Stock on facing

[Neale]

Once you've got the model there's little point, I was pointing out that simple outlines at Z zero would allow him to easily do what he was asking, unfortunately he wants the software modified to work with his ideas of how it should be! :D

That seems a little harsh. I don't think he was asking for software to be modified, and did accept that he might have missed a setting - not difficult with the plethora of settings in F360. In this case, I think it was as simple as not spotting that the top of cut was set referenced to stock top, not part top. I think he can be forgiven this as no-one else seemed to have spotted it either. At least F360 allows you to visualise the part, refer to contours, pockets, and other features by clicking on them, making them very visible, and then simulating the cut(s), and all without leaving the package. I've used a 2D drawing package (TurboCAD) and separate CAM application; I found it clumsy by comparison and more likely (for the beginner?) to make mistakes by making them visualise what they are doing rather than being able to double-check by seeing a 3D model on screen.

As for industry conventions - not easy unless you are actively working in the relevant industry and probably professionally trained into the bargain. As far as reference zeros, which way X and Y go, etc, I'm a firm believer that for an amateur working purely for themselves then only important convention is that you use a right-handed coordinate system with Z vertical. You can stick your zero where you like ! Seriously, doing a lot of woodwork on a router rather than mill, it makes a lot of sense sometimes to have the reference on the bed/spoilboard (less sensitivity to material height when doing full-depth profiling) and sometimes on the work surface when doing, say, engraving. I can't guarantee that the board material I buy will be sufficiently accurate from batch to batch that I could afford to assume consistency.

(Apologies to earlier posters - I managed to miss some early posts which did comment on using the correct reference plane for the second cut. However, an inexperienced F360 user seemed to need the specific parameter to be pointed out)