When you send a program from CAM Assist to Siemens NX, CAM Assist adds a program folder for each setup, a copy of each setup's WORKPIECE, and the operations, as one undo step.
What CAM Assist creates
| Where in NX | What you'll see |
|---|---|
| Program Order view | A CAM_ASSIST folder with one SETUP_1, SETUP_2… folder per setup, holding the operations |
| Geometry view | A copy of each setup's WORKPIECE, named <WORKPIECE name>_CAM_ASSIST_GENERATED, next to the original |
| Undo list | One step named CAM Assist for the whole run |
When you run CAM Assist again on a setup, it deletes that setup's _CAM_ASSIST_GENERATED WORKPIECE and creates a new one.
If you changed a body to part, workholding or avoidance in CAM Assist, NX updates the setup geometry to match and lists the changes:
When exporting from CAM Assist, the following body definitions were updated in the document:
Toolpaths: generated or not?
The Toolpath Generation setting decides whether NX calculates toolpaths as it creates the operations. It's on the General tab of the part's configuration: click Configuration at the top of the Setups stage to open it.
| Option | What happens |
|---|---|
| Always generate toolpaths (default) | Operations are created with toolpaths |
| Never generate toolpaths | Operations are created without toolpaths; generate them in NX |
| Ask each time | NX asks Program Generation: "Should CAM Assist also generate toolpaths while creating the program?" |
NX can take a long time to generate toolpaths for complex parts, so Never or Ask each time can be quicker when you only want to review the operations.
Other NX-only settings
- Flat operations > Cut pattern on the configuration's Finishing tab: Follow Periphery (default) or Follow Part. See Configuration settings.
- Deburring uses a chamfer tool on NX 2306 and later, and a ball mill on NX 2212.
Toolpath Generation and Cut pattern are saved with the configuration. When the configuration doesn't set them, CAM Assist uses the values last used on this computer, for every Windows user.
Machines
Siemens NX doesn't send a machine to CAM Assist. Choose your machine under Assessment > Shop setup > Machine, or click Add machine in that list. See Add or edit a machine.
What this means for you
- To remove a whole CAM Assist run, undo the CAM Assist step.
- Edit operations in the SETUP folders as you would any NX operation. Running CAM Assist again on that setup replaces its generated WORKPIECE.
- If you stop CAM Assist while it's creating operations, it undoes the whole run.
- If finishing is on, CAM Assist ends with a summary saying how many operations it created and how many surfaces it machined. Program the remaining surfaces yourself.