Quote Originally Posted by dfox1787 View Post
thats correct. i would it expect it to know i already removed .45mm from the facing operation. I have to add a offset of -.45 for the tool path to start at the correct depth but it still pockets -2.45 which is going to make the the pocket deeper than it should be. At the moment the only way i can see is to leave it cutting nothing but it adds machining time. . To me it should know have took that into consideration.

Unless there is a setting im missing.
First of all, You haven't given us quite as much information as I would like - a screenshot showing the CAM model with the various heights shown would help, along with a copy of the setup/operations list on the LH side of the screen. So what I say here is guessing at what these might show but this is based on my own use of F360 (which I use a lot for design and CAM).

Based on what I think you are doing, two quick answers. First of all, F360 is doing exactly what you told it to. No more and no less. Secondly, it will cut your pocket to exactly the correct depth as you have it; the simulation shows the pocket depth being 2.45mm deep. That's not an error - in the operation tab, you told it to work with top height equal to stock top - and the pocket is 2.45mm deep from stock top. Best way to fix this is just to change "top height" to reference model top, not stock top. That should work OK.

What I am not sure about because I can't see exactly how you have set up your operations is whether it will start cutting from stock top (so cutting air for 0.45mm) or from model top. I would create one setup and then under that create two (or more - not sure what else you are doing) operations. The first is to face the stock and second is to cut the pocket. I've just thrown a quick F360 model together and tried the CAM operations. I used facing and pocket under 2D (you can use 3D pocket clearing but this just complicates things when you are really cutting a 2.5D feature) and running the simulation it seems to do exactly what you want - the pocket cut starts at the top of the model, not the stock.

I would disagree with Nick - you might only be doing 2.5D operations (that is, essentially 2D but with a single defined depth of cut) but I don't see any issue in putting the 3D model together. It takes a minute or two to do, gives you all the F360 advantages (although this depends on what you are comparing it with) such as being able to go back to the drawing and change a dimension and have everything dependent on that automatically change or be marked to be recalculated. Nick is much more experienced than I am, as I always assume that I am going to make mistakes and F360 gives the best chance to go back and make changes without redrawing. In addition, of course, this might be just one component of a more complex 3D design in which case designing in F360 and then applying CAM to individual components for CNC manufacture is a sensible way to go. Practising on individual components makes this a good training exercise anyway.

My model took only a few minutes to generate; it can be edited trivially, can be rotated on screen for visualisation, etc. I, personally, like working with a relatively simple-to-use 3D tool like F360, but there's plenty of scope for other views and a lot depends on what you are used to. I've been at a model engineering exhibition today, talking to quite a few professional engineers from various backgrounds from aerospace to watch-making, and everyone has their own favourites. Largely determined by what their employer has bought and standardised on, but not many people buy their own Catia or Solidworks!