.

7
 Cleaning process
Origin
Delete drawings not required for unfolding.
Layer operation

Layers represent a concept specific to CAD software

Layer 3 programs. This refers to a see-through state such as if
multiple sheets of glass are laid on top of the other, and
Layer 2 each sheet of glass constitutes a layer
Layer 1

1. Click View-Layer-All Layer Partition using

the mouse.

2. Click the left mouse twice in the layer with elements in

a state of 16-partitioned display.

3. The Layer Group Setup dialog box appears. Click

“LATER288” using the mouse to activate the group.

4. Next, press the Package button to switch between

modes; , and Switch groups other
than “LATER288 to” and press the OK button.

Active = You can edit drawings, for example, by changing

and deleting them as well as displaying and creating
drawings.

Reference = You can edit drawings, for example, by

changing and deleting them as well as displaying
drawings. However, you are not allowed to create
drawings.

Display = You can display drawings, but cannot define

them.

Sleep = You cannot display or define drawings.

Deleting lines

Delete lines in drawings no longer required for unfolding if

such drawings are found in the same layer.

1. Select Edit-Modify Definition from the menu

and then select an attribute from the Specification
Setup dialog box displayed.

2. Select an attribute from the Specification Setup

dialog box displayed.

3. Select line segments (center lines) no longer required

using the mouse. After the selection, elements in the
same line color and of the same type are automatically
specified.

4. After specification, press the right mouse button to

display a list of shortcuts. Select Delete (D) from the
list.

8
 Converting holes

Hole defining defines a hole considered simply a shape as a

standard hole, allowing easy assignment of tooling and
lasers suited for hole checking and processing conducted
using the hole chart functions.

Converting special holes

Convert concentric circles into special holes (burrings,

tappings, center punches and circular holes).

1. Set a conversion table. Select Hole – Defines

Holes-Defines Special Shape Holes from the
menu, click , press the Register Table button,
input SPC1.0-1.2 to name the table and press the OK
button.

2. Input the burring information (see below) of the

sample data used here for the table registered, and
then, press the OK button twice.

Input value
Hole type Burring/ Tapping
Burring Down
Tapping None
M diameter 4
Prepared hole 3.2
Height 2
Concentric circle 2

Diameter 1 4
Diameter 2 5

3. Enclose the entire drawings and press the right mouse

button to specify completion to convert two sections into
burrings. After confirmation, press the OK button.
Specify an end
Note) Note that Defines Special Holes (S) cannot
point while
dragging the be executed if you have executed Defines
mouse. Standard Holes (T) first.
Specify a start point

Converting standard holes

Automatically define circular elements as standard holes

(round holes, squares, oblongs, rectangles, crescents, single
D and double D).
Specify an end
point while 1. Select Hole – Defines Holes-Defines Standard
dragging the Shape Holes from the menu and specify the
mouse. drawings by entirely enclosing them to convert four holes.
Specify a start point
Note) When performing conversion, convert the
value of Maximum Defining Amount of Standard
Shape Hole in the Graphic Transformation sheet
which appears when you click File and Condition
Setup back to the initial value. Change the
value in accordance with the size of the drawing
you wish to convert. If you wish to convert a
drawing back to the original drawing after
conversion, click Hole and then click Undo Defined
Hole (N) .
9
 Checking holes (hole chart)

You can check and edit converted holes in various ways.

1. Select Hole-Hole Chart from the menu,

enclose the range you wish to check, press the
Completed button to indicate the end of enclosing
and press the Enter key twice.

2. The Hole Chart dialog box appears.

A B C D E F
A. Package Change: Changes the settings for holes of the
same type.

B. Find: Selects specific types of holes.

C. Add: Adds holes of the same type as that specified.

D. Patternize: Defines multiple holes separately created as

a single layout pattern.

E. Delete: Deletes selected holes.

G
F. Modify Component: Changes the settings of the
specified hole.

G. Print: Prints hole lists.

H. Show Hole Types/Display Individually: Displays

holes with the same shape, dimensions, angle and
orientation on a single line in the type-based display mode.
Holes are separately displayed in the individual display
mode (only one hole is displayed

3. After confirmation, press Close.

10
 2D face extraction

You can extract only the lines you need from complex
drawings in order to create a new face. This function is
convenient when you wish to extract only outlines from
the data with many thickness lines in an imported DXF
file.

1. Select Unfold-2D Face Extraction from the

menu and extract only the outline segments you need
for unfolding.

2. When the Extract Face dialog box appears, specify

line segment (1) to serve as a start point.

Note) When you specify a line using the mouse,

a point closer to the end point than to the
center point serves as the start point.
1

3. When asked about the orientation of the start line,

press Yes using the left mouse button.

4. Automatic processing ends as the route divides into

3 two at section (2). Specify a line segment (3)
2 required.

Note) AP100 may display an automatic enlarging

window if the enlargement rate is low and some
elements are minute. If you do not require the
enlarging window, you can switch it off by
specifying the appropriate conditions.

11
 1. If you leave the automatic enlarging window ON in
5 the extract dialog box, the automatic enlarging
window appears as shown in (4) when a number of
4
minute elements exist around the dividing point.
Select (5) here (since the line is automatically
extended, you can specify a point along the extended
line.).

2. Specify (6) to (10). When asked about the outline

6 7 after you finished specifying (10), press Yes using the
left mouse button.

Note) When an outline is defined, the standard

holes located within the outline are
automatically defined. Select standard holes
you do not require to cancel them.

8
9 3. Next, extract non-standard holes. Select (11) and
then select (12) and (13). Take care with the same
10 points as you did when drawing an outline.

4. Select all the other non-standard holes in the same

manner. When you have finished all specifications
(outline = red and hole = blue), click the right mouse
button to complete operations.

5. Define the layout positions for the extracts and

complete surface extraction processing for a single
face.
13 16
Note) Make a layout at a position not
12 15 17 overlapping the original drawing.
11 14
6. Make extraction in the same manner for other
surfaces.

12
 Saving Data

Save data after you have performed face extraction.

1. Click File-Save Part Drawing As using the

mouse.

2. Press the Save button.

Outputting DXF data

Output post-surface extraction data as DXF data.

This is convenient when transmitting unfold drawing

results to your customers.

1. Click File-Export to DXF using the mouse.

2. Next, input the coordinates of the origin. Here,

press the Enter key twice (to input X0 and Y0).

3. Input the output name. Input ‘abc’ and press the

Save button.

4. A confirmation appears after output. Press the OK

button to finish processing.

13