SigmaNEST

SigmaNEST is the leading CAD/CAM nesting system for programming CNC profile cutting and punching machines. Optimized for plasma, laser, punch, oxyfuel, router, knife, tube/pipe and combination cutting machines, SigmaNEST ensures the best results in terms of material utilization, machine motion optimization, part quality, work flow integration, material handling, accurate estimates and information management.SigmaNEST software is offered in modules that can be combined to best meet the needs of particular customers, from job shop environments to diverse corporations in aerospace, transportation, energy, and more. About SigmaTEK Systems, LLC Founded in 1992, SigmaTEK Systems, LLC provides solutions to enhance efficiency and profitability for flat material and tube manufacturers through CAD/CAM nesting solutions SigmaNEST, SolidNEST and SigmaTUBE. Headquartered in Ohio, USA, SigmaTEK has an extensive support network worldwide, with branches in Europe, China, India, Australia and South America.

Confidentiality Agreement Any information disclosed in this manual concerning SigmaTEK Systems, LLCs software, products and procedures shall be considered proprietary information for which SigmaTEK Systems, LLC retains all rights. The recipient shall maintain SigmaTEK Systems, LLCs proprietary information in confidence and not divulge proprietary information, in whole or in part to any third party without written permission. Copies or reproductions shall not be made except to the extent reasonably necessary and all copies made shall be the property of the disclosing party. Accepting this document constitutes acceptance of the Confidentiality Agreement.

Table Of Contents
Overview User Interface Program Basics Workspace Work Orders Work-space NC Cut To Length CAD Geometry Edit Detail X-Form (Work-space) Verify (CAD) Nesting Nest Manual Nest Lead-ins Verify (Nesting) Nesting NC NC Nest Motion Optimization Advanced NC Edit NC Remnant Nesting Detail Nesting Detail Parts Part Mode Part NC Punch - Part Mode Part Detail Detail (Part Mode) Edit (Part Mode) Tools & Help Technology Set-up 1 5 8 35 47 75 76 84 84 125 140 153 165 169 169 189 209 220 223 223 255 272 293 302 364 364 369 369 386 398 401 401 402 403 430

Overview

Overview
This manual is a reference to SigmaNESTVersion 9.Some optional features may not be included in the version of SigmaNEST software being used. Contact your SigmaNEST sales representative to obtain optional program modules described in the manual that are not installed at your site.

SigmaNEST Directory Structure

The new Vista operating system now protects the Program files directory. The Program Files directory is a protected location that standard Users cannot write to. The SigmaNEST Program Data files are no longer installed in the Program Files directory. Programs that use data files that are altered during program execution are placed in the Application directory. The Application Data Directory is located at different places in Windows XP and Vista. SigmaNEST installs files to these different locations depending on the operating system that is installed. Click the arrow next to the three installation directory structures below for more details. Windows XP installation directory structure For Windows XP 64 the following files have moved from the Program Files folder to: C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\ For Windows XP 32 the following files have moved from the Program Files folder to: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\
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ColorScheme.ini config.dtk nesting.ini nesting_Comp.ini SNStartup.ini ToolTypes.cfg UserForm-Knife.txt UserForm-Laser.txt UserForm-Oxygas.txt UserForm-Plasma.txt UserForm-Router.txt UserForm-Waterjet.txt UserForm-RailTools.txt UserForm-TurretTools.txt Users.xml WaterjetIN.dat WaterjetMM.dat

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Overview

For Windows XP 64 the following files have moved from the Program Files folder to: C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\SysFiles\UserINIFiles For Windows XP 32 the following files have moved from the Program Files folder to: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\INIFiles\
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Shapes.ini SheetHist.ini Sheets.ini SNConfig.ini SNData.ini SNDlgs.ini

When user profiles are used, the user name is appended to the path (...\ SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\INIFiles\<UserName>\) and the files are in that folder instead. Windows Vista installation directory structure For Vista 64 the following files have moved from the Program Files folder to: C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\ For Vista 32 the following files have moved from the Program Files folder to: C:\ProgramData\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\
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ColorScheme.ini config.dtk nesting.ini nesting_Comp.ini SNStartup.ini ToolTypes.cfg UserForm-Knife.txt UserForm-Laser.txt UserForm-Oxygas.txt UserForm-Plasma.txt UserForm-Router.txt UserForm-Waterjet.txt UserForm-RailTools.txt UserForm-TurretTools.txt Users.xml WaterjetIN.dat WaterjetMM.dat

For Vista 64 the following files have moved from the Program Files folder to:

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Overview C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\SysFiles\\UserINIFiles\ For Vista 32 the following files have moved from the Program Files folder to: C:\ProgramData\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\INIFiles\
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Shapes.ini SNConfig.ini SNData.ini SNDlgs.ini

When user profiles are used, the user name is appended to the path (...\ SigmaNEST90 or [Directory Path where SigmaNEST was instructed to be installed]\INIFiles\<UserName>\) and the following files are in that folder instead. SNData installation directory structure All SigmaNEST data files are stored in the SNData folder. The SNData folder's location is specified when SigmaNEST is installed, but common locations for it are:
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Within the Public folder on the local machine On a network share The root of a drive (e.g. c:\SNData)

The following table lists the primary folders that may be found within the SNData folder: ..\BOM Bills of Materials ..\CDL CADKey's CDL geometry transfer format files ..\DWG CAD system's DWG geometry transfer format files ..\DXF CAD system's DXF geometry transfer format files ..\eReport Electronic report files ..\IGES CAD system's IGES geometry transfer format files ..\Jobs Scheduled job definitions ..\NC NC post processed programs ..\Parts SigmaNEST parts ..\Post Post processor files ..\PTN Pattern files ..\Replace

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Overview Signature geometry replacement CDL files ..\Reports Report setup files ..\RevNC Reverse NC files ..\Shapes Standard Shapes files ..\Sheets Material inventory files, including remnants ..\Static Static Nests ..\Tools Tool and turret definition files used for punching ..\WOL Work order list (batch) files ..\WS Work-space files

There is still a copy of the files in the Program folder, which are used to create new user profiles. The Span directory is installed to the root directory.

Program Overview
SigmaNEST is organized according to program tabs, program ribbons, functions, dialogs, and actions. The Program tabs are located along the top of SigmaNEST's program window. Program ribbons are displayed under the tabs, along the top, once a program tab is selected. The ribbons contain function icons that may have drop down arrows for additional functions. Select a function to display program dialogs. The program dialogs contain parameters and or actions. Some functions will display a group of actions on the left side of the program window instead of dialogs. Program tabs, listed below, contain a collection of related functions, grouped onto ribbons, which contain groups of actions. Actions are also displayed on the left side of the Work-space after selecting a ribbon function.

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Overview

User Interface
The features and layout of SigmaNEST's user interface may vary depending on the actions completed or in process.

Application button: Displays a menu of main actions and functions. Quick Access Toolbar : Contains frequently used functions. Parts menu : List of parts in a task, displays only in Nesting, Nesting NC or Nesting Detail mode. Ribbon menu : Logical groups of functions under related tabs. Core tabs : Tabs always displayed along the top of the ribbon menu, containing related ribbon groups. Contextual tabs : Tabs displayed only under particular conditions, containing related ribbon groups. Ribbon group : Related functions grouped together on the ribbon menu. Dialog box launcher : Buttons at the bottom right corner of a ribbon group which open a related dialog box. Work-space : Main work area, may display parts or sheets, depending on mode. Side panel : Displays a menu, feature tree or control panel, depending on the selected tab. Status bar : An informational bar at the bottom of the screen which may contain, the next suggested action to execute, user name, machine, material scrap information and a nesting layout menu, depending in the actions in the workspace.

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Overview

License Start-up

SigmaNEST uses a license file, along with the SIM key, to run the program on a single machine. SigmaNEST also runs on a server where client systems connect to use the SigmaNEST License File from the server. The SIM (green) key is plugged into an operational USB port on the single machine. For network licensing a network SIM (red) key is installed in an operational USB port on the system hosting the license. The license file is sent by email or the license file can be downloaded from the SigmaTEK License Server. License File Downloaded from the SigmaTEK License Server 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Verify the SIM key is installed on an operational USB port. Select the License File tab on the Startup dialog. Select the WWW button. A message the license file successfully installed is displayed. Select OK and SigmaNEST is started.

Browse to the License File 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Verify the SIM key is installed on an operational USB port. Select the License File tab on the Startup dialog. Select the Browse button and navigate to the license file location. Select the file and select OK. A message the license file successfully installed is displayed. Select OK and SigmaNEST is started.

Running SigmaNEST using a network SIM key 1. Verify the SIM (red) key is installed on an operational USB port on the host system. 2. On each client machine select the Net Hasp Setup tab on the Startup dialog. 3. Select Check for Network Sim and enter the computer host name or the IP address of the host computer.

It is recommended the host computer have a static IP address. The license file is associated with the IP address and dynamic addressing causes inconsistent license addressing. Check with your Network Administrator. 4. Select local\network or network only to read the sim key from the network sim key on the host system. Local/Network Sim searches for the sim key on the local machine first then the host system. 5. The NetHasp.ini and license file are loaded to the client machine.

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Overview 6. Select OK and SigmaNEST is started. Hasp Detail The SIM key type, ID, and program version is displayed along with the company name and location. Requesting license codes License codes can be requested through email, fax, or from the SigmaTEK website. If assistance is needed contact SigmaNEST Technical Support at 513-674-0005.

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Program Basics

Program Basics
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Quick Keys (See page 8) Mouse Functions (See page 10) Pull-down Menu (See page 21) Coordinate System (See page 24) Quick Access Toolbar (See page 10) Contour Attributes (See page 25) Column Listing (See page 21) Selection Actions (See page 15) Position Actions (See page 18)

Quick Keys
Commands are available, without navigating the menu system, by using SigmaNEST's Quick Launch Keys. Quick Launch keys are activated by pressing a special combination of keys. For example, pressing "Alt" and "W" will navigate the user to the Work-space tab and display the quick launch keys on top of the functions. Additional Quick Launch Key combinations are listed below.

Ctrl + Keys
Ctrl + A : Auto Scale Ctrl + B: NEST Bump, Bump on / off* Ctrl + C : Ctrl + D: Double Scale Ctrl + E : Create Sheet Ctrl + F : Quick Find Ctrl + G : New Nesting Task, Ref Position* Ctrl + H: Half Scale Ctrl + I: Info Manager, Min Rectangle* Ctrl + J: Ctrl + K: Work Orders Ctrl + L : Part List Ctrl + M : WS Mode, Mirror* Ctrl + N : New Work space Ctrl + O: Open Work Space Ctrl + P : Create Part, Position* Ctrl + Q: Delete Function Ctrl + R: Redraw, Rotate Ctrl + S : Save Workspace Ctrl + T: Part Tile, Torches* Ctrl + U: Work Order Update Ctrl + V: Ctrl + W: Window Ctrl + X: Exit SigmaNEST Ctrl + Y: Double Scale Ctrl + Z: Undo Ctrl + Del: Delete*

* Manual nesting mode only

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Program Basics

Ctrl + 0 9
Selecting Ctrl with a number key loads a previous workspace. For example: Selecting Ctrl + 2 loads

Ctrl +F Keys
Ctrl + F1: Help Topic Ctrl + F2: Reset Rotation Ctrl + F3: Min Rectangle Ctrl + F4: Torches Ctrl + F5: Snap Ctrl + F6: Bump On/Off Ctrl + F7: Position Ctrl + F8: Mirror Vert Ctrl + F9: Mirror Horiz. Ctrl + F10: trl + F11: Ctrl + F12:

Shift+Ctrl Keys
Shift + Ctrl + A : Create Line Angle Absolute Shift + Ctrl + B: Trim Both Shift + Ctrl + C : Create Circle Radius Shift + Ctrl + D: Trim Divide Shift + Ctrl + E : Create Line Angle Relative Shift + Ctrl + F : Trim First Shift + Ctrl + G : Line Rectangle Corners Shift + Ctrl + H : Create Line, Horiz. Shift + Ctrl + I : Create Line, Horiz. & Vert. Shift + Ctrl + J : Create Line, Parallel Through Point Shift + Ctrl + K : Line Offset at Distance Shift + Ctrl + L : Create Line, 2 Points Shift + Ctrl + M : Create Circle, Diameter Shift + Ctrl + N : Shift + Ctrl + O : Create Offset Shift + Ctrl + P : Play Macro Shift + Ctrl + Q : Quit Trim Shift + Ctrl + R : Record Macro Shift + Ctrl + S : Smart Dimension Shift + Ctrl + T: Fillet Trim Shift + Ctrl + U: Shift + Ctrl + V: Create Line, Vert. Shift + Ctrl + Y: Shift + Ctrl + W: Shift + Ctrl + X: Shift + Ctrl + Y: Shift + Ctrl + Z: Shift + Ctrl + Y: Shift + Ctrl + 2: Create Circle, 2 Points Shift + Ctrl + 3: Create Circle, 3 Points Shift + Ctrl + 4: Shift + Ctrl + 5: Shift + Ctrl + 6: Shift + Ctrl + 7: Shift + Ctrl + 8: Shift + Ctrl + 9: Shift + Ctrl + 0:

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Program Basics

Alt+ Ctrl Keys

Alt + Ctrl + A : Auto Nest Alt + Ctrl + B: Display View Back Alt + Ctrl + C : Nest Copy Part Alt + Ctrl + D :Import DXF Alt + Ctrl + E : Sheet List Alt + Ctrl + F : Alt + Ctrl + G : Import DWG Alt + Ctrl + H : Standard Shape Alt + Ctrl + I : Alt + Ctrl + J : Alt + Ctrl + K : Alt + Ctrl + L : Post All Alt + Ctrl + M : Nest Move Part Alt + Ctrl + N : Auto NC Alt + Ctrl + O: Modify Task Alt + Ctrl + P : Post Single Alt + Ctrl + Q : Alt + Ctrl + R : Nest Report, Reset Original Rotation* Alt + Ctrl + S : Snap Alt + Ctrl + T : Task Parameters Alt + Ctrl + U : Auto Punch Alt + Ctrl + V : Alt + Ctrl + W: Import WOL Alt + Ctrl + X : Alt + Ctrl + Y : Alt + Ctrl + Z : Alt + Back Space : Undo

Mouse Functions
In SigmaNEST, the mouse can be used to alter the Workspace display, along with its traditional functions such as selecting commands and dragging.Work-space objects can be moved and zoomed in on, anytime throughout the program by using the mouse wheel and cursor.The work space contracts towards the cursor or expands from it in all directions. The actual X and Y coordinates are not changed. Move Work Space Objects: Place the mouse over the object to move and hold down the left mouse button, the cursor changes to a hand icon, indicating the object is attached to the cursor. Drag the object by moving the cursor to the desired position and release the left mouse button. Zooming In & Out: When the mouse has a wheel between the left and right mouse buttons, it may be used to perform extremely quick and convenient zoom operations. Rolling the wheel forward (towards the front of the mouse) zooms in and enlarges the image. Rolling the mouse wheel back zooms out and the image size reduces.

Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Tool Bar, located at the top of the SigmaNEST Dialog, contains frequently used functions.

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Program Basics Auto Scale (Ctrl A ): Select to auto scale the Work-space. Half Scale (Ctrl H ):Select to set the Work-space at half scale. Double Scale (Ctrl D): Select to double the Work-space scale. Window (Ctrl W): Select to fit the Work-space in the window. Back-1 (Ctrl B): Select to step back to the previous action. NC Simulate: Select to display the NC simulate function. Attributes: Select to display the attributes dialog. Show Quick Access Below/Above the Ribbon: Select to change the location of toolbar to below or above the ribbon Minimize the Ribbon: Select to minimize the ribbon, providing more room for viewing the Work-space. To Customize the Quick Access Toolbar: To add or remove items from the tool bar, click on the arrow, located on the left of the toolbar to display more button options.Click to check the box next to a button option to display that button on the toolbar. To hide the function, select the function again to removing the check. Related topics: NC Simulate (See page 11) Attributes (See page 13)

NC Simulate
NC Simulate is used to view the NC path in motion after creating a NC tool path for the nested parts. NC Simulate displays the tool motion step-by-step, contour-by-contour, or part by part.

The nested parts must have a NC tool path applied for simulation to run.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Select Select Select Select

the the the the

NC Simulate icon from the Quick Access toolbar. step mode, by entity, contour, or part. start button. stop button to close NC simulate.

The NC Simulate dialog has a set of controls to navigate through the simulation.

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Program Basics

G-Code: Select G-Code to display the actual machine code of the NC Tool path, that the machine controller interprets. The G code is displayed in a window below the controls. Step : Select to simulate the NC motion step through each NC tool path entity by entity. Contour: Select to step through the NC tool path contour by contour. Part: Part advances through the NC tool path part by part. The forward button advances by one part each time it is selected. Step, Contour, Part and G-Code are mutually exclusive. Start: Select to start the NC tool path simulation. Close: Select to close the NC tool path simulation dialog. Beginning : Select to run the simulation over again from the beginning. Select Start to begin the simulation again. Reverse Step : Forward advances one step through the NC tool path simulation. Forward Step : Forward advances one step through the NC tool path simulation. More/Less: The More button expands the NC simulate dialog downwards to show the NC Code, highlighting each step as it is processed. When the dialog is in its expanded state the More button changes to Less. Selecting Less closes the window displaying the NC code.

Options: Select to display the Simulate Options dialog. The selected the combination of NC simulate options will be shown in the above NC simulate dialog. Animation Speed : Slide the speed control to the desired simulation speed. Cancel: Select to close NC simulation without saving the selections. OK: Select to close NC simulation saving the selections.

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Program Basics

Attributes
The Attributes function is used to setup the Work-space properties and how the Work-space is viewed. It can be accessed by clicking on the Quick Access Toolbar, as shown below.

The Attributes Dialog Box has four tabs with unique sets of fields.
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Attributes: General (See page 14) Attributes: Process (See page 13) Attributes: Machine (See page 15) Attributes: NC Tab (See page 15)

Attributes: Process
The Process tab is used to display the properties for various processes. The available options and corresponding images are listed below. Hoover the cursor over the images below to enlarge. Show Bevel Attributes: Displays the information and an icon in a circle when in Part and Nesting modes.Enter the size to change the size of the circle and check the Display Bottom Bevel with a Negative Sign. In the example below, the Top Angle is 45, the Land Size and Top Land Size are .50.

Show Drill Attributes: Click the checkbox to display drill attributes and an icon in a circle. The size can be changed below to alter the size of the circle.

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Program Basics Show Router Tool Attributes: Click the checkbox to display router attributes.

Show Depth Attributes: Show Depth Attributes creates an icon in a circle with a leader line to the contour.Click the checkbox to select. This will display only when in Part or Nesting modes.

Show Contour Start: Show Contour Start creates a blue box at the start of the contour. Click the checkbox to select. The size can be changed below to alter the size of the box.

Show Pre-tabbing : Click the checkbox to display the pre-tab point. See Pre-Tabbing. Show Punch Error Data: Click the checkbox to display error information.

Attributes: General
The General tab is used to setup basic attributes and contains the fields below. Show Entity Attributes: Select to enable entity start points and direction.

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Program Basics Entity Start Points: Select to display the start point of each entity. The start point symbol is displayed as a square. Entity Direction: Select to display the entities cutting direction. The direction is displayed by an arrow. Color By: Select the color type to display the dialog window. Color Fill Type : Select the fill type for the parts to be displayed on the Work-space. No Fill: Select to have the parts displayed with no fill color. Solid : Select to have the parts displayed with a fill color. Hatch: Select to have the parts displayed with a hatch pattern. OK: Select to close Attributes saving the selections.

Attributes: Machine
The Machine tab is used to setup the attributes below. Show Machine: Left-click on the checkbox to turn the machine details display on or off. A file is required with the machine's detail, such as rails and slats of the machine, in order for this function to work. Transparency: The sliding transparency scale, ranging from 1 to 10, allows the user to make geometry lighter or darker by select the arrow, and sliding it to the right for darker images or to the left for lighter images. Show Work Area on Sheet: Left-click on the checkbox to display an outline of the sheet edge offsets that were set in the task parameters.

Attributes: NC Tab
The NC tab is has three setting which allow the user to see the NC in different ways.Click on the button next to the desired option. Display NC : Select to display the NC with lighter dashed lines representing the rapid movements. Display NC without rapids: Select to display the NC codes without the rapid lines. Do not Display NC : Select to turn off the NC and rapid lines without removing the NC path.

Selection Actions
There are multiple actions are available for selecting parts, entities, and geometries for editing. Directional Actions For Single and Chain selection actions, there are additional directional selection actions. The additional actions are displayed in the control panel and are also available in a quick pop-up window after selecting the entity.

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Program Basics

Select All Clockwise: Select to include all of the entities clock wise from the selected entity.

Select All Counter Clockwise: Select to include all of the entities counter clockwise from the selected entity.

Select All in Both Directions: Select to include all of the entities in both directions.

Undo the selection: Select to undo the selection action. Single: Select single elements, entities, or parts by hovering the cursor over them and leftclicking. Single select enables individual selection of lines, arcs, etc. Select text near its start point. Select entities near their start point to define the selection direction.

When working with parts, single selection selects the whole part.

Chain: Select Chain to select a chain or string of entities. Select the first and last entities and all entities in between are selected for the action. Left-clicking on the first entity (1) and the last entity (2) will select the first, last, and all entities in between.

The entity's chain direction is defined from the selected starting point of the entity, see Single above.

Window : The window option permits entities to be selected by drawing a rectangle around them with the cursor. Click and drag the cursor to create the selection window. Release the button to complete the window definition. Only items that are completely enclosed by the selection window are selected. Selection windows are always available. It is not necessary to first select the window option. For example, if the single selection option is selected, it is possible to select some individual entities,

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Program Basics by clicking them, then select another group of entities by drawing a selection window around them and then add a few more individual entities by clicking them. When the window select option is active the other selection methods are disabled and it is only possible to use window selections.When Window is selected, the only way to select entities is with selection windows. When Window is not selected window selections can be used in conjunction with the active selection method.

All: Select All to apply the selected action by one of the attributes below.

Done: Select Done to end the active action. Color: Select to apply the selected action to all entities with the selected color. The color dialog is displayed. Select the color from the palette. Right-click or select done. Line Type: Line Type applies the selected action to all entities with the selected line type. When, the line type dialog is displayed, select the line type from the drop down box and right-click or select done to apply. Level: Level applies the selected action to all entities on a specific level. When the level select dialog is opened, select the level from the list and right-click or select done to apply. Geometry: When Geometry is selected, one of the following geometry types can be selected from the drop down menu. Points: Select to apply the selected action to all points. Lines: Select to apply the selected action to all lines. Arcs: Select to apply the selected action to all arcs. Notes: Select to apply the selected action to all notes. Notes added to a nest cannot be selected with this option. Dimensions: Select to apply the selected action to all dimensions Parts: Select to apply the selected action to all parts. Tasks: Select to apply the selected action to all tasks. Duplicate Entities: Select to apply the selected action to all duplicate entities, such as all lines, with the same start and end points, or arcs with the same radius, start and end angles, or center point.

Open Ends: Select Open Ends to select all entities that have one end that is not connected to any entities. Left-click and window around the objects with open end entities. Right-click to apply the selected action.

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Program Basics

Attached : Select Attached to select all entities that are connected to the selected entity or part, including open end entities. Left-click on one of the entities and right-click to apply the selected action to the attached entities. The following image illustrates a delete of the attached entities.

Contours: Select Contours to apply the selected action to the selected contours. Contours is similar to Attached except the action does not work on open ended entities. Left-click on the contour. Right-click to apply the action.

Unselect: Select Unselect to deselect objects from applying the selected action.

Position Actions
When functions are selected the Position Actions are located in a window on the left side of the Work-space. Different actions are available for different types of selected geometry objects. Change the action before anchoring the geometry by right-clicking and selecting from the action drop down list. Left- click to anchor the geometry with the type of action selected. OK: Select to save and close the geometry action. Undo : Select to undo the last action. Color: Select to display a color selection grid for defining the color for different drawing levels of parts. Double click the preferred color to display the level or layer of the part drawing. Levels: Select the level type from the drop down list to apply the above color. Line Types: Select the type of line style to use to display line geometry.

Smart Cursor: Select to turn the smart cursor on or off. The smart cursor displays the entity end, midpoint, quadrant, and center point as the cursor hovers over the geometry contours.

Reset Incremental Coordinate Origin: Select to reset the incremental origin coordinate. After selecting reset origin, the last position is used as the reference point.

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Program Basics

Use Absolute or Incremental Coordinates: Absolute coordinate is the default setting for position actions. The geometry objects are referenced from position 0,0 of the Work-space in Absolute mode. Selecting the icon again enables incremental mode, referencing to the last placed entity. The icon changes displaying a border, The X and Y coordinates will always read zero in absolute mode. Incremental displays the last selected position and references the next selected position from there. The X and Y coordinates display the last entity position.

X coordinate: The X coordinate displays the vertical cursor position. When a new geometry is selected the X coordinate is set to zero until a position is selected on the Work-space. X and Y cursor positions can be manually entered. The selected geometry home position is placed at the manually entered cursor position.

Y coordinate: The Y coordinate displays the horizontal cursor position. When a new geometry is selected the Y coordinate is set to zero until a position is selected on the Work-space. X and Y cursor positions can be manually entered. The selected geometry home position is placed at the manually entered cursor position.

Cursor: Selecting the Cursor icon positions the geometry where the cursor is clicked.

Point: Select point and enter the X and Y values for the point placement on the Work-space. If no values are entered for the X and Y coordinates, the point position is undefined and is not created.

Entity End : Select Entity End to attach to the nearest endpoint of a selected entity on the Work-space. Left- click near the geometry end. A new geometry object is created and attached to the end closest to the cursor. The left image below displays the 2 point geometry object selection using the Entity End action on a circle geometry. The line connects to the right side of the circle geometry, which is the end point for a circle. The right image below displays the Entity End action being applied to a rectangle. After selecting the entity end action left-click near each end of the rectangle. The lines are attached to the ends of the rectangle contours.

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Program Basics

Midpoint: Select Mid Point to locate the midpoint of a line or arc, or to place a definition point at the midpoint of a line. The following images display a midpoint for an arc and a line. Using Mid Point with arc geometry places a position halfway along the length of the arc.

Center: The center point of an arc or circle is used as a definition position. For example select polyline geometry type, position the cursor on the Work-space, right-click and select the center action icon from the drop down action list. Select the geometry to center the new polyline from. Continue to create the polyline to the preferred dimensions. The center of a line is the same as the midpoint of the line.

Quadrant: Select to place the selected geometry to the closest quadrant point on an arc or a circle. The images display a center radius for aligning bolt holes equidistant around a flange object. Left-click on the Quadrant icon and left-click on each quadrant of the center circle entity (below left image). The center circle is deleted (below right image).

Intersection: Select to locate the selected geometry object where two lines would intersect if the entities crossed each other.

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Program Basics For example, the following image display an obround geometry placed at the intersection of two blue construction lines. Enter the x and y coordinates on the prompt line or use the cursor and click each line contour that intersect with each other.

Pull-down Menu
The Pull-down Menu uses standard Windows interface functions. There are two ways to select menu options: Cursor: Position the cursor on the menu item and left-click. Underlined Letters: When a pull-down menu item has an underlined letter in its name, that item may be selected by pressing the Alt key plus that underlined letter. On each pull-down menu, some items have Ctrl or Alt key combinations shown to the right of the function. These functions may be applied immediately with the specified Ctrl or Alt key combination. For example, on the Create Part ribbon, the Create Part function lists Ctrl+P as its shortcut key sequence. Using the Ctrl+P key combination, brings up the Create Part window in the Work-space immediately.

Column Listing
Column Listings are dialog display listings that can be filtered to reduce the amount of information that is displayed. Column Displaying SigmaNEST dialogs contain data represented in listings of columns and rows. Select the columns to be visible by clicking on the column icon and selecting the columns to be displayed in the listing window. Each horizontal row represents a specific instance of data. For example, the sheets list has columns for the sheet name, material, thickness, length, and so on. Each row represents a unique sheet where the sheet properties are defined in each column. Column Sorting Sorting can be done two ways: 1. Select the column to sort it in descending or ascending order. The arrow indicates the sort sequence for the column. The up arrow indicates ascending order and the down arrow indicates a descending order. 2. Sort by right- clicking in the column header and selecting a sort sequence. Filtering Filters can be applied to the column dialog listings to only display certain information. The columns or rows can be filtered from view in the list.

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Program Basics Suppressing and Restoring a Column: Columns can be removed for the list by placing the cursor over the column heading,right-clicking, and selecting Remove This Column from the pop-up context menu . The column is no longer displayed in the listing. Columns can also be easily restored to the Column Display, by following the steps below. 1. Position the cursor over any column heading and right-click to open the context menu. 2. Select Field Chooser from the context menu. A customization dialog displays available fields that have been removed from the listing. 3. Select and drag the field to restore from the list to the desired position in the list heading. It is not necessary to place the restored column in the same position as it was before. Row Filter The row filter is used to create a filter that only shows the rows that have a specific value in a column. This can be done by following the steps below. In this example, only sheets with a value of MS are shown. 1. Hover over the Material and select the downward arrow that is displayed next to the column heading. A list of values displayed in that column is displayed, along with the special entries All and Custom. 2. Select the value to display from the list. Only rows with the selected values in this column are displayed. In addition, a panel with the filter is displayed at the bottom of the dialog listing. Selecting the check box to the left of the filter description toggles the filter on and off. Select the filter off button to disable and close the filter panel. 3. Select values from other columns to make the filter more restrictive. For example, selecting a length value of 244 limits the display to sheets with a material of MS and a length of 244. The original filter is retained and is available from a drop down list in the filter panel. The Filter Builder The filter builder creates and saves complex filters. The filter can be built on the filter from the previous section,or created that will display sheets with a material of MS, a length greater than 50, and a quantity of 3 or more.This can be done by following the steps below. 1. Select the downward arrow that is displayed next to the column heading for the material column. A list of values displayed in that column appears, along with the special entries All and Custom. 2. Select the entry for MS. Only rows with MS in the material column are displayed. 3. Select Customize. The filter builder dialog is displayed. Initially only the condition, Material equals MS is displayed. This is the condition specified in steps 1 and 2. 4. Select add a new condition. A new, partially filled condition line is displayed. 5. Select the sheet name. A list of available columns is displayed in a drop down list. Select the length column. 6. Select the empty entry and enter 50 in the field. 7. Select the condition between the column name and its value. Select is greater than from the list of conditions.

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Program Basics 8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 to add another condition line that reads Qty is greater than or equal to 3.

A condition row can be removed by selecting the button to its left and then selecting remove row . 9. Select the Apply button. MS sheets of three or more that are longer than 50 are displayed in the dialog listing. Apply can be used at any time to display the results of the conditions added or removed. 10. Select the Save As if the condition must be used later. Use Open to load a previously saved condition. 11. Select OK when the condition is complete. The dialog closes and the specified condition is applied to the dialog listing. 12. The complex condition can be disabled and enabled. Grouping Grouping allows the dialog listing to be organized for efficient display. Single level groups can be created by following the steps below. 1. Right-click any column heading. Select Group by Box. A shaded grouping panel opens at the top of the dialog listing. See image to the right. 2. Hold down while the left-clicking and drag the name of the column to be grouped, in this case Material, to the top of the listing dialog and release it. The Material column is removed from the dialog listing and becomes a grouping. The groups are automatically sorted in ascending order by default. Select the column heading in the grouping panel to change the sort order. 3. Select the plus sign to the left of the group heading to expand the group. 4. Select the minus sign to the left of the group heading to collapse the group A multi-level group can be created in a similar way, using the steps below. 1. Create a column group using the previous procedure. 2. Select and drag the second column into the grouping panel at the top of the dialog listing. Place the selected column to the right of the existing column name. The column becomes a sub column of the grouping and both parameters are now used in the sheet listing. To remove a group, drag the column heading from the top grouping panel to its desired position in the dialog listing. The user can also right-click on the column name, at the top of the dialog listing, and select Remove from Grouping . Listing Summations Listing summations are available for the column listings and can be created using the steps below. Right-click on any of the column listings and select Footer. The dialog displays an area at the bottom of the listing.

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Program Basics Position the cursor in the footer under the column to provide a summation function. Right-click to open the summation function menu. Select from one of the following functions to apply to the column. Sum: Select to provide a total sum of the column. Min: Select to provide a minimum value for the column. Max: Select to provide a maximum value for the column. Count: Select to provide the total count for the column. Average: Select to provide an average value for the column. None: Select to remove the summation function from the column listing. The value is placed in the footer under the column. The count and sum values are displayed as a numeric value only. Min, Max, and Average are displayed with the selected function name, in the form, Max=11400. The count function is applied to all columns. All other functions are applied to the numeric columns. The following example image displays the maximum area of the largest 0.5 mm MS sheet (2202.96 mm), the maximum area of the largest .06 mm MS sheet (3000000 mm), how many 0.5 mm sheets there are (1), how many 0.06 mm sheets there are of each sheet name (12 each), how many sheet names (3). Sheet types: 0=stock sheet, 1=remnant sheet. Total number of sheets (25). To remove a column summation, place the cursor over the summation to be removed, open the context menu and select None. Related Topic: Part Parameters

Coordinate System
X coordinate The X coordinate displays the vertical cursor position. When a new geometry is selected the X coordinate is set to zero until a position is selected on the workspace. X and Y cursor positions can be manually entered. The selected geometry home position is placed at the manually entered cursor position. Y coordinate The Y coordinate displays the horizontal cursor position. When a new geometry is selected the Y coordinate is set to zero until a position is selected on the workspace. X and Y cursor positions can be manually entered. The selected geometry home position is placed at the manually entered cursor position.

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Program Basics

Contour Attributes
The contour attributes can be used to define the part contours with special attributes. When the contours are not defined with a special attribute, SigmaNEST defines kerf cut for all the part contours when the part is created. The outer contours are cut clockwise and the inner contours are cut counter-clockwise. Kerf (See page 25) No Kerf (See page 26) Left Kerf (See page 26) Right Kerf (See page 27) Lead-in (See page 27) Marking (See page 28) No Cut (See page 28) Special Punching (See page 29) Detail (See page 29) Level Mapping (See page 30) Options (See page 30)

Kerf
Kerf Cut is the default attribute for all contours when the part is created. The outside contours are cut clockwise and the inside contours are cut counter-clockwise. The Kerf Cut function does not change any of the contours that have been defined by the other kerf functions. 1. Select the Kerf Cut icon from the attribute actions. 2. Select one of the select actions for selecting the contours. 3. Select the contour or contours and select Done. The below images display the part (solid line) and the kerf cut (dashed line). The kerf cut, which is the cutting width of the head, is orientated to the outside of the contour for both cutting directions (arrow), and for both inside (top images) and outside contours (bottom images).

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Program Basics

No Kerf
No Kerf is used when the cut is made exactly on the contour (solid line), without any offset, in either cutting direction (arrows). This type of cutting is used in common line cutting when a part shares a common edge with another part, or when a single cut is made on open or closed contours. 1. Select the No Kerf Cut icon from the attribute actions. 2. Select one of the select actions. 3. Select the contour or contours and select Done.

The part cannot be automatically nested if No Kerf Cut is specified for all contours.

Left Kerf
Left Kerf creates the cut to the left of the contour, relative to the cutting direction (arrow). Left kerf is not the same as the default Kerf Cut, see Kerf Cut for its definition. Caution should be taken when applying left kerf. The part does not have the same dimensions when left kerf is applied to the different cutting directions. In both images the dashed lines indicate the part edges after a left kerf cut. 1. Select the Left Kerf icon from the attribute actions. 2. Select one of the select actions. 3. Select the contour or contours and select Done. The below images display the part (solid line) with a contour cut (dashed line) to the left of the edge of the part, relative to the cutting direction.

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Program Basics

Right Kerf
Right Kerf creates the cut to the right of the contour, relative to the cutting direction (arrow). Caution should be taken when applying right kerf. The part does not have the same dimensions when right kerf is applied to the different cutting directions. In both images the dashed lines indicate the part edges after a right kerf cut. 1. Select the Right Kerf icon from the attribute actions. 2. Select one of the select actions. 3. Select the contour or contours and select Done. The images below display the part (solid line) with a contour cut (dashed line) to the right of the part edge, relative to the cutting direction.

Lead-in
The Lead-in attribute allows manual creation of a lead-in when creating parts from geometry. The lead-in is drawn with geometry lines and arcs. The geometries are selected and defined as a lead-in. The order of selection of the geometry entities is not important. 1. Create a part and add a lead-in to the geometry. 2. Select Create Part from the Create Part ribbon on the Work-space tab. The attribute and selection icons are displayed. 3. Select Lead-in from the attribute icons. 4. Select a selection action and select the entities that make up the lead-in. 5. Select Kerf Cut and window around all geometries. 6. Right-click and select the Done and the Part Parameters dialog is displayed. 7. Enter the parameters for the part and select OK.

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Program Basics

Do not set the lead-in parameter, in the part parameters dialog, to No Leadin when defining manual lead-ins.

Marking
The Marking attribute allows entities on a part to be defined as markings, such as bend lines created by a powder marker. SigmaNEST creates NC code to drive the powder marker. 1. Create a part and add markings to the geometry. 2. Select Create Part from the Create Part ribbon on the Work-space tab. The attribute and selection icons are displayed. 3. Select Marking from the attribute icons. 4. Select a selection action and select the entities to define as markings (top image). 5. Select Kerf Cutand window around all geometries (bottom image). 6. Right-click and select Done and the Part Parameters dialog is displayed. 7. Enter the parameters for the part and select OK.

No Cut
The No Cut attribute allows selected contours to be designated as a no cut entities. NC code is not generated for the selected contours. 1. Create a part. 2. Select Create Part from the Create Part ribbon on the Work-space tab. The attribute and selection icons are displayed. 3. Select the No Cut icon from the attribute icons. 4. Select a selection action and select the entities to define as no cut (left image). 5. Select the Kerf Cut icon and window around all geometries (middle image). 6. Right-click and select the Done icon and the Part Parameters dialog is displayed. 7. Enter the parameters for the part and select OK. The part is created as shown (right image).

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Program Basics

Special Punching
The Special Punch attribute designates an entity or entities to be formed by a punch tool on combination or punch type machines. 1. Create a part. 2. Select Create Part from the Create Part ribbon on the Work-space tab. The attribute and selection icons are displayed. 3. Select the Special Punch icon from the attribute icons. 4. Select a selection action and select the entities to define as special punch (left image). 5. Select the Kerf Cut icon and window around all geometries (right image). 6. Right- click and select the Done icon and the Part Parameters dialog is displayed. 7. Enter the parameters for the part and select OK.

Detail
The detail attribute allows the user to define an entity or entities as detail notes which are not recognized by the NC process. Details are not included in the NC process and are seen when viewing parts from the parts tab. 1. Create a part. 2. Select Create Part from the Create Part ribbon on the Work-space tab. The attribute and selection icons are displayed. 3. Select the Detail icon from the attribute icons. 4. Select a selection action and select the entities to define as detail. 5. Select the Kerf Cut icon and window around all geometries.

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Program Basics 6. Right-click and select the Done icon and the Part Parameters dialog is displayed. 7. Enter the parameters for the part and select OK. The part is shown without the detail. To view the detail of the part select the Parts tab.

Level Mapping
The Level Mapping function defines the part being created with the level mapping defined in the Batch Import dialog under SigmaNEST Configuration. 1. Select the Level Mapping icon from the attribute actions. 2. Select a selection action and select the geometry to apply the level mapping. The levels that are defined in the Batch Import tab, under Configuration, are applied to the created part. 3. Select the Kerf Cut icon and window around all geometries. 4. Right-click and select the Done icon and the Part Parameters dialog is displayed. 5. Enter the parameters for the part and select OK. The part is created and displayed on the work space.

Options
The Options function allows the user to setup part creation parameters. Part integrity is important for the proper nesting and cutting of the parts. Before creating a part, specify the part creation options. 1. Select the Options icon from the attribute actions and the Setup dialog is displayed. 2. Enter the parameters for part creation and select OK. The parameters are used for part creation. SigmaNEST provides the following parameters to verify and complete part creation. The following options are the same options used for part creation of imported parts. Mapping Type: CAD programs define the parts with different mapping properties. The following options define the part properties when importing or creating parts. Layers/Levels Colors Line Type Part Creation: SigmaNEST provides the option to create single or multiple parts from the geometry.

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Program Basics Single Part: Select to have the selected geometry be created as a single part. All geometry selected will be defined as the part. Multiple Parts: Select to have all selected closed geometry to be created into multiple parts. Auto Detect Bend Lines: Auto Detect Bend Lines is used for importing parts with bend lines. Select from the following options. No : Select to import the bend lines as geometry. As Marking Lines: Select to import the bend lines as marked lines on the part. As No Cut Lines: Select to import the bend lines, but the bend lines are not marked on the part. The bend lines are retained with the part as non-cutting lines. Ignore: Select to ignore the bend lines. The bend lines are not imported. Marking Lines: Select from one of the following options when the Auto Detect Bend Lines is set to As Marking Lines. Shorten Bend Lines: Select to shorten the bend lines and enter a length value. Trim Marking : Select to trim marking lines on the part and enter an offset value from other entities. Display unlisted levels: Select to display the unused levels. Show All Layers and Levels: Select to display the layers and levels of the part on the Work-space. Detail notes are displayed on the parts when viewing them from the Parts tab. Remove Duplicate Entities: Select to check for duplicate entities , with an additional option to isolate by color or layer, to prevent creating the same part twice. Convert 3D IGES Wire frame to 2D: Select to convert a 3D IGES wire frame to a 2D geometry. Use Part Name Attribute: Select when Part Creation is set to multiple parts to use the part name tag to name each part. Unselected, each part is named with the file name plus a numeric suffix. Replace Patterns: Select this option in the interactive mapping dialog, under options, to replace recognized signature geometry with other geometry. It can also apply certain processes and special features to the replacing geometry. Replace patterns can only be replaced if the following if: Replace.ini is in the SNDATA folder Signature and replacement geometry are in the SNDATA\Replace folder in CDL format. Replace Patterns checkbox has been checked in the Part Creation options\settings dialog. The replace.ini file supports the following parameters: InputFile : The CDL file that defines the signature geometry that SigmaNEST will

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Program Basics search for to be replaced . ReplaceWith : The CDL file that contains the replacing geometry. This will be placed at the locations where the signature geometry was recognized. DoScale : Setting that specifies if the signature geometry that it looks for may be of a different scale. Enabling DoScale provides more flexibility, but may cause functions to run slower. InsideCountour : Tag the replacing geometry to become an internal contour on the part. Action : The two actions defined below are applied to the signature geometry. ATTR (followed by the attribute number 1): This action changes the attribute of the signature geometry. E.g. ATTR (followed by the attribute number 11):This action would make the signature geometry no-cut. DELETE: This command is used to remove the signature geometry completely. ReplaceAction : The two actions defined below are applied to the replacing geometry. ATTR (followed by the attribute number): This action changes the attribute on the replacing geometry. RIVET (followed by a parameter): The following parameters can be used: Rivet Type (0 = Primary Rivets, 1 = Secondary Rivets), Remove Rivet Option (0 = Do not drill out rivets, 1 = Drill out rivets) , Rivet Usage (Value 1 to 10 to determine NC sort order), Screw Usage (Value 1 to 10 to determine NC sort order), Screw Size. Layer: Sets the layer for the replacing geometry. CheckLayerForMatch: Checks the Input File layer to the layer setting. Selecting 0 will not do the check, selecting 1 will check the layer. If the 1 is used, the replace will not occur unless the input file level geometry and the layer setting match. FixedLeadin : The replacing geometry indicates the location of a fixed lead-in. The fixed lead-in will be at the closest point on the part to the replacing geometry. ProcessNum : Sets the process of the replacing geometry. ContourProcess : If replace action is ATTR,11 the closest contour to the replacing geometry is set to this process number Enable : Use this to enable\disable the replace without removing the section from the ini file. MakeDuplicateOfReplace and DuplicateLayer : Add an extra copy of the replacing geometry in the specified layer. Each replace type has its own section in the inifile e.g. [Replace1]. The string in between [] needs to be unique for each replace type. Underneath the section heading specify the parameters and there values as defined above. Use the sample in the next section as a guide.

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Program Basics Example: [REPLACE4] InputFile=SHAPE4.CDL ReplaceWith=Shape4_New.cdl Action=DELETE Scale=1 InsideCountour=1 Enable=1 SigmaNEST looks for geometry that matches SHAPE4.CDL, also taking into consideration any scaled geometry, and replaces it with Shape4_New.cdl. The replacing geometry is seen as an inside contour. Typically used Attribute numbers : 0 : Normal (Usually interpreted as Kerf Cut) 7 : No Kerf 8 : Left Kerf 9 : Right Kerf 10: Marking 11 : No-Cut 20 : Detail 28 : Special Tool

Multi-Part Configurations: Select to import a part with different configurations as different parts. Perform Validation Checks: Select to validate the geometry to ensure a complete part. If the geometry has errors or open contours, SigmaNEST places an X next to the file name, indicating an incomplete part. If the file is error free, then SigmaNEST places a check mark next to the file name indicating that it can be made into a part. Contour Interference Check: Select to check for contour overlapping in the geometry. Uses Part Properties: Select to use the part properties for all of the imported parts. When not selected the dialog is displayed for all selected parts or geometries. Import Z Depth: Select to allow the file to be imported with defined multi and partial depth cuts. Depth cuts are shown in different colors. Weld Gap : Enter the Weld Gap. When creating a closed contour from geometry, that consists of lines and arcs with small gaps between their end points, SigmaNEST automatically closes these gaps or fixes overlaps, if the gaps are smaller than this weld gap parameter. Auto Tile Parts: Select to automatically have the parts tiled on the Work-space after the import. Desktop : Select from the drop down box the import configuration profile for the selected part. If no configurations have been saved the default profile is used.

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Program Basics Machine: Select the machine type for the part from the drop down box. Cancel: Select to close the Setup dialog not saving changes. OK: Select to close the Setup dialog saving any changes.

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Workspace

Workspace
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Files (See page 35) Work Orders (See page 47) Parts (See page 61) Nesting (See page 66) Work-space NC (See page 75) Cut To Length (See page 76)

Files
The Files ribbon contains actions for handling the Work-space, file import, and SigmaNEST configuration. The Configuration icon is located at the bottom right on the Files ribbon. New Work-space (See page 35) Open (See page 35) Save (See page 36) Export Work-space (See page 36) File Imports (See page 37)

New Work-space
New Work-space creates a new, empty Work-space. If a Work-space is already open a confirmation dialog is displayed. Select one of the following actions: Yes: Clears the current, open Work-space. Unsaved changes are discarded. Save Changes: Saves the current, open Work-space before creating the new one. Cancel: Cancels the new Work-space operation. The current, open Work-space is not changed.

Open
The Open command opens an existing Work-space. The Work-space directory is the default directory. The default directory is changed in the configuration setup on the Paths tab. Select Open to display an Explorer dialog. Navigate to the file by clicking on the file in the explorer listing, or enter the file name and select open at the bottom of the dialog. If the file is not listed, select the file type from the drop down box under the file name.

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Workspace Preview : Select the preview check box to display the files Work-space parts. When a file is selected in the list Work-space parts are displayed in the preview window. File Name: Enter the file name to open in the Work-space. Open: Select to open the file that is selected in the listing. Files of Type: Select from the drop down box the file type to display in the explorer listing. Cancel: Select to close the explorer dialog without opening the file.

Save
Select to save the Work-space. The Save As dialog is displayed. File Name: Enter a file name for the Work-space. Save as Type:To save the Work-space as a particular file type, Select one from the drop-down menu. Save: Select to close the Save As dialog saving all changes. Cancel: Select to close the Save As dialog without saving any changes.

Export Work-space
Select to export the following: CDL: CadKey files with lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, and text. DXF : A Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) file is an ASCII or binary file format of a drawing. Patterns: Pattern files contain a subset of a Work-space file (.WS file). A pattern file is used to transfer information from one Work-space to another in geometric form. Parts: All part currently on the workspace are exported. Export Nesting (See page 36) Export Batches: Batch files are used to export groups of DXF, CDL, OR IGES files. This is useful for simultaneously exporting a number of files. The Save As dialog is displayed. Navigate to the folder to export the file to and enter the file name and select Save to save the file or Cancel to cancel the action.

Export Nesting
Select to export the nesting file for porting into another CAD program. DXF Path: Enter the name of the export file and browse to a destination location to export the file. Export Type: Select the export file type, CDL or DXF.

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Workspace CDL: Cadkey file type DXF : AutoCAD file type Export Sheets: Select to export sheets within the task. Selecting Sheets only exports the sheet(s) only. Export Parts: Select to export parts. Selecting Parts only exports the parts only. Export Detail: Select to export part and sheet detail. Selecting Detail only will export only the detail information of the sheet and parts. Setup : Select to setup export parameters for exporting the nesting file to the selected CAD program. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes and creating the nesting export file.

File Imports
A variety of File Types (See page 38) can be imported in SigmaNEST. Files can be imported directly or using mapping to alter the file before it is loaded. To import a file: 1. Select the file import operation represented by the main icon in the ribbon or select one of the following file types, listed below, from the drop down list. When the file type is selected, a file open dialog is displayed. 2. Select the specific file to open. 3. Select the applicable options listed below. 4. For 2D files, such as DXF or DXG : Select the applicable options listed below, then select Import to import file and open the Interactive Mapping Dialog (See page 39), if selected, or Cancel to close the dialog without importing. For 3D files, such as SolidWorks ProE or Catia: Select Import to import file. The following options are available to customize the import: Auto Create Part: Select to automatically create the part on the Work-space when it is imported. Mapping No Mapping : Select to import the file as it is without changes. Interactive Mapping : Select to open the file in the Interactive dialog, which has additional editing options, prior to importing the file. Desktop Mapping : Select to use a saved Desktop mapping setting. When selected, the drop down menu below will display saved Desktops for selection. Importing SolidCAD forming features: SolidWorks, Inventor or Pro/E files can be imported as any other file type, by selecting the appropriate file type from import button drop-down menu located

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Workspace on the files ribbon of the Work-space tab. However, the Forming Features option, under the 3D import tab in the configuration dialogue, check box must be checked. In addition, the default machine for SigmaNEST must be a Punch machine that has form tools in the active tool list and defined using the base sketch for the formed feature in the SolidCAD system

File Types
Import WS: Import an existing SigmaNEST Work-space file into the current, open Work-space. The current Work-space is not replaced. The imported Work-space is merged into it. Import: Select to open an explorer window to import files. CDL: CadKey files with lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, and text. DXF : A Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) file is an ASCII or binary file format of a drawing. DWG : DWG is an AutoCAD drawing format. IGES: International Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) is an ANSI-standard format for the digital representation and exchange of information between CAD/CAM systems. STEP : STEP, the *St*andard for the *E*xchange of *P*roduct Model Data, is a comprehensive ISO standard (ISO 10303) that describes how to represent and exchange digital product information. SolidWorks: Part and Assembly files from SolidWorks CAD software, including .SLDASM and .SLDPRT files. Solid Edge: A Solid Edge part, assembly, or sheet file type, including .ASM , .PAR and .PSM files. Pro-E : Files from the Pro-E CAD software package. When importing, select the Version of Pro/E that Pro/E files that will be imported. Selecting the correct 32bit or 64 bit is necessary. Enter the path to Proe.exe file and to the Pro_comm_msg.exe Autodesk Inventor: Autodesk's Inventor software uses specific file formats for parts (.IPT), assemblies (.IAM) and drawing views (.IDW). NX: NX file types. Catia: Catia software file types, including .model, .session, .dlv and .CATPart . Think3: File format from the Think3 CAD software product. Rhino : Rhino software files, .3DX, files. SpaceClaim: SpaceClaim CAD software, .scdoc, files. NC : Numerical Control (NC) files. Word address and ESSI are supported. HPGL: Hewlett Packard Graphic Language files. Pattern: Pattern files contain a subset of a Work-space file (.WS file). A pattern file is used to transfer information from one Work-space to another in geometric form. BOM: A BOM file is used to import multiple SigmaNEST part files as a group. After the BOM file is selected, SigmaNEST displays a prompt for a batch quantity. This quantity is multiplied with original part quantities of the part.

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Workspace Batch: Batch files are used to import groups of DXF, CDL, OR IGES files. This is useful for simultaneously importing a number of files and automatically prepares parts from the geometry information for nesting. Refer to Batch Processing for batch file formatting. When importing a batch from another drawing program with multiple attributes on a part, other than cutting (such as marking, left kerf, no kerf, or text) the attributes need to be represented as a number, which is a mapped level or color. Unfolder: SAT file format from Cad software Unfolder.

In AutoCAD, each specification is designated as a layer. SigmaNEST specifications are designated as levels. When the file type is selected, a file open dialog is displayed.Select the specific file to open. The Import dialog is displayed. DSTV: DSTV files, primarily used in the construction industry,are ASCII-based geometric representation of Profiles, Tubes and Plates with the part features described as needed for processing by CNC machinery.When DSTV file is imported, SigmaNEST automatically imports and recognizes beveled edges and complex holes such as countersinks and screw threads.

Interactive Mapping Dialog

The Import Dialog offers additional options for customization and editing prior to importing. Functions are organized into to program ribbons, displayed along the top, and tabs,located along the bottom right. The dialog also contains a Preview Window and File List , which shows all the files selected for import. Use the following buttons to navigate through the File file list: Edit :Select to open the CAD dialog, which offers several functions for editing the part. Previous: Select to go to the previous part on the list. Next: Select to go to the next part on the list. The Interactive Mapping Dialog contains the ribbons and tabs below.
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Import (See page 40) View (See page 40) Scale (See page 40) Files (See page 41) Options Tag Settings (See page 46)

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Workspace

Import
OK: Select to save changes and close the dialog. Cancel: Select to discard changes and close the dialog. Create Geometry only: Select to import the part's geometry on create the part in the workspace. After the part is imported, click the part to select and move; click again to place. This option is best if editing or adding additional geometry to the part. Auto Create Part: Enabling Auto Create Part creates the part on the Work-space when OK is selected. If Auto Create Part is not checked, the part has to be created from the edit parts function under the Edit drop down listing. Auto Create Nest: Select to display the Part Parameters Dialog to create the part or parts. Once parts have been created, the Task Parameters dialog is automatically opened for defining the nesting task and the parts are nested as they are imported. Desktop : Select the import configuration profile for the selected part from the drop down menu. If no configurations have been saved the default profile is used. Save Desktop As: Select to save the import desktop. The Desktop file can be selected in the setup parameters to open with file imports. Enter a file name and select OK to save the desktop. Select Cancel to close the dialog without saving the desktop file.

View
Level List: Select to show the Level List. Next to each listed layer of the part is a checkbox which can be selected to show a layer or unchecked to hide. Show Errors: Select to show improperly defined geometry in a part. Show Contours: Select to show improperly defined geometry in a part's contours. The closed contours are show in blue; the open in red.

Scale
The Scale ribbon contains the Geometry Filter (See page 128) and Scale Functions.

Scale: The scale parameter is for display purposes only. Parts are always created on a scale of 1:1. The scale will the default to the last setting entered. File Selection: Select one of the options below: - 40 -

Workspace Only the Active file Selected files All the files Metric to Imperial/ Imperial to Metric: Select to change data from Metric to Imperial units or vice versa. Scale factor: Enter the scale factor for the selected part. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without making any changes. OK: Select to save changes and close the dialog.

Files
Part attributes are defined with Layers/Levels Tab (See page 41), Colors Tab (See page 42), or Line Type Tab (See page 44), each on their respective tabs. Select a column in a part's row to edit its attributes. Select the drop-down arrow, which appears when a column is selected, to select a parameter from a list. All attributes are turned on by default.

Layers/Levels Tab Select the Layers/Levels tab to view the attributes as layers/levels. Select the row to edit the mapping attributes. Select the column to edit and a drop down arrow appears. Select the drop down arrow to select a parameter from a list. The following attribute columns are displayed. Levels: Displays the number of levels the part geometry has defined for the part. Attribute: To change the kerf type for the part click on the attribute column and select the drop down arrow. Select from one of the following options. Kerf Cut: Kerf Cut is the default setting. Outer contours are cut clockwise. Inside contours are cut counter-clockwise. Left Kerf: Select to enable left kerf for inside contours. Left Kerf is normally used when no parts are nested within inside contours of the part. For example, if a part is cut for a door, no other parts are cut inside the door. Right Kerf: Right kerf is only used for inside contours. Right Kerf is used where no parts are nested within the inside contour of a part

Using right or left kerf for outside contours results in a faulty nesting. No Kerf: No kerf is used for common line cutting, where no offset or kerf is used. No kerf is also used for single cuts with no closing contours.

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Workspace Lead-in: Select to allow user to manually create lead-ins. The lead-in must be defined before the kerf cut function is executed.

Do not set the lead-in parameter on the parts parameter dialog to No Lead-in, when using a special lead-in Mark: Select to define the contour on the material as a marking, such as a bend line. No Cut: Select to define the geometry as no cut contours. No NC code generation is created for No Cut . Detail: Select to define the entity as detail information. AutoMark: Select to define the layer or level for a marking. Spec Tool: Select to define the contour uses a special tool. # : Displays number of entities. Quality: The cut quality of the contour is defined with one of the following cut qualities from the drop down menu. Default: Default uses the machine process cutting speed. Fastest: Provides the lowest cut quality with the fastest feed rate. Med Fast: Provides a higher cut quality with a slower feed rate. Normal: Provides an optimal cut quality with the optimal feed rate. Better: Provides a better cut quality. Best: Provides the highest quality with the slowest feed rate. Process: Select the Default Process, or select from one of the listed processes for the layer/level in the drop-down menu. Depth: When working with routers or non-sheetmetal parts with partial depth contours, select from one of the options. None: Select for no defined depth. Full Depth: Select to use the depth value defined in the post file. Other: Select to define a depth value. Side: Select to define as either Far Side or Near Side of the sheet.

Colors Tab Select the Colors tab to display color attributes for the parts. Select the row to edit the mapping attributes. Select the column to edit and a drop down arrow appears. Select the drop down arrow to select a parameter from a list. The following attribute columns are displayed.

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Workspace Color: Turn on the color contour by selecting the check box. All of the color contour definitions are enabled by default. Attribute: To change the kerf type for the part click on the attribute column and select the drop down arrow. Select from one of the following options. Kerf Cut: Kerf Cut is the default setting. Outer contours are cut clockwise. Inside contours are cut counter-clockwise. Left Kerf: Select to enable left kerf for inside contours. Left Kerf is normally used when no parts are nested within inside contours of the part. For example, if a part is cut for a door, no other parts are cut inside the door. Right Kerf: Right kerf is only used for inside contours. Right Kerf is used where no parts are nested within the inside contour of a part

Using right or left kerf for outside contours results in a faulty nesting. No Kerf: No kerf is used for common line cutting, where no offset or kerf is used. No kerf is also used for single cuts with no closing contours. Lead-in: Select to allow user to manually create lead-ins. The lead-in must be defined before the kerf cut function is executed.

Do not set the lead-in parameter on the parts parameter dialog to No Lead-in, when using a special lead-in Mark: Select to define the contour on the material as a marking, such as a bend line. No Cut: Select to define the geometry as no cut contours. No NC code generation is created for No Cut . Detail: Select to define the entity as detail information. AutoMark: Select to define the layer or level for a marking. Spec Tool: Select to define the contour uses a special tool. # : Displays number of entities. Quality: The cut quality of the contour is defined with one of the following cut qualities from the drop down menu. Default: Default uses the machine process cutting speed. Fastest: Provides the lowest cut quality with the fastest feed rate. Med Fast: Provides a higher cut quality with a slower feed rate. Normal: Provides an optimal cut quality with the optimal feed rate. Better: Provides a better cut quality. Best: Provides the highest quality with the slowest feed rate.

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Workspace Process: Select the Default Process, or select from one of the listed processes for the layer/level in the drop-down menu. Depth: When working with routers or non-sheetmetal parts with partial depth contours, select from one of the options. None: Select for no defined depth. Full Depth: Select to use the depth value defined in the post file. Other: Select to define a depth value. Side: Select to define as either Far Side or Near Side of the sheet.

Line Type Tab Select the Line Type tab to display line type attributes. The contours can be displayed with different line types. The number of line types correspond to the number of levels defined for the part file. The following attribute columns are displayed. Line Type: Displays line types for the part contours Attribute: To change the kerf type for the part click on the attribute column and select the drop down arrow. Select from one of the following options. Kerf Cut: Kerf Cut is the default setting. Outer contours are cut clockwise. Inside contours are cut counter-clockwise. Left Kerf: Select to enable left kerf for inside contours. Left Kerf is normally used when no parts are nested within inside contours of the part. For example, if a part is cut for a door, no other parts are cut inside the door. Right Kerf: Right kerf is only used for inside contours. Right Kerf is used where no parts are nested within the inside contour of a part

Using right or left kerf for outside contours results in a faulty nesting. No Kerf: No kerf is used for common line cutting, where no offset or kerf is used. No kerf is also used for single cuts with no closing contours. Lead-in: Select to allow user to manually create lead-ins. The lead-in must be defined before the kerf cut function is executed.

Do not set the lead-in parameter on the parts parameter dialog to No Lead-in, when using a special lead-in Mark: Select to define the contour on the material as a marking, such as a bend line.

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Workspace No Cut: Select to define the geometry as no cut contours. No NC code generation is created for No Cut . Detail: Select to define the entity as detail information. AutoMark: Select to define the layer or level for a marking. Spec Tool: Select to define the contour uses a special tool. # : Displays number of entities. Quality: The cut quality of the contour is defined with one of the following cut qualities from the drop down menu. Default: Default uses the machine process cutting speed. Fastest: Provides the lowest cut quality with the fastest feed rate. Med Fast: Provides a higher cut quality with a slower feed rate. Normal: Provides an optimal cut quality with the optimal feed rate. Better: Provides a better cut quality. Best: Provides the highest quality with the slowest feed rate. Process: Select the Default Process, or select from one of the listed processes for the layer/level in the drop-down menu. Depth: When working with routers or non-sheetmetal parts with partial depth contours, select from one of the options. None: Select for no defined depth. Full Depth: Select to use the depth value defined in the post file. Other: Select to define a depth value. Side: Select to define as either Far Side or Near Side of the sheet.

Part Parameters Tab

Select Part Parameters tab to enter the part parameters. The Part Parameters tab is available when Auto Create Part or Auto Create Nest is checked. Use Part Parameters: Select to enable part parameters. Work Order No.: Enter the Work Order number. Due Date: Enter the date the order is due or select the arrow for a pop-up calendar and select date. Customer: Enter the customer name or select the ellipse icon to open the Find Customers Dialog and the select from there. Programmed By: Enter the programmer's name or select the arrow for a drop-down list of options. Part Data 1-14: Custom part information can be entered into these fields.

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Workspace

Tag Settings
Tag Type: When importing DXF files, the attributes set in the DXF file are used to populate the tag text boxes. A separator is defined to recognize the string to apply to the tag when the String Tags option is selected. No Tags: Select to not use tags. Color or level mapping is only used. DXF Attribute Tags: Select to use the object type attribute in DXF files to identify the tag names in the batch import dialog. String Tags: Select to enable a field separator for the imported file. When the separator is encountered in the file being imported the following string is used in the tag text box. String as Part Name: Select to use a string name to identify the part name. Tags: The tags listed below are enabled when DXF Attribute Tags or String Tags is selected for the tag type. Separator: Enabled for String Tag types. Enter the character to indicate the string separator. Part Name Tag: Enter the part name. Material Tag: Enter the material type of the part. Thickness Tag: Enter the thickness of the material used for the part. Material Lookup Tag: Enter the material name for the material lookup tag. Lookup Filename: Navigate to the file using the ellipse icon or enter the filename used for the batch import. Quantity Tag: Enter the quantity of the parts to create. Customer Tag: Enter the name of the customer. Drawing Number Tag: Enter the drawing number of the part file. Remark Tag: Enter any remarks for the batch file import. Mirror Part Tag: Enter text to indicate if the part can be mirrored. Grain Constrain: Enter text to indicate grain constraints. Common Cut Tag : Priority Tag: The selected priority of the part is used by the nesting algorithm. In the Nesting Parameters, the Priority function of the nesting algorithm is enabled or disabled. If the priority function in the nesting algorithm is disabled, the selected parts are nested in an automatically determined sequence. If the Priority function in the nesting algorithm is enabled, the nesting algorithm overrides the part order selection to a certain degree and gives priority to the part priority number specified here.

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Workspace If the priority is set to one, the part has the highest priority. The greater the number, the lower the priority of the part to be nested. If two parts have the same priority, the nesting algorithm looks at the part order setting and makes a decision based on that setting. Setting the priorities of parts may affect how tightly parts are nested. Filler Part Tag: Select if this part is to be used as a filler part. Do Not Nest Internals Tag:Select if parts are not to be nested inside internal contours. Part Data 1 to 14: Custom part information can be entered into these fields. Common Cut Tag : Priority Tag: The selected priority of the part is used by the nesting algorithm. In the Nesting Parameters, the Priority function of the nesting algorithm is enabled or disabled. If the priority function in the nesting algorithm is disabled, the selected parts are nested in an automatically determined sequence. If the Priority function in the nesting algorithm is enabled, the nesting algorithm overrides the part order selection to a certain degree and gives priority to the part priority number specified here. If the priority is set to one, the part has the highest priority. The greater the number, the lower the priority of the part to be nested. If two parts have the same priority, the nesting algorithm looks at the part order setting and makes a decision based on that setting. Setting the priorities of parts may affect how tightly parts are nested. Filler Part Tag: Select if the part is to be used as a filler part. Do Not Nest Internals Tag: Select if parts are not to be nested inside internal contours. Part Data 1 to 14: Custom part information can be entered into these fields.

Work Orders
The Work Orders ribbon contains actions for handling the parts, sheets, work orders, and quotes. Part List (See page 48) BOM (Bill of Materials) (See page 48) Load Parts (See page 49) Invalid Parts (See page 50) Parts Tracking (See page 50) Sheet List (See page 51) - 47 Sheet History (See page 54) Work Orders (See page 54) Program Update (See page 58) Info Manager (See page 58) Quote View (See page 60)

Workspace

Part List
Select Parts List to display the Parts List dialog. 1. Select the part or, hold down the control key, and select each part from the parts list to load to the Work-space. 2. To change the directory select the Browse or Alias navigation tabs on the right side of the dialog. The parts list can also be printed. See Print Reports. 3. The list box contains a list of all the parts in the current directory. The graphics box at the top right, is a graphical representation of the selected part. The X-Y values are the selected part's outer dimensions. 4. The default parts directory is changed in the configuration program. Refer to Config (See page 403) for more information on changing the default directory. Search: Select Search to display the Search dialog. Use Search to filter the part listing. Delete: Select the part or parts to delete. Select delete. SigmaNEST displays a Confirm Message box. If the correct parts are selected, select OK, or select Cancel to stop the delete process. Tag : Select Tag to display a dialog similar to the search dialog. For example, to select all the parts starting with a P in the part name and with a thickness of 12, type in p* in the part name edit box and 12 in the thickness edit box, then select OK. SigmaNEST selects all the parts that meet the criteria. Load the selected part(s) to the Work-space by selecting OK. Edit: Select Edit to display the Part Parameters dialog. Refer to Part Parameters for a description of the part parameters.

To make work order quantity changes use the work order function, do not make quantity changes here in the parts list. Cancel: Select Cancel to close the dialog without loading the parts to the Work-space. OK: Select OK to load the selected parts to the Work-space.

BOM (Bill of Materials)

A bill of material file is a text file that contains the part name and quantity information. Bill of materials are used for sub-assemblies. Select BOM to display the BOM listing dialog. Select one or more of the listed files and choose one of the following options: Import: Select Import to load the parts listed in the selected BOM-file to the Work-space. A prompt appears asking for the batch quantity for the BOM-file. The batch quantity is available to allow the

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Workspace user to increase the quantity of the group of parts. Enter a value and select OK. Select Cancel to close the BOM quantity dialog without increasing the quantity. Delete: Select Delete to delete all of the selected BOM files. Edit: Select Edit to make changes to the selected BOM file. The Edit BOM dialog is displayed. Print: Select Print to display the Part List Reports dialog. Select the printer type and the parts or list to print. Preview the print or select Setup to select a report for printing. Delete: To delete a part from the BOM listing, select the part and select delete. The part is deleted from the BOM listing. Add : Parts can be added to the BOM. Select Add to display the parts listing. Edit: Select a part or parts and select Edit to display the Part Parameters dialog. Cancel: Select Cancel to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select OK to close the dialog saving all changes. New : Select New to create a new BOM file. The Edit BOM dialog is displayed. Parts can be added, the options are the same as the above Edit function. Once the parts are added to the listing the part parameters can be changed and the part parameter dialog is displayed. An information dialog is displayed asking if the part is to beloaded to the Workspace. Select Yes to load the part to the Work-space. Select No to close the dialog without loading the part to the Work-space, or select Cancel to cancel the function. Done: Select Done to close the BOM listing.

Load Parts
Select Load to display an explorer dialog. Select a part filename (filename.PRS) and select Open to load a part into the Work-space. File Listing : The left side of the explorer dialog displays the list of part files. Select a single file or files. Preview : Select the preview check box to display parts as they are being selected. File Name: The selected file name is displayed. Select Open to load the part file or files to the Work-space. Select Cancel to close the explorer dialog without loading any part files. Files of Type: Select from the drop down box the file types to display in the listing. Open: Select to navigate to a parts file to load to the Work-space. Cancel: Select to close the Open dialog.

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Workspace

Invalid Parts
Invalid Parts provides a listing of any invalid parts that were imported or created, parts with open or incomplete contours. Selecting invalid parts displays the Invalid Parts dialog, which contains the following options. Invalid Part Listing : The invalid parts are listed on the left side of the dialog. Select an invalid part or parts to repair or accept. Part Display: The selected part is displayed on the right side of the dialog. Accept: Select to accept the invalid part as a complete part. Repair: Select to display the invalid part geometry for editing. Print: Select to print an invalid part list. The Print List Reports is displayed.

Parts Tracking
Computer Name: Name of the computer the file is located. File Name: Name of the file of the part. Part Name: Name of the part. Material: Material type the part is made of. Quantity: The quantity of parts to nest. Thickness: Thickness of the material type the part uses. Priority: Priority level of the part. Filler Part: Checked if the part is designated as a filler part. Part Data 1-4: Additional fields for part information. Net Area: The area of the part after it has been cut, excluding internal scrap. Rect Area: The weight of the smallest rectangle into which the part can fit. Dropouts are not taken into account. Outside Area: Area of the part including the internal areas. Cutting Time: The time for the part to be cut, including the cutting speed, rapid movement speed, and pierce times. True Cost: The absolute minimum cost and does not allow for any scrap loss. Rect Cost: The cost of the part, based on material consumed equal to the smallest rectangle that can fully enclose the part. Net Weight: The weight of the part after it has been cut. Rect Weight: The rectangular weight of the part is obtained from calculating the weight of the smallest rectangle into which the part can fit. Dropouts are not taken into account. Gross Weight: The weight of the actual part after it is cut.

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Workspace Machine: A numeric indicator for the machine process selected for the part. Mirror: A one indicates the auto nester mirrors the part. Grain: A one indicates the grain constraint is enabled for rotations of 0 and 180 degrees during nesting. Nest Internal: Checked if part is nested in internal contours. Rotation: Either will be incremental, for using the angle increment value to rotate the part during nesting, or absolute, for rotating the part with the angle values listed in the Abs Angles during nesting. Angle Increment: The smallest incremental angle degree. Abs Angle: The angles listed for the counterclockwise nesting orientations. Common Cut Part: Checked if the part is allowed to be common cut. Work Order No.: Work order number part or parts listed on. Units: Metric or English. Corner Loop Type: Corner loop type used for the part. Corner Loop Size: Dimension of the corner loop used. Min Corner Loop Angle: Minimum corner loop angle used. Due Date: Date the part is due. Programmed By: Name of the person creating the part. Customer: Customer name for the part. Dwg No.: Drawing number of the part. Rev No.: Revision number of the part. Remark: Comments or remarks. Cost Factor: The markup value of the predicted net total cost of the part. Special Properties 1-3: Fields for any special properties for the part. Blank Frame: The value of the rectangular margin around the part. Filename: Filename part was created from. Source Type: Originating file type. Source Date: Date and time the file was created.

Sheet List
The Sheet List dialog displays all available sheets. A graphical representation of the selected sheet is displayed in the top right corner of the Sheet List dialog. Select the following options to filter the list of sheets displayed. Press enter to update the display listing after entering or changing parameters.Selecting one or two of the sheet types (remnants, stock, or coils) displays a customizable filter builder at the bottom of the sheet listing. Column Listing (See page 21) page has additional information on Filter Builder.

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Workspace Remnants: Select to display all remnants in the sheet list. Stock: Select to display all of the stock type sheets in the list. Coils: Select to display coil type sheets in the list. Material: Enter the material type, or select it from the drop-down list, to display only the sheets of the selected material type. Match Partial Material Name: Select to include any material type which contains the material name within its own name in the filtered results. For example, there are two materials in the list under the names MS and XMSN2. The user filters by material, entering "MS." If Match Partial Material Name is not selected, only the MS material will be displayed in the filtered results. However, when it is selected, both MS and XMSN2 material will be displayed, since both contain "MS" within the name. Filter Material by Query: Select to reduce the processing time by running the query on the server rather than running it locally in the grid . Thick: Enter a sheet thickness to display only the sheets with the specified thickness. Sheet Name: Entering the sheet name positions a pointer to the first sheet that matches the full or partial name specified in the Sheet Name field.

Advanced Filter: The Advanced Filter dialog allows the user to filter the list displayed according to the following parameters. Select Cancel to close the advanced filter dialog without saving the changes. Select OK to accept changes to the advanced filter dialog. Mill: Enter the manufacture quality of the sheet. Heat Number: Enter the heat value of the sheet material. Prime Code: Enter a prime code for the sheet. Bin Number: Enter the bin location of the sheet. Location: Enter the general location of the sheet. Export: Select to export the sheet file to a different file type. The file is saved as a coma delimited file. The fields that are outputted are below: Sheet Name, Material, Thickness, Width, Length, Qty, Cost, Units, Location, Heat Number, GeoID or Filename IF Remnant, Bin, Prime Code, Mill, QtyOnOrder, QtyReserved, Spec Prop 1, Spec Prop 2, Special Instructions, Sheet Data 1, Sheet Data 2, Sheet Remark A confirmation dialog is displayed which includes an option to export the selected sheet or all sheets. Select Cancel to close the dialog without exporting any sheets. A Save As dialog is displayed when exporting files. Enter the file name and select the file type. Select Save to save the file or Cancel to close the dialog without saving the file. Import: Select to retrieve a sheet saved in a different format. An explorer dialog is displayed. Navigate to the file to import and select open. Delete: This removes a specific sheet or sheets from the list. Edit: Select to edit the sheet parameters. The Sheet parameters dialog is displayed. - 52 -

Workspace Print: The Print Sheet dialog is displayed. Before printing, make sure the printer is on and connected to the computer. The Printer Setup dialog is a normal Windows Print Setup dialog. Refer to the Windows documentation for help on selecting the correct printer setup. Select one of the options and select OK to start printing.

At least one sheet must be selected before selecting the Print button. New : Select to display the New Sheet dialog and enter a new sheet to the sheet inventory. OK: Select OK to load the selected sheet(s).

Sheet Parameters
The sheet parameters dialog displays general sheet information. Select the fields to edit and enter the new values. Sheet name: Enter the new sheet name. If the default sheet name is used it is incremented and added to the sheet listing. Material: Enter the material type of the sheet. Quantity: Enter the quantity of the new sheets. Thickness: Enter the sheet thickness. Location: Enter the sheet location. Unit cost: Enter the value of the material per weight. Heat Number: Enter the heat number value of the material. Bin Number: Enter the sheet bin number. Mill Number: Enter the mill value of the sheet. Prime Code: Enter the prime code of the sheet. Sheet Data 1: Additional field for sheet information. Sheet Data 2: Additional field for sheet information. Remark: Additional field for sheet information. Spec Prop 1: Provides an option to apply a special property file to the sheet. Select from one of the following options. None : Select to apply no specification files. Spec1: Select to apply specification file one. Spec2 : Select to apply specification file two. Spec Prop 2: Select from one of the following options. None : Select to apply no specification files. Spec1: Select to apply specification file one. Spec2 : Select to apply specification file two.

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Workspace Spec Instruction: Additional field for special instructions for the sheet. Edit: Select to edit the sheet geometry. Enabled for remnant type sheets. Rotate: Select to rotate the sheet 90 degrees for nest placement. Mirror: Select to mirror the sheet in the horizontal plane. Enabled for remnant type sheets. Cancel: Select to close the Sheet parameters dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Sheet parameters dialog saving all changes.

Sheet History
Original sheet information is displayed in the upper dialog listing. A graphic display of the original sheet is displayed in the upper right corner of the dialog window. The lower dialog listing displays remnant information. The bottom right image is the sheet or remnant and how it currently looks. The Column Listing (See page 21) page has additional information on changing the way the columns are arranged and viewed in either of the dialog listings. Archive: Selecting Archive displays a confirm dialog for removing the sheet or remnant from the History listing. The sheet or remnant is then archived. Once the sheet is archived it cannot be used. OK: Select to archive the sheet and close the sheet history dialog. Cancel: Select to cancel the archiving of the sheet and close the sheet history dialog. Close: Select to close the Sheet History dialog. Related topic: Column Listing (See page 21)

Work Orders
Work Orders are part production jobs or tasks, associated to a customer. Parts from multiple work orders that have the same material, thickness, and process, can be included in a single nesting task. When the nesting task is posted the work order parts are tagged as being in-process. Update is used to update the work order as parts are completed. When all of the parts have been tagged as completed through update, the work order is tagged as completed in the listing. The work order can be archived. Sometimes the work orders are tagged as undefined due to incomplete parts. Select Undefined to view the incomplete parts. Work Orders (See page 55) Undefined (See page 56) Archive (See page 57) List Work Order Parts (See page 57)

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Workspace

Work Orders
Work Order View provides a global view of the existing work orders. Work Orders are created, imported, printed, archived, or edited. The Work Order List dialog Column Listing (See page 21) can be edited to display preferred information. Copy: Select to create a copy of the selected work order. A dialog prompting for a new work order number is displayed. Enter the new work order number and a copy of the selected work order is listed with the new work order number. Print: Select to print the Work Order. Be sure the printer is on and connected to the computer. The Work Order Printing dialog is displayed. See Print Work Order. Archive: Select Archive to save the work orders to a file. Select from one of the following options. All Selected : Select to archive the work orders that are selected in the listing. All Completed : Select to archive all of the completed work orders in the listing. All in Process, Partially or Completed : Select to archive all of the work orders that are completed and partially completed. Cancel: Select to close the Archive dialog not saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Archive dialog saving the changes. Import: Select to import parts from any work order list (.WOL) files into a new or existing work order file. An Open File dialog is displayed. Navigate to the file and select open. The Delete: Select to delete the highlighted work order from the work order list. Select Yes to confirm deleting the work order. Deleting a work order signifies that whatever parts designated for production are no longer required. Load : Select to load all parts from the selected work order, in the list, onto the Work-space. Edit: Select to open the Work Order Edit dialog and edit the selected work order in the list. New : When New is selected, an input box will appear with an automatically generated work order number, which can be changed if desired. Select OK to create a work order with that number and open the Work Order Edit dialog. Cancel: Select to close the Work Order List dialog without saving changes. OK: Select to save close the Work Order List dialog.

Related topics: Column Listing (See page 21) Part List (See page 48)

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Workspace

Undefined
Selecting Undefined displays the Work Order Edit dialog. Undefined means that the work order is missing certain elements, for example; the part file is missing from the directory. The left side of the dialog displays part names with work order numbers in a Column Listing (See page 21). Part Name: Name of the part WO Number: Work Order Number Customer : Name of the customer Material :Material type Thickness : Thickness of the material type Qty : Quantity of the parts Due Date : Due date for the parts Est. Cutting Time : The estimated cutting time Net Area : The area of the part Rect Area : The area of the smallest rectangle encompassing the part. Machine Name : The name of the machine Length : The length of the part Width : The width of the part Data 1-14 : Additional data information fields Broken Order :Indication if the part quantity has been completed Rev No. : Revision number of the part Part Image: The selected part image is displayed in the upper right corner of the Work Order Edit dialog. Cutting Time: The cutting time of the selected part is displayed at the middle right of the Work Order Edit dialog. Print: Selecting Print displays the Work Order Printing dialog. Tag : Work orders can be displayed by selected parameters. Using Tag , filters the work orders for viewing. Select Tag to display the Work Order Tag dialog. Edit: Select a part from the list and select Edit. The part parameters dialog is displayed. Select Edit (See page 125) from the CAD tab to edit the geometry of the part. Cancel: Closes the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Closes the dialog saving all changes.

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Workspace

Archive
Archiving work orders removes them from the active work order list. Selecting Archive displays the Work Order List dialog. Select from the following options. All Selected : Archives all of the selected work orders from the list. All Completed : Archives all of the completed work orders from the list. All in Process, Partially Completed or Completed : Archives all of the In process, partially completed, and completed work orders. Cancel: Closes the Archive dialog without archiving the work orders from the selected option. OK: Closes the Archive dialog and archives the work orders from the selected option.

List Work Order Parts

This displays the Work Order Edit dialog window. Parts assigned to work orders can be edited here. The upper right corner displays the part geometry. Under the part geometry assigned or unassigned work orders are checked to be displayed. Parts may be entered without geometry by batch files or a SimTran's transaction. Assigned : Work orders with completed part geometry are displayed. Unassigned : Unassigned work orders are work orders with parts that have no geometry. All WO's or Next WO's: Selecting All WO's in the drop down box displays all the assigned and/or unassigned work orders. Next WO's displays the number of work orders in the numeric display under All and Next WO's drop down box. Use the arrow keys to change the numeric value. Cutting Time: The total cutting time of the selected parts is displayed. Print: The Part List Reports dialog is displayed. Print Selected parts, current parts list, or all part aliases. A select button is available to select the printer type. Part lists reports can be edited or setup through the setup button. Part Reports can be edited, cloned, or created. Tag : The tag button allows the user to tag a group of parts to be selected for work order edit. Enter the parameters in the tag dialog display to select the parts to be grouped for work order editing. Edit: Selecting a part and selecting the edit button displays the Part Parameters dialog for part editing. A part has to be selected first for the Part Parameters dialog to be displayed. Cancel: Cancel closes the Work Order Edit dialog and the changes are not saved. OK: Closes and saves all changes in the Work Order Edit display.

Work Orders on hold will not be displayed in the Work Order Edit list. Work Orders that are unassigned will be displayed, but are not editable.

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Workspace

Program Update
The Program Update dialog displays the production programs. View each program's progress by selecting the plus symbol, on the left side of the listing. A drop down list displays the work order details. All NC programs are listed, with the quantity in process and WO state. Delete: Select Delete to remove the selected task from the list. Deleting a program implies the program was never cut. Sheets are returned to stock and parts are added back to the work order list. Edit: Select the Work Order from the list and select Edit to change the quantity of parts in a task. For example, if ten parts are programmed but only eight parts are completed, Edit allows for change. Done: Select Done to close the Program Update dialog. Update: Select the work order to update in the listing. Select Edit to display the Edit dialog. Enter the new quantity for the part. Select Update to apply the new values to the work order. If all part quantities are reached on the work order, the work order is removed from the Program Update dialog listing, indicating it has been completed.

Info Manager
The following customer information parameters are listed on the left side of the dialog. Customer information parameter tabs are also located along the top of the dialog.

Select the Column icon, on the left side of the column headers, to turn visibility, on or off, for Customer Detail category columns. Contacts: The Contacts category lists customer contacts. Address Card : Select the Contacts tab. Right-click inside the main Contacts window and select New Contact. The New Customer dialog is displayed. Fill in the new customer information; name, address, contact, tax ID, and any comments. Select OK to save the information or Cancel to exit without saving changes. The information is displayed as an address card with name and contact information. To edit the address cards click on the item to change. A cursor appears for text editing.Hover over the category row to display a drop down arrow for setting the address cards visibility according to the category. Detail Address Cards: The Detail Address Cards display the complete contact information entered from the new contact dialog. Editing detail information is the same as above. Phone List: Lists the contacts by phone numbers.

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Workspace By Company: Lists the contacts by company name. By Location: Lists the contacts by company location.

Double clicking on Phone List, By Company, or By Location displays the New Customer dialog for editiing the contact information. Customer Detail: The Customer Detail displays details of companies, contacts, and their locations. Company Details: The Company Detail Category displays company information in several windows. The top window displays the company name and information. The second window displays the company locations by addresses. The bottom window displays all contacts for the selected company location. Company List: Selecting the company list under the Customer Detail category displays a listing of all the companies. Quotes: Selecting the Quotes tab displays all quotes. The quote options are viewed as: All Quotes, Pending, Order Received, By Company, or Archives. All Quotes: Lists all quotes from all customers. Selecting the individual quote displays the parts listing for the quote in the bottom window. Pending : Lists all pending quotes. Quotes can be listed by a customized filter. Select the Customize button to display a filter builder for customizing the display of pending quotes. Different filters can be saved to provide different ways to view and list pending quotes. Order Received : Lists all quotes that have been submitted and received by the customers. Listing and viewing Orders Received are customized by selecting the Customize... button. By Company: Lists quotes (Orders Received) by company name and ID. Selecting the company in the top window displays all quotes for the company in the second window. All parts, for the quotes, are displayed in the third window from the top. Archives: All quotes that have been submitted, produced, and archived. Order: Selecting the Order tab displays orders received and produced. Orders received are the quotes that are accepted and converted to work orders. Orders Received : Displays a listing of orders received and produced. Right-click in the upper window to view or cancel orders and invoices. Orders Archive: Displays a listing of completed orders. Work Orders: Selecting Work Orders displays active or archived work orders. Active Work Orders: Displays a listing of work orders to be produced. Archived Work Orders: Displays a listing of completed work orders.

An order is quote information, a work order is part data.

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Workspace

Quote View
Quotes are managed through four states: Active: The quote is created and not submitted. The Quote can be edited. Pending : The quote is submitted. The Quote can only be converted to a work order or archived. Order Received : The quote is converted into a work order. The work order (quote) can only be archived in this state. Archived : The quote can not be edited any further and is placed in the archived state. Quote Number: Automatically generated quote number. The default prefix is Q. Company: Name of the company. Select the ellipse icon to navigate to existing customer information. Location: General location or country, state, and/or city. Sales Rep : Sales representative name. Material Source: Select charge or supplied by the customer. No charge is calculated when supplied by customer is selected. Sold To : Information of the company and contact to which the parts are sold. Includes the following: Contact Title Address 1 Address 2 City State Zip Country Phone Fax Email

Ship To : Information of the company and contact shipped to. The option exists to enter a different ship to address. See the previous Sold To section for parameter definitions. Tax Number: Tax ID number. Comment: Additional or unique customer information. Cancel: Closes the Information Manager dialog without saving any changes. OK: Closes the Information Manager dialog and saves any changes made.

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Workspace

Parts
The Part ribbon contains actions for creating and editing parts and sheets.

Create a Parameterized Part (See page 62) Create Part (See page 61) Edit Parts (See page 63) Create Sheet (See page 64) Edit Sheet (See page 65) Part Tile (See page 64)

Standard Shapes
The Shape Library provides a number of standard shapes that are used to ease the creation of part geometry. Select one of the icons from the Standard Shapes drop down arrow to open a library of related geometry groups.Selecting the standard shape icon opens the rectangle shape library. The library tabs are located at the bottom of the dialog. Select the part that closely resembles the part to be created. A Shape dialog is displayed, enter the dimensions of the part to be created and select OK.

Check the Auto Create Part check box, at the bottom left of the Shape dialog, to automatically create a part from the shape. The Part Parameters dialog is displayed. The Part Parameters page is displayed. To edit the geometry of the part select Geometryto open the the Edit Geometry (See page 383) page.

Create Part
Geometry has to be existing on the Work-space for part creation. Parts can be imported and created from files, created from geometry ( SigmaNEST CAD functions), or created from the standard shapes that SigmaNEST provides. Parts can also be created using Create Part by Import (See page 62)and Create Part Using Geometry (See page 63) .

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Workspace

Create a Parameterized Part

Select one of the icons from the Standard Shapes drop down arrow to open a library of related geometry groups. Additional library tabs are located at the bottom of the dialog. Select the part that closely resembles the part to be created to open the Shape dialogue. Enter the dimensions of the part to be created and select OK.

Check the Auto Create Part check box, at the bottom left of the Shape dialog, to automatically create a part from the shape. The Part Parameters dialog is displayed. The Part Parameters page is displayed. To edit the geometry of the part select Geometryto open the the Edit Geometry (See page 383) page. The side menu contains Contour Attributes (See page 25) and Selection Actions (See page 15).

Create Part by Import

Parts can be automatically created as they are imported into SigmaNEST. 1. Select the file type to import from the Files ribbon on the Work-space tab. A navigation dialog is displayed. Navigate and select the file to import. As the files are selected the part image is displayed in the window to the right.

If the part is not displayed select the Preview option under the image window, on the right of the dialog. 2. Select the Auto Create Part option and the Do Layer Mapping option, to convert the part layers to levels in SigmaNEST. 3. Select Open, if Layer Mapping was selected the Interactive Mapping Dialog (See page 39) for defining level mapping is displayed first. The levels will be automatically determined by SigmaNEST and listed on the Layers/Level tab. 4. Select OK on the Import dialog and the Part Parameters dialog is displayed. Select OK. 5. The new part is created and displayed on the Work-space. If the part is not displayed select the Part Tile icon on the Create Part ribbon. The part will be displayed in the center of the Work-space.

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Workspace

Create Part Using Geometry

Parts are created using geometry functions from the CAD tab. To create parts from geometry: 1. Select a geometry type from the Create ribbon on the CAD tab, see CAD for the geometry function descriptions. 2. With the geometry on the workspace, select Create Part on the Create Part ribbon under the Workspace tab. 3. Two sets of action icons appear on the workspace. The top set of icons define contour attributes to the geometry. The second set of icons are the select actions. 4. Select the window icon, of the select actions, and select the contour attribute to apply to the selected geometry. Window around the geometry entities to apply the selected attribute.

Contour attributes do not have to be defined. Step 3 can be skipped. SigmaNEST automatically defines the outside and inside contours with the kerf cut attribute. 5. Window around all of the geometry and select Done. The Part Parameters dialog is displayed. 6. Enter the parameters and select OK. The new part is created and displayed on the workspace. If the part is not displayed select the Part Tile icon on the Create Part ribbon. The part will be displayed in the center of the workspace.

Edit Parts
Select to edit the part geometry and parameters. The Get Part dialog is displayed. The Parts are viewed as a list or they are displayed graphically in a table. Select one of the following tabs.

Parameters are defined in Part Parameters. List tab : Select the List tab to display the parts in a listing format. Select a single or multiple parts Table tab : Select the Table tab to view the parts in their graphic form. Select a part and select OK, or double click the part image to edit.Hovering over the part image displays the part name at the bottom of the dialog. Edit Multiple Parts: Select to enable editing the same parameter for more than one part. The parameter that is changed in the Part parameters dialog is applied to all of the selected parts from the Get Part dialog.

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Workspace Delete: Select the part and select delete to remove the part from the listing. The part is only removed from the Work-space. Print: Select the part or parts and select print to print the selected part or parts information. Cancel: Select to close the Get Part dialog canceling the part edit. OK: Select to close the Get Part dialog and open the Parts Parameters dialog for editing the part or parts.

Create Sheet
The Create Sheet function is used to create irregular shaped sheets. Create the geometry of the sheet in CAD. 1. With geometry on the Work-space, select the Create Sheet icon on the Create Part ribbon from the Work-space tab. 2. Left-click and window around the created geometry or use the selection actions for selecting the geometry. 3. Right-click and the sheet parameters dialog is displayed.

Related Topic : Sheet Parameters (See page 53)

Part Tile
Select Part Tile to separate overlapping parts into a regular grid of distinct non-overlapping parts. The following image displays Work-space parts overlapping. The second image displays parts tiled on the Work-space after selecting part tile from the create part ribbon

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Workspace

Edit Sheet
The Remnant/Sheet dialog displays the part name, work order, and part quantity. Double-click on the quantity of the part that is to be changed. Program Name: Displays the name of the post program. Sheets Per Program: Displays the number of sheets used for the post program. Repeat No.: Displays the number of the repeat post program. No. of Repeats: Displays the number of repeats of the post program. Sheet Name or remnant name: Displays the sheet or remnant name used in the post program. Bin Number: Displays the bin number of the sheet or remnant. Mill: Displays the mill value of the sheet or remnant. Location: Displays the location of the sheet or remnant. Prime Code: Displays the prime code of the sheet or remnant. Heat Number: Displays the heat number of the sheet or remnant. Qty in Process: Displays the quantity of the sheet or remnant in process. Part Name: Displays the part name of the program. Work Order Number: Displays the work order number of the part. Quantity Programmed : Double-click the parts quantity to edit the quantity value. Cancel: Select cancel to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select OK to close the Sheet/Remnant dialog saving the changes.

After selecting OK, to apply the changes, select Update from the Program Update dialog.

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Workspace

Nesting
The Nesting ribbon contains actions for defining nesting tasks for parts and sheets and static nests.

Nesting (See page 66) New Nesting Task (See page 66) Auto Task (See page 73) Static Nest (See page 73)

Nesting
A nesting task is a combination of parts, sheets, and nesting parameters. Select Nesting to display the Task List dialog. The Task List dialog holds multiple nests by material, thickness, and part quantity. The left side of the dialog displays existing tasks for the Work-space. The right side of the dialog displays task functions. If no tasks exist select the New Task function, on the right side of the dialog, to display the Task Setup to define a new task. New Task: Select to create a New Nesting Task (See page 66) . Auto Task: Select Auto Task (See page 73) to auto setup tasks according to the material and thickness. Modify: Select Modify Task (See page 170) to auto setup tasks according to the material and thickness. Delete Task: The Delete Task function deletes all the selected tasks in the task list. To delete the task, highlight the unwanted task and choose Delete Task. Manual Nesting : Select to enter Manual Nest (See page 189). Auto Nesting : Select to Auto Nest (See page 169) the task. Report: Select Report (See page 186) to setup reports for the nest. NC/Nesting : Select to enter the NC mode of the nest. Detail Task: Select to enter a detailing mode for the nest. Exit Nest: Select to close the Task List dialog.

New Nesting Task

The Task Setup dialog defines nesting tasks for the parts on the workspace and inventory or new stock sheets.

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Workspace The Task Setup dialog is broken down in two tabs the Parts List (See page 67) and the Sheets List (See page 68) .

Parts List
Under the Parts List tab,the left side of the Task Setup dialog displays parts loaded on the Workspace. Show or hide part information columns by selecting the table column icon , on the left side of the columns in the listing. Select the table column to display from the drop down list of the table column icon. Use the arrow buttons to select or deselect parts on the either side of the parts listing. Use the options below to move a part from one side of the list to the other. Select to transfer selected parts to the task list on the right. Select to transfer all the parts, in the list, to the task list on the right. Select to transfer selected parts from the task list back to the parts list. Select to transfer all the parts from the task list back to the parts list. The bottom of the dialog displays the number of parts in the parts list and the number of parts selected in the task listing. Part Image Display: The selected part, from the parts list or the task list, is displayed at the top right window. Task Name: The task name is automatically incremented, or enter a task name. Batch: Enter a value to multiply the quantity that the part parameter is set to. Thickness: Enter the material thickness. Material: Enter the material. Combine WO parts with same part name: Select to combine the quantity of work order parts that have the same part names. Task Setup Buttons: The following task setup buttons are along the bottom of the dialog: Edit (See page 70) Import (See page 71) Pre-nest (See page 71) Work Order Edit (See page 72) Task Parameters (See page 172) Cancel: Select to close the Task Setup dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Task Setup dialog saving all changes.

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Workspace

Sheets List
Under the Sheets List tab, the left side of the Task Setup dialog displays sheets loaded on into the

system. Show or hide part information columns by selecting the table column icon , on the left side of the columns in the listing. Select the table column to display from the drop down list of the table column icon. Use the arrow buttons to select or deselect sheets on the either side of the sheets listing. Use the options below to move a sheet from one side of the list to the other. Select to transfer selected sheets to the task list on the right. Select to transfer all the sheets, in the list, to the task list on the right. Select to transfer selected sheets from the task list back to the parts list. Select to transfer all the sheets from the task list back to the parts list.

A warning appears if there is a material mismatch. Highlight the parts and select Unselect to remove them from the task. The bottom of the dialog displays the number of parts in the Parts List and the number of parts selected in the task listing. Use Best Sheet: Select to allow SigmaNEST to choose the best sheet based on yield. Only inventory sheets will be considered. Limit Nested Stock Sheets: Limit Stock Sheets sets the number of sheets SigmaNEST can use in a task.For example, if this option is not selected and the nest requires 8 sheets and the stock selected has 10 sheets available then all 8 sheets will be used. If this option is selected and set to 2 then the max number of sheet that will be nested is two. Extract: Select to separate combined sheets into single sheets. Combine: Combine creates one sheet out multiple sheets and assigns it a new name. Select to open the Multi Sheet Edit dialog. The sheets that were selected to be combined are listed along with the Y axis. Use the up and down arrows to rearrange the list and the X to delete. Additional configuration options are below: Sheet Clearance: Enter the space to leave between the sheets. Parts will not be nested along the seam line. Multi Sheet: Select the direction, horizontal or vertical, to place the sheets together. The following images illustrate the Vertical, below right, and Horizontal, below left, layouts with Align set to Left.

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Workspace

Align:Select which side of the first sheet the next to which the following sheet will be placed. The following images illustrate the Right, below right, and Left, below left, layouts with the Multi Sheet Type set to Vertical.

Used Fixed Head Spacing : Select to use fixed head spacing on the combined sheet. Sort: Select to sort the selected sheets by either largest or smallest area. New Task Sheet: Select to open the Add Sheets dialog and add sheets to stock. New Stock Sheet: Select to open the Add Sheets dialog and add sheets to stock.

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Workspace Edit:Select to edit the sheet parameters. The Sheet Parameters (See page 53) dialog is displayed. Library: Select to view the Sheet List (See page 51) , which lists all of the available sheets. Task Parameters: Select to open the Task Parameters (See page 172) dialog. Cancel: Select to close the Task Setup dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Task Setup dialog saving all changes.

Edit
Select Edit to edit parts in the nesting task. The Task Setup dialog has two list boxes. The parts in the left list box, of the Task Setup Dialog, are the Work-space parts. The parts in the list on the right side are nesting parts.Edit only is enabled for parts listed in the right list box. If no parts are present in the right list box (below image) do the following:

1. Left-click the part in the left list box. 2. Select the right arrow button to move the part to the right list box or use the double right arrow to move all the parts listed to the right list box. Use the left arrow buttons to remove parts from the task. 3. Select the part or parts in the right task list box and select Edit to display the Parts Parameter dialog. If more than one part was selected multiple dialogs will be displayed for each selected part.

Editing part parameters changes part parameters in the current task only, and does not change the part in the Work-space, or in the part library, unless the changes are Saved in the Part Parameters Dialog. In this case, the changes are saved to the part in the library.

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Workspace

Import
Select Import to display a drop down box for importing from a Parts List or a BOM (Bill of Materials). Part List (See page 48) BOM (Bill of Materials) (See page 48)

Pre-nest
Parts can be manually pre-nested, for the present nesting task. The parts have to be listed in the task list box, on the right side of the Task Setup dialog. Pre-nests are not used if the requested part quantity is reached, or the nest runs out of sheet space. Pre-nesting is useful for common line cutting of parts. To save the pre-nest for future use, see Static Nest (See page 73). Pre-Nest opens up another Work-space to bring in parts listed in the task. The parts can be manually or automatically nested. The parts can be grouped together in more than one pre-nest group. 1. Select Pre-Nest and the Pre-Nest dialog is displayed. 2. Select Get Part from the Manual Nesting ribbon and the Get Part dialog is displayed. Use the List or Table tabs to view the task parts. 3. Select the parts from the List or Table and select OK. The parts are loaded to the Pr-enest Work-space. 4. Use the action buttons to arrange the parts. Save the pre-nest and the pre-nested parts are saved for the task. Pre-nest ribbon New Group : Select to create a new group in the Pre-nest group drop down box. Delete Group : Select to delete the Pre-nest group displayed in the Pre-nest group drop down box. Pre-nest Group : Select the drop down arrow to select a pre-nest group to load to the Pre-nest Work-space. Manual Nesting ribbon Get Part: Select to display the Get Part dialog. Select the parts from the list or table tab. The table tab displays a graphic representation of each part. After selecting the parts select OK. The parts are displayed on the pre-nest Work-space. Move and Copy: The Move (See page 192) actions are used to move and copy the parts for the pre-nest. Remove Part on Current Layout: Select to remove the part or parts from the prenest layout. The following actions are available.

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Workspace Single: Select to remove a single part. Window : Select to window around and select several parts. Unselect: Select to unselect selected parts for removal. Done: Select to end the Remove function.

Work Order Edit

Select to display the Work Order Edit dialog window. Parts assigned to work orders can be edited here. The upper right corner displays the part geometry. Under the part geometry assigned or unassigned work orders are checked to be displayed. Parts may be entered without geometry by batch files or a SimTran's transaction. Data Tab : Under the data tab, the details of the work orders are displayed, including Part name, work order number, material,and due date. The fields shown can be edited by selecting the column listing button at the left of the fields and checking or removing checks from the fields listed. Fields can also be filtered using the drop-down menu next to each field, which displays a filter dialog box. Graph Tab : The Graph tab creates a dynamic chart which allows users to quickly view outstanding work orders. The graph can be generated based on customer, material or machine. Select the drop-down arrows next to the fields to customize the graph. Assigned : Work orders with completed part geometry are displayed. Unassigned : Unassigned work orders are work orders with parts that have no geometry. All WO's or Next WO's: Selecting All WO's in the drop down box displays all the assigned and/or unassigned work orders. Next WO's displays the number of work orders in the numeric display under All and Next WO's drop down box. Use the arrow keys to change the numeric value. Cutting Time: The total cutting time of the selected parts is displayed. Print: The Part List Reports dialog is displayed. Print Selected parts, current parts list, or all part aliases. A select button is available to select the printer type. Part lists reports can be edited or setup through the setup button. Part Reports can be edited, cloned, or created. Tag : The tag button allows the user to tag a group of parts to be selected for work order edit. Enter the parameters in the tag dialog display to select the parts to be grouped for work order editing.

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Workspace Edit: Selecting a part and selecting the edit button displays the Part Parameters dialog for part editing. A part has to be selected first for the Part Parameters dialog to be displayed. Cancel: Cancel closes the Work Order Edit dialog and the changes are not saved. OK: Closes and saves all changes in the Work Order Edit display.

Work Orders on hold will not be displayed in the Work Order Edit list. Work Orders that are unassigned will be displayed, but are not editable.

Static Nest
A nested sheet created automatically or manually can be saved as a static nest.

The static nests are only used when the nesting task uses the same material, thickness, and sheet size, that the static nest uses. Save Static Nest as Kit: Select to create a Static Nest with multiple sheets. Save Static Pre-Nest: Select Save Static Pre-Nest from the File drop down menu, in Nesting Mode. The Pre-Nest is used for a group of parts in a preferred orientation. The Pre-Nest group of parts is used anywhere the parts are needed throughout the nesting tasks. Pre-nests are nested across several sheets where necessary. Also if the nesting algorithm defines a more efficient nest placement the pre-nest will be broken only for the nest in progress.

Auto Task
The Auto Task button, on this page, automatically sorts the parts for nesting into the tasks. When nesting a list of parts with different materials and thickness, SigmaNEST automatically separates the parts into tasks where the material and thickness match. Each individual task is listed in the task list and is ready for nesting. To set up an auto task, import the parts to nest onto the Work-space. Select Auto Task from the Nesting dialog. The Auto Task dialog window is displayed. The selected parts are shown on the top portion of the screen. SigmaNEST separates the parts into different tasks depending on the part's properties. The divided tasks are then displayed on the bottom portion of the screen. Double click on the task to display the Task Setup dialog window to change or view the task parameters. Parameters Auto Lookup : The Parameters Auto Lookup will create the new tasks using the task defaults set in the technology setup.

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Workspace Create Task by Machine: Create Task by Machine creates tasked to be created based on Material, Thickness, and Machine. Using the query bar at the top of the parts list, additional fields can be added to define how the tasks will be created. AutoTask by Group : Auto Task by Group activates the query bar at the top of the parts list. Fields can be arranged in the query bar to determine how the tasks are generated. Run: Select Run to automatically nest the list of tasks by executing the AutoTaskRun.wol file batch, located in the default WOL folder.Once the tasks are nested select Done to view the nests. Import: Select Import to display a drop down box for importing from a Parts List or a BOM (Bill of Materials). Work Orders: Select to display the Work Order Edit (See page 72) dialog. Auto Task by Group / Auto Task: Select to create the tasks. Delete Task: Select a task and select the Delete Task to delete the task. Defaults: Select to open the Auto Task Setup (See page 74) dialog and edit default settings. Done: Select Done to close the Auto Task dialog saving all changes.

Auto Task Setup The Auto Task Setup dialog sets up default parameters for a nest. When using Auto Task, Defaults uses the nesting parameters specified for that material and thickness. The material types are listed at the upper left. Specify the nesting parameters and select Add. The following parameters are used for auto task setups. Material: Enter the material type. Thickness: Enter the material thickness. Length: Enter the material sheet length. Width: Enter the material sheet width. Part Clearance: Enter the clearance between parts. Edge Distance: Enter the distance offset from the edge of the sheet where parts will not be nested. Stack Quantity: Enter the value for the number of sheets to stack. Machine: Select the machine process type from the drop down box. Number of Sheets: Enter the number of sheets used in the task. Default Machine: Select the default machine type. If the above Machine setting is set to default the task will use the machine process type selected here. Use Stock Sheets: Check this box if stock sheets are to be used. Use Remnants: Check this box if remnants are to be used. Use Coil: Check this box if coil stock is to be used. Group by Work Order: Checking this box will group the tasks by work orders. Add : The new setup will be added to the Auto Task Setup listing. Delete: Delete removes the setup selected in the list. - 74 -

Workspace Cancel: Selecting cancel will close and not save any changes. OK: Selecting OK will save all changes.

If default parameters are not set up, the system uses the default parameters setup in Configurations.

Work-space NC
The Work-space NC ribbon contains actions for setting up part NC and NC tools. NC Setup (See page 75) NC Part (See page 75) Tool Manager (See page 320) Create Special Tools Import Special Tool Add Special Tool STD Shape (See page 76)

NC Setup
The Setup option displays the Change Post dialog from which the machine and kerf settings are chosen for the current application. The post can be changed by selecting a new machine from the Machine pull-down menu. Machine: Select the machine type. Post: Displays the post file for the machine type. Cancel: Selecting Cancel closes the Change Post dialog without saving any changes. OK: Selecting OK closes the Change Post dialog saving all changes.

NC Part
Select to open the Get Part (See page 190) dialogue.

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Workspace

Add Special Tool STD Shape

The Special Tool Std Shape Library provides several pages of variety of standard tool shapes, which can aid in the creation of tool geometry. 1. Select the tool that closely resembles the tool to be created. A Shape dialog is displayed, 2. Enter the dimensions of the tool to be created. 3. Select OK. Create Special Tool Check Create Special Tool, at the bottom left of the Shape dialog, to automatically create a tool definition from the shape. If the Create Special Tool Check box is not selected use the geometry tools to feather modify the geometry and select the Add Special Tool command to create the special tool definition. Use the Tool Definition file to create a special tool in the Tool Manager (See page 320).

Cut To Length
The Cut to Length (CTL) ribbon contains functions used in creating and managing Cut to Length orders and managing preformed stock.

Add New CTL WO (See page 77) Work Orders (See page 55) View CTL Task (See page 77) View CTL Cut Plan (See page 80) View CTL Stock (See page 81) CTL Setup (See page 82)

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Workspace

Add New CTL WO

When Add New CTL WO is selected, an input box will appear with an automatically generated work order number, which can be changed if desired. Select OK to create a work order with that number and open the Work Order Edit dialog.

View CTL Task

Select View CTL Task to open the CTL Task dialog. From this dialog, tasks can be created, edited, deleted or printed. New Task: Select to open the Create New CTL Task (See page 78) dialog. Edit Task: Select to open the Create New CTL Task (See page 78) dialog with the selected task listed. The task can be edited in the same manner a task would be created. For more information see the Create New CTL Task dialog. Delete Task: Select to delete a task type from the inventory. Select the task from the listing and select the delete icon. Print: The Task Printing dialog is displayed. Before printing, make sure the printer is on and connected to the computer. The Printer Setup dialog is a normal Windows Print Setup dialog. Refer to the Windows documentation for help on selecting the correct printer setup. Text Printer: Click the Select button to choose the printer and print properties for the document. CTL Tasks: Choose which tasks to print by selecting All CTL Tasks or Selected CTL Tasks. Setup : Select to display the Setup dialog for selecting, creating, or editing report types. Export: Select to export the reports. A Save As dialog is displayed. Enter the name of the file and select the file type to export the reports into. Preview : Select to preview the document selected from the list. Print: Select to print the document(s) selected from the list. Close: Select to close the dialog without printing the document. Done: Select to close the dialog.

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Workspace

Create New CTL Task

The Create New CTL Task dialog defines the work order for cut to length part orders. Parts are selected from the cut to length part listing, at the bottom left side of the dialog. The Available Stocks tab displays stock listed in the inventory. The Available Cut Plan displays the cut nesting of the parts with the stock. The Create New CTL Order dialog has the following tabs: CTL Tab (See page 78) Available Stock Tab (See page 79) Available Cut Plan Tab (See page 79) Results Tab (See page 80) In addition to the tabs, the functions below are available on the bottom of the dialog regardless of which tab is selected. Print: The Task Printing dialog is displayed. Before printing, make sure the printer is on and connected to the computer. The Printer Setup dialog is a normal Windows Print Setup dialog. Refer to the Windows documentation for help on selecting the correct printer setup. Text Printer: Click the Select button to choose the printer and print properties for the document. CTL Tasks: Choose which tasks to print by selecting All CTL Tasks or Selected CTL Tasks. Setup : Select to display the Setup dialog for selecting, creating, or editing report types. Export: Select to export the reports. A Save As dialog is displayed. Enter the name of the file and select the file type to export the reports into. Preview : Select to preview the document selected from the list. Print: Select to print the document(s) selected from the list. Close: Select to close the dialog without printing the document. Update: Select to update the cut to length order. Create Cut Plan: Select to process the order. Save: Select to save the cut to length order for nesting. Cancel: Select to close the dialog not saving any of the changes. OK: Select to save changes and close the dialog.

CTL Tab
Task Name: Enter the name for the CTL task. When a part is added, the window below the task name displays the following properties for the parts:

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Workspace Part Name Work order Number Profile Name Shape Type Stock Type Length Quantity Ordered Quantity in Process Quantity Completed Material Due Date Data 1-5

Machine Name: Select the machine form the drop-down menu. Kerf: Select the machine form the drop-down menu. Create Remnant: Select to create a remnant. Add CTL Parts:Select to open the Add CTL Parts dialog and select available parts for the task. Delete CTL Parts: Select to delete the highlighted CTLpart from the task.

Available Stock Tab

Available stock tab displays a listing of the stock available for the CTL order. Under the Available Stock tab, the left side of the Task Setup dialog displays stock loaded on into the system. Select the table column to display from the drop down list of the table column icon to filter the listing. To add stock to a task, use the arrow buttons to select or deselect stock on the either side of the listing. Use the options below to move stock from one side of the list to the other. Select to transfer selected stock to the task list on the right. Select to transfer all the stock, in the list, to the task list on the right. Select to transfer selected stock from the task list back to the available list. Select to transfer all the stock from the task list back to the available list. Library: Opens the View CTL Stock (See page 81) dialog. Create New CTL Stock: Select to add stock to the inventory. Displays the Create New CTL Stock dialog for entering new stock.

Available Cut Plan Tab

Available Cut Plan tab displays a listing of the cut plans available for the Cut to Length order. Select the plus symbol next to Cut Plan Name to display the cut plan information for the CTL order. Delete Cut Plan: Select to remove the selected cut plan from the list. Left-click the cut plan row to delete and select Delete Cut Plan. Update Cut Plan: Select to update the selected cut plan from the listing. Left-click the cut plan row to update and select Update Cut Plan.

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Workspace

Results Tab
The results tab has information on the Cut Plans. including the Total Scrap Percentage, of all of the Cut Plans,which is displayed at the top of the tab. The part list window lists the CTL parts along with their Stock Name, Material Length and Quantity Used for the CTL parts. Select on of the parts to see the number of duplicates, scrap left and general Cut Plan information. Below the Part list window, an image of the selected part is displayed, Select a Cut Plan for more detailed information, including the parts nested, stock length, scrap length, scrap left, scrap %, edge distance,machine name, kerf as well as noting if a remnant was created, and if so, the name and length of the remnant. In addition , a graphical representation of the Cut Plan will be displayed.

View CTL Cut Plan

The CTL Cut Plans dialog displays a listing of the cut plans available for the Cut to Length orders. Select the plus symbol next to Cut Plan Name to display the cut plan information for the CTL order. Edit: Select to remove the selected cut plan from the list. Left-click the cut plan row to delete and select Delete Cut Plan. Delete: Select to remove the selected cut plan from th e list. Left-click the cut plan row to delete and select Delete . Update: Select to update the selected cut plan from the listing. Left-click the cut plan row to update and select Update . Print: The Cut Plan Printing dialog is displayed. Before printing, make sure the printer is on and connected to the computer. The Printer Setup dialog is a normal Windows Print Setup dialog. Refer to the Windows documentation for help on selecting the correct printer setup. Text Printer: Click the Select button to choose the printer and print properties for the document.

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Workspace CTL Cut Plans: Choose which plans to print by selecting All CTL Cut Plans or Selected CTL Cut Plans. Setup : Select to display the Setup dialog for selecting, creating, or editing report types. Export: Select to export the reports. A Save As dialog is displayed. Enter the name of the file and select the file type to export the reports into. Preview : Select to preview the document selected from the list. Print: Select to print the document(s) selected from the list. Close: Select to close the dialog without printing the document. Done: Select to save changes and close the dialog.

View CTL Stock

Select to display the available stock inventory for the cut to length parts. The stock is listed in the dialog and selecting the stock displays the stock type image in the upper right corner. The following attributes are listed for the stock: Stock Name Shape Type Profile Name Length Material Quantity Ordered Quantity Available Quantity in Process Location Heat Number Bin Number Mill Prime Code Data 1-5 Remnant

Remnants: Select to stock remnants. Advanced Filter: The Advanced Filter dialog allows the user to filter the list displayed according to the following parameters. Mill: Enter the manufacture quality of the sheet. Heat Number: Enter the heat value of the sheet material. Prime Code: Enter a prime code for the sheet. Bin Number: Enter the bin location of the sheet. Location: Enter the general location of the sheet. Select Cancel to close the advanced filter dialog without saving the changes. Select OK to accept changes to the advanced filter dialog. Material:Select material. Length: Enter length. Create New CTL Stock: Select to open the Create CTL Stock dialog.

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Workspace Delete CTL Stock: Select to delete a stock type from the inventory. Select the stock from the listing and select the delete icon. Edit CTL Stock: Select to display the edit stock dialog. The stock type image is displayed at the upper right image box along with he stock type dimensions. Cancel: Select to close the dialog not saving any of the changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.Create New CTL Stock Print: The Sheet Printing dialog is displayed. Before printing, make sure the printer is on and connected to the computer. The Printer Setup dialog is a normal Windows Print Setup dialog. Refer to the Windows documentation for help on selecting the correct printer setup. Choose which sheets to print by selecting All Sheets or Selected Sheets. Setup :Select to display the Setup dialog for selecting, creating, or editing report types. Export: Select to export the reports. A Save As dialog is displayed. Enter the name of the file and select the file type to export the reports into. Preview : Select to preview the document selected from the list. Print: Select to print the document(s) selected from the list. Close: Select to close the dialog without printing the document. Done: Select to close the dialog.

CTL Setup
Select to setup the Cut to Length materials. The CTL setup dialog is used to add material types and their dimensions. The stock categories are displayed on the left side of the dialog. Selecting the stock category displays an image of the stock type. Multiple stock dimensions can be defined for one stock category type. Shapes Set-up : Select either inches or metric, to view all available shapes. Shapes can also be searched by typing the beginning of the shape name in the Shape Name Prefix box. When a part is selected, an image of the part is displayed in the upper left corner. All of the parts with the selected shape are listed and the name, weight, material, edge distance, and remnant minimum length are displayed. Change Remnant Min. Length: Select to open a dialogue and enter the minimum remnant length. Change Edge Distance: Select to open a dialogue and enter the edge distance. Add Material: Select to open the Set-up CTL Material dialog, which allows the user to add delete or set-up material.Selecting Set-up material will open the Technology Set-up (See page 430). The material listing displays the available stock from the category selected on the left.

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Workspace

If a CTL order exists for the material stock type, the stock can not be edited. A new stock type must be created.

Add Stock: Select the add icon to add a new stock entry into the inventory. Enter the Name of the stock in the Name column of the new stock entry. Left-click the material row and select the material type from the material column Delete Stock: Select to delete a stock type from the inventory. Select the stock from the listing and select the delete icon. Machine Set-up : Machine Set-up lists the name, Set-up Cost, Cost factor, Feed Rate and Kerf for available machines. In addtion the following function are available for managing the list. Edit: Highlight a machine on the list and select Edit to display the New/Edit CTL Machine dialog and edit the machine's name, set-up cost, cost factor, feed rate and kerf. Delete: Highlight a machine on the list and select Delete to remove the machine from the list. New : Select to display the New/Edit CTL Machine dialog. Enter the machine's name, set-up cost, cost factor, feed rate and kerf then select OK to add the machine to the list or Cancel to close the dialog without adding the machine. Cancel: Select to close the dialog not saving any of the changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving the changes.

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CAD

CAD
l l l l l

Geometry (See page 84) Edit (See page 125) Detail (See page 140) X-Form (Work-space) (See page 153) Verify (CAD) (See page 165)

Geometry
The Geometry ribbon contains functions for creating or editing parts from CAD geometry. CAD functions are separated into the categories, with the icon displayed on the ribbon depending on the most recent selection, and include the following:

Point (See page 84) Lines (See page 85) Rectangles & Obrounds (See page 99) Arcs (See page 105) Circles (See page 111) Corner Geometries (See page 118) Offset Geometry (See page 122)

Point
A point is a geometric entity that is often used for geometry construction as well as identifying the center position for drilling or punching a part. Selecting Point displays the Position Actions (See page 18) icons on the left side of the dialog. 1. Select Point from the create ribbon.

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CAD 2. Left-click the position on the workspace to place the point. The point is displayed as a plus symbol. 3. Select Esc to end the function.

Lines
Line types are added to the geometry through the options below. Selecting one of these options will display a set of action icons, on the left side of the dialog, for the selected line type.

Two Points (See page 86) String (See page 86) Polyline (See page 86) Offset at Distance (See page 88) Offset Through Point (See page 88) Tangent (See page 89) Horizontal (See page 89) Vertical (See page 90) Horizontal & Vertical (See page 90) Tangent & Perpendicular (See page 91) Angle Functions (See page 95) Line Segment (See page 98)

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Two Points The Line 2 Points function is used to draw lines between two selected points on the workspace. 1. Select Line 2 Points from the create ribbon and left-click on a workspace position. 2. Slide the cursor to a second position on the workspace and left-click. A line is displayed between the two points. 3. Select Esc to end the function.

String The String function draws a sequence of connecting lines. 1. Select Line String from the create ribbon and left-click on the Work-space to draw string lines. 2. Left-click to anchor the string segment and start a new string from the point. 3. Select Esc to end the geometry action.

Polyline The Polyline function creates continuous line segments through specified points. 1. Select Polyline and left-click the position for the polyline on the Workspace, or enter the X and Y coordinates on the left side of the Work-space. Position Actions (See page 18) can be used to place the starting point of the polyline. 2. The polyline dialog is displayed and a point cursor is displayed on the Work-space. 3. Select from the following ways to continue to draw the polyline.

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CAD Position using the Cartesian Coordinate System The Cartesian coordinate system combined with Incremental uses the distance value to draw the line from the last point. Incremental Select to draw the line incrementally from the last position using the dialog navigator (directional arrows). Enter the length value of the line, select the direction of the line (arrow buttons), and select OK. The line is drawn. Repeat the steps to continue the polyline. See below image.

The above image displays the line drawn from the dialog navigator. The left side of the line displays the point where the cursor was left-clicked. The line length value is 20, and the right arrow was selected to draw the line to the right of the point. Absolute Select to use X and Y coordinates for drawing out the polyline. The dialog navigator is not used. Enter the coordinates of the point to draw the line from. Enter the X and or Y value and select enter. The line is drawn. Use a negative value to draw the X coordinate in the left direction. Use a negative value to draw the Y coordinate in the down direction. See below image.

The above image displays a negative X value and a zero Y value drawing the line on the Y axis to the left. Position using the Polar coordinate system The polar coordinate system uses an angle (theta) and a distance (radius) from a designated point. Enter the following values and left-click the point on the Work-space to draw the line from. Select OK or Enter. See below image. Radius: Enter the radius (distance of the line). Theta: Enter the angle of the radius distance. The angle is referenced in a counterclockwise direction, from the horizontal plane. See image below.

The above image displays a radius distance value of 20 and an angle (theta) value of 25. A line length of 20 at an angle of 25 degrees is drawn at the selected axis point of the dashed guide lines.

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CAD

Offset at Distance The Line Offset at Distance function creates a line parallel to the selected line. The image below displays a bend line (dash line) added to the rectangle geometry. 1. Select the Line Offset At Distance icon from the line listing on the CAD ribbon. 2. Enter the distance the line is to be placed. 3. Left-click the line to copy (below left image). 4. Place the cursor on the left or right side of the selected line, and leftmouse click (below right image). The new line is placed on the selected side at the specified distance.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels: Select the level for the line. Line Types: Select the line type.

Offset Through Point The Offset Through Point function copies a line geometry at a selected position. The image below displays a bend line (blue dash line) added to the rectangle geometry (below left image). 1. Select Line Offset Thru Point function icon and select the line of the geometry object to copy (below left image). 2. left- click the point for the line to draw thru. The selected line is drawn. 3. Select Esc to end the function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels: Select the level for the line. Line Types: Select the line type.

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Tangent The Offset Tangent function is used to copy a line and draw the line tangent to a circle or arc. 1. Select Line Offset Tangent from the create ribbon. 2. Select the line on the geometry object to duplicate as the tangent line (below left image). 3. Left-click near the side of the circle, or arc, for the tangent line to be drawn on (below right image). The selected line is drawn. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels: Select the level for the line. Line Types: Select the line type.

Horizontal The Line Horizontal function is used to draw horizontal lines across the Work-space. 1. Select Line Horizontal from the create ribbon. 2. Left-click the point on the Work-space to place the horizontal line. A horizontal line is drawn along the Work-space (see image below). 3. Select Esc to end the function.

Additional options:

Draw Both Horizontal and Vertical Lines: Select to draw the lines both horizontally and vertically.

Draw a Horizontal Line only: Select to draw the lines horizontally only.

Draw a Vertical Line only: Select to draw the lines vertically only.

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CAD Color: Select the color of the line. Levels: Select the level for the line. Line Types: Select the line type.

Vertical The Line Vertical function is used to draw vertical lines across the Work-space. 1. Select Line Vertical from the drop down arrow of the line geometries on the create ribbon. 2. Left-click the point on the Work-space to place the vertical line. A vertical line is drawn along the Work-space (see image below). 3. Select Esc to end the function

Additional options:

Draw Both Horizontal and Vertical Lines: Select to draw the lines both horizontally and vertically.

Draw a Horizontal Line only: Select to draw the lines horizontally only.

Draw a Vertical Line only: Select to draw the lines vertically only. Color: Select the color of the line. Levels: Select the level for the line. Line Types: Select the line type.

Horizontal & Vertical The Line Horizontal & Vertical function is used to draw a vertical and horizontal line perpendicular across the Work-space, usually for construction lines. 1. Select the Line Horizontal Vertical icon from the line listing on the CAD ribbon. Right-click to use Position Actions (See page 18) to place the starting point of the arc.

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CAD 2. Left-click the point on the Work-space to apply the Line Horizontal Vertical line object. The lines are displayed (below image).

Additional options:

Draw Both Horizontal and Vertical Lines: Select to draw the lines both horizontally and vertically.

Draw a Horizontal Line only: Select to draw the lines horizontally only.

Draw a Vertical Line only: Select to draw the lines vertically only. Color: Select the color of the line. Levels: Select the level for the line. Line Types: Select the line type.

Tangent & Perpendicular The following functions draw combination perpendicular and tangent entities between geometries. Line Tangent to Point (See page 91) Line Perp Through Point (See page 92) Tangent Tangent (See page 93) Perp Perp (See page 93) Tangent Perp (See page 94) Perp Tangent (See page 95)

Line Tangent to Point The Line Tangent to Point function is used to draw tangent lines from geometry objects. 1. Select Line Tangent to Point and select the geometry point to draw the tangent from (below left image).

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CAD 2. Left-click the point on the Work-space for the end point of the tangent line. 3. A line is drawn tangent between the selected point on the geometry and the end point (below right image). 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Line Perp Through Point The Line Perp Through Point function is used to draw perpendicular lines to a point. 1. Select Line Perp Through Point, and select the geometry to draw the line perpendicular from (below left image). 2. Move the cursor to the point where the line is to be drawn and left-click. A line is drawn perpendicular between the selected geometry and point (below right image). 3. Select Esc to end the function.

The below image displays a perpendicular line from a circle to a point on a line.

Additional options:

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CAD Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Tangent Tangent The Tangent Tangent function is used to draw tangent lines between circle and arc geometries. 1. Select Tangent Tangent and select the first circle or arc object to draw the tangent line from (below left image). 2. Left-click the selected side of the second circle or arc object. 3. A tangent line is drawn between the selected circle or arc geometries (below right image). 4. Select Esc to end the function.

The image below displays the four possible tangent lines between the same or opposite sides of the circles or arcs.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Perp Perp The Perp Perp function is used to draw perpendicular lines between geometries. 1. Select Perp Perp, and select the first geometry object to draw a perpendicular line from (below left image).

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CAD 2. Left-click the second geometry object to draw the perpendicular line to. A line is drawn perpendicular between the selected geometries (below right image). 3. Select Esc to end the function. Delete this text and replace it with your own content.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Tangent Perp The Tangent Perp function is used to draw tangent lines from a geometry object perpendicular to another geometry object. 1. Select Tangent Perp and select the geometry object to draw the tangent line from (below left image). 2. Left-click the second object for the tangent line to be perpendicular to. A tangent line is drawn from the one geometry to the second (below right image). 3. Select Esc to end the function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

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CAD

Perp Tangent The Perp Tangent function is used to draw a tan line from a geometry object perpendicular to another geometry object. 1. Select Perp Tangent , and select the geometry object to draw the perpendicular line from (below left image). 2. Left-click the second object for the line to be tan. A perpendicular line is drawn from the first geometry tan to the second geometry object (see below right image). 3. Select Esc to end the function.

Notice the tan line is not connected to the line but is still drawn perpendicular to the line (see above right image). Geometry objects do not have to be directly aligned. If the first entity is a circle, the new line is drawn perpendicular to the closest point on its circumference (see below image). The first point selected (1) can be any point on the circle or arc.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Angle Functions The following angle functions draw lines at specified angles from the selected geometries.

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CAD

Angle Relative (See page 96) Angle Absolute (See page 97) Absolute Angle Tangent (See page 97)

Angle Relative The Line Angle Relative function is used to create lines at a relative angle to an existing line. The angle of rotation, of the relative line, is counter-clockwise to the selected reference line. 1. Select Line Angle Relative and enter the desired line angle, in degrees. The angle entered for the below images is 45 degrees. 2. Select the baseline object to apply the angled line. (See image below left.) 3. Left-click on or near the entity. The angled line is displayed anchored to the mouse cursor.(See image below center.) 4. Move the cursor to the desired position and left-click again and the angled line is placed on the Work-space. (See image below right.) 5. The angled line is ready to be used again. Select Esc to end the function.

The image to the left displays a relative angle of 45

degrees referenced to the side of the rectangle.

Angle: Enter the relative line angle value. Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line.

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CAD Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Angle Absolute Line Angle Abs function is used to draw lines, with specific lengths, at an absolute angle from the positive X-axis. The Position Actions (See page 18) functions are also available for absolute line angles. 1. Hover over the Angle icon from the points drop down listing and select Line Angle Abs. 2. Enter the desired line angle, in degrees, and the line length. 3. Right-click on or next to the geometry and select one of the position action functions from the listing. The center action is used in the below example. 4. Left-click on or next to the geometry object to apply the absolute angled line (below right image). The line is drawn

Angle Enter the relative line angle value. Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Absolute Angle Tangent Line Abs Angle Tangent is used to create a line at an absolute angle, from the positive X-axis, tangent to the selected circle or arc. 1. Hover over Angle from the line listing on the CAD ribbon, then select Line Abs Angle Tangent.

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CAD 2. Enter the desired tangent line angle, in degrees, and the line length. 3. Left-click on or next to the geometry to apply the tangent line angle (see below left image). The below right image displays one 45 degree tangent on a circle.

For arcs, the tangent line angles are placed where the arc geometry would exist if it were a circle entity. The above left image displays the two 90 degree tangent line angles for the arc.

Caution: When repeating the tangent action for a particular tangent line angle, the lines are placed on top of each other. The result is multiple stacked tangent lines that are displayed as one tangent line. Angle Enter the relative line angle value. Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Line Segment The Line Segment function breaks an entity up into a series of straight lines. For arcs and circles, the original entity is retained and the circle contour is separated into the number of specified segments. When Lines are segmented the original is discarded. 1. Select Line Segment from the create ribbon and specify the number of

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CAD entities to create. 2. Left-click the entity to segment. The entity is segmented into the number specified. 3. Select Esc to end the function. The below images display segment applied to a circle (below right image), and a line of a rectangle (below left image).

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Rectangles & Obrounds

Rectangles can be drawn using two corners, the basic length and width, three points, or as a parallelogram. An option for obround type geometry is also included.

Rect 2 Corners (See page 99) Length & Width (See page 101) Rectangle 3 Points (See page 102) Parallelogram 3 Points (See page 104) Obround (See page 104)

Rect 2 Corners The Rectangle Two Corners function is used to draw rectangles, with optional corner types, by selecting two positions. 1. Select Rect 2 Corners icon from the CAD ribbon. Different corner types are

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CAD available for rectangular shapes. See images below. 2. Left-click one of the corner type icons to apply to the rectangle. Enter the parameter for the corner type. 3. Left-click on a Work-space position, then slide the cursor to a second position on the Work-space and left-click. 4. A rectangle is displayed with the selected corner types.

Square Corners Select to apply square corners to the rectangle. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the cursor to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

Notch Corners Select to apply notch corners to the rectangle. Enter the notch size and select enter. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the mouse to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

Fillet Radius Corners Select to apply fillet corners to the rectangle. Enter the fillet radius value and select enter. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the cursor to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

Scallop Radius Select to apply scallop radius to the corners of the rectangle. Enter the radius value of the scallop and select enter. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the cursor to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

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CAD Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Length & Width The Length & Width function is used to draw rectangles, with optional corner types, by length and width. 1. Select Rect Length Width from the create ribbon. 2. Enter the rectangle width and length. Different corner types are available for the rectangular shapes. Select a corner type (see below) for the rectangle. 3. Left-click on the Work-space and the rectangle is displayed. The rectangle is ready to be drawn again. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Square Corners Select to apply square corners to the rectangle. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the cursor to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

Notch Corners Select to apply notch corners to the rectangle. Enter the notch size and select enter. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the mouse to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

Fillet Radius Corners Select to apply fillet corners to the rectangle. Enter the fillet radius value and select enter. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the cursor to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

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Scallop Radius Select to apply scallop radius to the corners of the rectangle. Enter the radius value of the scallop and select enter. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the cursor to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Rectangle 3 Points The Rectangle Three Points function is used to draw rectangles, with optional corner types, by selecting three points. 1. Select Rectangle 3 Points and left-mouse click the first rectangular point position on the Work-space.(See image below left.) 2. Drag the cursor to the second point and left-click.(See image below middle.) 3. Drag the cursor to the final and third point and left-click. (See image below right.) The rectangle is drawn and the action is ready to repeat. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

The first (1) and second (2) points determine the angle of the rectangle.

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Square Corners Select to apply square corners to the rectangle. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the cursor to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

Notch Corners Select to apply notch corners to the rectangle. Enter the notch size and select enter. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the mouse to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

Fillet Radius Corners Select to apply fillet corners to the rectangle. Enter the fillet radius value and select enter. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the cursor to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

Scallop Radius Select to apply scallop radius to the corners of the rectangle. Enter the radius value of the scallop and select enter. Left-click on the Work-space and slide the cursor to the desired rectangle size. Left-click again to release the action.

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CAD Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Parallelogram 3 Points The Parallelogram Three Points function is used to draw parallelograms.The Position Actions (See page 18) are available for use with the parallelogram function. 1. Select Parallelogram 3 Points and left-click on the Work-space the first parallelogram point position. 2. Drag the cursor to the second point and left-click. 3. Drag the cursor to the final and third point and left-click. The parallelogram is drawn and the action is ready to repeat. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Obround The Obround function creates an obround geometry at the angle and dimensions specified. 1. Select Obround from the drop down arrow of the rectangle objects, on the create ribbon. 2. Specify the obround length (1), diameter (2), and angle (3) from the X axis (counterclockwise). 3. Right-click on the workspace to use the Position Actions to place the obround center position (4). 4. The obround is drawn and the action is ready to repeat. Select Esc to end the action.

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Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Arcs
When creating arcs, with the following options, it is important to keep in mind that all angles are counter-clockwise positive and measured from the positive horizontal axis in degrees.

Center Rad (See page 106) Center Dia (See page 106) Center Edge (See page 107) 3 Points (See page 108) Tangent (See page 108) Radius 2 Points (See page 109) Arc Continue (See page 110) Arc Spline (See page 110)

All arcs are drawn in a counterclockwise direction.

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Center Rad The Center Radius function defines an arc by a distance with a starting and ending angle. The angles are referenced counter-clockwise from the positive X-axis. 1. Select Center Rad from the arc drop down arrow on the create ribbon. 2. Left-click on one of the radius or diameter icons to define the distance parameter. 3. Enter the start angle (1) and the end angle (2). Enter the radius or diameter distance (3) and select enter. The arc is anchored to the cursor. 4. Left-click to place the arc on the Work-space (4). Use Position Actions (See page 18) or the cursor to place the radius distance position. The arc is placed at the distance specified from the cursor. Press Esc to end the Center Rad function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Center Dia The Center Diameter function specifies arcs in exactly the same way as Center Rad, except that the diameter is used instead of the radius. The distance is defined as a radius or a diameter. 1. Select Center Dia from the arc drop down arrow on the create ribbon. 2. Left-click on one of the radius or diameter icons to define the distance parameter. 3. Enter the start angle (1) and the end angle (2). Enter the radius or diameter distance (3) and select enter. The arc is anchored to the cursor. 4. Left-click to place the arc on the Work-space (4). Use Position Actions (See page 18) or the cursor to place the radius distance position. The arc is

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CAD placed at the distance specified from the cursor. Press Esc to end the Center Diameter function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Center Edge The Center Edge function draws a circle from a selected center and edge position. Use Position Actions (See page 18) or the cursor to place the center and edge positions of the circle. 1. Select Center Edge from the circle drop down arrow on the create ribbon. 2. Left-click to place the center (1) and edge (2) positions of the circle on the Work-space. 3. Press Esc to end the Center Rad function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

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3 Points The Three Points function creates an arc by selecting three points on the Work-space. 1. Select 3 Points from the arc drop down arrow on the create ribbon. Use Position Actions (See page 18) or the cursor to place the starting point of the 3 point arc. 2. Left-click the first position (1) on the Work-space for the starting edge of the arc. 3. Left-click the second (2) and third positions (3) on the Work-space. Press Esc to end the 3 Points function

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Tangent The Arc Two Entity Tangent function creates an arc that is tangent to two selected entities. 1. Enter the radius of the arc on the prompt line. 2. Left-click a line, arc, or circle near where the new tangent line is placed (2). 3. Left-click a second line, arc, or circle near where the new tangent line is placed (3).

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The function does not return a result if the specified radius is too small or too large. Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Radius 2 Points The Radius Two Points function creates an arc with a specified radius between two selected points. An arc radius is specified. Right-click to use Position Actions (See page 18) to place the starting point of the arc. 1. Select the Rad 2 Points icon from the arc listing on the CAD ribbon. 2. Left-click on one of the counter-clockwise or clockwise icons for drawing the arc direction. 3. Enter the arc radius. 4. Left-click the first and starting point of the arc (1). The arc is drawn in a counter-clockwise direction from the start point. 5. Left-click the second and ending point of the arc (2). The following illustrations of arcs display the curvature of the arcs are always drawn in a counterclockwise direction from the start point (1).

The function does not return a result if the specified radius is too small to connect the two points. Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

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Arc Continue The Arc Continue function creates a continuous arc from the start point of a selected entity through a series of points. The arc is 1. Select Continue from the arc drop down arrow. 2. Left-click the first entity position (1). Left-click the second position (2) and so on. Every selected position with the cursor creates an arc segment.

The circle image in the first quadrant of the cursor is the smart cursor, indicating the first quadrant position of the circle. Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Arc Spline The Arc Spline function creates a curved line or an arc that passes through the specified points. Right-click on the Work-space to use the Position Actions (See page 18) to place the arc spline points. 1. Select the arc spline function from the CAD ribbon under the arc listing. 2. Enter the number or arc segments to be created between each point. A higher number will produce a more accurate curve approximation. 3. Left-click the positions for the arc spline points (1-4). Position Actions (See page 18) can be used to specify the series of points through which the arc is drawn.

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Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Circles
The Circles functions create circles with the following options:

Center Rad (See page 112) Center Dia (See page 112) Center Edge (See page 113) Three Points (See page 114) Two Points (See page 114) Tan One Entity (See page 115) Tan Two Entities (See page 116) Tan Three Entities (See page 116) Ellipse (See page 117)

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Center Rad The Center Radius function draws a circle from a radius or diameter value. Use Position Actions (See page 18) or the cursor to place the circle. 1. Select Center Rad from the circle drop down arrow on the create ribbon. 2. Left-click on one of the following parameter buttons to draw the circle from a radius or diameter value. Enter the radius or diameter distance. 3. Left-click to place the circle on the Work-space. 4. Press Esc to end the Center Rad function. The images below illustrates the creation of a simple washer. The left circle was created using the diameter button. After selecting the radius button, right-click next to the circle and select center from the position actions drop down menu. Left-click in the diameter circle to place the inside circle.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Center Dia The Center Diameter function draws a circle from a radius or diameter value. 1. Select Center Dia from the circle drop down list on the create ribbon. Use Position Actions (See page 18) or the cursor to place the circle. 2. Left-click on one of the radius or diameter icons to define the distance parameter. 3. Enter the radius or diameter distance (3) and select enter. The circle is anchored to the cursor. 4. Left-click to place the circle on the Work-space (4). Use Position Actions (See page 18) or the cursor to place the circle position. Press Esc to end the Center Diameter function.

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The images below illustrates the creation of a simple washer. The left circle was created using the diameter button. Left-click the radius parameter button. Right-click next to the diameter circle and select center from the position actions drop down menu. Left-click in the diameter circle and a circle with the radius of the diameter circle is drawn centered in the circle.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Center Edge The Center Edge function draws a circle from a selected center and edge position. Use Position Actions (See page 18) the cursor to place the center and edge positions of the circle. 1. Select Center Edge from the circle drop down arrow on the create ribbon. 2. Left-click to place the center (1) and edge (2) positions of the circle on the Work-space. 3. Press Esc to end the Center Rad function.

Additional options:

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CAD Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Three Points The Three Points function draws a circle through three selected points on the Work-space. 1. Select 3 Points from the circle drop down arrow on the create ribbon. Use Position Actions (See page 18) or the cursor to place the three points of the circle. 2. Left-click the first position (1). 3. Drag the cursor to the second position and left-click (2). 4. Drag the cursor to the third position and left-click the final position. Press Esc to end the 3 Points function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Two Points The Two Points function draws a circle through two selected points on the Work-space. 1. Select 2 Points from the circle drop down arrow on the create ribbon. Use Position Actions (See page 18) or the cursor to place the two points of the circle. 2. Left-click the first position (1). 3. Drag the cursor to the second position and left-click (2). Press Esc to end the 2 Points function. See image below.

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Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Tan One Entity The Tangent to One Entity function draws a circle, that is tangent to another selected line, arc, or circle. The size of the circle is determined where the center is defined. 1. Select Tan 1 Entity from the create ribbon. 2. Use the Position Actions (See page 18) to select the circle's center point position (1). 3. Left-click near the line, arc, or circle that the new circle must be tangent to (2). 4. Left-click again to save the newly positioned circle. 5. Select Esc to end the function. If the selected entity is a line, see below left image, the new circle is tangent to the line or an extension of the line. If the selected entity is an arc, then the new circle is tangent to the nearest point on the arc or to the nearest point on the circle described by the arc, see below right image.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line.

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CAD Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Tan Two Entities The Tangent to Two Entities function draws a circle, with a specified radius, that is tangent to two other selected lines, arcs, or circles. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the Tan 2 Entities on the create ribbon. Enter the radius of the circle (1). Select one of the entities to place the circle tangent to (2). Select the second entity to place the circle tangent to (3). The circle is drawn (large green circle). 5. Select Esc to end the function. If one of the selected entities is a line, the new circle is tangent to the line or an extension of the line. See below left image. If one of the selected entities is a circle, the new circle is tangent to the closest point on its circumference. If one of the selected entities is an arc, then the new circle is tangent to the nearest point on the arc or to the nearest point on the circle described by the arc. See below right image.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Tan Three Entities The Tangent to Three Entities function creates a circle that is tangent to three specified lines.

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CAD 1. Select the Tan 3 Entities on the create ribbon. 2. Select three lines that the circle must be tangent to (1), (2), (3). 3. The four possible circles that are tangent to the 3 selected lines and their logical extensions are drawn. 4. Select the desired circle (4). The other 3 circles are removed from the Work-space. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Ellipse The Ellipse function creates an ellipse as a series of approximating arcs. 1. Select Ellipse from the circle drop down arrow. 2. Specify the X-axis radius (1) and the Y-axis radius (2) of the ellipse, measured before rotation. 3. Specify the angle the ellipse is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction from the positive X-axis (3). 4. Enter the number of arcs to define the ellipse , sixteen yields good results. 5. Use the Position Actions (See page 18) to select the ellipse's center point (4).

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Additional options: Color: Select the color of the line. Levels:Select the level for the line. Line Types:Select the line type.

Corner Geometries
The Corner Geometries functions create a specific type of junction between two entities and, optionally, trims them. Fillet with Trim (See page 118) Fillet No Trim (See page 119) Chamfer (See page 119) Corner Loop (See page 120) Notch (See page 121) Scallop (See page 122)

Fillet with Trim The Fillet with Trim function creates an arc of a specified radius that is tangent to two selected entities. The sections beyond the intersection of the selected entities are removed. 1. Select Fillet with Trim from the Fillet drop down arrow. 2. Enter the fillet radius value.

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CAD 3. Hover over the inside corner of the two intersecting entities and left-click. The fillet is drawn trimming the entities. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Fillet No Trim The Fillet with no Trim function creates an arc, of a specified radius, that is tangent to two selected entities. The sections beyond the intersection of the selected entities are not removed. 1. Select Fillet with no Trim from the Fillet drop down arrow on the create ribbon. 2. Enter the fillet radius value. 3. Hover over the inside corner of the two intersecting entities and left-click. The fillet is drawn without trimming the entities. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Chamfer The Chamfer function creates a line junction between two intersecting line entities. The chamfer distances are defined for each intersecting lines. 1. Select Chamfer from the corner selections on the create ribbon. 2. Enter the distance of the first chamfer (1).

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CAD 3. 4. 5. 6. Enter the distance of the second chamfer (2). Left-click the first line (3). Left-click the second line (4). The chamfer is drawn. Select Esc to end the function.

Corner Loop The Corner Loop function creates a looping junction between two intersecting line entities. Corner Loop is used to improve the cut quality on sharp corners when using laser or plasma cutters. 1. Select Corner Loop from the create ribbon. 2. Select the first line, below left image. 3. Select the second intersecting line, below middle image, and the corner loop dialog is displayed. 4. Select the type of corner loop and enter the offset distance or radius. Select OK and the corner loop is displayed.

Line Corner Loop Enter the offset distance for the Line Corner Loop and select OK. The Corner Loop is drawn at the offset distance (3).

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Arc Corner Loop Enter the radius for the corner loop and select OK. The arc corner loop is drawn (3). The radius is defined from the point of line intersection.

Small Arc Corner Loop Enter the radius of the small arc loop and select OK. The small arc loop is defined as the small arc loop radius tangent to the selected lines.

Cancel Select to close the Corner Loop dialog without applying the corner loop function. OK Select to close the Corner Loop dialog.

Notch The Notch function creates a round notch junction between two intersecting lines. 1. Select the Notch function from the Fillet drop down arrow on the create ribbon. 2. Enter the radius of the notch from the intersecting lines. 3. Left-click and select the first line, below left image. 4. Left-click and select the second intersecting line, below middle image and the notch is displayed, below right image. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

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Scallop The Scallop function creates a concave radius junction between two intersecting lines. 1. Select the Scallop function from the Fillet drop down arrow on the create ribbon. 2. Enter the radius of the scallop from the intersecting lines. 3. Left-click and select the first line, below left image. 4. Left-click and select the second intersecting line, below middle image. 5. Select Esc to cancel the scallop function. The scallop is drawn, below right image.

Offset Geometry
The Offset Geometry function creates an offset of the selected entities at a specified distance. Select a single entity, a chain of entities, or select all entities to apply the offset distance. The Offset Distance is applied to the inside, outside, or both inside and outside of the entity or entities

Single 1. Select Offset Geometry from the Create ribbon and enter the offset distance. 2. Select the Single icon to apply the offset to a single entity. 3. Left-click the entity (1), then right-click. The offsets are drawn on both sides of the entity (2). Left-click again on

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CAD the side of the entity to keep the offset, and the opposite offset is removed (3).

Chain Select the Chain offset function to apply the offset to a series of entities. 1. 2. 3. 4. Left-click the first entity (1). Left-click the second entity where the offset will end (2). Right-click and the offsets are drawn (3). Left-click on the side of the entities to keep the offset. The opposite offset is removed (4).

Close Selected Direction Close selected direction is used for selecting all of the contours of a part. 1. Select the Close in selected direction action to apply the offset completely around all entities. 2. Left-click the first entity (1). 3. Left-click the Close in direction icon from the popup menu(2). 4. Right-click and the offsets are drawn (3).

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CAD 5. Left-click on the side of the entities to keep the offset. The opposite offset is removed (4).

Combination Selections The following is an example of combination offset selections. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Select Single action and left-mouse click the first entity (1). Left-click the second entity (2). Left-click the third position (3). Left-click the fourth position (4). Right-click and the offsets are drawn (5). Left-click on the side of the entities to keep the offset. The opposite offset is removed (6).

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Edit
The Edit ribbon contains functions for editing existing geometries, parts, nests, or sheets. Select from the following: Create Part Using Geometry (See page 63) Extract (See page 131) Standard Shapes (See page 61) Trim (See page 131) Break (See page 135)

Delete (See page 125) Recall All (See page 127) Recall Last (See page 127) Undo (See page 128) Edit Selected Part (See page 128) Geometry Filter (See page 128)

Attributes (See page 137)

Delete
The Nesting Delete function contains the following actions for deleting objects. Select Done to end the delete function. Delete Single (See page 126) Delete Chain (See page 126) Delete Window (See page 126) Delete Open Ends (See page 126) Delete Attached (See page 126) Delete Contours (See page 126) Unselect (See page 127) Delete All (See page 127) Done (See page 127)

Once an entity is deleted, use undo to retrieve the deleted object. Only the last action is undone.

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CAD Delete Single Select Delete Single to delete a single entity. Left-click to select the entity to delete and right-click to delete the entity.

Delete Chain The Delete Chain function allows the selection of a chain of entities by defining the first entity and the last entity to delete. Left-click the first and last entities and all the connecting entities between the first and last entities are selected for deletion. Right-click to delete the selected entities.

Delete Window Select Delete Window to select a group of entities, by creating a window around them, for deletion. Left-click and hold down to create a window around the objects to delete, then right-click to delete the selected entities.

Delete Open Ends Select Delete Open Ends to remove all open-end entities for deletion. Left-click and hold down the button and window around the geometry to delete the open ends. Right-click to delete the open ends. An open-end entity is defined as an entity connected to a closed contour and the other end is not connected to any entity. Delete Open End is normally used to remove lead-in and lead-out lines.

Delete Attached Select Delete Attached to delete all entities that are connected to each other. In a complex drawing with multiple entities, to delete a group of connected entities select one of the entities in the group. Left-click and select one of the entities of the group that are attached to each other. Right-click and the entities are deleted.

Delete Contours Select Delete Contours to delete all entities of a contour. Left-click an entity on a closed contour and the entire contour is selected for deletion. Right-click to delete the contour.

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CAD Unselect Select Unselect to exclude an entity from the selected entities to be deleted. Left-click on the entity to exclude from deletion. Right-click to execute the deletion.

Delete All The Delete All function deletes all entities with specific properties and contains the options below: All By Color: Selects entities with specific colors for deletion. All By Line Type: Displays a Line Type dialog for selecting all the line types to delete from the workspace. All By Level: Selects all entities in a specific level or layer for deletion. All By Geometry: Select from the following list to delete all geometry types from the workspace:Points, Lines, Arcs, Notes and Dimensions. All Parts: Selects all parts in the work space for deletion. All Tasks: Selects all tasks for deletion. All Duplicate Entities: Selects all duplicate entities in the work space for deletion. All Entities: Selects all entities in the work space for deletion.

Done Select Done to close the Delete Sidebar.

Recall All
Select Recall All to restore all of the entities that were deleted during the current session.

Nesting layouts cannot be recalled.

Recall Last
Select Recall Last to restore the last action taken.

Nesting layouts cannot be recalled.

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Undo
Select Undo to undo the last action on the workspace.

Edit Selected Part

The Edit Selected Part function allows the user to select parts while in nesting mode to edit . One parts have been selected, select Done to open the Part Parameters dialog and edit selected parts. Parts can be selected using the following options. Single: Select to edit a single entity. Left-click to select the entity. Select Done to edit. Window : Select to select a group of entities, by creating a window around them, for editing. Left-click and hold down to create a window around the objects to edit. Select Done to edit.

Unselect: Select to exclude an entity from the selected entities to be edited.

Done: Select to open the Part Parameters dialog and edit selected parts or end function if none have been selected.

Geometry Filter
SigmaTEK offers two filters to reduce the number of entities for up to a 90% increase in machine program efficiency. Left-click on Geometry Filter icon and window or use the selection actions to select the entities. Right-click on the workspace and the Filter dialog is displayed. The Arc Recognition Filter (See page 128) is intended to reconstitute arcs that have been split. The Smoothing Filter (See page 129) is an ideal solution for fitting arcs and lines from scanned images. The smoothing filter enhances edge quality and cutting productivity.

Arc Recognition Filter The Arc Recognition Filter is used to reconstruct arcs from small lines. The following diagram illustrates the relationship between the arc recognition filter parameters. The conditions defined by the parameters must be met in order for arc recognition to take place.

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Theta() - Angle tolerance a - Chord deviation b - Center of arc BCDc - Arc center tolerance d - Center of arc ABC Angle Tolerance () The angle tolerance is essentially the same as the Angular Arc Fitting Tolerance. Angle Tolerance is specified in degrees and is typically between 25 and 35 degrees, depending on the application. Successive arc segments must describe a smaller angle than that specified for the Angle Tolerance in order to be combined into a common arc segment. Maximum Chord Deviation (a) The maximum chord deviation is essentially the same as the Arc Fitting Error Tolerance. The units are inches or millimeters, depending on system settings. Newly combined arc segments must deviate from their original chord segments by less than this amount in order to be accepted and retained as a combined segment. Arc Center Tolerance (c) Each arc segment has a logical center point. In order for the arc segments to be combined, (b) and (d), these center points must be closer to each other than the distance specified here. The units are inches or millimeters, depending on system settings.

Smoothing Filter Two filtering procedures are applied to the geometry when the Smoothing Filter is used. Line Filter The Line filter replaces a series of small lines with a single long line. The Small Line Angle Tolerance and the Line Fitting Error Tolerance values govern the behavior of the line filter. Line Filter The straight blue line is fitted automatically. If any value of e is greater than the Line Fitting Error Tolerance, the line is not fitted. Filtering stops at the right because theta is greater than the Small Line Angle Tolerance.

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CAD Small Line Angle Tolerance (Theta ) Specify the Small Line Angle Tolerance in degrees; it would typically be between one and four degrees. The angle between the lines must be smaller than the Small Line Angle Tolerance. The angle is measured as shown in the preceding line filter diagram. As the filter moves from left to right, it continues to replace the small lines until it finds one line for which the angle with the next line is greater than the Small Line Angle Tolerance. As soon as it finds such a line, the filter stops and continues on to the Error Checking step. Line Fitting Error Tolerance (e) Specify the Line Fitting Error Tolerance in the defined system units (either inches or millimeters). The actual value of the tolerance also depends on the application of the geometry. If it is a high accuracy part, the tolerance has to be small and few lines are filtered. The general size of the geometry also influences the tolerance. Larger tolerances are used for larger geometry; the size refers to the general X and Y dimensions, not the number of small lines. The new Long Line is checked against the Small Lines, making sure it does not deviate more than the Line Fitting Error Tolerance from the original lines. Once the line filter is completed, the Arc Filter is applied to the geometry. Arc Filter The arc filter replaces small lines that create a curvature with a single line arc. The Angular Arc Fitting Tolerance and the Arc fitting error tolerance govern the behavior of the arc filter.

Arc Filter The straight blue arc is fitted automatically. If any value of e is greater than the Error Tolerance, the arc is not fitted. Filtering stops at the right because theta is greater than the Angular Arc Fit Tolerance.

Angular Arc Fitting Tolerance (Theta ) Specify the Arc Angle Fitting Tolerance in degrees; it should typically be between 25 and 35 degrees, depending on the application.

The angle is measured as shown in the preceding Arc Filter diagram. All angles between subsequent lines that are smaller than the Arc Angle Fitting Tolerance are considered for the arc fit. As the filter moves from left to right, it continues to replace the small lines until it finds one line for which the angle with the next line is greater than the Arc Angle Fitting Tolerance. Once this is done, the filter stops and checks the error tolerance. Arc Fitting Error Tolerance (e) The filter begins making sure the newly fitted arc does not deviate from the original small lines by more than the Arc Fitting Error Tolerance. Whenever the measured error is greater than the Arc

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CAD Fitting Error Tolerance, the arc is not fitted. Specify the Arc Fitting Error Tolerance in the defined system units (either inches or millimeters). The actual value of the tolerance depends on the application of the geometry. If it is a high accuracy part, the tolerance must be small and fewer lines are filtered. The general size of the geometry also influences the tolerance; large tolerances are used for large geometry. The size refers to the general X and Y dimensions, not the number of small lines. Filter by Layer: Select to filter the geometry throughout all layers. Start: Select to apply the filtering to the selected geometry with the above values. The following listing is provided to view the filtering results. Number of Entities: Displays the number of total entities of the selected geometry. Remaining Entities: Displays the number of entities remaining after the filtering of the selected geometry. Entities Removed : The total number of entities that were removed as a result of the filtering. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without filtering the geometry. OK: Select to close the dialog saving the filter results. Left-click on the workspace to place the newly filtered geometry.

Extract
The Extract function separates an object into its components. For example a part is separated into the line and arc entities of which it is comprised. Select the desired objects with the Selection actions. The existing object is deleted and the object is extracted.

Trim
The Trim function is used for modification of two entities in relation to each other, by extending or shortening the entity. Whether an entity is extended or shortened depends on whether the two entities selected intersect. When the lines intersect, one entity is shortened to the point of intersection. When entities do not intersect, one entity is extended to the point of intersection.

When using the trim functions, always click on the part of the entity to keep. Most cases where the Trim function is used, at least two entities must be selected for the function to be applied. The Quick Trim function is an exception.

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Trim First (See page 132) Trim Both (See page 133) Divide (See page 133) Trim to Point (See page 134) Quick Trim (See page 135)

Trim First The first entity selected is changed by Trim First. The second entity selected acts as an indicator of how far the first entity should be extended or shortened. The following images illustrate the shortening and extension of an entity. To trim an entity, select Trim First icon. (1) Select the entity on the side to keep. (2) Select the trimming entity.

To extend an entity, select Trim First icon. (1) Select the first entity to extend. (2) Select the second entity to which the first should extend.

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Trim Both The Trim Both function trims or extends both selected entities. Where each entity is selected is important to the result. The order in which they are selected is not important. The following image displays the Trim Both function. To Trim Both entities, Left-click the first (1) and second (2) entities on the sides to keep. When the second entity is selected the entities are trimmed.

Divide The divide function enables an entity to be split by two other intersecting entities. The segment between the two intersecting entities is removed. 1. Left-click on the entity to be divided. 2. Left-click on one of the two intersecting entities. The order of selection does not matter. 3. Select the second intersecting entity. 4. The segment of the first selected entity, that is between the other two selected entities, is removed.

When dividing a circle or an arc with an entity that intersects the circle or arc in two places, the location of the selection point on this intersecting entity is important. The divide will take place on the intersection with the arc that is closest to the selection points (2) and (3). The location of the selection point on the arc or circle to be divided (1) is not important.

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Trim to Point Select an entity and specify the point to which it is trimmed using the cursor or Position Actions (See page 18) . Whether the entity is extended or shortened depends on the position of the selected point. If an arc or circle entity is selected, it must be selected on the section to be kept. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select Trim to Point from the Edit ribbon. Left-click the entity (1). Left-click the trim point of the entity (2). To extend the entity, left-click a position past the entity, see below right image. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

When trimming circles, keep in mind that a circle has a start point. Refer to the following image for applying the Trim to Point function on a circle. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select Trim to Point from the Edit ribbon. Left-click the circle. Right-click and select midpoint on the position menu. Left-click the circle again and the half of the circle is removed. Select Esc to end the function.

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Quick Trim The Quick Trim function searches in both directions along the selected entity for intersecting entities and trims the selected entity to the intersections. The Quick Trim function always removes part of an entity and never extends the selected entity. Select Quick Trim and left-click the entities to trim; the entities are trimmed as they are selected.

To Quick Trim a circle, left-click the entities to trim; the entities are trimmed as they are selected.

Break
The Break functions separate the selected entity, at the point indicated, into two entities. To undo a break command select Undo or Recall.

Break First (See page 136) Break Both (See page 136) Break to Point (See page 137) Break All (See page 137)

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Break First The Break First function breaks the first selected entity at the intersection point nearest to the selected position of the second entity. To break a line entity, (1) left-click the entity to break. (2) Left-click the entity that intersects the first selected entity. The newly separated entity's color was changed to illustrate the entity break.

To break a circle entity, (1) left-click the circle entity. (2) Left-click the intersecting entity. The newly separated entity is displayed in green to illustrate the function.

Break Both The Break Both function separates the selected intersecting entities at the point of intersection. To break, (1) Left-click the first entity. (2) Left-click the second entity and the two selected entities are separated into separate entities at the intersection. The below right image displays the newly separated entities.

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Break to Point The Break to Point function separates the selected entity at a specified point into two separate entities. (1) Left-click the first entity. (2) Left-click a point on the selected entity to separate. (3) The selected entity is separated into two entities at the selected point. The image on the right illustrates the newly separated entity.

Break All The Break All function breaks all the selected entities at their intersection points into separate entities. (1) Left-click and window around the entities, or select from the selection actions to select the entities to separate. Right-click to apply the Break All function to the selected entities. (2) The image on the right illustrates the newly separated entities.

Attributes
The Attributes functions change colors, levels, and line types of entities, and include the following options.

Active Color (See page 138) Change Color (See page 138)

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Active Level (See page 139) Change Level (See page 139) Active Line Type (See page 139) Change Line Type (See page 140) Edit Same Depth Contours (See page 397)

Active Color Select Active Color to display the color palette dialog and choose a new color for displaying entities. Left-click on the color in the palette to change the active color.Once the active color is changed, the next entities are drawn with the new active color.

Cancel: Select to close the color palette dialog without changing the active color selection.

Change Color The Change Color function changes the color of a selected entity. Selecting the Change Color icon opens a dialogue containing Selection Actions (See page 15) for selecting objects for color changes. To change an the color for an entity or entities : 1. Select the Change Color icon from the active/change listing on the Edit ribbon. 2. Choose a Selection Actions (See page 15) to determine the selection method. 3. Left-click the entity to apply the color change. 4. Select Done. The color palette dialog is displayed. 5. Select a color. The color palette dialog is closed and the selected entity color is changed.

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Active Level The Active Level function activates, inactivates, adds or renames levels. Selecting or deselecting the check box of a level will hide or display the level. Select the Close icon in the upper right hand corner to close the dialog. Add : Select Add to add another level to the list. Rename: Select the level, then select Rename to edit the name of the level.

Change Level The Change Level function moves one or more entities from one level to another. To move levels: 1. Select the Change Color icon from the active/change listing on the Edit ribbon. 2. Choose a Selection Actions (See page 15) to determine the selection method. 3. Select the entities to change the levels 4. Right-click to display the level listing dialog. 5. Select the level to change the entities to and select OK. Cancel: Select to close the level dialog without changing levels. OK: Select to close the level dialog changing the selected entities to the selected level.

Active Line Type The Active Line Type function changes the style for active line types. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the Active Line Type icon to display the line type dialog. Select the drop-down box to display the line type styles. Left-click the line type to make active. Select OK to accept the line type and close the Line Type dialog.

The entities created from this point on will have the selected line type.

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Change Line Type The Change Line Type function changes the existing entity line types. 1. Select the Change Line Type icon to display the Selection Actions (See page 15)for changing line types. 2. Select the entity/entities and right-click to display the line type dialog. 3. Select the drop down box to display the line type styles. Left-click the line type to change the selected entities to. 4. Select OK to accept the line type and close the Line Types dialog.

Detail
The Detail ribbon contains functions for defining detail information for the geometries and parts. The following categories Notes, Dimensions , and Font are defined under the Detail ribbon.

Make Note (See page 140) Dimension (See page 144) True Type Font (See page 152)

Make Note
The Note function adds text to a drawing. The Note actions are displayed on the left side of the window. The cursor is active in the Note text window when Note is selected from the drop down list on the Detail ribbon. Enter text for the note. Select enter to start a new line of text. Left-click on the workspace to place the note. The following actions are available for editing a note in the Note Text Window.

Delete: Select Delete to remove all of the text in the note window.

Cut: Select Cut to remove selected text from the note. Select the text to remove and leftclick the cut icon. The text is removed.

Paste: Select Paste to insert text at a cursor location in the Note Text Window. Left-click the location for the text in the Note Text Window and left-click the paste icon.

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CAD The last text that was removed by the cut action, or selected with the copy action, is pasted at the cursor location.

Copy: Select Copy to copy text to another location in the Note Text Window. Select the text from the text window and left-click the copy icon. Place the cursor to a new location in the Note Text Window and left-click the paste icon. The text is placed at the new location in the text window. Color:Left-click on the color bar and the color palette dialog is displayed. Select the note color. Note Height:Enter the value for the height of the note. The note height value is determined by the type of units set in the SigmaNEST configuration, millimeters (metric) or inches (imperial). Note Angle:Select from one of the following quick icons for the note angle or enter a value in degrees for the note to display on the workspace. Selecting one of the quick angle icons displays the note the same as the icon's orientations.The note angle is defined as counter-clockwise to the X-axis.

Additional Note options are available by clicking on the drop-down menu:

Note Height (See page 142) Note Position (See page 142) Edit Text (See page 142) Arrows (See page 143) Decimals (See page 143) Line Up Dimensions (See page 144) Detail Options (See page 144)

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Note Height
Select Note Height to change the selected note height size. 1. Select Note Height function icon from the Detail ribbon. 2. Left-click the note (1) or, select the window action to window around the note and right-click. 3. Enter the new height value of the note in the text box and select enter. 4. A new note with the new height is displayed (2). 5. Left-click on the workspace to clear the old text (3). 6. Select Esc to end the function. The newly sized note is adjusted using note position.

Note Position
Select Note Position to move the note to a new position. 1. Left-click the note to move. 2. Right-click to attach the selected note to the cursor. 3. Move the cursor to the new position and left-click. The note is anchored to the new position.

Edit Text
Edit Text allows changing the text of a selected note. 1. Left-click the text to edit and the edit note dialog is displayed. 2. Edit the text and select OK. The edit note dialog is closed and the newly edited text is displayed. 3. Select Esc to end the function.

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Arrows
Select to set the arrow position of the dimension lines. The arrows are set between the lines or are positioned outside of the dimension lines pointing inward. Select one of the following arrow action icons.

Arrows Out Select to display the arrows for the dimension lines to point outward. Left-click on the existing arrows and right-click. The arrow direction is changed.

Arrows In Select to apply the arrows for the dimension lines inward. Left-click on the existing arrows and right-click. The arrow direction is changed.

Decimals
Select to set the number of decimal places for the dimension values. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select Decimals from the Detail ribbon. Enter the dimension value in the text box and select enter. Left-click the dimension to change the decimal places. Right-click and the decimal places are changed. Select Esc to end the function.

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Line Up Dimensions
Select to align the dimension values on the workspace. The alignment is applied to the same type of dimensions only. For example all horizontal dimensions are aligned only and not vertical dimensions. 1. Select the Line Up Dims on the Detail ribbon. 2. Left-click each dimension to align. and right-click. 3. Right-click and the selected dimensions are aligned.

Detail Options
Select to set general Note/Dimension options. A dialog for setting the Note height, number of decimals, and arrow pointer type is displayed. 1. Select the Detail Options icon from the Detail ribbon. A dialog is displayed. 2. Enter the general parameters and select OK.

Dimension
The Dimension functions add dimension notes to parts. The dimension notes are applied with different parameters. Default Dimension notes can be set up using the Note Functions. Set the default dimension height, number of decimals used for the dimension value, and arrow direction of the dimension note. The Note and Dimension parameters can also be set on the System tab under the configuration menus located on Work Space tab. Select from one of the following dimension parameters: Smart (See page 145) Horizontal (See page 146) Vertical (See page 146) Radius (See page 147) Diameter (See page 147) Parallel (See page 148) Angle (See page 148) Base Horizontal (See page 149) Base Vertical (See page 149) Chain Horizontal (See page 150) Chain Vertical (See page 151) Chamfer (See page 151) Arc Length (See page 152)

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CAD The following parameters are used in the set-up of all of the Smart Dimension functions: Color: Select to change the dimension note color. A color dialog palette is displayed. Left-click the color to change and the color selected is displayed. Note Height: Enter the height of the dimension note. Number of Decimals: Enter the number of decimal places to use for the dimension note. Tolerance:Select to apply a tolerance note for the dimension. Upper Limit: Enter a positive tolerance specification for the dimension note. Lower Limit: Enter a negative tolerance specification for the dimension note. Note Height Factor: Enter the note height for the tolerance specification. The tolerance specification note is also displayed with the dimension note and can be defined with a different height from the dimension note.

Arrow Out: Select to apply the dimension note arrows outward.

Arrow In: Select to apply the dimension note arrows inward.

Smart The Smart function inserts dimension notes between two selected entities. The smart function automatically determines angle, length, or height value dimension notes inserted between the two selected entities. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the Smart function icon on the Detail ribbon. Left-click the first entity (1). Left-click the second entity (2). Left-click on the workspace for the dimension note to be placed (3) and the note is created. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

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Horizontal The Horizontal function inserts a horizontal dimension line between two points. The Position Actions (See page 18) are available for placing the horizontal dimension note. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the Horizontal function icon on the Detail ribbon. Left-click the first position to apply the dimension. Left-click the second position. The horizontal note is displayed. Move the cursor to the note position and left-click to anchor the horizontal dimension note. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Vertical The vertical function inserts a vertical dimension line between two points. The Position Actions (See page 18) are available for placing the horizontal dimension note. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the Vertical function icon on the Detail ribbon. Left-click the first entity (1). Left-click the second entity (2). The vertical dimension note is displayed. Move the cursor to the position (3) and left-click to anchor the vertical note to the selected position. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

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Radius The Radius function inserts a radius dimension line. 1. Select the Radius function icon on the Detail ribbon. 2. Left-click a circle or an arc (1). 3. Move the cursor to the position (2) for the radius dimension and leftmouse click to anchor the dimension to the selected position. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Diameter The Diameter function inserts a diameter dimension for a circle or arc. 1. Select the Diameter function icon on the Detail ribbon. 2. Left-click a circle or an arc on the workspace. 3. Move the cursor to the position for the diameter dimension and leftmouse click to anchor the dimension to the selected position. The diameter dimension has an prefix. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

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Parallel The parallel function inserts a parallel dimension line between two selected points. The Position Actions (See page 18) are available for placing the horizontal dimension note. 1. Select the Parallel function from the Detail ribbon. 2. Left-click the first entity position (1). 3. Left-click the second parallel entity (2). The parallel dimension note is displayed. 4. Move the cursor to the position (3) and left-click. The dimension note is anchored to the selected position. 5. Select Esc to end the parallel dimension note function.

Angle The Angle function displays an angular dimension between two selected lines. The angle is always measured in the counter-clockwise direction from the first selected line. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the Angle Function from the detail ribbon on the CAD tab. Left-click the first entity. Left-click the second entity. The angle dimension id displayed. Move the cursor to the selected position for the dimension note, and leftclick to anchor the dimension note.

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Base Horizontal The Base Horizontal function inserts a base horizontal dimension line referenced from the first selected point. The Position Actions (See page 18) are available for placing the base horizontal dimension note. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select Base Horizontal function from the Detail ribbon. Left-click the first position to reference the dimension position (1). Left-click the second position (2). The dimension note is displayed. Move the cursor to the note position (3) and left-click to anchor the horizontal dimension note. 5. Continue to select another point (4) and the dimension note will reference the distance from the first selected point. 6. Select Esc to end the base horizontal function.

Base Vertical The Base Vertical function inserts a base vertical dimension line referenced from the first selected point. The Position Actions (See page 18) are available for placing the base vertical dimension note. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select Base Vertical function from the Detail ribbon. Left-click the first position to reference the dimension position (1). Left-click the second position (2). The dimension note is displayed. Move the cursor to the note position (3) and left-click to anchor the vertical dimension note. 5. Continue to select another point (4) and the dimension note will reference the distance from the first selected point. 6. Select Esc to end the function.

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Chain Horizontal The Chain Horizontal function inserts a base horizontal dimension line referenced between the previous and last selected points. The Position Actions (See page 18) are available for placing the chain horizontal dimension note. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select Chain Horizontal function icon from the Detail ribbon. Left-click the first position to reference the dimension position (1). Left-click the second position (2). The chain horizontal note is displayed. Move the cursor to the note position (3) and left-click to anchor the chain horizontal dimension note. Continue to select another point (4) and the dimension note will reference the distance from the previous selected point. 5. Select Esc to end the chain horizontal function.

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Chain Vertical The Chain Vertical function inserts a base vertical dimension line referenced between the previous and last selected points. The Position Actions (See page 18) are available for placing the chain vertical dimension note. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select Chain Horizontal function icon from the Detail ribbon. Left-click the first position to reference the dimension position (1). Left-click the second position (2). The chain vertical note is displayed. Move the cursor to the note position (3) and left-click to anchor the chain vertical dimension note. Continue to select another point (4) and the dimension note will reference the distance from the previous selected point. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Chamfer The Chamfer function places a calculated dimension for the selected entity. 1. Select the Chamfer dimension icon from the Detail ribbon on the Detail or Part Detail tab. 2. Left-click the entity. The chamfer note dimension is displayed. 3. Move the cursor to the selected position for the dimension note, and leftclick to anchor the dimension note. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

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Arc Length The Arc Length function displays the arc length of a selected arc. 1. Left-click the arc to display the arc length dimension. 2. Left-click the arc to display the arc length dimension. Move the cursor to the desired arc length dimension position 3. The arc length dimension is displayed. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

True Type Font

The True Type Font function is used to create text geometry using a specific True Type font. The size, spacing and the aspect ratio of the text can be specified. The TrueType font dialog is displayed. Enter the following parameters: Font Style: All the True Type fonts installed on the machine are shown in the drop-down list. Select the font to use from the list. Size: This is the vertical size in SigmaNEST geometry units inches or millimeters. Spacing : This is the spacing between the letters, expressed as a decimal fraction of the size. For example, if the size is 10 and the spacing is specified as 0.1, then the actual spacing is 1 unit (10 * 0.1). A spacing of 0.1 provides a letter spacing close to the default for the font. Aspect Ratio : The aspect ratio specifies the ratio of the width of the letters to their height. An aspect ratio of 1 shows the letters as they are specified in the font. An aspect ratio of 1.5 makes the letters 50% wider than usual. An aspect ration of 0.75 makes each letter 25% narrower than usual. Larger aspect ratios are more legible at small sizes. Smaller aspect ratios are more legible with large font sizes. Text: Enter the text to place on the work-space. Press the Enter key to display a sample of the text in the area underneath the text field. OK: Select the OK button to close the dialog. Click the left button to anchor the text to the cursor. Move the cursor to position the text. Click the left button again to place the text on the work-space.

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X-Form (Work-space)
XForm functions are for moving, copying, rotating, scaling, and arraying existing geometries. Select from the following XForm functions Delta Copy (See page 153) Delta Move (See page 154) Old New Copy (See page 154) Old New Move (See page 155) 2D Rotate Copy (See page 156) 2D Rotate Move (See page 156) Scale Copy (See page 157) Copy Point Horizontal (See page 162) Move Point Vertical (See page 162) Move Point Horizontal (See page 163) 163) Move - Select Two Points (See page 164) Scale Move (See page 158) Dynamic Copy (See page 158) Dynamic Move (See page 159) Array (See page 159) Box Move Delta (See page 160) Box Move Base Point (See page 161) Copy Point Vertical (See page 162) Copy - Select Two Points (See page

Delta Copy
The Delta Copy function copies selected entities to a new position. The Delta Copy function creates a specified number of copies of the selected geometry, each spaced by the specified XY translation distance. The Selection Actions (See page 15) are available for selecting the entity or entities for the delta copy or copies. 1. Select Delta Copy from the XForm ribbon. 2. Enter the number of copies and enter the XY coordinates for placement of the copied entities. 3. Left-click or window around an entity(s) (1), or use a selection action icon to select the entity or entities. 4. Right-click on the workspace and the geometries are copied to the specified XY positions (2).

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Delta Move
The Delta Move function moves selected entity(s) to a new position. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the delta move. 1. Select Delta Move from the XForm ribbon. 2. Draw a window around the entities to move with the cursor or select the entities using one of the selection actions. 3. Enter the X and Y distance to move the selected entities in the control panel. 4. Select the apply button in the control panel. 5. Select the Esc key to end the function.

Old New Copy

The Old New Copy function is similar to the Delta function, instead of specifying XY offsets, the new position is specified using an existing base position of the selected entity or entities. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the old new copy. 1. Select Old New Copy from the XForm ribbon. 2. Enter the number of copies to create.

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CAD 3. 4. 5. 6. Left-click on the entities to copy (1)(2). Right-click on the workspace (3) to advance to the next action of the old new copy function. Left-click the base reference position (4). The copy is referenced from this position. Left-click the new base position where the copy of the entity(s) will be placed and the copied entity or entities are drawn (5). 7. Select Esc to end the function.

Old New Move

The Old New Move function is similar to the Old New Copy function, instead of copying the entity(s), the selected entity or entities are moved to a new position. The selected base point of the selected entities is used as the point of placement. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the Old New Move function. 1. Select Old New Move from the XForm ribbon. 2. Left-click and window around the entity(s). 3. Right-click on the workspace to advance to the next action of the Old New Move function. 4. Left-click a base position of the selected entity(s). 5. Left-click the new base position for placing the selected entity(s). The selected object is moved to the new position. 6. Select Esc to end the function.

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2D Rotate Copy
The 2D Rotate Copy function rotates a specified number of copies of a selected entity or entities,at a specified angle,around a specified point.The rotation occurs in degrees counter-clockwise from the X-axis. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the 2D Rotate function. 1. Left-click (1) or window the entity to rotate and copy.The 2D Rotate Copy actions are displayed. 2. Enter the number of copies to create.Enter the angle the copied object(s) will be rotated around and select enter. 3. Right-click to advance the function to select the rotation point.Left-click the point of rotation (2) for selected object(s).The point of rotation does not have to be relative to the entity to rotate. 4. Right-click and the object(s) are drawn referenced to the selected rotation point. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

2D Rotate Move
The 2D Rotate Move function moves a selected entity or entities,at a specified angle,around a specified point.The rotation occurs in degrees counter-clockwise from the X-axis. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the 2D Rotate function. 1. Select the 2D Move function icon and function actions are displayed. 2. Left-click and window around the entity to move ,or use one of the selection actions.

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CAD 3. Enter the angle of the object(s) that will be moved and select enter. 4. Left-click the point of rotation of the selected objects.The point of rotation does not have to be relative to the entity to rotate. 5. Right-click and the object(s) are drawn referenced to the selected rotation point in step 2. 6. Select Esc to end the function.

Scale Copy
The Scale Copy function copies and scales selected entities referenced to a selected point. To scale the selected entities larger, enter a factor greater than one. To scale the selected entities smaller, enter a value smaller than one. The original entity is retained and the specified number of copies are created. The scaling factor is applied to each entity in turn, creating progressively larger or smaller entities. The reference point is effectively a perspective vanishing point. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the scale copy. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select Scale Copy from the XForm ribbon. Enter the number of copies of the selected entity or entities. Enter the scale factor for the selected entity(s). Left-click or window the objects to scale (1), or use one of the selection actions and right-click. 5. Left-click the reference point to scale the copied entity(s) from (2). The entity(s) are displayed. 6. Select Esc to end the function.

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Scale Move
The Scale Move function scales and moves a selected entity or entities. To scale the selected entities larger, enter a factor greater than one. To scale the selected entities smaller, enter a value smaller than one. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the scale copy. 1. Select Scale Move from the XForm ribbon. 2. Enter the scale factor for the selected entity(s). 3. Left-click (1) or window the entity(s) to scale and move, or use one of the selection actions and right-click. 4. Left-click the reference point to scale and move the copied object(s) from (2). 5. The selected entity(s) are scaled and moved from the selected reference point. 6. Select Esc to end the function.

Dynamic Copy
The Dynamic Copy function copies a selected entity or entities. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the dynamic copy function. 1. Select Dynamic Copy from the XForm ribbon. 2. Left-click and window the entity(s) to copy, or use one of the selection actions and right-click. 3. The selected entity(s) are anchored to the cursor for placement. 4. Left-click the new position for the selected entity(s). 5. Select Esc to end the function.

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Dynamic Move
The Dynamic Move function moves a selected entity or entity(s). The Selection Actions (See page 15) are available for selecting the entity or entities for the dynamic move function. Select Dynamic Move from the XForm ribbon. 1. Window the objects to move, or use one of the selection actions and leftclick. 2. Right-click and the selected object(s) are anchored to the cursor for placement. 3. Place the object in the new position and left-click the new position for the selected object(s). 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Array
Select Array to copy an array of parts across a sheet in the X and or Y directions. 1. Window around the entities or left-click each part to copy.The selected parts are highlighted. 2. Right-click and an array dialog is displayed. 3. Specify the number of copies in the X direction and the spacing.This is the total number of copies in the X direction when the operation is complete.It is not the number of additional copies made.For example,if three is specified as the number of copies,then two additional copies are made,so there are a total of three. 4. Specify the number of copies in the Y direction and the spacing.This is the total number of copies in the Y direction when the operation is complete.It is not the number of additional copies made.For example,if two is specified as the number of copies,then one additional copy is made,so there are a total of two. 5. Right-click and the array of parts is displayed. 6. Select Esc to end the function.

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Box Move Delta

The Box Move Delta function moves an entity or entity end point by specified X and Y offsets. The attached entities are extended and remain attached. The important differences between move delta and box move delta are: Move delta only permits whole entities to be selected, but box move delta also permits entity end points to be moved. l Move delta moves the whole entity only, but box move delta can move the whole entity or just its end point and any attached entities are stretched to remain attached to the item moved. In order to use the box move delta function:
l

1. Enter X and Y offsets in the control panel. 2. Use a selection window to select an entity, its end point or an intersection between two entities. Click the left button to complete the selection. 3. The selected entities move to their new position and any attached entities are extended so they remain attached. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Extend or shorten a line entity horizontally by entering a positive or negative X offset value respectively. Extend or shorten a line entity vertically by entering a positive or negative Y offset value respectively.

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CAD

If no entity or entity end point is selected, a "No Entities Found" error message is displayed.

Box Move Base Point

The Box Move Base Point function moves an entity or entity end point by a cursordefined offset and extends attached entities so that they remain attached. The important difference between box move delta and box move base point is that with box move delta, X and Y offsets are explicitly defined, whereas with box move base point, the offset is calculated from two click points on the work space. 1. Use a selection window to select an entity, its end point or an intersection between two entities. Left-click to complete the selection. A dotted selection window remains on the work space. 2. Click two other points on the work space. The distance between these points represents the offset by which the selected entity is moved. 3. The selected entity is moved by the offset between the last two click points on the work space. Any attached entities are extended so they remain attached. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

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Copy Point Vertical

The Copy Point Vertical function copies entity(s) around a selected point on the X axis. The Selection Actions (See page 15) are available for selecting the entity(s). 1. Select Copy Point Vertical from the XForm ribbon. 2. Left-click and window around the object(s), or select one of the selection actions, to copy the object vertically. 3. Right-click and select one of the position actions for placing the copied object(s). 4. Left-click the workspace position to place the copied object(s). 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Move Point Vertical

The Move Point Vertical function moves a selected entity or entities around a selected point on the X axis. The Selection Actions (See page 15) are available for selecting the entity or entities for the copy point vertical function. 1. Select Move Point Vertical from the XForm ribbon. 2. Left-click and window around the object(s), or select one of the selection actions, to move the object vertically. 3. Right-click and select one of the position actions for placing the entity(s). 4. Left-click the workspace position to move the selected entity(s). 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Copy Point Horizontal

The Copy Point Vertical function copies entity(s) around a selected point on the X axis. 1. The Selection Actions (See page 15) are available for selecting the entity(s). 1. Select Copy Point Vertical from the XForm ribbon. 2. Left-click and window around the object(s), or select one of the selection actions, to copy the object vertically. 3. Right-click and select one of the position actions for placing the copied object(s).

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CAD 4. Left-click the workspace position to place the copied object(s). 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Move Point Horizontal

The Move Point Horizontal function moves a selected entity or entities around a selected point on the X axis. The Selection Actions (See page 15) are available for selecting the entity or entities for the copy point vertical function. 1. Select Move Point Horizontal from the XForm ribbon. 2. Left-click and window around the object(s), or select one of the selection actions, to move the object vertically. 3. Right-click and select one of the position actions for placing the entity(s). 4. Left-click the workspace position to move the selected entity(s). 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Copy - Select Two Points

The Copy Select 2 Points function copies a selected entity or entities opposite around the axis of two selected points. The placement of the copied entity(s) is the same distance the selected entity(s) original position from the axis of the selected two points. The Selection Actions (See page 15) are available for selecting the entity or entities for the copyselect 2 points function. 1. Left-click the entity to copy (1), or select one of the selection actions. The entity or entities are highlighted. 2. Right-click and select the type of position action, for example the cursor position is selected. Once the position action is selected, select two points to copy the entity around. 3. Left-click the first point (2). 4. Left-click the second point (3). The selected entity(s) are copied to the new position (4). 5. Select Esc to end the function.

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Move - Select Two Points

The Move Select 2 Points function moves a selected entity(s) opposite around the axis of two selected points. The placement is the same distance the selected entity(s) original position from the axis of the selected two points. The Selection Actions (See page 15) are available for selecting the entity(s). 1. Select Move Two Points from the XForm ribbon. 2. Left-click the entity (1), or select one of the selection actions, for selecting entities, and right-click. 3. The position listing is displayed. Select the position action for selecting the two points for the rotation axis. 4. Left-click the first (2) and second point (3) for the rotation axis to move the selected entity(s). The selected entity(s) are moved to the new position (4). 5. Select Esc to end the function.

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Verify (CAD)
The Verify functions are used to view and verify entity positions, angles, and distances.

Distance Between Two Positions (See page 165) Shortest Distance Between Two Entities (See page 166) Shortest Distance Between a Position and an Entity (See page 166) Coordinates of an Entity (See page 166) Position of a Point (See page 167) Angle Between Two Lines (See page 167) Perimeter (See page 167) Area (See page 168) Attribute (See page 168) Find Open Ends (See page 168)

Distance Between Two Positions

The Verify 2 Positions function displays the distance between two selected workspace positions. The Position Actions are available for selecting the positions for the selected verify function. 1. Select the Shortest Distance between 2 Positions icon on the Verify ribbon. 2. Left-click the first point position.

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CAD 3. Left-click the second point position. The shortest distance between the points is displayed at the bottom of the workspace.

Related topic: Position Actions (See page 18)

Shortest Distance Between a Position and an Entity

The Verify Shortest Distance between a Position and Entity function displays the distance between a point and an entity. The Position Actions are available for selecting the positions for the selected verify function. 1. Select the Shortest Distance between a Position and Entity icon on the Verify ribbon. 2. Left-click the point position. 3. Left-click the entity. The shortest distance between the point and the entity is displayed at the bottom of the workspace.

Shortest Distance Between Two Entities

The Verify Distance between 2 Entities function displays the distance between two selected entities.The Position Actions are available for selecting the positions. 1. Select the Verify Position of a point icon on the Verify ribbon. 2. Left-click and select two entities. 3. The distance between the two entities displays at the bottom of the screen, as well as the delta X and delta Y values.

Coordinates of an Entity
The Display Entity Coordinates function shows the selected entity's coordinates in the status bar at the bottom of the window. If the entity is a point, its coordinates are displayed. If the entity is a circle or arc, the coordinates of its midpoint are displayed. l If the entity is a line, the coordinates of each end point are displayed. Instructions:
l l

1. Select the Display Entity Coordinates button

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CAD 2. Select an entity on the workspace. 3. The entity's coordinates are displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the window.

Position of a Point
The Verify Position of a Point function finds the coordinates for a selected position on the work space. The Position Actions are available for selecting the positions for the selected verify function. The selected point position X and Y coordinates are displayed at the bottom of the workspace. 1. Select the Verify Position of a point icon on the Verify ribbon. 2. Left-click the position on the workspace. 3. The X,Y coordinates are displayed at the bottom of the workspace. Repeat the steps to verify another position.

Angle Between Two Lines

The Verify Angle Between 2 Lines function calculates the angle between two entities. The angle is measured counter-clockwise from the first to the second selected entity. The selection actions are available for The Position Actions are available for selecting the positions for the selected verify function. 1. Select the Verify Angle icon on the Verify ribbon. 2. Left-click the first and second entities to verify the angle between them. 3. The angle between the two entities is displayed at the bottom of the workspace. 4. Select Esc to end the verify angle function.

Perimeter
The Verify Perimeter function displays the total perimeter for all selected entities. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities. 1. Select the Verify Perimeter icon on the Verify ribbon. 2. Left-click the entity. Use the selection icons to select additional contours. The selected entities are highlighted. 3. Right-click and the perimeter value is displayed at the bottom of the workspace. 4. Select Esc to end the verify perimeter function.

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CAD Related topic: Position Actions (See page 18)

Area
The Area function is similar to the perimeter function except that it displays the area for all selected entities. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities. The area value is displayed at the bottom of the workspace. 1. Select the Verify Area icon on the Verify Ribbon. 2. Left-click the entity or entities to calculate the area or use the selection actions for selecting the entities. 3. Right-click and the area of the selected contours is displayed at the bottom of the Work-space.

Attribute
The Attribute function displays the selected entity's attributes, line type and level, at the bottom of the Work-space. 1. Select Attribute icon from the Verify ribbon. 2. Left-click an entity on the Work-space. The line type, level, and color of the selected entity is displayed at the bottom of the Work-space. 3. Right-click to select another entity to view it's attributes. 4. Select Esc to end the verify function.

Find Open Ends

Find open ends locates all open contours, including lead-in geometry or broken loops that would cause an open contour message when creating a part.

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Nesting

Nesting
l l l l l l

Nest (See page 169) Manual Nest (See page 189) Lead-ins (See page 209) X-Form (Nesting) (See page 215) Verify (Nesting) (See page 220) Parts Bar

Nest
The Nest ribbon contains the functions to nest, manually nest, add lead-ins, and verify nesting layouts. Auto Nest (See page 169) Modify Task (See page 170) Task Parameters (See page 172) Report (See page 186) New Nesting Task (See page 66) Delete (See page 188) Task Properties (See page 188) Layout Properties (See page 189)

Auto Nest
Auto Nesting is used to automatically nest parts defined in a task. Auto Nesting automatically nests the parts in the selected tasks and will be disabled if no nest exists. If Auto Nesting is selected for a task that is already nested, SigmaNEST displays a confirm dialog window with the following options. Continue: The Input Box dialog window is displayed when continue is selected. When more than one sheet of parts is nested, the Input Box dialog window asks for a layout number to continue nesting from. Select Continue and select a layout number. SigmaNEST continues to nest parts from the layout specified. Re-nest: Select Re-nest and SigmaNEST re-nests all the parts on all the sheets. A process dialog window is displayed during the nest function. Current Sheet: Select to re-nest the current sheet.

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Nesting Cancel: Cancel ends the function and does not save any work done while in the Auto Nesting function.

The nesting in process can be interrupted by pressing Esc. Parts can then be manually nested by using the functions on the Manual Nesting ribbon. Select Auto, from the Nest ribbon, to continue the nesting. The completed nest is displayed.

Modify Task
Modifying a task uses the same features as creating a new task. See the Task Setup dialog for more information. Parts List: The left side displays parts loaded on the Work-space. Left-click the parts and select the arrow buttons to move parts to and from the task list on the right side of the parts listing. Select to transfer selected parts to the task list on the right. Select to transfer all the parts, in the list, to the task list on the right. Select to transfer selected parts from the task list back to the parts list. Select to transfer all the parts from the task list back to the parts list. A warning appears if there is a material mismatch. Highlight the parts and select Unselect to remove them from the task. The bottom of the listings displays the number of parts in the parts list and the number of parts selected in the task listing. Part Image Display: The selected part is displayed at the top right window. Task Name: The task name is automatically incremented, or enter a task name. Batch: Enter a value to multiply the quantity that the part parameter is set to. Thickness: Enter the material thickness. Material: Enter the material. Combine WO parts with same part name: Select to combine the quantity of work order parts that have the same part names. Task Setup Buttons: The following links describe the task setup buttons along the bottom of the dialog.

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Nesting Edit (See page 70) Import (See page 71) Pre-nest (See page 71) Work Order Edit (See page 72) Task Parameters (See page 172) Sheets List: The left side displays parts loaded on the Work-space. Left-mouse click the parts and select the arrow buttons to move parts to and from the task list on the right side of the parts listing. Select to transfer selected parts to the task list on the right. Select to transfer all the parts, in the list, to the task list on the right. Select to transfer selected parts from the task list back to the parts list. Select to transfer all the parts from the task list back to the parts list. A warning appears if there is a material mismatch. Highlight the parts and select Unselect to remove them from the task. The bottom of the listings displays the number of parts in the parts list and the number of parts selected in the task listing. Use Best Sheet: Select to allow SigmaNEST to nest on all available sheet sizes then choose the lay out with the lowest scrap rate. Limit Nested Stock Sheets: Limit Stock Sheets sets the number of sheets SigmaNEST can use in a task.For example, if this option is not selected and the nest requires 8 sheets and the stock selected has 10 sheets available then all 8 sheets will be used. If this option is selected and set to 2 then the max number of sheet that will be nested is two. OK: Select OK to load the selected sheet(s). Extract: Select to split sheets that had been combined back into seperate sheets. Combine: Select to combine two or more sheets into one sheet with a new sheet name. Parts will not be nested along the seam line. Sort: Select to sort the selected sheets by either largest or smallest area. Edit: Select to edit the sheet parameters. The Sheet Parameters (See page 53) dialog is displayed. Task Setup Buttons: The following links describe the task setup buttons along the bottom of the dialog. New Task Sheet (Add Sheet) New Stock Sheet (Add Sheet) Sheet Parameters (See page 53) Sheet List (See page 51) Task Parameters (See page 172) Cancel: Select to close the Task Setup dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Task Setup dialog saving all changes. - 171 -

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Task Parameters
Task Parameters is used to setup the parameters for task nesting.Parameters include nesting strategies,group by work order,process and repositioning parameters.For punching type of machines a punching parameter tab is available for setting up tooling strategies.

Task Parameters (See page 172) Advanced Task Parameters (See page 179) Process Parameters (See page 182) Reposition (See page 182) Punching Parameters (See page 185)

Task Parameters
Material: Enter the material type for the nesting. Length: Specify the length of the sheet. The value is ignored if a sheet from the stock control system or a remnant is used. Width: Specify the width of the sheet. As with the previous option, the value is ignored if a sheet from the stock control system or a remnant is used. Thickness: Specify the thickness of the material used for the nest. Part Clearance: This is the distance between the parts. When entering the nesting clearance, the system is satisfied within approximately plus or minus 20% of the value defined. Select the ellipse to set the clearance X direction.When entering an X clearance the main value becomes the Y clearance.When the X clearance value is greater than the main value the ellipse will highlight in red. Edge Distance: The edge distance is a border around the sheet in which no parts are nested. If a dead zone is specified in the machine setup, then the top or bottom takes the larger of the two values, depending upon where the zero position is set. Select the ellipse to set the edge clearance for the top, bottom, left and right side of the sheet.The individual values must be greater then the main value or it will be ignored. When values are set the ellipse will highlight in red. Custom edge clearances can be set for sheets in the Edit Sheet (See page 65) or Sheet Parameters (See page 53) dialogs.

Sheet Edge distance takes precedence over and will override the task parameters values.

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Nesting Auto Nesting Type: Select the type of nesting algorithm to use. The following types of nesting algorithms are available.

Auto Nesting Type is a separate option. The Auto Types displayed depends on the nesting modules that are activated. True Shape nesting uses the contours of the parts to fit the parts as close and efficient as possible. Smaller parts are fit into larger dropouts, if possible. The following image below is an example of True Shape nesting.

Advanced True Shape nesting uses the same method of nesting as True shape, with the enhanced feature of creating groups out of the same part. The following image below is an example of Advanced True Shape nesting.

Lookahead uses the most effective nest from multiple nests. The percentage of the part's area and the percentage factor for the size of the part, are used to determine which parts to nest first. The following image below illustrates an additional part was nested inside the dropout of the larger part, compared to the image under True Shape nesting.

Lookahead is a good choice when nesting similar size parts. Use True Shape nesting for different size parts. Rectangular fits the smallest rectangle around a part and then nests the rectangle. The dropout is ignored, and no other parts are nested within that rectangle. The following image illustrates a rectangular type nest.

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Nesting

Shear nesting nests rectangular parts for L-shape shearing. The following image illustrates, on the right side the nest, shear type nesting.

User1 nests same parts near each other.

User2 nests a group according to size.

User3 groups the same parts together through the nest.

AutoSelect automatically selects parts and find the best nesting combination. Usually takes longer to nest, but produces a more efficient nest

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Nesting

User5 enables time based nesting.

Number of Tries: The lower number provides a quicker nest, but the nest is less efficient. Selecting six takes longer to create the nest, but the nest is more efficient with less scrap. Strategy: Strategy works in conjunction with the Nest Reference and the Machine Reference to determine how parts are nested. The Strategy's initial position is determined by the nest and machine reference settings, with the nesting reference taking precedent. For more information, see Machine Reference and Nest Reference below. Strategy 1 nests the parts vertically, starting in the position of the nest reference. Strategy 2 - 4 are intermediate combinations of strategy 1 and 5. Strategy 5 nests the part horizontally, starting in the position of the nest reference. The most suitable strategy depends on the types of parts nested. Strategy 5 is recommended for punch and combo punch profile machines, using the Nest Reference opposite of reference.

If the auto nest is not providing the desired results,change the strategy and re-nest the parts. Lookahead Factor: This function is an efficiency parameter much like the Number of Tries parameter. Select a value between one and five. One produces a nest quicker, but the nest may be less efficient. Five takes longer to produce a nest, but the nest is more efficient. Exact Nesting : The value entered in the Clearance field is normally observed to within plus or minus 20 percent. Exact nesting overrides this tolerance and uses the exact clearance value.

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Exact nesting is only compatible with true shape nesting with Nest Bevels turned on. Common Cut Nesting : Select the type of Common Cut Nesting. The parts are nested together so as the cutting process commonly cuts both contours at the same time. Off: Select off to disable common cut nesting. Single Parts: Select to enable nesting single parts for common cutting. Same Parts: Select to enable common cut nesting of the same parts only. When more than one part is required they are nested with each other for common cutting. Multiple Parts: Select to enable common cut nesting of all parts in the nest. Any combination of parts are nested together for common cutting. Common Cut Kerf Lookup : Select Common Cut Kerf Lookup to retrieve the kerf information from the technology setup tables. Common Cut Kerf: Enter the kerf value for the common cut kerf option. Common Cut Kerf is enabled when Common Cut Kerf Lookup is disabled. Nest Bevels: Adjusts the clearance to permit the bevel cut to occur. The angle cuts that are required for some bevels require that adjacent parts be located further apart than the specified clearance value in order to avoid damage by the angle cut. Nest Bevels accomplishes this. Priority: Each part has a priority parameter (1-256), 1 is the highest priority. Priority determines the order the parts are nested. When the priority option is set to Yes, the nesting algorithm looks at the priorities of the parts to determine which part is nested first. If this option is set to No, the priority of the parts are ignored. If priority is enabled, it overrides the part order parameter. Only parts with the same priority are ordered by the part order parameter setting. Part Order: The part order parameter determines the nesting order of the parts. Area: The Area function determines the nesting order by the area and number of entities of a part. The parts with the largest area are nested first. Perimeter: The Perimeter function determines the nesting order by the perimeter and number of entities of a part. The parts with the largest perimeter are nested first. WO Sort: The WO Sort function determines the nesting order by the priority of the work order. The parts with the highest priority settings are nested first. Rect Area: The Rect Area function determines the nesting order by the rectangular area and number of entities of a part. The parts with the largest rectangular areas are nested first. Length: The Length function determines the nesting order by the aspect ratio of a part. The part with the longest perimeter segment is nested first.

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Nesting Use Static Nests: Specify yes or no the use of Static Nests files (STC). The parameters will check on a previous archived nest. Number of Torches: Specify the number of torches that are used for the nesting. Head Spacing : Select the desired head spacing, provided the Head Spacing option is set to Manual. If the head Spacing is set to Sheet, the system calculates the head spacing, taking into account the number of heads and sheet width. Min Head Distance: Sets a minimum head distance for multi-torching. It is the smallest distance that is permitted between heads. No parts are nested closer than this setting. Head Settings: Set the method for the head spacing calculation. Manual: The desired spacing is entered in the distance field. Sheet: The head spacing is calculated automatically according to the sheet size and the number of heads. Variable: The machine controller, as output in the post processor controls the heads. Large Part: Uses the largest part to set the head spacing and uses that spacing for all parts. Head Priority: Set the method for the head priority calculation. Allow Part Overrun: When set to Yes, then more parts that are specified in the nesting task can be created. This occurs when cutting with multiple torches or with stacked sheets. For example, if 10 parts are required and three torches are used then the actual number of parts cut is the next highest multiple of the number of torches, 12 in this case. Similarly, when cutting stacked sheets, the number of parts cut is the next higher multiple of the number of sheets in the stack. When set to No , some of the torches are turned off in order to cut the exact number of parts. When cutting stacked sheets, No , is ignored. Part Overrun is effectively always on. Check lead-ins: Lead-in lines are checked here. The choices are: Yes: the lead-in lines on parts are nested and the clearance around the lead-in lines are maintained Off: a more economical nesting results; however, it is necessary to ensure that the lead-in lines do not overlap with other parts. Check Pre Pierce No : Don't perform any pre-piercing checks. Yes: Creates extra clearance for a pre-pierce. Material Thickness: Uses the material thickness to determine the pre-pierce diameter. Pre Pierce Diameter: Pre Pierce Diameter is available only when Yes is selected in the Check Pre Pierce Box. Punch tool or drill size.

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Nesting Min Shear Strip (Width): This is used only for shear nesting (Auto Type is set to Shear). This is a machine characteristic and is the minimum amount that the shear cuts. Number of Sheets: Select the maximum number of sheets allowed for this nesting. If the parts do not fit on a single sheet, increase this number. Stack Quantity: The software allows the stacking of sheets; it is useful in routing applications. If entering a stack quantity other than one, the Part Quantity automatically sets the Parameters to No. Part quantities are rounded up (due to the stacking) to multiples of the stack quantity. Repeat Duplicate: Select Yes to allow duplicate sheets to be added to the nesting layout. Select No and the first sheet of a set of identical nesting layouts is shown. This generates a message in the nesting report, and in the nesting detail, to cut the program the number of times necessary to produce the correct number of parts. The default setting is NO Machine: This option allows the choice of machine used to cut the nesting layout. This influences the post processor, the dead zone, and the zero position that is used for this nesting layout. See the Config program for setting up machines. Machine Reference: Machine Reference specifies the location of the home position (0, 0) for the machine. It is influenced by the clamps or by the position where the machine operator is standing. It can have one of the following values: Bottom Left Top Left Bottom Right Top Right Nest Reference: Nest Reference is the position that the nesting starts from. It is used mainly for combination machines but works on any machine that uses clamps. The following options are available. Same as Reference: Select to set the nest reference the same as the above machine reference setting. Opposite to Reference: Select to set the nest reference the opposite as the above machine reference setting. Bottom Left: Set nest reference to the bottom left. Top Left: Set nest reference to the top left.. Bottom Right: Set nest reference to the bottom right. Top Right: Set nest reference to the top right. Nest Under Clamps: Specify whether the parts should be nested under the clamps or not nested under the clamps. In punching, it is very important to understand the repositioning of the plate in order to determine whether to nest under the clamps. The choices are: Exclude All Clamps: Parts are nested under all the clamps.

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Nesting Exclude First Clamp : No parts are nested under the first clamp in position one. Parts are nested under all the other clamps. Exclude Clamps for Position 1: No parts are nested under the first position of the clamps. Parts are nested under the second position of the clamps. Between All Clamps: No parts are nested under the clamps. Not Between Clamps: No parts are nested between the clamps. Exclude Last Clamp-Last Repo : No parts are nested under the last clamp in final reposition. Parameters Auto Lookup : Select to have the task parameters automatically loaded as default. Set as Default: Select to save the task parameters to be saved as the default settings. Cancel: Select to close the Task Parameters dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Task Parameters dialog saving all changes.

Advanced Task Parameters

Multi Sheets: Select if the machine process is capable of placing multiple sheets horizontally or vertically.

The exact sheet size must be known and the Inventory Control Module must be installed to use the multiple sheet feature. Multi Sheet Type: Select one of the following sheet alignments. Vertical: Select if the sheets are aligned vertically.

Horizontal: Select if the sheets are aligned horizontally.

Sheet Count: Enter the number of sheets allowed for the sheet type. Spacing : Enter a spacing value between the sheets.Some sheets may not be square and a spacing value is needed to align the machine process

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Used Fixed Head Spacing : Select to allow SolidNEST to use the machine process head spacing. Advanced Nesting Parameters: The Advanced Nesting Parameters allows the user to perform nesting according to sheet utilization,work orders,crop lines,spacing and scrap percentages. Reject last layout if utilization is less than: Select to enable a required sheet utilization percentage for the nesting layout to be accepted. Enter the percentage amount in the utilization window. Group By Work Order: Selecting one of the following options allows parts to be nested by work orders. Do Not Group Work Orders: Select to allow parts with different work orders to be nested together on a sheet. Group Work Orders: Select to allow parts on the same work order to be nested together on a sheet. Do Not Mix Work Orders: Select to not allow parts from different work orders to be nested on a sheet. Group Separation Crop Type: Select to enable a crop line type to separate the parts of a work order.Select from the following crop line types. Crop Line: Select to enable a uniform crop line.

Crop Step 1: Select to enable a rectangular crop line along the parts at the edge of the nest.

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Crop Step 2: Select to enable a crop line that follows the part contours of the edge of the nest.

Spacing : Enter a value to allow spacing between work order part groups.The image shows the spacing between the group of parts.

Minimum Strip Width: Enter a value to provide a minimum width of material between the edge of the sheet and the last nested parts of a work order. Find Best Stack: Select to enable the nesting task to find the best stack scrap percentage of the nest when sheets are stacked. Stack Scrap Percentage: Enter the percentage value of the scrap percentage that the nest will not exceed. Small Part Handling : Small Part handling provides an option to include additional part clearance for nesting small part,s allowing parts more material for vacuum and decreasing the chance for moving. Small parts are identified by checking the small part option on the Part Parameters' Grain Tab (See page 378). Part clearance can be set in the Task Parameters dialogue under the Advanced Task Parameters (See page 179) tab. Adjust Nest Clearance for Small Parts: Select to define a part clearance for small parts and their x and y dimension values. Small Part Dimensions: Enter the dimensions used to detirmine if the part qualifies as a small part.

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Nesting Part Clearance: Enter the clearnece for small parts. Parameters Auto Lookup : Select to allow the nesting task parameters to be saved as defaults. Set As Default: Select to save the parameters as defaults for the nesting task. Cancel: Select to close the Task Parameters Advanced dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Task Parameters Advanced dialog saving all changes.

Process Parameters
Selected Machine: Displays the machine for the process Processes: Select the process type from the drop down box.The machine determines the processes available. Validate Cutting Zones: Select to analyze the machine setting for cutting zones and not allow nesting outside the cutting zone. Validate Head Zones: Select to validate the head zones, set in the Machine parameters, and not allow parts to be nested outside the limits of the head zones. Related topic: Torch Setting (See page 413) Default Cut Quality: This is the distance between the parts.When entering the nesting clearance,the system is satisfied within approximately plus or minus 20% of the value defined. Corner Loops: Corner loops for the process can be defined or removed.Select from the drop down box one of the following parameters Part Defined : Enables corner loops for the process according to the corner loops defined on the part. Remove Corner Loops: Select to disable corner loops applied to the part for the selected process. Power Level: Select the cutting amperage for the process from the drop down box if more than one is available.The cutting amperage is defined by the post file for the machine type. Parameters Auto Lookup : Select to automatically load the parameters for process parameters,from a saved file,for the machine type. Set As Default: Select to save the Task Parameter settings as the default settings for the Task Parameters Cancel: Select to close the Task Parameters dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Task Parameters dialog saving all changes.

Reposition
Reposition in the Task Parameters is used to setup repositioning rules,zone parameters,load preferences,machine clamp and sheet crop options.

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Some parameters may not be displayed due to the type of the post file used. Part Repos Break Rule: The part reposition break rule allows the part to be processed in different positions depending if the part is within overlapped process positions.Select from the following options. Allow Any Repos: Select to allow parts to be processed in any of the overlap positions the part is nested in.The part is processed in different process positions. Keep Same Repos if Possible: Select to allow the part to have all processes be applied in one of the selected overlapped positions if possible. Force Same Repos: Select to allow the part to have all processes be applied in the same position.The part must lay completely in the overlapped position. Reposition Direction: This is determined by the post file.The reposition direction is either Left to Right or Right to Left Overlap Rule: The Overlap Rule defines how the parts are processed within the selected positions.Some parts will be nested within overlapping process zones.The parts may be critical to produce and require to processed before any repositioning takes place.The following options are available for processing parts that lay in overlapped process zones. Expedite Processing : Select to allow the part to be processed in the first available position that overlaps all processes for the part. Delay Processing : Select to allow the part to be processed in the last process position that the part is nested in. Delay Only Forming : Select to delay the part processes that pertain to forming of the part to the last possible overlapped position. Max Delay: Select to allow the part to be processed in the last possible position that overlaps all of the part processes. Tab Tool Sequence Type: Enabled from the post file. The following options are available when enabled by the post file. The tabbing can be applied as the processes occur or tabbing can be delayed till after the position processes to prevent tabs from separating during repositioning. With Other Tools: Select to allow tabbing to occur during the reposition processes. The tabbing tools are applied along with the other tools. Separate and Same Direction: Select to allow the tabbing to occur after the repositioning processes are completed. The tabbing is applied from the last reposition back to the first position. Separate and Opposite Direction: Select to allow the tabbing to occur back to the first repositioning process. The tabbing is applied back at the first position. After the processes are applied to all the positions, the machine is positioned back to the first position and the tabbing is applied.

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Nesting Sheet Load Preference: Sheet load preferences is used to setup the loading and unloading of the sheet. The position of the clamps are taken into consideration when using different size sheets. Automatic Offset Loading Left Sheet Edge On Zone Edge: Select to align the left side of the sheet on the beginning edge of the punching zone. Right Sheet Edge On Zone Edge: Select to align the right side of the sheet on the beginning edge of the punching zone. Center Clamps on sheet: Select to have the clamps centered on the sheet. Clamps far left as possible: Select to move the clamps to the left, even if outside the active punching zone, but not off the sheet edge. Clamps far right as possible: Select to move the clamps to the right, even if outside the active punching zone, but not off the sheet edge. User defined offset load : Select to enter in a value for the offset for the sheet load. Center Sheet in Zone: Select to load the sheet to the center of the active punching zone. Offset Load Distance: Enter the distance from the edge of the sheet to the position of the load zone. Offset Load Distance is the position where the sheet is placed. Enabled when Automatic Offset Loading is selected. The sheet may have to be loaded to the center of the punching zone instead of the home position. Load Reference: The options for the Load Reference depend on the machine type and if there is multiple load positions available. Certain post parameters have to be defined. If using multiple load positions contact SolidNEST support. Pin 1 from right The sheet is loaded to the positioning pin from the right. Repos Type: Select from the drop down box the type of process the position will allow. The following options are available. Empty: Positions the sheet and no process is applied. All: Allows all processes to be applied to the position selected. Normal Punch Only: Allows only normal punching to occur, no cutting or shearing. Punch Tabs Only: Punches the tabs out. Profile Only: Allows cutting only and restricts punching and shearing.

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Nesting Shear Only: Allows the rectangular blade shear only, for the position selected. Properties Options: The Properties Options provides parameters for controlling cropping and breaking around clamps. Add Crop Line: Select Add Crop Line to allow the system to cut off the unused material after every reposition. Much like the cut scrap function. Specify the offset from the reposition for the crop line in the Crop Offset field. Select the ellipse next to the crop offset to setup the Auto Crop lead-in Settings.Reverse Split NC Direction This is mostly used with large parts that span zone positions. When Reverse Split NC Dir is selected, the NC path direction is the reverse in the next zone of what it was in the previous zone. Break Around Clamps: For Large parts nested under clamps select Break Around Clamps. If the part is nested under both the clamps so that when the clamps are repositioned, the part is still under the second clamp, it is desirable to break the part. This allows the machine to create a stop or break where the machine finishes cutting a section of the part. When the clamps move to the next position, the section under the first position clamps are then cut. The Clamp Offset is the distance from the clamp where the machine breaks the part. Specify the lead-in Length (the lead-out is the same size). Dynamic Nesting Zone Length: Enter the length of the nesting zone of parts, that will be cut first on the sheet section. A Zone Spacing value must be entered also for the zone length to be cut after the parts are cut in each zone. Dynamic Length allows the sheet length to be cut down as the parts are processed. Dynamic Nesting Zone Spacing : Enter the value to separate the nesting zones of the sheet. The sheet is cut along the separation space after the parts are cut. Apply to All Repositions: Select to apply the reposition parameters to all types of repositioning. Parameters Auto Lookup : Select to automatically load the parameters for reposition from a saved file for the machine type. Cancel: Select to close the Task Parameters dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Task Parameters dialog saving all changes.

Punching Parameters
The Punching Parameters tab is available for punching machine types. Combine With Floor Turret: Select to combine the tools for the part with the floor turret. Turret Setup : Select to open the tool manager and setup turrets.

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Nesting Use Global Tools: Select to automatically place any required tools that are in the tool manager in the turret. When Global Tools is not selected only the tools in the specified turret are used. If a required tool is not in the turret, the tooling fails. Check Die: Select Check Die to have a tool with a corresponding die be placed in the turret. When not selected the check is not performed. Lock Base Tools: Tools in the base turret are not exchanged or replaced when selected. Same Start Turret for All Layouts: Select to use the default base turret for all nesting task layouts. Progressively Lock Stations:Select to enable the tools to remain in the station, as they get pulled into the Active Turret, for the task. Applies mainly to multiple layout tasks. Look-Up Base Turrets: Selecting Look-Up Base Turret assigns a specific base turret according to the material and thickness of the part. Base Turrets: Select the base turret if more than one exists from the drop down box. Auto Dynamic Nesting : Select to have the parts tooled as they are being nested. Parameters Auto Lookup : Select to automatically load the parameters for punching parameters, from a saved file, for the machine type. Set As Default: Select to save the Task Parameter settings as the default settings for Task Parameters. Cancel: Closes the Task Parameter dialog not saving any changes. OK: Closes the Task Parameter dialog saving all changes.

Report
The Task Report displays a complete report of the nest. A report of each sheet is displayed and printed separately. Task Report Printing (See page 187) and Setup: Reportsexplain more about the types of reports and how they are set-up. The different sheets used in the nesting are displayed as tabs at the bottom left of the dialog. The sheets are labeled as Main, Sheet1, Sheet2, and so on, depending on the number of sheets the nest uses. The Main Sheet tab displays all of the parts in the nest. The Sheet tabs display only the parts nested on that particular sheet. The report summary information is displayed in the top portion of the dialog. The parts used in the nest are listed in the lower portion of the dialog. The right side displays a picture window for displaying the selected part from the parts listing. Cost: Select to display the Cost Report (See page 187) dialog. Print: Select for report printing options. Task Report Printing (See page 187) has more information on report options. OK: Select to close the Report dialog.

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Cost Report
The Cost Report displays a report of the cost of the nest. The following cost types are displayed: True Shape: The true cost is calculated by using the true shape of the parts and the average material cost from Mat.txt. Rectangular Shape: A part's rectangular area is used to calculate the rectangular cost. Nested Shape: Nested Shape is the net area of all the parts in the nest. The scrap percentage, number of torches, and the true shape of a part are used in the calculation of the nested cost. Scrap is allocated to each part in proportion to its area, thus increasing the material component of cost for each part.

Task Report Printing

Graphics Printer: Click Select to display the printer dialog. Text Printer: Click Select to display the printer dialog. Report Options: Select which of the following reports to print from the options below: Task Part Summary: Task Part Summary displays sheet parameters, nesting task results, and costing information. Task Layout Summary: Task Layout Summary displays sheet information. Layout Detail: Layout Detail displays task and program name along with sheet and part information. Layout Report: Layout Report displays task and program name, sheet parameters, nesting task results, part and torch parameters. Layout Detail Work Orders: Layout Detail Work Orders report displays task and program name, sheet, part, and stack information, . Layout Cost:Layout Cost displays sheet parameters, nesting task results, part and costing information. Part Label (Bar Code): Part Label bar code displays part information with a bar code. Part Label (7x2): Part Label 7x2 displays a label with part information. Part Label (3x2): Part Label 3x2 displays a smaller label with part information. Nest Detail: Nest Detail report displays the nest with sheet information. Shear Nest Report: Shear Nest Report displays sheet parameters, nesting task results, task and part information.

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Nesting Sequence Report: Sequence Report displays sheet parameters, nesting task results, task and part information along with torch parameters. Entire Station Report: Entire Station Report displays nesting and tool station information. Tools Used Report: Tools Used Report displays nesting and tool station information. Required Tools Changes (7x2): Required Tools Changes Report displays nest layout and tool station information. Progressive Tool Report (3x2): Progressive Tool report displays information on the task turret Part Quote: Part Quote displays part parameters; costing for process, true and rectangular shape, and material. Part Report: Part Report displays part parameters; calculated information: area, cut length, true and rectangular weight and cost. Part Detail: Part Detail displays the part image and drawing details. Print: Select to print. Preview : Select to view document before printing. Close: Select to close the dialog and return to the Task Report.

Delete
The Delete Nesting Task function deletes the selected task in the task list. Tasks can also be deleted by selecting and left-clicking on the unwanted task and selecting Delete Task.

Task Properties
Task Properties dialog displays a list of the layouts for the task. Select a layout to view the Layout Properties (See page 189). Delete: Removes the selected layout from the work space. Clear: Clears the layout of all parts and markings. Edit: Displays the Nesting Layout dialog. See Nesting Layout. Add : Adds sheets to the nest. Copy: Creates a copy of the selected layout.

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Layout Properties
The Layout Properties dialog includes the following information on the selected layout: Program Name: Displays the name of the program. Sheet Name: If a sheet name is present, then selecting the ellipsis ( ... ), to the left of the name, invokes the sheet dialog that enables the sheet parameters to be changed. Parts Required : Displays the number of parts required. Parts Nested : Displays the number of parts nested. Length: Displays the length of the sheet. Width: Displays the width of the sheet. Number of Sheets: This is the number of sheets to use with this layout. The number of parts on this layout is multiplied by the number of sheets. The result is reflected in the Parts Nested value. Selecting the adjacent button calculates the value. Stack Quantity: The stack quantity is the number of sheets that are stacked and cut together. The number of parts on the layout is multiplied by this number and reflected in the Parts Nested value. The initial stack quantity is set in the nesting Task Parameters Dialog. For more information refer to Stack Quantity. Selecting the adjacent button calculates the value. Remnant List: If there are any remnants associated with this layout, they are listed here. Doubleclicking the remnant invokes a sheet dialog that permits changing the remnant's parameters. The button at the left of the remnants list removes the selected remnant. Parts Listing : Displays a listing of each part and the required quantities. Selecting a layout displays a dialog with the following information. The number of sheets, the stack quantity, and the number of parts visible on that layout are all multiplied to arrive at the total number of parts for the layout. The Parts Nested value is the sum of the total number of parts on each layout. The layouts can be modified by the following functions.

Manual Nest
Manual Nest is used to manually adjust the Work-space nest. The following options are available in Nesting mode: Get Part (See page 190) Move (See page 192) Copy (See page 194) Bump (See page 195) Origin (See page 207) Undo (See page 207) Delete (See page 125) Clear Current Layout (See page 208)

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Snap (See page 195) Reposition (See page 201) Quality (See page 206) Auto Align Text (See page 208) Reverse Cut (See page 207)

Clear All Layouts (See page 208) Remove Unused Layouts (See page 208) Group Unused Layouts (See page 208) Static Nest (See page 73)

Get Part
Select to open the Get Part dialog and select parts to be edited, deleted, or printed. List: List opens the all the parts in a list form with a single preview window of the active selected part. Right-click on a part to rename that part. To Select a part or parts: 1. Click on the desired part or select multiple parts by holding down the control button while clicking. 2. Select OK to open each part, or multiple parts one at a time or cancel to exit without opening parts. Table: The table tab will show a preview of each part. Parts cannot be renamed in this tab. To Select a part or parts: 1. Click on the desired part or select multiple parts by holding down the control button while clicking. 2. Select OK to open each part, or multiple parts one at a time or cancel to exit without opening parts. Auto Nest Parts: Select to Auto Nest the selected part or parts. Print: Select to open the part report dialog. Select a report to print. Cancel: Select to close the Get Part dialog without opening any parts. OK: Select to open selected part, or parts, and close the Get Part dialog. Get Part - Side Panel (See page 190) has more information on additional functions.

Get Part - Side Panel The Get Part Side Panel is displayed when the move and copy functions are active in Nesting tab and contains actions to apply to the selected part. The action can also be accessed by right clicking

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Nesting on the part while it is anchored to the cursor. In addition to the following functions, available in the side panel, the Quick Key functions, listed below, can be used to position parts. Rotate: Select Rotate and enter the rotation angle and press Enter. After changing the rotation, place the part using by left-clicking or enter the X and Y coordinates for the bottom left corner of the part. A part can also be rotated using a mouse. Select Rotate from the menu, click on the part, and then move the scroll wheel on the mouse until the part is in the desired position. Left-click again, and the part is placed. Mirror: The Mirror function mirrors the part around the vertical axis. To mirror a part around the horizontal axis, use the Rotate function to rotate the part through 90 degrees; then, use the Mirror function. To mirror a part, select a part with the Get Part function. Then, choose Mirror from the menu, and click on the part. The part appears mirrored, now place it on the sheet. Handle: Select Handle to reposition the handle on a selected part. Position: Use Position Actions to indicate the position reference point of the part. Bump : The Bump (See page 195) function ensures parts are not nested within a specified clearance distance from each other while manually nesting. Torches: Selecting Torches displays the Torch Setting Dialog, with the following options: Number of Torches: The number of cutting heads on the machine. Torch Spacing : Activated when the Number or Torches is set to more than one. Torch Setting : Choose a setting from the drop-down box. Manual: Manually specify the torch distance. Sheet: Sets the torch distance based on the sheet width. Variable: Uses machine setting to specify cutting zones, use any setting within the cutting zones. This setting uses the minimum torch distance Large Part: Senses the torch spacing based on the largest part. Dynamic: Activated when the Number of Torches is set to more than one. Delete:Select to remove the selected part. Reset to Zero : If a rotation angle has already been specified and it is necessary to start over, this restores the angle of rotation to zero degrees. The part is returned to its initial rotation. Quick Keys for Nest Part Positions Rotate in positive increments: Up Arrow : Rotate part(s) 15 degrees Ctrl +Up Arrow : Rotate part(s) 5 degrees Shift +Up Arrow : Rotate part(s) 10 degrees Shift + Ctrl + Up Arrow : Rotate part(s) 1 degree

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Nesting Rotate in negative increments: Down Arrow : Rotate part(s) -15 degrees Shift + Down Arrow : Rotate part(s) 10 degrees Left Arrow: Left Arrow : Ctrl + Left Arrow : Rotate part(s) 90 degrees Ctrl + Down Arrow : Rotate part(s) -5 degrees Shift + Ctrl + Down Arrow : Rotate part(s) -1 degree

Shift + Left Arrow : Shift + Ctrl + Left Arrow : Align next edge CCW Right Arrow: Right Arrow : Ctrl + Right Arrow : Rotate part(s) -90 degrees

Shift + Right Arrow : Shift + Ctrl + Right Arrow : Align next edge CW Mouse: A part can be moved by a mouse when selected. In addition, the mouse can be used with the shift and ctrl keys in the following ways: Shift + Mouse :the movement Do not move the part(s) Shift + Ctrl + Mouse: movement Rotate part(s)

Move
The Move function moves a part by the cursor, or the part can be moved and placed according to the reference point selected. The reference point is determined by the contour selected. Selecting a contour selects the end of the contour as the reference point. The following images illustrate different selected reference points (red squares) of the same part.

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Nesting

Entity End The entity end point is the end point of an entity on the part contour. For example, if a line in a part is selected, the nearest end point of the line is the entity end point. When a circle is selected, the entity end point is always the point on the circle at zero degrees. See the following images.

Entity Center The entity center point is the center point of the part. For example, if a line in the part is selected, the center point of the line is the entity center point. When a circle is selected the entity center point is the center of the circle. See the following images.

Min/Max Extremities The Min/Max reference point is a point, on the rectangle that fits around the part, closest to the position selected by the mouse. For example, if a part contour is selected, the nearest corner of the rectangle, around the part, is the Min/Max reference point. See the following images.

Align The Align function positions a part at a specified distance from a line contour of a part or sheet edge. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select Move from the Manual Nesting ribbon under the Nesting tab. Select Align from the left side of the dialog. Enter the clearance distance on the prompt line for the part. Select the part contour to be aligned. Select the line to which the previously selected part contour is to be aligned. The part is aligned. The following images illustrate the align

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Nesting function. The square is moved from 5 mm to 3 mm away from the lower part.

Align Rotate The Align Rotate function rotates and aligns the selected part contour with a second part contour. The following images illustrate the Align and Rotate function. 1. Select the Move function from the Manual Nesting ribbon under the Nesting tab. 2. Select the Align Rotate icon on the left side of the dialog. The Align Distance text box is displayed. 3. Enter the align distance in the prompt line. 4. Select the part contour to align and rotate. 5. Select the part contour to align the first selected part contour to.

Get Part - Side Panel (See page 190) has more information on additional functions.

Copy
Copy is used to create a copy of a part on the nest. 1. Select Copy and left-click on one of the manual copy actions.

Select to attach the cursor to the end of the entity.

Select to anchor the center of the entity to the cursor.

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Select to anchor the min/max extreme (rectangular boundary) of the entity to the cursor for placement.

Select and enter an align distance for the copied object.

Select and enter an align distance for the copied object. 2. Left-click on the part to copy. The part is anchored to the cursor. 3. Right-click and the part actions are listed for orientating the part on the sheet. Left-click on the action to use. Left-click again to execute the action. 4. Left-click on the sheet to place the part. 5. Select Esc top to end the function.

Information on additional functions can be found on the Get Part - Side Panel (See page 190) page.

Bump
The Bump function ensures parts are not nested within a specified clearance distance from each other while manually nesting. The part tracks the position of the cursor unless it bumps against the boundary (plus clearance) of another part or the edge of the sheet. Select Bump to turn on the bump function. Select Bump again to turn it off. Once Bump has been turned on, use the following steps to place the part. 1. Specify the clearance distance that must be maintained between parts on the prompt line. 2. Use the cursor to place the part in the desired position. 3. Use Shift plus the up or down arrow keys to rotate.

The clearance distance defaults to the clearance distance specified in the Task Parameters.

Snap

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Nesting Snap enables manual manipulation of parts nested on the sheet.The mouse is used to select the part or parts.More than one part can be selected by holding down the control key and left mouse clicking on each part. After the part is selected,hovering over the part or parts edges displays arrows indicating the direction the part or parts are to be moved.Selecting the part or parts when a direction arrow is displayed moves the part or parts in the direction of the arrow.The following action keys and Quick Keys are available to move the parts in different ways.

Free Rotate (See page 197) Move (See page 197) Copy (See page 197) Heads (See page 198) Reset to Original Orientation (See page 198) Auto Nest (See page 199) Grid Nest (See page 199) Add As Pre Nest (See page 200) Nudge (See page 201)
To access the move actions select the part or parts and right-mouse click to display the move action list. Quick Keys for Snap Mode Up Arrow : Snap part(s) up + Y Shift +Up Arrow : Move part(s) up + Y Ctrl +Up Arrow : Rotate part(s) 5 degrees Shift + Ctrl + Up Arrow : Rotate part(s) 1 degree Left Arrow : Snap part(s) left -X Shift +Left Arrow : Move part(s) up left -X Ctrl + Left Arrow : Rotate part(s) 90 degrees Shift + Ctrl + Left Arrow :Align next edge CCW Shift + Ctrl +Mouse: Movement rotates the part(s) Down Arrow :Snap part(s) up + Y Shift + Down Arrow : Move part(s) up + Y Ctrl + Down Arrow : Rotate part(s) -5 degrees Shift + Ctrl + Down Arrow : Rotate part(s) -1 degree Right Arrow : Snap part(s) right + X Shift +Right Arrow : Move part(s) right + X Ctrl + Right Arrow : Rotate part(s) -90 degrees Shift + Ctrl + Right Arrow : Align next edge CW

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Free Rotate
Select to allow the manual rotation of a part or a group of parts. 1. Select Snap from the Manual Nesting ribbon,under the Nesting Tab.The move actions are displayed on the left of the dialog. 2. Left-click the part to rotate and right-mouse click. 3. Select Free Rotate from the list.The part or parts can now be rotated with the cursor. 4. Left-click again when the part or parts are at the desired angle.The part or parts are anchored to the Work-space. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Move
Move Lead-in allows the lead-in on a selected part to be repositioned manually. After moving the lead-in, use Lead In/Out to specify the lead-in parameters. 1. Select Move Lead-in from the Lead-in ribbon. 2. Left-click the position of the part to apply the lead-in.

Copy Select to create a copy of the selected part or parts. 1. Select Snap from the Manual Nesting ribbon, under the Nesting tab. 2. Left-click the part to copy and right-mouse click. 3. Select Copy from the list. The part or parts is copied and placed on the workspace. 4. Right-click again and select free move to place the selected part or parts on the nest. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

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Heads
Select to display the Head Setting dialog for the machine processes using multi heads.Heads is used to duplicate the selected part or parts on the sheet when more than one head is being used for cutting. 1. Select Snap from the Manual Nesting ribbon,under the Nesting Tab.The move actions are displayed on the left of the dialog. 2. Left-click the part or parts to apply the head settings.The parts become highlighted. 3. Right-click and select head distance from the list.The head setting dialog is displayed. 4. Enter the head setting parameters and when using dynamic head distance,the selected part or parts distances are adjusted by moving the mouse.With the head setting dialog open left-mouse click the Work-space to enable the mouse to adjust the part or the parts distances. 5. Select OK to exit the dialog and select Esc to end the function. The left image is the selected part group with the number of heads set to one.The right image displays the selected group of parts duplicated with number of heads set to three.

Reset to Original Orientation

Select to reset the part back to its original position.The selected part or parts are reset back to their original positions. 1. Select Snap from the manual nesting ribbon ,under the Nesting tab.The move actions are displayed on the left of the dialog. 2. Left- click the part or the parts to reset.The parts become highlighted. 3. Right-click and select reset to zero.The selected part or parts are set back to their original positions. 4. Select Esc to end the function or right-mouse click to use another action. The following images illustrate a selected part reset back to its original position.

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Auto Nest
Select Auto Nest to automatically nest the quantity of parts not yet nested.Auto Nest only will nest the remaining number of parts not yet nested.Parts can be individually nested and then the remaining parts can be auto nested.Before implementing the auto nest action,the strategy in Task Parameters can be changed for the manual auto nest function. 1. Select Snap from the manual nesting ribbon,under the Nesting tab.The move actions are displayed on the left of the dialog. 2. Left-click the part or parts to move.The parts become highlighted. 3. Right-click and select auto nest from the list.The selected part quantities not yet nested are nested. 4. Select Esc to end the function. The following image displays the first three parts manually nested and the right image displays the auto nesting of the remaining parts.

Grid Nest
Select to nest the selected part or parts in an array. The remaining number of parts selected are nested. The initial part selected begins the array in the lower left corner, see image below. 1. Select Snap from the Manual Nesting ribbon, under the Nesting tab. The

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Nesting move actions are displayed on the left of the dialog. 2. Left-click the part or parts to grid nest. The parts become highlighted. 3. Position the cursor at the point to place the bottom left of the grid nest and right-mouse click. 4. Select Esc to end the function

Add As Pre Nest

Select parts to save as a pre-nest for the current Work-space.The pre-nest group of parts is listed in the parts bar on the right side of the dialog.See the following image.When the parts of the pre-nest are nested to the requested quantity the pre-nest image color changes to blue and the quantity of the nested group is displayed. 1. Select Snap from the Manual Nesting ribbon under the Nesting tab.The move actions are displayed on the left of the dialog. 2. Window around the parts to pre nest.The parts become highlighted. 3. Right-click and select Add as Pre Nest.The selected parts are displayed as a pre-nest in the parts toolbar on the right side of the Work-space. 4. The pre-nest can be selected and manually placed on the sheet. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Delete Select to delete the selected Part or parts.

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Once an entity is deleted, use undo to retrieve the deleted object. Only the last action is undone.

Nudge
The arrow keys on the keyboard can be used to manipulate the selected parts in Snap mode. Shift and one of the arrow keys moves the selected parts by the nudge distance. Ctrl and one of the arrow key rotates the selected parts. The left and right arrow keys rotate anticlockwise and clockwise, respectively, by the nudge angle. The up and down arrow keys rotate anticlockwise and clockwise, respectively, by half the nudge angle. Nudge Values are available to move the part or parts by exact distances. 1. Select Snap from the Manual Nesting ribbon, under the Nesting tab. The move actions are displayed on the left of the dialog. 2. Left-click the part or parts to move. The parts become highlighted. 3. Hover over the edges of the part or parts selected, to display the direction arrow for moving the part, and left-mouse click. The part or parts are anchored to the mouse cursor for placement. The move action can also be selected by right-mouse clicking to display the move actions drop down list. Select the move action and the selected part or parts respond as the selected action. 4. Left-click again when the part or parts are in the desired position. The part or parts are anchored to the workspace. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Reposition
Reposition allows the hold down and clamps to be moved to another position to cut parts nested under the clamps. The Reposition dialog includes the following tabs: Reposition: General (See page 202)

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Nesting Reposition: Clamps (See page 203) Reposition: Options (See page 203) Reposition: Hold Downs (See page 204) Reposition: Display (See page 204) Reposition: Sequencing (See page 205) Reposition: Manual (See page 206) All tabs have the position listing, which displays the process positions, on the left side of the Reposition dialog. Select the arrow on the left side of the position to display machine processes associated to the position. Select a machine process to view the zone boundaries of the process.In addition, the options below are listed on the right side. Reset: Select to apply the original process position settings. Resolve: Resolve verifies the process position settings. Red indicates a conflict and green indicates no conflicts. Auto Resolve: Auto resolve verifies the process position settings after changing a setting. OK: Closes the Reposition dialog saving all changes.

Options shown grayed out are not available from the post file.

Reposition: General
The general tab, on the reposition dialog, permits the manipulation of the position of the clamps when the sheet is adjusted. Reposition Offset: Displays the distance of the position from the machine zero point. Repos Type: Select from the drop down box the type of process the position will allow. The following options are available. Empty: Positions the sheet and no process is applied. All: Allows all processes to be applied to the position selected. Normal Punch Only: Allows only normal punching to occur, no cutting or shearing. Punch Tabs Only: Punches the tabs out. Profile Only: Allows cutting only and restricts punching and shearing. Shear Only: Allows the rectangular blade shear only, for the position selected. Move: To move the clamp position select the Move button. Left click on the Work-space and the process position follows the cursor. Left-click again to place the clamp at the desired location.

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Nesting Offset Loading : Select the check box to enable SigmaNEST to obtain an offset loading value from the post file for the sheet. The offset loading is for sheets to be loaded at certain positions. Delete: Select the position to delete from the listing. Insert: Select to add another position in the listing. Equally Spaced : The equally spaced function spaces the clamps out evenly according to the last clamp position.

Reposition: Clamps
The Clamps Tab allow the positioning of the clamps. Select a position and a process to view. All Positions: All Positions indicate that the clamps for the selected position are moved all together. Select All Positions and the clamp number from the drop down box to apply the positions to the specific clamp. Clamp Distance: Displays the clamp distance from the first clamp. Save To PST: Select to save the options to the post file. Set Session: Select to apply the position options to the session only. Set Session does not overwrite the post. Update WS: Select to refresh the Work-space of any changes. Move: Select Move to move the clamp position. After selecting move, left- click the position on the Work-space. The position will follow the cursor. Left-click again to place the zone to the new position. Keep Clamps on Sheet: Select the check box to keep the clamps from being moved off the sheet, when applying the move option.

Reposition: Options
The options tab provides parameters for controlling cropping and breaking around clamps. Add Crop Line: Select Add Crop Line to allow the system to cut off the unused material after every reposition. Much like the cut scrap function. Specify the offset from the reposition for the crop line in the Crop Offset field. Select the ellipse next to the crop offset to setup the Auto Crop Lea-din Settings. See Auto Crop Lead-in Settings. Reverse Split NC Direction: This is mostly used with large parts that span zone positions. When Reverse Split NC Dir is selected, the NC path direction is the reverse in the next zone of what it was in the previous zone. Break Around Clamps: For Large parts nested under clamps select Break Around Clamps. If the part is nested under both the clamps so that when the clamps are repositioned, the part is still under the second clamp, it is desirable to break the part. This allows the machine to create a stop or break where the machine finishes cutting a section of the part. When the clamps move to the next position, the section under the first position clamps are then cut. The Clamp Offset is the distance

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Nesting from the clamp where the machine breaks the part. Specify the lead-in length (the lead-out is the same size). Lead-in Length: The lead-in length applies to breaks around clamps and to breaks in large parts that span zones. It is important that the lead-in size is smaller then the clamp offset because otherwise a small area of the part is not cut. Break Percentage: When a large part spans repositioning zones, this specifies how far into the overlap the break occurs. It is expressed as a percentage of the overlap size, starting at the edge of the overlap nearest the origin.

Reposition: Hold Downs

Hold downs are placed on the sheet to keep the sheet positioned so that the clamps can be moved. Typically, it is necessary to position the hold downs somewhere on the sheet where there are no parts. Hold Down Position: The X and Y values are displayed from the post file. Move: Select Move and then left mouse click the hold down. The hold down follows the cursor for placement. Left click again at the desired hold down position. Reset Hold Downs: Resets the hold down to the original position. Move All to Current: Moves all hold downs in the positions to the same x,y point for each process zone.

Reposition: Display
The Display tab allows the user to setup the Work-space parts display related to the process positions. Show Overlap : Select to display the overlap of the process zones. Highlight Active NC Parts: Select to highlight the active NC for the selected position. When Highlight Active NC Parts is checked along with Highlight Manual Repos, on the Manual tab, the active NC parts are highlighted in yellow. Zone Active Linetype: Select from the drop down box the type of line style to use for displaying the active zone. Reposition Option: Select the type of reposition option to display. The following options are available. Display Current Only: Select to display the selected position only. Display next also : Select to display the current position along with the next position. Display previous also : Displays the previous position along with the current selected position. Display both next and previous: Select to display the current position along with the previous and next positions. Display all: Select to display all positions.

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Nesting Color Fill Type: Select the part fill type. Select from no fill, solid, or hatch type part fills.

Reposition: Sequencing
The sequencing options define the break and overlap rules, reposition direction, and the tab tool sequence. Part Repos Break Rule: The part reposition break rule allows the part to be processed in different positions depending if the part is within overlapped process positions. Select from the following options. Allow Any Repos: Select to allow parts to be processed in any of the overlap positions the part is nested in. The part is processed in different process positions. Keep Same Repos if Possible: Select to allow the part to have all processes be applied in one of the selected overlapped positions if possible. Force Same Repos: Select to allow the part to have all processes be applied in the same position. The part must lay completely in the overlapped position. Reposition Direction: This is determined by the post file. The reposition direction is either Left to Right or Right to Left. Overlap Rule: The Overlap Rule defines how the parts are processed within the selected positions. Some parts will be nested within overlapping process zones. The parts may be critical to produce and require to be processed before any repositioning takes place. The following options are available for processing parts that lay in overlapped process zones. Expedite Processing : Select to allow the part to be processed in the first available position that overlaps all processes for the part. Delay Processing : Select to allow the part to be processed in the last process position that the part is nested in. Delay Only Forming : Select to delay the part processes that pertain to forming of the part to the last possible overlapped position. Max Delay: Select to allow the part to be processed in the last possible position that overlaps all of the part processes. Tab Tool Sequence Type: Enabled from the post file. The following options are available when enabled by the post file. The tabbing can be applied as the processes occur or tabbing can be delayed till after the position processes to prevent tabs from separating during repositioning. With Other Tools: Select to allow tabbing to occur during the reposition processes. The tabbing tools are applied along with the other tools. Separate and Same Direction: Select to allow the tabbing to occur after the repositioning processes are completed. The tabbing is applied from the last reposition back to the first position. Separate and Opposite Direction: Select to allow the tabbing to occur back to the first repositioning process. The tabbing is applied back at the first position. After

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Nesting the processes are applied to all the positions, the machine is positioned back to the first position and the tabbing is applied.

Reposition: Manual
The manual tab allows the user to place parts, in overlapping positions, in a selected position. The manual positioning overrides automatic positioning. Setting the display to show overlapping processes, the user can select parts, in the overlapping positions, with the mouse or window around the part or parts. After selecting the part, select the position, from the list on the left. The part will be applied to the newly selected position when the user selects OK Highlight Manual Repos: Select to highlight manual repositions for the selected position. When Highlight Manual Repos is checked along with Highlight Active NC Parts, on the Display tab, the active NC parts are highlighted in yellow. Select to Change: Select the Selection type below first before selecting the parts or entities on the nest. The manual positioning is applied to all selected items. Select OK to save the manual positioning. Reset All Repos: Select to set the repositioning back to the original settings. The repositioning settings are only saved with the nested NC. Re-nesting the NC will remove any repositioning parameters. Selection: Select by part, entity, or process before enabling the Select to Change button. By Part: Select to allow the user to select the part or parts to manually reposition. By Entity: Select to allow the user to select the internal or external entities to manually reposition. By Part Process: Select to force by part into position. By Entity Process: Select to force by entity into position.

Quality
Quality is used to define the contour with a feed rate that provides the cut quality. A higher quality cut may be needed for a contour on the part. The dialog displays quality cut levels by color. The colors represent a feed rate from the 1. Select the Quality function from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. The part contours are changed to the color of the quality attribute. 2. Left-click the contour to change the quality cut type and the contour is highlighted (below middle image).Use the selection actions to select the contour or contours. 3. Right-click to display the Quality dialog.

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Nesting 4. Left-click the quality, from the quality dialog (Fastest,lower quality) to Best, highest quality), to define the selected contour or contours. The contour or contours are displayed with the new selected quality. 5. Select Esc to end the quality function. Save the change by selecting Update Current Part.

Reverse Cut
The Reverse Cut Direction reverses the defined cut for the selected parts and or contours. 1. Select Reverse Cut Direction from the Manual Nesting Ribbon under the Nesting tab and arrow heads are displayed indicating the parts cutting directions. 2. Left-click the part contour to change the cut direction. 3. Select ESC to end the function.

Undo
Select Undo to undo the last action on the workspace.

Origin
Select to set the origin of the machine process. 1. Select the Set Origin Position icon. 2. Select the new position on the workspace.

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Auto Align Text

Auto Align Text allows the user to align all of the markings on the parts to be orientated horizontally. Some machine controllers are not capable of marking parts on angles. 1. Select the Auto Align Text icon and the part markings are aligned horizontally. 2. Select Esc to end the align mark function.

Clear Current Layout

Select to clear current layout.

Clear All Layouts

Select to clear all layouts.

Remove Unused Layouts

Select to remove layouts without nested parts. All empty layouts will be removed from the layout list.

Group Unused Layouts

Select to move unused layouts from in between layouts that include nested parts. For example: If sheets 1,2,3,5 & 6 have parts nested on them and sheet 4 is blank, selecting Group Used Layouts will cause sheets 5 & 6 to become sheets 4 & 5, and sheet 4 will become sheet 6. Related topic: Remove Unused Layouts (See page 208)

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Lead-ins
The Lead-ins ribbon contains functions for applying lead-ins and torch modifications and settings. Move Lead-in (See page 209) Delete Lead-ins (See page 385) Edit Lead-in/out (See page 210) Special Lead-in/out (See page 212) Change Torches (See page 213) Torch Settings (See page 214) Verify Torch (See page 214) Modify Torch (See page 215) Single Torch (See page 215)

Move Lead-in
Select Move Lead-in to reposition the lead-in for the selected part.Move lead-in allows the user to manually move the lead-in on the selected part. After moving the lead-in use Lead In/Out to specify the lead-in parameters. 1. Select Move lead-in from the lead-in ribbon. 2. Click on the position of the part to apply the lead-in and the lead-in snaps to the new position (below image).

Lead-in Side Menu: The Lead-in Side Menu contains options for the lead-ins including the following: Placement Options: Snap to Endpoints and Midpoints: The lead-in/out will placed at the nearest endpoint or midpoint of an entity depending on the selection position. Snap to the closest point to the cursor: The lead-in/out will placed at the cursor location. Dynamic: Select and drag the lead-in to the position desired. Select again to place the lead-in/out. Selection Options: - 209 -

Nesting Single Part: Select to apply a placement option to a single the part for the lead-in. All Parts with the Same Rotation: Select to apply a placement option to all the identical parts on the sheet that match the selected part rotation/orientation. Selected Parts: Select to apply a placement option to one or more selected parts. Right-click on the part to select. Selected parts must be identical. All the Parts: Select to apply a placement option to all parts. Move all lead-ins to the far right Select to move all lead-ins/outs to the most right position on all parts.

The Move all lead-ins to the far right option is mainly used for combination punch/profile machines. Auto Select Lead-in Position: Select to move the lead-in based on the SigmaNEST Lead-in/out Auto Select algorithm.

Edit Lead-in/out
Select Edit Lead In/Out to change the lead-in or lead-out parameters for the selected part. 1. Left-click the part to define the lead-in and lead-out. 2. Right-click and the lead-in Parameters dialog is displayed. 3. Enter the following parameters. Lead-in: Select the check box to turn on the lead-in function. Lead-in Position: The default lead-in position is "Do not Change". Once a position is selected the next time lead-in parameters dialog is opened the lead-in position is set to the default. The lead-in position may have one of the following values: Do not Change: The lead-in is not changed. Right Bottom: Places the lead-in at the bottom of the right most protrusion of the part. Right Middle: Places the lead-in at the middle of the right most protrusion of the part. Right Top : Places the lead-in at the top of the right most protrusion of the part. Left Bottom: Places the lead-in at the bottom of the left most protrusion of the part. Left Middle: Places the lead-in at the middle of the left most protrusion of the part. Left Top : Places the lead-in at the top of the left most protrusion of the part.

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Nesting Bottom Right: Places the lead-in at the right of the bottom most protrusion of the part. Bottom Middle: Places the lead-in at the middle of the bottom most protrusion of the part. Bottom Left: Places the lead-in at the bottom of the left most protrusion of the part. Top Right: Places the lead-in at the right of the topmost protrusion of the part. Top Middle: Places the lead-in at the middle of the topmost protrusion of the part. Top Left: Places the lead-in at the left of the topmost protrusion of the part. Longest: Places the lead-in on the longest entity of the part. Auto Select: Places the lead-in at the best possible position. Lead-in: The lead-in type may be one of the following: None: The lead-in is removed. Line: Places a line Lead-in with a specified lead-in length. Line Angle: Places an angled lead-in with a specified lead-in angle and lead-in length. Arc: Places an arc lead-in with a specified lead-in radius and a lead-in arc angle. Line Line: Places a line lead-in with a specified lead-in length and a line length. Line Angle Line: Places a lead-in with a specified lead-in length, lead-in angle, a line length, and the line angle. A positive line angle value pivots the line counterclockwise from the tip of the lead-in (below right image). A negative line angle value pivots the line clockwise from the tip of the lead-in (below left image).

A - lead-in B - Line a< - lead-in angle b< - line angle C - part contour

Line Arc: Places a lead-in with a specified lead-in radius, lead-in arc angle, line length, and the line angle. Contour: Places a lead-in along the contour with a specified lead-in length and a line length.

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Nesting Line Arc: Places a lead-in with a specified lead-in radius, lead-in arc angle, line length, and the line angle. Contour: Places a lead-in along the contour with a specified lead-in length and a line length. Depending on the selected lead-in type above the following parameters are displayed. Lead-in Length: Enter the length of the lead-in. Lead-in Angle: Enter the lead-in angle. Line Length: Enter the line length before the lead-in. Line Angle: Enter the line angle before the lead-in. Lead-in Radius: Enter the lead-in radius. Lead-in Arc Angle: Enter the arc angle of the lead-in. Under Cut Depth: Enter the value to under cut the lead-in. Lead-out: Select the check box to turn on the lead-out function. The lead-out types are the same as lead-in except there is no Undercut type for the lead-out. Gap Size: The gap size is a special method of lead-out arrangement. Normally the point where the lead-in intersects the part is also the point where the lead-out intersects the part. This is changed by the gap size setting. The gap size is the path distance between the lead-in and lead-out. If the gap size is negative, the lead-out line is moved so that the lead-out occurs after the lead-in is reached. If the gap size is positive, the lead-out line is moved so that the lead-out occurs before the lead-in position is reached. Lead-out Length: To specify the length of the lead-out line, change the lead-out length. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without setting the lead in/out. OK: Select to close the dialog setting the lead in/out.

Special Lead-in/out
The Special Lead-ins is used to apply lead-ins that require special approach to the part. Select Special lead-in from the lead-in ribbon on the Nesting tab. The Special lead-ins dialog is displayed. 1. Left-click the special lead-in function icon and the special lead-in parameters dialog is displayed. 2. Select the special lead-in type and enter the special lead-in parameters and select OK. 3. Left-click the part to apply the special lead-in. The lead-in is displayed.

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Change Torches
Select Change Torches to change the torch settings for the nesting. Number of Torches: Enter the number of torches that are used for the machine process. Max Number of Torches per Sheet: Enter the maximum number of torches available for the process used. Each additional head added is displayed in the table below the Max Number of torches text box. Torch Spacing : Select the desired torch spacing, enabled when Manual torch setting is selected. If the Torch Spacing is set to Sheet, the system calculates the torch spacing, taking into account the number of torches and sheet width. Torch Setting : Set the method for the torch spacing calculation. Manual: The desired spacing is entered in the distance field. Sheet: The torch spacing is calculated automatically according to the sheet size and the number of torches. Variable: The machine controller, as output in the post processor controls the torches. Large Part: The largest part is used to set the torch spacing and uses that spacing for all parts. Dynamic:Select to view positioning of parts on the sheet in reference to each torch. The spacing value of each part is displayed in the dialog. The first part always has zero spacing. 1. With parts placed or nested on the sheet select Change Torches on the Lead-in ribbon. 2. Left-click the part to reposition. The part is highlighted for each torch row. 3. Right-click and the torch setting dialog is displayed. 4. Select Dynamic and the parts for each torch is anchored with the cursor. Move the cursor to view the part positions. 5. Select OK to accept the positions and select Esc to end the function.

Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

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Nesting

Torch Settings
Select Torch Settings to set the torch settings for the sheet. Re-nest after changing the torch settings to display the new parameters. The following image displays a machine process with three torches defined in the settings. Number of Torches: Enter the number of torches that are used for the machine process. The following image was re-nested using two of the above three torch settings.

Torch Spacing : Select the desired torch spacing, enabled when Manual torch setting is selected. If the Torch Spacing is set to Sheet, the system calculates the torch spacing, taking into account the number of torches and sheet width.

Torch Setting : Set the method for the torch spacing calculation. Manual: the desired spacing is entered in the distance field Sheet: the torch spacing is calculated automatically according to the sheet size and the number of torches Variable: the machine controller, as output in the post processor controls the torches. Large Part: uses the largest part to set the torch spacing and uses that spacing for all parts. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

Verify Torch
Select Verify Torch to verify the torch distance for the cutting process. The torch distance is defined by the distance between each part across the cutting rows of the sheet. 1. Select Verify Torch from the Lead-in ribbon on the Nesting tab. 2. View the torch spacing at the bottom of the screen. 3. Select Esc to end the function.

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Nesting

Modify Torch
Select Modify Torch to modify the torch distance for the cutting process. The torch distance is defined by the distance between each part across the cutting rows of the sheet. 1. Select Modify Torch from the Lead-in ribbon on the Nesting tab. The modify Torches dialog is displayed. 2. Enter the parameters and select OK. Re-nest to display the changes. Number of Torches: Enter the number of torches to use for the cutting process. Min Torch Distance: Enter the minimum distance the torches are positioned between each other. Part Tolerance: Enter the part tolerance where the torch is allowed to align for cutting. Torch Tolerance: Enter the distance the torch is allowed to align within the actual torch distance setting. Active Sheet Only: Select to apply the settings to the active sheet on the workspace only. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

Single Torch
Select Single Torch to use a single torch to cut the nesting. 1. Select Use Single Torch from the Lead-in ribbon on the Nesting tab. 2. The parts are now cut using a single torch.

X-Form (Nesting)
XForm functions are for moving, copying, rotating, scaling, and arraying existing geometries. Select from the following XForm functions:

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Nesting

Delta Copy (See page 153) Delta Move (See page 154) Old New Copy (See page 154) Old New Move (See page 155) 2D Rotate Copy (See page 156) 2D Rotate Move (See page 156) Scale Copy (See page 157) Scale Move (See page 158)

Mirror Copy Vertical (See page 216) Mirror Copy Horizontal (See page 216) Mirror Move Vertical (See page 217) Mirror Move Horizontal (See page 217) Mirror Nest Vertical (See page 218) Mirror Nest Horizontal (See page 219) Rotate Sheet (See page 219) Array (See page 159)

Mirror Copy Horizontal

The Mirror Copy function allows creating mirror copies of selected parts. The mirror parameter must be enabled, for the selected parts, in the part parameters dialog, on the grain tab. 1. Select Mirror Copy from the XForm ribbon. 2. Select the mirror copy icon on the XForm ribbon. 3. Left- click the part(s) to mirror or use the Selection Actions (See page 15) to select the parts. 4. Right-click to create a mirrored and copy. 5. Use the cursor to move the new copy along the x axis or left-click to place. 6. Select Done to end the function.

Mirror Copy Vertical

The Mirror Copy function allows creating mirror copies of selected parts. The mirror parameter must be enabled, for the selected parts, in the part parameters dialog, on the grain tab. 1. Select Mirror Copy from the XForm ribbon. 2. Select the mirror copy icon on the XForm ribbon.

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Nesting 3. Left- click the part(s) to mirror or use the Selection Actions (See page 15) to select the parts. 4. Right-click to create a mirrored and copy. 5. Use the cursor to move the new copy along the x axis or left-click to place. 6. Select Done to end the function.

Mirror Move Horizontal

The Mirror Move function allows creating mirror copies of selected parts. The mirror parameter must be enabled, for the selected parts, in the part parameters dialog, on the grain tab. 1. Select Mirror Move from the XForm ribbon. 2. Select the mirror move icon on the XForm ribbon. 3. Left-click the part(s) to mirror or use the Selection Actions (See page 15) to select the parts. 4. Right-click to create a mirrored version of the part. 5. Use the cursor to move the new version along the x axis or left-click to place. 6. Select Done to end the function.

Mirror Move Vertical

The Mirror Move function allows creating mirror copies of selected parts. The mirror parameter must be enabled, for the selected parts, in the part parameters dialog, on the grain tab. 1. Select Mirror Move from the XForm ribbon. 2. Select the mirror move icon on the XForm ribbon. 3. Left-click the part(s) to mirror or use the Selection Actions (See page 15) to select the parts. 4. Right-click to create a mirrored version of the part. 5. Use the cursor to move the new version along the y axis or left-click to place.

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Nesting 6. Select Done to end the function.

Mirror Nest Vertical

Select the Mirror Nest Vertical function to mirror the nest across the vertical axis. For example, A nest prior to Mirror Nest Vertical:

After Mirror Nest Vertical:

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Nesting

Mirror Nest Horizontal

Select the Mirror Nest Horizontal function to mirror the nest across the horizontal axis. For example, A nest prior to Mirror Nest Horizontal:

After Mirror Nest Horizontal:

Rotate Sheet
Rotate Sheet is used to rotate the sheet 90 degrees. It may be necessary to rotate the sheet according to the way the parts are nested. Select the Rotate Sheet icon on the X-Form ribbon. The Sheet is rotated 90 degrees.

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Nesting

Verify (Nesting)
The Verify functions are used to view and verify entity positions, angles, and distances.

Distance Between Two Positions (See page 165) Shortest Distance Between Two Entities (See page 166) Shortest Distance Between a Position and an Entity (See page 166) Coordinates of an Entity (See page 166) Position of a Point (See page 167) Angle Between Two Lines (See page 167) Verify Part Information (See page 220) Perimeter (See page 167) Area (See page 168) View Entity Process (See page 221) Interference (See page 221)

Verify Part Information

Select to display current part and nest information. The Part Info tab includes: Part Name Work Order No. DWG No. Rev No. Customer Programmed By Number to Nest Number Nested

The Nest Info tab includes: Part Data Number of Torches Angle Mirror Torch Spacing

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Nesting

View Entity Process

Select View Entity Process, then select a part to view the following information about the part in the side panel: Machine: Displays the machine that will process the selected entity. Process: Displays the process that will be used to produce the selected entity. Area: Displays the area for the selected entity. Perimeter: Displays the total perimeter for the selected entity.

Interference
The Check Interference is used to test for part, sheet, piercing, and NC interferences. Select Check Interference from the Verify ribbon on the Nesting tab, and the Interference parameters are displayed on the left side of the workspace. Set as Default:Set as Default saves the parameters as the default values whenever Check Interference is selected. Done: Select to close the Check Interference function. Check: Select to run the interference check with the selected parameters. If any interference is found the parts and or sheet are highlighted. If interference is detected, a warning indicator is displayed under the Check button. A layout warning indicator played in the layout listing at the bottom left side of the Work-space. is also dis-

Part Interference: Select to enable to test for interference with other parts on the layout. Include lead-in: Select to include part lead-ins to be tested for interference. Interference Type: Select from the following interference types. Offset-Part: Select to test interference of a part with other parts on the layout. Offset-Offset: Select to include the heat-zone of a plasma/laser cutting process, of adjacent parts, to be simultaneously included in the interference test, to minimize part distortion. Offset Type Lookup : Select Lookup to enable a safety clearance to be used in the interference test. Manual: Select Manual to enable a part offset distance to be used in the interference test.

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Nesting Safety Clearance/Part Offset: Depending on the selected above Offset Type, enter the value of the safety clearance or part offset. Sheet Interference: Select to enable interference checks for the sheet edge. Sheet Offset: Enter an offset value for sheet interference. Pierce Interference: Select to enable interference checks for part piercing. Pierce Offset: Enter an offset value from the piercing locations and parts. Check NC Interference: Select to test for interference from the NC path and parts. Current Layout: Select to test for interference on the currently displayed layout. All Layouts Select to test for interference for all layouts of the nesting.

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Nesting NC

Nesting NC
l l l l l l l

NC Nest (See page 223) Motion Optimization (See page 255) Advanced NC (See page 272) Edit NC (See page 293) Remnant (See page 302) Verify (Nesting) (See page 220) Parts Bar

Contingent on machine type: 1. 2. Punching (See page 319) Waterjet - Feed Rate Calculator (See page 242)

NC Nest
The Nesting NC ribbon contains functions for applying and/or editing the NC path for the nested parts. Auto Nest (See page 169) Modify Task (See page 170) Task Parameters (See page 172) Auto NC (See page 224) NC By Part (See page 243) NC by Profile (See page 243) NC Go To (See page 246) User Entry (See page 246) NC Add (See page 247) NC Repeat (See page 247) Letters Profile (See page 248) Remove All Sheets (See page 250) NC Delete (See page 250) Delete Part NC (See page 250) Delete Single Hit (See page 251) NC Back 1 (See page 251) Backup Last Move (See page 251) Back Contour (See page 252) Post Single Sheet (See page 252) Post All Sheets (See page 253) Change Post (See page 253) Editor (See page 254)

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Nesting NC

Letters Mark (See page 249) Remove Current (See page 250)

Reassign (See page 254)

Auto NC
Auto NC automatically creates a NC path for the nested parts. The NC code is generated with different strategies. Auto NC displays the Auto NC dialog. NC parameters are separated in the following tabs, which may differ depending on the machine process type. General (See page 224) Parameters (See page 227) Advanced NC (See page 228) Crop Sheet (See page 231) Common Cut (See page 235) Auto Tab (See page 266) NC Fillet (See page 238) iPierce (See page 255) Waterjet - Feed Rate Calculator (See page 242) The following Router and Multi-pass tabs are available with router machines. Router (See page 241) Multi-pass (See page 239)

Auto NC functions are not enabled until the parts have been nested.

General
The Auto NC General dialog displays parameters for setting up cutting orders, preferences, and NC path methods. Cutting Order: Select from one of the following cutting order strategies. Min Move 1: The Min Move NC generation function creates NC code to minimize head movement and cutting time. The smallest part width is used as the path zone

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Nesting NC width to zigzag from left to right across the sheet. Results in more up and down head movement. Min Move 2: The path zone width is the widest part width. This results in less up and down head movement. Resulting in more horizontal head movement. Min Move 3: An intermediate value between the smallest part width and the largest part width is used as the path zone width. Min Heat: The NC path is generated to minimize heat distortion of the parts and sheet. Results in many flame off movements in order to heat the sheet uniformly. Skip Cutting : Skip Cutting skips parts and returns to them later. Used to minimize heat build-up or to make it easier to remove parts, during the cutting process. Block Cut:The NC path is separated into block size areas. Enter the value for the block size. Spiral Inwards: Select from one the following spiral directions. CCW: Select to enable the NC path to move in a counter-clockwise direction. CWS: elect to enable the NC path to move in a clockwise direction. Fixed Spiral Width: Enabled when Spiral Inwards is selected. Select Fixed Spiral Width and enter a value to enable the NC path to spiral in the selected direction, a fixed NC path width. Stability Sequencing : When selected, Stability Sequencing generates a cutting order based on the effect the cuts will have on the material's stability. Select the Move Lead-ins check box to allow the lead-ins to be changed to accommodate the new sequencing. Sort Method: Select from one of the following options to start the NC tool path. Zigzag : Select to enable a zigzag NC tool path pattern. Zigzag movement is a vertical up/down NC tool path movement from left to right. Typewriter: Select to enable a typewriter NC tool path pattern. Typewriter movement is horizontal from left to right back to the left then right again. Direction: Select the direction of the NC tool path from one of the following. Start Point: Select from one of the following options to start the NC tool path. Origin: Select to start the NC tool path from the machine origin. Bottom: Select to start the NC tool path at the bottom of the sheet. Top : Select to start the NC tool path at the top of the sheet. Sort Position: The Sort Position selected, in conjunction with the cutting order, determines the order in which parts will be cut. The tool path will begin with the start point and move to the next nearest part, within the block, if that option is selected above, based on one of the sort positions

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Nesting NC below. For example, if Min Move 1 is selected along with the lead-in sort position, the parts with lead-ins within the block will be cut , beginning with the one closet to the start position and moving to the nearest lead-in. Select from one of the following options to sort the NC tool path. Lead-in: Cuts parts based on nearest lead-in. Part Center: Cuts parts based on nearest part center. Top Left: Cuts parts based on the nearest top left point of the part. Top Right: Cuts parts based on the nearest top right point of the part. Bottom Left: Cuts parts based on the nearest bottom left point of the part. Bottom Right: Cuts parts based on the nearest bottom right point of the part. Keep Internal part Sequence: If apply NC path to the part is not applied from the Part Order function in part mode, then select this option to keep the internal part sequence. Dropouts and internal Counrours First: This completes the NC tool path for all the internal contours and dropouts on the entire sheet before beginning the NC tool path for the external contours.

This button is only active when using Process Preference, not Part Preference. Process List Box: The process list box displays all of the processes that are assigned to the nested parts. Each process is checked if they are used in the NC. Select the check box to unselect and suppress any of the processes. When the process is unselected the process is not applied to the NC. Sheets: Select from the following options. All Sheets: The program NC's all sheets nested in the task. Current Sheet: The program NC's the current sheet shown on the screen. Select: This allows the programmer to select the sheet to NC, from all sheets within the task. The standard Select menu is used. Preference: When using multiple processes on one sheet, this is the cutting preference for the NC tool path. Choose to create the NC tool path with Part Preference or Process Preference. If there is only one process per sheet, then either option has the same outcome. Part Preference: Select to enable the system to complete all the processes for an individual part before beginning a new part. Process Preference: Select to enable the system to complete an entire process for the sheet before moving on to the next process. For example, if there is both marking and cutting on the same sheet, the system completes all the marking for the sheet before the cutting process. The order of processes is determined by the machine post.

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Nesting NC Group By Part Preference: Select to enable the system to complete all the processes for a block of parts before beginning in a new block. Block size must be set for this option to be enabled. Group By Block Preference: Select to enable the system to complete an entire process, working on one block before moving on to the next, before beginning another processes. The next process will go back and start with the first block, then move to the next. The order of processes is determined by the machine post. Block size must be set for this option to be enabled.

Multi-head Sort Method: The multi-head sort method allows the user to define a multi-head cutting sequence. Keep Internal Part Sequence: If apply NC path to the part is not applied from the Part Order function in part mode, then select this option to keep the internal part sequence. Drop-outs and Internal Contours First: This completes the NC tool path for all the internal contours and dropouts on the entire sheet before beginning the NC tool path for the external contours.

This button is only active when using Process Preference, not Part Preference. Keep Work Order Sequence: Select to keep the existing work order sequence. Default Process: Select a default process for the auto NC tool path. When a process is selected here and Auto NC is applied to the nest, any part with undefined contours will Advanced Features Used:Advanced Features Used is a status value only. When any parameters are enabled on the Advanced NC tab Yes is displayed. Set As Default: Select to save the settings as the default settings for Auto NC. When Auto NC is selected in the future these settings are displayed. Cancel: Select to close the Auto NC dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Auto NC dialog saving all changes.

Parameters
Material: Displays the part material. Thickness: Displays the part material thickness. Machine: Select the type of machine. Machines can be added to this list by adding the machines in the Configuration, under the Machine (See page 411). Post: The post file for the selected machine type is displayed.

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Nesting NC Process Parameters: Displays the value found in the process parameters field, if available. See Technology Set-up (See page 430). Kerf In: The kerf can either be controlled by SigmaNEST or by the Controller. Select one of the following options. Control: Enables the controller to define the kerf settings. Computer: Enables SigmaNEST to define the kerf settings.

When Computer is selected above for the Kerf In type the kerf is determined by the machine process, lookup table, or manually defined. Kerf Lookup : When Computer is selected for the Kerf In, Kerf Lookup is enabled. Select from one of the following, or manually enter the kerf radius and diameter. Assigned Process: Enables the computer to use the assigned kerf settings. Default Process: Enables the computer to use the default kerf settings in the technology setup table. Kerf Radius: When Assigned Process or Default Process are not selected, manually enter the Kerf Radius or Kerf Diameter. Use the tool radius for the kerf radius. The Kerf Diameter automatically changes. Kerf Diameter: When Assigned Process or Default Process are not selected, manually enter the tool diameter for the kerf diameter. This automatically changes the kerf radius. Either the Kerf Radius or the Kerf Diameter may be specified. Kerf By Process: Select to enable the kerf to be defined by the machine process. The machine processes are displayed in the listing at the bottom of the parameters dialog. Set As Default: Select to save the settings as the default settings for Auto NC. When Auto NC is selected in the future these settings are displayed. Cancel: Select to close the Parameters dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Parameters dialog saving all changes.

Advanced NC Select the Advanced NC tab to display the Advanced NC parameters dialog. The following parameters define Advanced NC options. Pre-Pierce: Select to enable pre-pierce of the start points. Pre-Pierce is used to preserve the cutting tool head and speed up the cutting time. Auto Drill: Select to automatically enable drilling. Auto Punching : Select to enable a combination punch and cutting machine to automatically determine the punching sequence. Auto RAS (Right Angle Shear): Select to automatically enable right angle shear cutting. Depending on the machine type RAS may not be enabled.

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Nesting NC Assign Tools to Contours: Select to enable Auto NC to assign tools to punching processes in the NC. If the correct tool does not exist, the contour is automatically cut, or a tool can be manually assigned. Auto Sort: Select to enable an auto sort of the tools used in the NC. The tools are sorted Auto Sort is enabled dependant on the machine process. Auto Part Removal: Select to enable auto part removal for the NC. Auto Part Removal is dependant on the machine process. Auto Reposition: Select to enable repositioning of the sheet during part cutting. Auto reposition automatically releases the clamps to move the sheet for the next cut. This only occurs when the parts are outside of a cutting zone or the parts overlap the cutting zone. Dynamic Multi-tools: Select to enable SigmaNEST to build a general tool list from all dynamic multi-tools used on all of the sheets of the nest. Auto Interference: Select to enable interference checking. Interference checking will check for overlaps of parts or NC tool path. A dialog will show which layouts have an interference. For more interference checking options click here Single cut NC Slots: Select to enable single cut profiles on contours where the contour is equal to the kerf diameter. Using the NC Slot Settings tolerances can be set to match a slot width to the kerf diameter and control entry to the slot profile. Select the ellipse to open the NC Slot Settings. Vaporizing : Vaporizing is used to mark or etch the top layer of the sheet before actually cutting out the part. It may be necessary to do this for sheets with a special coating typically a PVC vinyl coating. The contour, the part, or the entire nest may be vaporized before cutting. None: Vaporizing is not activated. Contours: This first vaporizes the contour, and then cuts the contour. Contours is activated only if a selection other than None is chosen for Vaporizing. Part:This first vaporizes an entire part, and then cuts the part. Nest: This first vaporizes all the parts in the nest, and then cuts the parts. Contours: When the Vaporizing field is set to something other than None, the contours to be vaporized can be set to one of following options. All Contours: Select to enable vaporizing for all types of contours. External Only: Select to enable vaporizing for external contours only. Internal Only: Select to enable vaporizing for internal contours only. Vaporizing Marking : Vaporizing Marking is activated only if a selection other than None is chosen for Vaporizing. Part Avoidance: Part Avoidance changes the NC tool path to eliminate raising and lowering of the head. The path is mapped so the cutting tool does not cross over pre-cut areas.

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Nesting NC The gray lines display rapid head movements and the white lines display normal head movement. Select from one of the part avoidance options. Check Part Avoidance: Select to enable part avoidance for the nested parts. The head will move up over any cut parts. Move Dynamic Lead-ins: Select to enable any dynamic lead-ins for the nested parts. Move Dynamic/Fixed Lead-ins: Select to enable the dynamic and fixed lead-ins to be moved by auto NC. The lead-ins are moved to provide an efficient NC head movement. Max Traverse in Cut Feature: Enter the maximum distance the tool will move within a inside contour with the head down. Clearance Diameter: Enter a diameter value larger than the head diameter to provide a safety zone for head part avoidance. Max Dist In Feature: Enter the maximum distance the tool will move with the head down. Snap to Endpoints: Select to enable the lead-ins to be applied to the entity endpoints. Move Only Internal Lead-ins: Select to enable only moving internal lead-ins, when Move dynamic and or fixed lead-ins is selected for part avoidance. Auto Bridge: Select Auto Bridge to place definable bridges between parts. Auto Bridge Lead-in: Select Auto Lead-in to place definable bridges between parts at the lead-in. Bridge Gap : Enter the width of the bridge that connects two or more parts. Max Bridge Length: Enter the maximum distance between two parts that are automatically bridged together. Auto Chain: Select to enable continuous cutting between parts. This reduces the amount of piercing.

Auto chain does not work with parts containing internal contours. Maximum Length: This is the maximum distance between parts where chaining still takes place. Edge No-NC : Enable to allow lead-ins on parts that are nested on the sheet edge. Lead-in Setup : Select to display the lead-in setup dialog. The lead-in setup dialog is similar to the lead-in setup dialog in nesting. See Lead-in Setup dialog. Edge Tolerance: Enter the sheet edge lead-in tolerance. Pierce Zone Compensation: Select to enable pierce zone compensation to control the radius and feed rates of the piercing's. The feed rate is a percentage of the process feed rate. Depending on the contour radius if a lead-in is placed at the radius the feed rate can be defined. Internal Contours: Select to apply the settings for internal contours. External Contours: Select to apply the settings for external contours.

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Nesting NC Pierce Compensation Listing : Left-click the radius row and the text box is active to enter the value. Left-mouse click the drop down arrow and a calculator is displayed for computing the value. Left-click the feed rate % row and the text box is active to enter the value. Left-mouse click the drop down arrow and a calculator is displayed for computing the value. To delete an entry select the entry and select the delete key. Set As Default Select to save the settings as the default settings for Auto NC. When Auto NC is selected in the future these settings are displayed. Cancel: Select to close the Advanced NC dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Advanced NC dialog saving all changes.

Crop Sheet
Select to display the Crop sheet dialog. The following options are available to define crop lines for remnant cutting. Automatic Crop : Select to enable automatic cropping. Select the following parameters to setup automatic cropping. Crop Type: Select the type of crop from the following. Crop Line: Select to apply a standard crop line at the edge of the last part nested. The following image illustrates the crop line selection.

Crop Step 1: Select Crop Step 1 to step crop along the edge of the nested parts. The following image illustrates a crop step 1 selection.

Crop Step 2: Select Crop Step 2 to crop along the contour of the nested parts. The following image illustrates a crop step 2 selection.

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Nesting NC

Crop Horizontal: Select to enable a horizontal crop line across the length of the sheet. The virtual crop line is not used to cut the upper sheet remnant. Two remnants are created. The following image illustrates selecting a horizontal crop line.

Crop Vertical: Select to enable a vert: cal crop line. The virtual crop line is used as a reference to cut the sheet. Two remnants are created. The following image illustrates selecting a vertical crop line.

Crop L-shape: Select to enable the remnant to not be cut along the virtual crop line. The following image illustrates selecting a crop L-shape line type.

Offset: Specify the offset distance for the crop. This creates the crop line at the specified offset distance from the outermost part. Minimum Strip Width: This is the minimum width for the area above or below the nest that can be made into a remnant. If the unused sheet area is within the specified minimum strip width, then the remnant is created with the remaining material on both the horizontal and vertical sides of the nested area. Crop Side Start: Select from where the rapid path to cut the crop line starts. Select from one of the following options.

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Nesting NC Machine Origin: Select to rapid from the machine origin (blue arrow in below image) to the edge of the nested parts (red arrow in below image) to start the crop line cut.

Opposite Origin: Select to rapid opposite of the machine origin (blue arrow in below image) and at the edge of the nested parts (red arrow in below image), to start the crop line cut.

Closest to Last NC : Select to rapid from the last NC (blue arrow in below image) to start the crop line cut (red arrow in below image).

Enable Clamp Avoid : Select to enable the crop line to clear the machine clamp. The image below illustrates the crop line moved to clear the clamp (red arrows)

Crop Process: Select the process to apply the automatic crop settings. Depending on the machine process types available the drop down listing will have different process options available. Length Increments: Enter a value for Length Increments to get predictable lengths for remnants. Example when using the value of 12 the crop will either produce a 12, 24, 36, 48 crop. This value is works in conjunction with the Min Length.

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Nesting NC Min % Used / Min Length: Min Length, available when Length Increments is selected, is the minimum length a remnant can be saved. Min % Used , available if Length Increments is not selected, is the a minimum percentage value of the sheet, to allow a crop line to be cut. The Min % Used is calculated by taking the sheet used and dividing by the sheet length. For example if a 100 sheet is used, and the sheet used value is 61 then a min value of 62% is required for a crop line to be cut. (Sheet used / Sheet Length) = Min % used Edge Distance: This is the distance from the edge of the sheet where the crop cut begins. When the remnant must remain attached to the skeleton, this creates a small tab at the specified distance from the edge of the sheet between the remnant and the skeleton. Create Remnant: Select to make a remnant from the cropped sheet. This tracks the remnant as part of the sheet's history and put the remnant in the sheet's library as part of available stock. Unique Sheets: Select to create each remnant as a unique sheet. The sheet parameters dialog is displayed to enter a sheet name or allow SigmaNEST to automatically create the unique sheet name. Create Remnant of the Dropouts: Select to create a remnant from the dropouts or internal contours. The dropouts are tracked as part of the sheet's history. The dropout remnants are entered into the sheet's library as available stock. Selecting Create Remnants from Dropouts enables the Minimum Dropout area text box. Minimum Dropout Area: Enter the minimum area of a dropout that is used for a remnant. The system does not make remnants from any dropout smaller than the area specified. Add Lead-in Offset: Select to add a crop line offset to clear part lead-ins. Rem Offset: Enter a distance value to enable the crop line around the part lead-in. Add Lead-in Pierce Bubble Zone: Select to add a lead-in for the piercing zone where material splatter may occur. Pierce Puddle Size: Enter the value for the pierce puddle. Lead-in: Select from the drop down box one of the following lead-in types. The lead-in type and value No Lead-in: Select to have no lead-ins applied. Lead-in: Select to apply a normal lead-in type. Reversed Lead-in: Select to apply a reversed lead-in type. Reverse lead-ins are used to adjust for cutting thicker materials before approaching contours to cut. Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply an additional line length for the lead-in. Reverse Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply a reverse line line lead-in. The reverse line lead-in is used to adjust for cutting of thicker materials. Lead-in Length: Enter the length for the lead-in. For Line Line lead-ins numeric boxes are enabled. Lead-out: Select from the drop down box one of the following lead-out types. No Lead-out: Select to have no lead-outs applied. Lead-out: Select to apply a normal lead-out type.

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Nesting NC Reversed Lead-out: Select to apply a reversed lead-out type. Reverse lead-outs are used to reduce cutting debris. Line Line Lead-out: Select to apply an additional line length to the normal lead-in length. Reverse Line Line Lead-out: Select to apply a reverse line line lead-in. The reverse line lead-out is used to adjust for cutting of thicker materials. Lead-out Length: Enter the length for the lead-out. For Line Line lead-outs numeric boxes are enabled. Do Height Sensing : Select to enable height sensing to occur for the crop cuts. Enabled the last height sensing value is retained before the cutting head is moved outside the sheet perimeter. Separation Crop Separation Type: Select from the following the separation type for the sheet crop line. Marking : Select to enable a marking to be applied to the crop line. Cutting : Select to enable the crop line to be cut. Separation Sequence Select from the following the crop line separation type for the parts. First: Select to enable crop lines between part priority values. The parts are separated by their due dates and priorities. Between Work Orders: Select to enable crop lines to separate the parts by work orders. Multiple Torch Crop : Multiple torches can be used to crop the sheet. Enter the following parameters. Multi-torch cropping is available for multi head processes. Number of Torches: Specify the number of torches used to cut the nest. Type: Select the multi torch crop type from the following. Simultaneous: Enables the torches to crop at the same time. Sequential: Enables each torch to cut before moving on to the next section. Torch Spacing : Enter the distance between each torch. Set As Default: Select to save the settings as the default settings for Auto NC. When Auto NC is selected in the future these settings are displayed. Cancel: Select to close the Crop Sheet dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Crop Sheet dialog saving all changes.

Common Cut
The Common Cut tab contains parameters for setting up common line cutting of parts. Part Common Line cutting is enabled on the Grain tab in the Part parameters dialog.

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Nesting NC Common Cut Select to enable common line cutting. Type of Common Line Select from one of the following common line cutting types. Cut/Rapid/Cut This is considered a normal cut with the Common Line function. This type of common line cut makes two pierces. Refer to the following figure; the cutting tool rapids over to the first lead-in, and then it cuts around the entire first part. It then leads out from the lead-in position and rapids over to the second part's lead-in. It then cuts around three sides of the second part and leads out through the top.

One Pierce Two Parts

This is considered a reverse cut with the Common Line function. This is called Two Parts One Pierce because it cuts two parts with only one pierce. As seen in the figure below, the cutting tool cuts out the entire first part, and then cuts the remaining three sides of the second part before leading out through the top. This process uses left kerf for the first part, no kerf between the two parts and right kerf on the second part. One Pierce, Two Parts (Laser)

This works much like the regular One Pierce, Two Parts option. This is also called Two Parts, One Pierce because it cuts two parts with only one pierce. As seen in the figure below, the cutting tool

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Nesting NC first cuts between the two parts, then cuts the remaining three sides of the first part and finally cuts the remaining three side of the second part before leading out through the bottom. This process is ideal for cutting both parts using a single kerf.

Auto Slit Cut This cuts entities from multiple parts along a common line. The following figure is an example of how multiple entities are cut along a common line. The dotted lines are rapid moves. All cuts are for the full length of three parts. The first cut is from the bottom to the top of three parts. There is a rapid move to the right and the second cut is from the top to the bottom of three parts. All the internal common lines are cut first, then the external contours are cut in steps 5 through 8. Kerf Diameter Enter the kerf diameter of the tool. Only Exact Common Cuts Select to allow a common cut if the line between the two parts is exactly the same length. It is only available when Cut/Rapid/Cut is selected as the type of common line. Preserve Sequence Select to enable the preservation of the NC sequence. Previous Cut Pickup Enabled when Cut/Rapid/Cut is selected. The lead-in is placed, after a rapid move, where a common cut has already taken place. This avoids an additional pierce. None: Select to disable Previous Cut Pickup. Standard : Select to use the Previous pickup length. Prep Cut: Select to prep the cut by entering a previous pickup length. Double Prep Cut: Select to prep the common line cut using a previous pickup length and a no cut pickup length.

In the following diagram, the lead-in after the rapid move from the end of cut 4 to the start of cut 5 is placed on the common line cut, by cut number 2.

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Nesting NC Previous Pickup length Enter the length of the previous pickup lead-in. If a negative value is used, the lead-in is placed outside the part, as it is when previous cut pickup is not used. Previous Pickup length (No Cut) Enter a length for the No Cut option to move the cutting head a distance before starting the cut. Common Line Lead-ins Settings Lead-in and Lead-out is only available when the type of common line is either One Pierce, Two Parts or One Pierce, Two Parts (Laser). Select the lead-in and lead-out from one of the following. No Lead-in/Lead-out: Select to disable the lead-in and or lead-out for common line cutting. Line: Select to enable the line lea-din or lead-out for common line cutting. Enter the a value. Reverse Contour: Select to enable a reverse contour type of lead-in or lead-out. Enter a value. Lead-in Enter the length of the lead-in. Lead-out Enter the length of the lead-out. Set As Default Select to save the settings as the default settings for Auto NC. When Auto NC is selected in the future these settings are displayed. Cancel Select to close the Common Cut dialog without saving any changes. OK Select to close the Common Cut dialog saving all changes.

NC Fillet
Fillet corners allows the user to apply a fillet to the corners of parts. A minimum and maximum angle value is defined to allow the cutting head to approach the part corners and if the corner is between the specified angles the head will follow the fillet path for a smoother and continuous cutting path.

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Nesting NC

Fillet Radius: Enter the radius of the fillet. Minimum Angle (A): Enter the minimum angle of the contour to apply the fillet. Maximum Angle (B):Enter the maximum angle of the contour to apply the fillet.

Apply Fillet To : Select the following options to apply the fillets to the external and or internal contours, and or lead-ins. External Contours: Select to apply the fillets to external contours. Internal Contours: Select to apply the fillets to internal contours. Lead-ins: Select to apply the fillets to lead-ins. Fillet by Process: Select to apply the fillets by the machine processes. Depending on the machine type the process listing may be different. Select the machine process from the listing to apply the fillets. Machine Process 1 Machine Process 2 Machine Process 3 Cancel: Select to close the NC fillet dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the NC fillet dialog saving any changes.

Multi-pass
The Multi Pass tab controls the strategy for cutting the part contours with different depths in the router process. Multi Pass: Select to enable multi pass cutting parameters for cutting parts with the router process.

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Nesting NC Multi Pass by Process: When more than one process is displayed, the multi pass parameters can be defined for each process or applied to all of the processes listed. Number of Passes: Divides up the thickness of the material by the number of passes to determine the depth of each pass of the cutting head. Entering a value of two will result in two passes. Step Size: Enter the depth of each pass. If there is remaining material after all passes, at the Step Size depth, the material is cut. This material will be removed by a final pass. Entering a step size of 5 MM on 12 MM material results in three passes, two passes at step size and a final pass to remove the final 2 MM of material. Cut Sequence: Select the process type from the drop down box. The destruct process types depend on the machine type in the configuration. By Contour: Each contour is processed completely before the next contour is cut. When By Contour is active the Contour Transition Strategy is enabled determining how the cutter head will transition to the next depth. By Part: Select to process each part completely before the next part is cut. By Nest: Select to process the entire nest at one depth, then the next depth, and so on. This is the preferred method because it gives maximum vacuum throughout the cutting process, resulting in higher quality parts and less rejected parts due to movement. Contour Transition Strategy: Select to determine how the cutter head will transition to the next depth for the Cut Sequence. Pickup at Lead-in: Select to enable a normal head up and use the parts lead-in/out value. Ramp Down: Select to enable the head to immediately ramp down to the next depth, using the following Lead-in/out Ramp length parameters. Ramp Down is the preferred method as it greatly reduces machine time. Lead-in Ramp Length: Enter the lead-in ramp length when Ramp Down is selected for the Contour Transition Strategy. Lead-Out Ramp Length: Enter the lead-out ramp length when Ramp Down is selected for the Contour Transition Strategy. Apply to All: Select to apply the multi-pass parameters to all of the processes listed in the Multi Pass by Process box. Set As Default: Select to save the settings as the default settings for Auto NC. When Auto NC is selected in the future these settings are displayed. Cancel: Closes the Auto NC Dialog without saving any changes. OK: Closes the Auto NC Dialog saving all changes.

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Router
The Router tab controls the destruction of inner cutout material when a router is used. Auto Destruct: Select to enable the auto destruct function. Auto Destruct Type: The Auto Destruct Type controls how the interior material is removed. Pocket: Select to specify that several concentric passes are made. The block size, edge distance, and reverse lead-in are not relevant when Pocket is selected. Block Cut: Cuts the interior material into small squares. When Block Cut is selected the overlap options are not relevant. Destruct Process: Select the process type from the drop down box. The destruct process types depend on the machine type in the configuration. Kerf Lookup : Select to use the kerf setting from the technology setup files. Kerf Lookup : Enter a kerf value when the kerf lookup option is not selected. Overlap : Enabled when Pocket is selected for the auto destruct type. Enter an kerf overlap value for the process to overlap the cutting head during the destruct. Overlap % (of kerf): Enter a percent value for overlapping the kerf during the destruct. Block Size: Enter a value for the cutting head block size for the auto destruct. Edge Distance: Enter a value to allow the cutting tool head to approach the edge of the destruct section. Destruct Contours with Nested Parts: Select to remove material from within internal contours with nested parts. Auto Destruct Pre-Programmed Parts: Select to have the Pre-NC' ed parts internals destructed as well. When not enabled Destruct ignores Pre-NC parts. Minimum Area: Enter the minimum area of material to apply the auto destruct. Maximum Area: Enter the maximum area to apply the auto destruct. Lead-in Length: Enter a value for the lead-in length to apply the auto destruct. Line Length: Enter a line length value to before the lead-in to apply to the auto destruct. Reverse Lead-in: Select to enable a reverse lead-in for the auto destruct. Edge Over-cut % (of kerf): Enter a value for the cutting head to over-cut to ensure the destruct section separation. Auxiliary Tool (For Router Process): Select to apply an auxiliary tool for the routing process. An auxiliary tool is defined to provide corner smoothing for the routing process. Auxiliary Tool Process: Select the process the tool is used in. Auxiliary Tool Radius: Enter the radius of the auxiliary tool. Kerf Lookup : Select to allow the program to look up the kerf value for the part. Auxiliary Tool Diameter: Enter the auxiliary tool diameter. Entire Contour: Select to apply the auxiliary tool to all the part contours.

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Nesting NC Auxiliary Tool Pickup Length: Enter the length (between the arrows in the image below) from the tool center to the beginning of the material to be removed (shaded area in the image below).

Lead Radius: Enter the lead radius distance from the beginning tool position to the contour to be cut (the dashed arc path in the above image). Set As Default: Select to save the settings as the default settings for Auto NC. When Auto NC is selected in the future these settings are displayed. Cancel: Closes the Router Dialog, without saving any changes. OK: Closes the Router Dialog saving all changes.

Waterjet - Feed Rate Calculator

Select the Feed Rate Calculator to define the cut quality for the Waterjet process. The parameters change the flow and feed rates for each of the cut qualities. 1. Select Feed rate calculator from the Waterjet ribbon and the Waterjet dialog is displayed. 2. Enter the waterjet parameters. Material: Displays the material type of the nesting layout. Thickness: Displays the material thickness of the nesting layout. # of nozzles: Enter the number of nozzles the process uses. Changing the number of nozzles will change the flow rate in the cut quality listing. Pressure: Enter the water pressure for the cutting process. Changing the pressure changes the flow and feed rates for the cut quality. Orifice: Enter the orifice size for the defined pressure. Nozzle Size: Enter the nozzle size for the waterjet process. Abrasive Flow rate: Enter the flow rate of the abrasive to be used with the abrasive waterjet process. Lower abrasive flow rates reduce the feed rate. Machineability Index: Enter the machineability index of the sheet material and thickness. The lower the value the slower the process feed rate. The machineability index is the ease of cutting the material at a certain thickness with the waterjet process. Sheets: Select from the following to apply the parameters. All Sheets: Select to apply the parameters to all of the sheets associated with the nesting layout.

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Nesting NC Current Sheet: Select to apply the parameters to the current sheet on the Workspace. Reset Calc: Select to reset the feed rate calculator. Cut Quality Listing : The Cut Quality listing displays the flow and feed rate parameters for the cut quality. Changing the parameters changes the values for the flow rate of the water jet and the process feed rate. Flow Rate: The cutter diameter is required to ensure that the cutter can safely pass between parts. Feed Rate: The offset distance specifies how close to each part the material can be cut in order to avoid cutting into the part. Override Feed Rate: Select to enter an override feed rate for the material and thickness. Selecting the drop down arrow on the selected override feed rate displays a calculator to define the override feed rate. Cancel: Select to close the Waterjet dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Waterjet dialog saving all changes.

NC By Part
NC By Part allows the user to manually select the parts in a cutting order. Parts needed right away can be selected to be cut first. After the parts are selected the rest of the parts can be auto NC. 1. Select the By Part icon on the Nesting NC ribbon, on the Nesting NC tab. 2. Select the parts in order for cutting. The NC path is displayed. Select Esc to end the NC By Part function.

NC by Profile
NC Profile allows the user to manually select contours in a cutting order and verify and/or change the profile parameters. NC Profile allows the manual NC of contours in a predetermined order, allowing the user to enhance the cutting technique for improved quality cutting. 1. Select the Profile icon on the Nesting NC ribbon, on the Nesting NC tab. 2. Select the contours in order for cutting. The NC path is displayed. Select Esc to end the NC Profile function. 3. Right-click after selecting the contour to display the profile parameters dialog. Kerf properties can be verified.

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Profile Parameters
The Profile Parameters dialog is used to define the entities feed rate and attribute. The cutting direction for the outside contours is dependent on the selection of the first entity to be cut. Enter the following options for profile parameters.

Caution should be taken when applying manual NC profiling. The NC paths should be verified along the part contours for proper kerf paths. Machine Select the machine type from the drop down box. Process Select the machine process from the drop down box. Depending on the machine type the process selections may be different. Kerf In Select from one of the following options for kerf calculation. Control Select to enable the kerf calculation to be done by the machine process controller. Computer Select to enable the kerf calculation to be done by SigmaNEST. Kerf Side Select the kerf direction. Select Left or right kerf values for the internal contours which are not used by the nesting algorithm. No kerf is used where the cut is made exactly on the line. Common cut lines are calculated by SigmanNEST, and not set as no kerf. Kerf Radius Enter the kerf radius value. The kerf diameter is automatically updated. Kerf Diameter Enter the kerf diameter value. The kerf radius is automatically updated.

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Nesting NC Kerf Lookup If the kerf-in control is set to computer the kerf lookup is enabled. Selecting Kerf Lookup will disable the kerf diameter and kerf radius fields and the kerf is obtained from the technology setup tables. Feed Rate Type Select either by thickness or manual. Selecting thickness, the feed rate is obtained from the technology setup tables. Select manual to set the feed rate manually. Feed Rate When Manual Feed Rate is selected above, the feed rate field is enabled. Enter the feed rate value. Negative Gap Enter a value to allow the cutting head to pass through the lead-in point to avoid incomplete cutting. Continuous Cut Select to allow the head to continue to cut through selected contours. Usually for cutting along the outer contours of a nest. Reverse Select to back out of a cut. Used for precision cutting into special areas of a part. Combine with Previous Cut Lead-in/Lead-out Define the Lead-in and Lead-out parameters for the part. The types are the same for both the lead-in or lead-out. Lead-in/out Select from the drop down box the type of the lead-in/out. None Select to apply no lead-in type for the contour. Line Select to apply a lead-in line with a length value. Line Angle Select to apply an angle lead-in with a length and angle values. Line Perp Select to apply a perpendicular lead-in with a length and or an extra line length. Arc Select to apply a curved lead-in with a radius and angle value. Lead-in/out Length Enter the length of the lead-in/out line. Lead-in/out Angle Enter the angle of the lead-in/out line.

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Nesting NC Extra Line Select to apply an additional line to the lead-in/out. Enter the extra line length. Lead-in/out Angle Enter the angle of the extra line lead-in/out. Cancel Select Cancel to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK Select OK to close the dialog saving any changes. and the tool path is displayed.

NC Go To
The Go To function allows manual creation of both the NC path and the sequence in which the part contours are cut. Go To allows cutting of the outside contour of a part before the inside contour. 1. Select the Go To icon on the Nesting NC ribbon, on the Nesting NC tab. 2. Select the contour of the part in the order for cutting. The NC path is displayed. Select Esc to end the NC Go To function.

User Entry
User Entry allows the user to manually insert a note or NC command in the NC code of the post file. 1. Select the User Entry icon on the Nesting NC ribbon, on the Nesting NC tab. The Add Manual Command dialog is displayed. 2. Enter the user command and select the position point. 3. Enter the user command and select the position point. Select OK, If Insert at selected position was selected left-click the position on the NC nest. User Command : Enter the note or NC command code to insert.

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Nesting NC Position Type: The position type allows the insertion of the command or note at the end or a selected point of the NC code. Add to end of program: Select to apply the command at the end of the NC code. Insert at selected position: Select to apply the command at a point on the NC nest. Select OK then left-mouse click the position on the NC nest to apply the command. Cancel: Select to close the Add manual Command dialog without inserting a user command. OK: Select to close the Add manual Command dialog inserting a user command. If Insert at selected position was selected left-click the position on the NC nest.

NC Add
NC Add allows special imported pattern NC code. The pattern file is created from geometry and saved as a .PTN file, under the SNDATA/PTN folder. 1. Select the Add icon on the Nesting NC ribbon, on the Nesting NC tab. A navigation dialog is displayed for selecting a pattern file. 2. Left-click the file and select open. The pattern geometry is displayed on the Work-space. 3. Left-click to anchor the pattern geometry to the cursor and left mouse click the Work-space position and the reference point of the geometry pattern is placed.

NC Repeat
NC Repeat rapids the NC path to a new location to repeat the NC program path. 1. NC the parts nested on the layout. 2. Select the Repeat icon on the Nesting NC ribbon, on the Nesting NC tab. A rapid move to outside of the grouped NC contours is displayed.

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Letters Profile
Letters Profile adds NC text to a NC nesting. The text is anchored to the cursor. The Letters Profile actions are displayed on the left side of the window. The cursor is active in the Note text window when Letters Profile is selected from the drop down list on the Detail ribbon. Enter text for the note. Select enter to start a new line of text. Left-click on the Work-space to place the note. The following actions are available for editing a note in the Note Text Window.

Delete: Select Delete to remove all of the text in the note window.

Cut: Select Cut to remove selected text from the note. Select the text to remove and leftclick the cut icon. The text is removed.

Paste: Select Paste to insert text at a cursor location in the Note Text Window. Left-click the location for the text in the Note Text Window and left-click the paste icon. The last text that was removed by the cut action, or selected with the copy action, is pasted at the cursor location.

Copy: Select Copy to copy text to another location in the Note Text Window. Select the text from the text window and left-click the copy icon. Place the cursor to a new location in the Note Text Window and left-click the paste icon. The text is placed at the new location in the text window. Color:Left-click on the color bar and the color palette dialog is displayed. Select the note color. Note Height:Enter the value for the height of the note. The note height value is determined by the type of units set in the SigmaNEST configuration, millimeters (metric) or inches (imperial). Note Angle:Select from one of the following quick icons for the note angle or enter a value in degrees for the note to display on the workspace. Selecting one of the quick angle icons displays the note the same as the icon's orientations.The note angle is defined as counter-clockwise to the X-axis.

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Letters Mark
The Letters Mark function etches marks on a NC nesting. The text is anchored to the cursor. The Letters Profile actions are displayed on the left side of the window. The cursor is active in the Note text window when Letters Profile is selected from the drop down list on the Detail ribbon. Enter text for the note. Select enter to start a new line of text. Left-click on the Work-space to place the note. The following actions are available for editing a note in the Note Text Window.

Delete: Select Delete to remove all of the text in the note window.

Cut: Select Cut to remove selected text from the note. Select the text to remove and leftclick the cut icon. The text is removed.

Paste: Select Paste to insert text at a cursor location in the Note Text Window. Left-click the location for the text in the Note Text Window and left-click the paste icon. The last text that was removed by the cut action, or selected with the copy action, is pasted at the cursor location.

Copy: Select Copy to copy text to another location in the Note Text Window. Select the text from the text window and left-click the copy icon. Place the cursor to a new location in the Note Text Window and left-click the paste icon. The text is placed at the new location in the text window. Color:Left-click on the color bar and the color palette dialog is displayed. Select the note color. Note Height:Enter the value for the height of the note. The note height value is determined by the type of units set in the SigmaNEST configuration, millimeters (metric) or inches (imperial). Note Angle:Select from one of the following quick icons for the note angle or enter a value in degrees for the note to display on the workspace. Selecting one of the quick angle icons displays the note the same as the icon's orientations.The note angle is defined as counter-clockwise to the X-axis.

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Remove Current
Select to remove all the NC code for cutting, marking, or punching from the current sheet. Select the Current icon on the Nesting NC ribbon, on the Nesting NC tab, and a Confirmation dialog is displayed. Select Yes to remove the current NC paths.

Remove All Sheets

Select to remove all the NC code for cutting, marking, or punching from the all sheet layouts. Select the All Sheets icon on the Nesting NC ribbon, on the Nesting NC tab, and a Confirmation dialog is displayed. Select Yes to remove the NC paths on all of the nesting sheet layouts.

NC Delete
Select Delete to clear the NC path for a single part or group of parts. Select from one of the delete actions.

Single:Select the Single icon and left-mouse click on the part, then right-mouse click and the NC path is removed from the selected part.

Window : Select the Window icon and left-mouse click and window around the parts to remove the NC path. Right- click to remove the NC paths for the selected paths.

Unselect: Select the Unselect icon to unselect the selected part or parts from removing the NC path.

Done:Select the Done icon to end the delete function or select ESC.

Delete Part NC
Select to remove NC from a selected part without removing the entire NC path on the nest.

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Nesting NC

Delete Single Hit

Select to delete a single punch tool hit or portion of a contour profile path.

NC Back 1
Select Back 1 to step back the NC path by one step, and last NC path is removed. The NC path sequence steps back by the part. The below left image displays four parts with NC paths. Back 1 is selected and the last NC path is removed, see bottom right image.

Backup Last Move

Select Backup Last Move to step back the last NC move by one step and remove the last NC move. The NC move backup occurs by the last NC contour. The below left image displays a part with NC paths. Backup Last Move is selected and the last NC move is removed, see bottom right image, white arrow.

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Nesting NC

Back Contour
Select Back Contour to remove the last NC contour. The NC Back Contour occurs by the contour, part, or profile depending on the type of NC applied. The below left image displays a part with NC paths. Back Contour is selected and the last NC contour is removed, see bottom right image, white arrow.

Post Single Sheet

After the NC code and tool path are created, the information is posted to the machine controller that drives the cutting head. Post Single Sheet creates the NC program for the current single sheet layout of the NC nesting. Select the Post Single Sheet icon on the Nesting NC ribbon and the Post Single dialog is displayed. Enter the following parameters. Enter NC Program file name: Enter the file name of the NC program file or use the default. Save e-Reports: Select to save reports selected for the NC. Cancel: Select to close the post file dialog without saving the program file. OK: Select to close the post file dialog saving the program file. A confirmation dialog may appear if an existing NC program with the same name exists. Cancel or select OK to overwrite the NC program file. A SigmaNEST Post Processor dialog displays the following information. Select Done to post the file to the machine controller. SNPOST.DLL: The version of the dynamic linked library is displayed. PST File Name: Displays the post file name used for the machine type. NCI File Name: Displays the NC file name. Output File Name: Displays the post file name in a text file format.

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Nesting NC Status Window : Displays the status of the post file. Displays the cutting time of the process and any errors. Done: Select to send the NC program file to the controller.

Post All Sheets

After the NC code and tool path are created, the information is posted to the machine controller that drives the cutting head. Post All Sheets creates the NC program for all of the sheet layouts of the NC nesting. Select the Post All Sheets icon on the Nesting NC ribbon. Select the Post All Sheets icon on the Nesting NC ribbon and the Post dialog is displayed. Enter the following parameters. We are going in two group since there's 5 of us, and Janien has to wait for Beth to get back but Leah has an appt at 1, so a couple of us are leaving at 12:45 and a couple with Janien which group do you want to go with? we'll all eat togther , still, just some will be early and some will be later:Enter the file name of the NC program file or use the default. Save e-Reports: Select to save reports selected for the NC. Cancel : Select to close the post file dialog without saving the program file. OK: Select to close the post file dialog saving the program file. A confirmation dialog may appear if an existing NC program with the same name exists. Cancel or select OK to overwrite the NC program file. A SigmaNEST Post Processor dialog displays the following information. Select Done to post the file to the machine controller. SNPOST.DLL: The version of the dynamic linked library is displayed. PST File Name: Displays the post file name used for the machine type. NCI File Name: Displays the NC file name. Output File Name: Displays the post file name in a text file format. Status Window : Displays the status of the post file. Displays the cutting time of the process and any errors. Done: Select to send the NC program file to the controller.

Change Post
After the NC code and tool path are created, the information is posted to the machine controller that drives the cutting head. Select the Change Post icon on the Nesting NC ribbon and the Change Post dialog is displayed. Enter the following parameters.

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Nesting NC Machine: Select from the drop down box to change the machine process type to change the post file. Select from the post files available. Machine types can be added in Config (See page 403). Post: Displays the name of the post file. Cancel: Select to close the post file dialog without saving the program file. OK: Select to close the post file dialog saving the new program file. Go back to the Post Single or Post All sheets functions to post the new program file.

Editor
The Editor functions and actions are displayed along the top of the dialog. The left side of the dialog is used to navigate to the file to be edited. Double-click the file and the file is displayed on the right side of the editor. The SigmaNEST Editor allows more than one file to be edited at a time allowing text to be copied or moved from one file to another. The selected files are displayed using a program format style from the drop down menu, for easy editing and navigating. The following file format types are available. Plain Text INI Files PST Files

Reassign
Reassign is used to re-map a process or map an unknown process for multi-process machine types. 1. Left-click the process in the left-hand box. 2. Select the desired process for the part from the drop down menu. 3. Select Map Process. The new process appears in the left-hand list.

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Motion Optimization
The Motion Optimization tab contains the following functions for setting parameters for NC common line cutting, bridging, part avoidance, piercing, and tabbing, to optimize the machine process. iPierce (See page 255) Manual iPierce (See page 256) Move iPierce (See page 257) Delete iPierce (See page 257) Common Line Parameters (See page 258) Auto Chain (See page 261) Auto Bridge (See page 261) Manual Bridge (See page 262) Auto Bridge By Lead-in (See page 262) Auto Part Avoid (See page 263) Pierce Zone (See page 264) NC Fillet Corners (See page 265) Fly Cut (See page 266) Auto Tab (See page 266) Manual Tab (See page 269) Delete Single Tab (See page 270) Delete All Tabs (See page 270) Tab Removal (See page 270)

iPierce
iPierce creates an eyelet into the material skeleton and places the next lead-in around the eyelet, eliminating the need for a pierce. Reducing pierces decreases the cycle time to cut a nest, eliminates slag where pierces have been removed. In the image below, A= Eyelet Radius, B= Throat Width, C= Throat Height, D= Eyelet Height,E= Maximum Distance and F= Edge Distance.

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Nesting NC Eyelet Radius: Enter the desired radius of the eyelet. Throat Width: Enter the desired width for the throat from the part of the eyelet. Throat Height: Enter the desired length for the throat the eyelet. Eyelet Height: Enter the total height of the iPierce, including the throat and eyelet. Maximum Distance: Enter the maximum distance required between parts to allow an iPierce. Edge Distance : Enter the maximum distance required between a part and an edge. Preferred Placement Position: Use the arrows to arrange the placement options in order of preference for eyelet placement. On Line Segment: Places the iPierce on line segment. On Arc Segment: Places the iPierce on Arc segment. On Corner: Places the iPierce on the corner of the part. Lead-in Placement: Enter the distance from the edge of the Inlet radius for the start position of the lead-in for the adjacent part. Using a positive value will place the lead-in start position into the inlet radius, Using a negative value will start the lead-in on the outside and away from the inlet radius. Done: Select to close the iPierce dialog saving all changes.

Manual iPierce
Select manual iPierce to open the add iPierce eyelets to selected parts. In the image below, A= Eyelet Radius, B= Throat Width, C= Throat Height, D= Eyelet Height,E= Maximum Distance and F= Edge Distance.

The eyelet image will not display without an eyelet shape file. The file , Eyelet.shp,is located in the shapes folder inside the SNData folder. If the file is missing, contact SigmaTEK technical support.

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Nesting NC Eyelet Radius: Enter the desired radius of the eyelet. Throat Width: Enter the desired width for the throat from the part of the eyelet. Throat Height: Enter the desired length for the throat the eyelet. Eyelet Height: Enter the total height of the iPierce, including the throat and eyelet. Maximum Distance: Enter the maximum distance required between parts to allow an iPierce.

Preferred Placement Position: Use the arrows to arrange the placement options in order of preference for eyelet placement. On Line Segment: Places the iPierce on line segment. On Arc Segment: Places the iPierce on Arc segment. On Corner: Places the iPierce on the corner of the part. Lead-in Placement: Enter the distance from the edge of the Inlet radius for the start position of the lead-in for the adjacent part. Using a positive value will place the lead-in start position into the inlet radius, Using a negative value will start the lead-in on the outside and away from the inlet radius. Selection Actions Single:Select Single to place an eyelet on a single entity. Left-click to select the entity. Rightclick to add the eyelet. Select Done to save and exit. Window : Select Window to place eyelets on select a group of entities, by creating a window around them. Left-click and hold down to create a window around the objects. Right-click to add eyelets to the selected entities. Select Done to save and exit. Unselect: Select Unselect to exclude adding an eyelet an entity from the selected entities. Done: Select Done to accept the current eyelets and close the iPierce side panel.

Move iPierce
Select Move iPierce from the Motion Optimization ribbon to reposition the eyelet for the selected part. 1. Select the eyelet to reposition. 2. Click on anywhere on the part to move the eyelet to that location.

Delete iPierce
To delete an eyelet, Select Delete iPierce or right-click on a part. The side panel opens with selection actions listed below. Select part or parts and right-click to delete eyelet(s). Selection Actions

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Nesting NC Single:Select Single to place an eyelet on a single entity. Left-click to select the entity. Rightclick to add the eyelet. Select Done to save and exit. Window : Select Window to place eyelets on select a group of entities, by creating a window around them. Left-click and hold down to create a window around the objects. Right-click to add eyelets to the selected entities. Select Done to save and exit. Unselect: Select Unselect to exclude adding an eyelet an entity from the selected entities. Done: Select Done to accept the current changes and close the Pierce side panel.

Common Line Parameters

The Common Line tab contains parameters for setting up common line cutting of parts. Part Common Line cutting is enabled on the Grain tab in the Part parameters dialog. Type of Common Line: Select from one of the following common line cutting types: Cut/Rapid Cut: This is considered a normal cut with the Common Line function. This type of common line cut makes two pierces. Refer to the following figure; the cutting tool rapids over to the first lead-in, and then it cuts around the entire first part. It then leads out from the lead-in position and rapids over to the second part's lead-in. It then cuts around three sides of the second part and leads out through the top.

One Pierce Two Parts:This is considered a reverse cut with the Common Line function. This is called Two Parts One Pierce because it cuts two parts with only one pierce. As seen in the figure below, the cutting tool cuts out the entire first part, and then cuts the remaining three sides of the second part before leading out through the top. This process uses left kerf for the first part, no kerf between the two parts and right kerf on the second part.

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One Pierce, Two Parts (Laser): This works much like the regular One Pierce, Two Parts option. This is also called Two Parts, One Pierce because it cuts two parts with only one pierce. As seen in the figure below, the cutting tool first cuts between the two parts, then cuts the remaining three sides of the first part and finally cuts the remaining three side of the second part before leading out through the bottom. This process is ideal for cutting both parts using a single kerf.

Auto Slit Cut: This cuts entities from multiple parts along a common line. The following figure is an example of how multiple entities are cut along a common line. The dotted lines are rapid moves. All cuts are for the full length of three parts. The first cut is from the bottom to the top of three parts. There is a rapid move to the right and the second cut is from the top to the bottom of three parts. All the internal common lines are cut first, then the external contours are cut in steps 5 through 8.

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Nesting NC Selection Select the areas to apply the common line parameters. All Sheets Current Sheet Window Single Kerf Diameter: Enter the kerf diameter of the tool. Only Exact Common Cuts:Select to allow a common cut if the line between the two parts is exactly the same length. It is only available when Cut/Rapid/Cut is selected as the type of common line. Preserve Sequence: Select to enable the preservation of the NC sequence. Previous Cut Pickup Enabled when Cut/Rapid/Cut is selected. The lead-in is placed, after a rapid move, where a common cut has already taken place. This avoids an additional pierce. None: Select to disable Previous Cut Pickup. Standard : Select to ue the Previous pickup length. Prep Cut: Select to prep the cut by entering a previous pickup length. Double Prep Cut: Select to prep the common line cut using a previous pickup length and a no cut pickup length. In the following diagram, the lead-in after the rapid move from the end of cut 4 to the start of cut 5 is placed on the common line cut, by cut number 2.

Previous Pickup length: Enter the length of the previous pickup lead-in. If a negative value is used, the lead-in is placed outside the part, as it is when previous cut pickup is not used. Previous Pickup length (No Cut):Enter a length for the No Cut option to move the cutting head a distance before starting the cut.

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Nesting NC Common Line Lead-ins Settings: Lead-in and Lead-out is only available when the type of common line is either One Pierce, Two Parts or One Pierce, Two Parts (Laser). Select the lead-in and lead-out from one of the following. No Lead-in/Lead-out: Select to disable the lead-in and or lead-out for common line cutting. Line: Select to enable the line lead-in or lead-out for common line cutting. Enter the a value. Reverse Contour: Select to enable a reverse contour type of lead-in or lead-out. Enter a value. Lead-in: Enter the length of the lead-in. Lead-out: Enter the length of the lead-out. Set As Default: Select to save the settings as the default settings for Auto NC. When Auto NC is selected in the future these settings are displayed. Cancel: Select to close the Common Cut dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Common Cut dialog saving all changes.

Auto Chain
The Auto Chain function permits the selected parts to be cut continuously, reducing the amount of piercing. Auto chain does not work with parts containing internal contours. 1. Select the Auto Chain icon from the Motion Optimization ribbon. 2. Click each part in the order they must be cut. 3. Select the Done button to complete the function. The following images illustrate the application of auto-chaining between two parts:

The white NC path is replaced by the red NC path to designate a continuous cut between the parts.

Auto Bridge
The Auto Bridge function allows the user to add bridging between selected parts, for holding parts together for more accurate cutting and part handling. 1. Select the Auto Bridge icon from the Motion Optimization ribbon. Enter the

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Nesting NC bridge gap and maximum bridge length. 2. Left-click each part to apply the bridging. 3. Right-click to compete the Auto Bridge function. The bridging is displayed. The following images illustrates before and after Auto Bridge is applied to the parts.

Manual Bridge
The Manual Bridge function allows the user to add bridging between selected parts, for holding parts together for accurate cutting and part handling. 1. Select the Manual Bridge icon from the Motion Optimization ribbon. Enter the bridge gap size. 2. Left-click the first part position to apply the bridge. 3. Left-click the second part position to compete the bridge function. The bridge is display. Select ESC to end the function. The following images illustrates Manual Bridge applied between part contours.

Auto Bridge By Lead-in

The Auto Bridge By Lead-in function allows the user to add bridging between the last cut of a part to the lead-in of the next part. 1. Select the Auto Bridge By Lead-in icon from the Motion Optimization ribbon. Enter the bridge gap size. 2. Left-click the first part to apply the bridge from. 3. Left-click the second part to apply the bridge to. 4. Right-click and the bridge is displayed. Select ESC to end the function. The following images illustrates Auto Bridge By Lead-in between parts.

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Auto Part Avoid

Automatic part avoidance changes the NC tool path so the cutting tool does not cross over already cut areas. This permits the head to stay down, reducing head up and down movements for faster part processing times. After auto part avoidance is applied the normal white NC lines are replaced by gray lines that define rapid head movements over parts not yet cut. See image below.

Left-click on Auto Part Avoid icon and the Part Avoidance dialog is displayed. Select the following parameters for defining auto part avoidance. Check Part Avoidance: Select to give a warning if crossing rapids or lead-ins. Move Dynamic Lead-ins: Select to rotate parts with dynamic lead-ins, to maximize head movements. Move Dynamic/Fixed Lead-ins: Select to rotate parts and adjust for both dynamic and any fixed lead-ins to maximize head movement. Sheets: Select All Sheets or Current Sheet to apply Part Avoidance.

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Nesting NC Clearance Diameter: Enter the value that allows the head to pass near a cut part, not less than 1/2 of the value, before a head up is applied. The clearance diameter should be larger than the head diameter, to provide sufficient head clearance. Maximum Distance: Enter the distance the head will travel between external features before a head up is applied. Max Dist in Feature: Enter the distance from inside a feature, to the next feature to cut. The head will go up if the distance is more than the max dist in feature. Snap to Endpoints: Select to place the lead-in at 3 o'clock in circular entities and at the ends of square entities. Some controllers may not handle small arc segments and need to be checked. Move Only Internal Lead-ins:Select to allow to move only internal lead-ins and not external leadins. Cancel: Select to close the part avoidance dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the part avoidance dialog saving all changes.

Manual Part Avoid

Manual Part Avoid is used to apply a head down movement. The selected rapid NC path will move as a head down over or near parts, providing less time for cutting parts. 1. Select the Manual Part Avoid icon from the Motion Optimization ribbon on the Nesting NC tag. 2. Left-click the NC path to apply the manual part avoid. The NC path turns gray, indicating the movement is a head down movement. 3. Select Esc to cancel the manual part avoid function.

Pierce Zone
Select Pierce Zone to display the Pierce Zone parameters on the left side of the Work-space. The following parameters are available for Pierce Zone. All Sheets: Select to apply the pierce zone for all sheets. Current Sheet: Select to apply the pierce zone to the current sheet. Internal Contours:Select to enable pierce zone for internal contours. External Contours: Select to enable pierce zone for external contours. Cancel:Select to close the pierce zone dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the pierce zone dialog saving any changes. Radius and Feed rate: The feed rate is specified for the piercing distance defined by a radius value. As piercing occurs the feed rate can be slowed as the head approaches the part contour. The feed rate is defined as a percentage of the speed. Enter radius and feed rate values.

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NC Fillet Corners
Fillet corners allows the user to apply a fillet to the corners of parts. A minimum and maximum angle value is defined to allow the cutting head to approach the part corners and if the corner is between the specified angles the head will follow the fillet path for a smoother and continuous cutting path.

Fillet Radius: Enter the radius of the fillet. Minimum Angle (A): Enter the minimum angle of the contour to apply the fillet. Maximum Angle (B):Enter the maximum angle of the contour to apply the fillet.

Apply Fillet To : Select the following options to apply the fillets to the external and or internal contours, and or lead-ins. External Contours: Select to apply the fillets to external contours. Internal Contours: Select to apply the fillets to internal contours. Lead-ins: Select to apply the fillets to lead-ins. Fillet by Process: Select to apply the fillets by the machine processes. Depending on the machine type the process listing may be different. Select the machine process from the listing to apply the fillets. Machine Process 1 Machine Process 2 Machine Process 3 Cancel: Select to close the NC fillet dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the NC fillet dialog saving any changes.

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Fly Cut
Fly Cut allows the user to speed up cutting on repetitive part patterns. The cutting head follows similar part contours, aligned horizontally or vertically, and applies power off between the contours, allowing the head to move continuously through the NC nesting. 1. Select the Fly Cut icon and the Fly Cut dialog is displayed. 2. Enter the following parameters for defining the fly cut function and select OK. Lead-in Length: Enter the lead-in length to apply during the fly cut approach to the contour. Lead-out Length: Enter the lead-out length to apply after the contour cut during the fly cut function. Current Sheets: Select to enable fly cutting to all sheets. All Sheet: Select to enable fly cutting to the current sheet only. Max Rapid Distance: Enter the maximum distance for the fly cut to be applied during the rapid movement across the NC nesting. Cancel: Select to close the fly cut dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the fly cut dialog saving any changes.

Auto Tab
The Auto Tab dialog sets tab parameters for the parts of the nesting NC. Tabs are used between parts to hold them together for handling. The tab placement and size are dependant on the Tab Types selected. Tab Type:The tab type determines how the tabs are placed on the part. Select one of the following values from the drop down list. Number: Determines the number of tabs placed around the perimeter of the part. Spacing : Tabs are placed around the perimeter of the part at approximate intervals specified in the Tab Spacing field. Corners: The Corner Tab Type positions are determined as follows: 1. All corners are evaluated and weighted based on factors such as whether the corner is convex, the proximity of other entities to the corner, and the length of the preceding part and the following corner. 2. The best corner is selected for the first tab. 3. The desired tab spacing is used to select a candidate tab position at the specified distance around the perimeter of the part. 4. The specified search distance is used to search forward and backwards from the candidate position for a suitable corner within that range.

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Nesting NC 5. If one corner is found within the search distance from the candidate position it is used. 6. If more than one corner is found within the search distance from the candidate position, the best one (with the highest weighting) is selected. 7. If there are no corners within the search distance from the candidate position, a tab is placed at or near the candidate position, depending on attributes such as Min Tab Entity Length,Tab Lines, Tab Arcs, etc. 8. The procedure continues by using the tab spacing distance to locate the next candidate position. Fixed: Tabs are placed at fixed distances from each other(Tab Spacing) and this distance is maintained even when the Move Tabs Away from Corners attribute is set. The whole set of tabs along an entity may be moved, to move a tab away from a corner, but the distance between each is maintained. Equal Spacing : Equal Spacing sets the tabs equidistant from one another along each side. Leadout Tab : Leadout Tab creates a single tab between leadin and leadout. Tab Size: Enter a value for the tab size. Number of Tabs: Enter the number of tabs. Enabled when Number is selected in the Tab Type field. Example: If 5 tabs are entered, 5 tabs are evenly spaced on that entity, as determined by the size of the entity and the specified size of the tab. The spacing between the tabs depends on the number of tabs and the length of the entity. Tab Spacing : Enabled when the Tab type is set to Spacing. Tab Spacing specifies the distance apart from each tab. Example: If one inch is specified, the tabs are placed at one inch intervals along the perimeter of the entity. The number of tabs placed depends on the length of the entity and the distance between the tabs. Min Number of Tabs: This is the minimum tabs that will be used for Spacing, Corners, Fixed, and Equal Spacing tab types. Min Tabbed Entity Length: Tabs are not placed on entities that are shorter than this length. Tab Search Percentage: This is the percentage of the tab spacing distance that the tab placement algorithm will use to search forwards or backwards, from the nominal distance specified by the tab spacing value, in order to find a good tab position. For example, if the tab spacing parameter specifies that tabs should be placed 50 units apart and the search percentage is 50 percent, then the tab placement algorithm will use any good tab position between 25 and 75 units from the previous tab. The tab placing algorithm has more flexibility when the tab search percentage is large. Min Internal Tab Area: This value determines if any tabs will be placed on the inside perimeter of an entity where the inside area is greater than the value specified. Min External Tab Area: This value determines if any tabs will be placed on the outside perimeter of an entity where the outside area is greater than the value specified.

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Nesting NC Tab Part Ends: If this parameter is set to yes then tabs are placed on the ends of the entity according to the Part/Width Length Ratio value. Part Length/Width Ratio : This parameter is active and can be set when the Tab Part Ends parameter is set to yes. Specifying a length/width ratio allows a tab to be placed on the part end. Tab Lines: This parameter allows the tabs to be placed on specific line types. One of the following 4 options may be selected. All lines: This option allows tabs to be placed on all of the line types according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Only horizontal: The horizontal option places the tabs along horizontal sides of the part according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Only vertical: The vertical option places the tabs along vertical sides of the part according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Only horizontal and vertical:This option places tabs along the horizontal and vertical sides of the parts only according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Exclude Open Contours: Select to exclude tabs on open line contours. Tab Arcs: Tab Arcs: Select to place tabs along the arcs according to the specified spacing. Exclude Arcs: Select to exclude tabs placed within arcs. Only if Needed : Select to override tab parameters and place tabs along arcs according to a specified spacing. Remove Tabs: Remove tabs specifies whether tabs must be removed when all other operations are complete. Select from the following options. Do not remove tabs: Select to not remove tabs. Remove tabs: Select to remove the tabs after the parts have been cut. Remove tabs from center: Select to remove tabs from internal contours. Double tab remove: Select to remove double tabs or twin tabs. Remove tabs from center with leadin: Select to remove tabs with leadin placed at the center of contours.

If removing tabs was not selected on this dialog use the Tab Removal option to enable Remove Tabs after the part or nest cutting. Opening the dialog again and only changing Remove Tabs option, and selecting OK, will apply another set of tabs to the NC nest. Remove Tab Offset: Enter the Offset value to set the distance away from the part the tab will be removed.

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Nesting NC Remove Sequence: Select to remove tabs on a part by part basis, a part is completed and the tabs removed before processing the next part. Or the entire nest is completed and then all tabs are removed. By Nest: Select to remove all tabs from the nest. By Part: Select to remove tabs by part. Over Cut: Enter the over cut value. The Over Cut is the lateral distance from the edge of the tab where the tab removal process starts. Over cut applies to cutting and routing processes and does not apply to punching. Offset: Enter the Offset value. The Offset permits tabs to be removed in two passes. The first pass is this distance from the contour and removes part of the tab. The next pass is on the contour and completely removes the remaining part of the tab. Move Tabs Away From Corners: Select to move any tabs, placed near corners, away from the corners. Set As Default: Select to save the settings as the default settings for Auto NC. When Auto NC is selected in the future these settings are displayed. Cancel: Closes the Auto NC Dialog, without saving any changes. OK: Closes the Auto NC Setup Dialog saving all changes.

Manual Tab
Manual tab allows the user to place tabs on part contours. A tab dialog is displayed for the tab settings. See tab settings definitions below. 1. Select the Manual Tab icon. 2. Enter the tab settings and select OK. 3. Left-click the part contour and the tab is displayed. Tab Type: The tab type determines how the tabs are placed on the part. Select one of the following values from the drop down list. Single:Select to place a single tab. Number:Select to place the number of tabs around the perimeter of the part. Spacing :Select to place tabs at approximate intervals, around the part, specified in the Tab Spacing field. Tab Size: Enter a value for the tab size. Number of Tabs: Enter the number of tabs. Enabled when Number is selected in the Tab Type field. Example: If 5 tabs are entered, 5 tabs are evenly spaced on that entity, as determined by the size of the entity and the specified size of the tab. The spacing between the tabs depends on the number of tabs and the length of the entity.

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Nesting NC Tab Spacing : Enabled when the Tab type is set to Spacing. Tab Spacing specifies the distance apart from each tab. Example: If one inch is specified, the tabs are placed at one inch intervals along the perimeter of the entity. The number of tabs placed depends on the length of the entity and the distance between the tabs. Tab Method : Drop down box for selecting tab method. Choose from the following options. Normal: Select Normal tab type for normal full depth tab types. 3D Tab : Select 3D tab for router type machines performing partial depth tab types. Micro Tab : Select Micro tab method for special laser type machines performing micro weld type tabs. Depth: If the normal tab spacing algorithm places a tab right next to a corner, the selection of this attribute equalizes the spacing between the tabs, on this edge, to move it away from the corner. Tab moves are head-down moves: Select this for tab moves to be head-down moves. Lead-in Lead-in Length: Enter the lead-in length. Lead-in Angle: Enter the lead-in angle. Lead-out:Select to provide a lead out for the tab. Lead-out Length:Enter the lead-out length. Lead-out Angle: Enter the lead-out angle. Cancel: Closes the tab settings dialog without saving any changes. OK: Closes the tab settings dialog saving any changes.

Delete Single Tab

Select to remove tabs on part contours. 1. Select the Delete Single Tab icon. 2. Left-click the tab on the part contour and the tab is removed.

Delete All Tabs

Select Delete All Tabs to remove all tabs from the NC nest.

Tab Removal
Tab Removal allows the user to remove the NC nest tabbing after each part or after the nest has been cut.

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If removing tabs was not selected on the Auto Tab dialog, use this Tab Removal option to enable the removing of tabs from the NC nesting. Opening the Auto Tab dialog again and only changing the Remove Tabs option, and selecting OK, will apply another set of tabs to the NC nest. Remove Tabs Remove tabs specifies whether tabs must be removed when all other operations are complete. Select from the following options. Do not remove tabs: Select to not remove tabs. Remove tabs: Select to remove the tabs after the parts have been cut. Remove tabs from center: Select to remove tabs from internal contours. Double tab remove: Select to remove double tabs or twin tabs. Remove tabs from center with lead-ins: Select to remove tabs with lead-ins placed at the center of contours. Remove Sequence: Select to remove tabs on a part by part basis, a part is completed and the tabs removed before processing the next part. Or the entire nest is completed and then all tabs are removed. By Nest: Select to remove all tabs from the nest. By Part: Select to remove tabs by part. Enter the Over Cut and Offset values. Over Cut: Enter the over cut value. The Over Cut is the lateral distance from the edge of the tab where the tab removal process starts. Over cut applies to cutting and routing processes and does not apply to punching. Offset:Enter the Offset value. The Offset permits tabs to be removed in two passes. The first pass is this distance from the contour and removes part of the tab. The next pass is on the contour and completely removes the remaining part of the tab. Sheets: Select to apply the tab removal to the current sheet or all of the sheet layouts for the nesting task. All Sheets:Select to apply the tab removal to all of the sheets. Current Sheet: Select to allow the tab removal for the current sheet. Cancel: Closes the Auto NC Dialog, without saving any changes. OK: Closes the Auto NC Setup Dialog saving all changes.

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Height Recording Points

Height recording points can be added to parts with a beveled edges to indicate height. Each contour can have up to 99 points, depending on the user preferences set. Only Bevel Parts: Select to apply points only to parts with bevels. All Parts: Select to apply points to all parts. Apply to all sheets: Select to apply the properties set in the Height Recording side menu to all sheets in the task. When it is not selected, the properties will be applied to the current sheet only. Min Hole Rad :Enter the minimum hole radius to which points should be applied. Holes with a smaller radius will not have any points. Max # Points (contour) (2): Enter the maximum points to apply to a contour. Min # Points (contour) : Enter the minimum points to apply to a contour. Max Dist Between Points: Enter the maximum distance between points. Min Arc Rad : Enter the minimum hole radius to which points should be applied. Holes with a smaller radius will not have any points. Done: Select to apply the changes and exit the Heights Recording Points side menu.

Advanced NC
The Advanced NC ribbon contains the following functions for applying advanced NC functions as repositioning, vaporizing, part removal, pre-piercing, and aligning auto marks. Reposition (See page 201) Part Removal (See page 274) Move Lead-in (See page 209) Edit Lead-in/out (See page 210) Special Lead-in/out (See page 212) Pre-pierce (See page 276) Vaporizing (See page 277) Bevel (See page 278) Auto Align Text (See page 208) Knife Cutter (See page 291) Apply To Same (See page 292)

Auto Crop Lead-in Settings

Select the ellipse to display the Reposition Auto Crop Lead-in Settings dialog. The dialog displays lead-ins and lead-outs for the sheet edge and part to part scrap line parameters. Include Sheet Edge Scrap Lines: Select to setup the sheet edge scrap lines. The following options are enabled.

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Nesting NC Sheet Lead-in Type:Select the type of lead-in for the sheet edge from the drop down box. The lead-in is added from the edge distance to the edge of the sheet. The following options are available. No Lead-in: Select to have no lead-ins. Lead-in: Select to apply a lead-in. Enter the lead-in length. Reverse Lead-in: Select to apply a reverse type lead-in. Enter the reverse line length. Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply a lead-in with two lead-in line lengths. Reverse Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply a reverse lead-in type with two line lengths. Sheet Lead-out Type: Select the type of lead-out for the sheet edge from the drop down box. The following options are available. No Lead-in: Select to have no lead-ins. Lead-in: Select to apply a lead-in. Enter the lead-in length. Reverse Lead-in: Select to apply a reverse type lead-in. Enter the reverse line length. Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply a lead-in with two lead-in line lengths. Reverse Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply a reverse lead-in type with two line lengths. Lead-in Length: Enter the length or lengths of the selected lead-in or lead-ins from the above drop down boxes. Lead-out Length: Enter the length or lengths of the selected lead-out or lead-outs from the above drop down boxes. Edge Distance: Enter a value to tell the cutting head how far in from the edge to stop cutting. If no lead-ins are defined, lead-ins are added to the edge distance toward the edge. Do Height Sensing : Select to apply height sensing for the head movement. The head moves to the edge distance value to acquire a height for the sheet. Height sensing is then disabled so as to not allow the head to move downward creating a collision condition. Lead-out to Sheet Edge: Select to have the scrap line start from the part out to the edge. Include Part to Part Scrap Lines: Select to enable the options for part to part scrap. The part clearance value is used to set the lead-in and lead-out distances. The lead-in and lead-out lengths are added to the part clearance value. Part Lead-in Type: Select the type of lead-in for the sheet edge from the drop down box. The leadin is added to the part clearance value away from the part. The following options are available. No Lead-in: Select to have no lead-ins. Lead-in: Select to apply a lead-in. Enter the lead-in length.

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Nesting NC Reverse Lead-in: Select to apply a reverse type lead-in. Enter the reverse line length. Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply a lead-in with two lead-in line lengths. Reverse Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply a reverse lead-in type with two line lengths. Part Lead-out Type: Select the type of lead-out for the sheet edge from the drop down box. No Lead-in: Select to have no lead-ins. Lead-in: Select to apply a lead-in. Enter the lead-in length. Reverse Lead-in: Select to apply a reverse type lead-in. Enter the reverse line length. Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply a lead-in with two lead-in line lengths. Reverse Line Line Lead-in: Select to apply a reverse lead-in type with two line lengths. Lead-in Length: Enter the length or lengths of the selected lead-in or lead-ins from the above drop down boxes. Lead-out Length: Enter the length or lengths of the selected lead-out or lead-outs from the above drop down boxes. Part Clearance: Enter a value to specify how close to get to the part before you stop cutting the scrap line. Minimum Cut length: Enter a value to remove any lines shorter than the specified value from being cut. Vertical Lead-in Side:Select from either top to bottom or bottom to top for the lead-in cutting direction. Bottom to Top : To allow the scrap lead-in cutting direction from the bottom to top. Top to Bottom: To allow the scrap lead-in cutting direction from the top to bottom. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving any changes.

Part Removal
Selecting part removal displays the part removal dialog. The left side lists part removal types. There may be additional drop door parameters listed depending on the part removal type of the machine.

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Part removal is used with combination punching/cutting machines. The post processor file of the machine must include part removal functionality. The following basic part removal types are defined. There are other part removal types that may be listed. Part Removal Types Small Drop Door Select small drop door to automatically remove small parts. The X-Y contour dimensions is required for the small drop door part removal. Drop Door Select drop door to automatically remove the parts through a drop door. The drop door is displayed in white on the layout. The X-Y contour dimensions is required for the drop door part removal. Manual Select manual to have the machine stop for the operator to remove the part. The parts that exceed the specified X and Y dimensions appear in white. Command The command text box displays the part removal command from the post file. Slide Type The slide type specifies how the machine locates the part over the drop door. Select from the following options. Geometric Center Select Geometric Center to position the center of the part over the center of the drop door. Center of Gravity Select Center of gravity to position the part's center of gravity over the center of the drop door. Rectangle Overlap Select Rectangular Overlap to ensure that the part's bounding rectangle is over the drop door. Contour X-Y dimensions Depending on the part removal type the contour dimensions are required to remove parts according to their size. Enter the X-Y contour dimensions for the part removal to occur. Drop doors require a dimension less than a certain value (mm or in, depending on the configuration units). Manual part removal requires a greater than X-Y contour value to stop the machine, for the operator to remove the part. Cancel Select to close the part removal dialog without saving any changes.

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Nesting NC OK Select to close the part removal dialog saving any changes.

Pre-pierce
Select Pre-Pierce to display the Pre-Pierce dialog. The following parameters are available for prepiercing. Pre-Pierce Type: The following pre-pierce types are available. Pierce Points: The Pierce Points pierces small openings at the starting point of each cut. Circle: The Circle function pre-pierces a circle the size of the specified circle diameter. Punch: The Punch function punches an opening at the starting point of each cut. Select from the punching tools already used for the part from the list in the lower portion of the dialog. The tool must be highlighted before selecting OK. It is also possible to select a different punching tool (one not already used in the nest) by selecting Add Tool. The Tool Manager dialog displays, allowing selection of a new tool. Standard Shape: Provides the user a way to define a pre-pierce type by a standard shape. The list of the standard shapes is displayed. The Add Tool button displays the Tool Manager for adding additional shapes. None: Pre-Pierce is defined as none. Process: From the drop down box select the pre-pierce process type. Circle Diameter: Enter the value for the pre-pierce diameter. Add Machine Stop : Adds a machine stop in the NC code. The machine is stopped for the tool head to accommodate the pre-piercing process. Select one of the following parameters from the drop down box. None: No stop command for the pre-pierce process. Begin: Provides a stop at the beginning of the pre-pierce process. End : Provides a stop at the end of the pre-pierce process. Begin and End : Provides a stop at the beginning and end of the pre-pierce process. Pierce Position: The pre-pierce position is placed in relation to the lead-in position. On the Edge: Places the pierce position to meet the lead-in on the edge. In the Center: Places the pierce position to meet the lead-in at the center. Sequence: The sequence of pre-pierce can be done By Part or By Nest. By part means pre-pierces are applied then cuts are applied. By nest means pre-pierces are applied then cutting is applied. Sheets: Apply the pre-pierce to the Current Sheet, All Sheets, or Select a sheet.

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Nesting NC Pre-Pierce Tab :Select to apply pre-piercing to tabs. Remove Overlap Pierce: Select to remove the pre-pierce if it interferes with another part. A warning message will be displayed if Remove Overlap Pierce is not selected and the pre-pierce interferes with a part. Reverse Pre-pierce: Reverses the starting point of the pre-pierce process. Merge Pre-pierce: Allows pre-pierces with overlapping diameters to be combined into a single prepierce. The lead-ins have to be moved manually to allow the pre-pierces to overlap. Add Tool: Select to display the Tool Manager (See page 320) to define a pre-pierce tool for combo machines. Set as Default:Saves the options as the default values. Cancel:Closes the pre-pierce dialog without saving any changes. OK: Closes the pre-pierce dialog saving all changes

Vaporizing
Vaporizing is used to mark, etch, or remove coatings on the top layer of sheets or parts. Select Vaporizing to display the Vaporizing dialog. The following parameters are available for Vaporizing. Vaporizing : Select to apply vaporizing before the cutting parts or contours, or before the nest. Contour: Select to vaporize the contour first then cut the contour. Part: Select to vaporize the part first then cut the part. Nest: Select Nest to apply vaporizing to the entire nest before cutting the parts. Contours: Select to vaporize external, internal, or all contours. All Contours: Both external and internal contours are vaporized. External Only: External contours are vaporized. Internal Only: Internal contours are vaporized. Vaporizing Marking : Select to vaporize all of the markings on the sheets. Sheets: Vaporizing can be applied to all or the current sheet. Select one of the radio buttons. All sheets: Select to apply the vaporizing to all of the sheets. Current Sheet: Select to apply the vaporizing to the current sheet. Cancel: Select to close the vaporizing dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the vaporizing dialog saving any changes.

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Bevel
Select the bevel icon for the following bevel options: Fixed Bevel (See page 278) Variable Bevel (See page 282) Edit Same Bevel (See page 287) Delete Bevels (See page 288) Delete Bevel Window (See page 288) Move Bevel Attribute (See page 288) Move Bevel Lead-in (See page 290) Move Bevel Arc Lead-in (See page 289) Apply Bevel Sequence (See page 290)

Fixed Bevel
The Fixed Bevel function is used to create or edit contour surface inclinations. The Fixed bevel has a single angle across the contour. Two adjoining surfaces that do not meet at right angles define a bevel. The bevel is marked by callouts defining the bevel parameters and displaying an image of the bevel type. Selecting a bevel function displays the bevel callouts until the bevel function is ended. To display and setup the bevel callouts see Show Bevel Attributes. 1. Select the Fixed Bevel icon from the Advanced NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the contour, or use the Selection Actions (See page 15) to select the contour, and right-mouse click. The Beveling Parameters dialog is displayed. 3. Select the bevel type from one of the bevel images at the top of the bevel parameters dialog. The bevel parameters for the selected bevel is displayed in the dialog. 4. Enter the bevel parameters and select OK. A bevel callouts dialog is displayed attached to the contour. Select Esc to end the bevel function.

The following define the bevel parameter values. Depending on the selected bevel type not all of the bevel parameters are displayed at once.

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Nesting NC Bevel Types There are five different bevel types. In addition, the blind bevel property can be used with any type of bevel.

Top Land (See page 280)

Bottom Knife (See page 281)

Bottom Land (See page 280)

K Bevel (See page 282)

Top Knife (See page 281)

Blind Bevel A blind bevel is defined as an inclination along a section of the contour and not the entire length of the contour. When defining a blind bevel, the part contour has to be split into separate entities in the part geometry (below image). The blind bevel property can be used with any type of bevel.

Thickness:The thickness of the material is displayed to assist in defining the bevel values. Bevel Image: A side view of the bevel image is displayed on the right side of the dialog. Changing the bevel values in the dialog changes the bevel image. Cancel:Select to close the dialog without saving any changes to the bevel parameters. OK:Select to close the dialog saving all changes to the bevel parameters.

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Bottom Land The Bottom Land Bevel is defined when the angled contour is below the land or nose of the bevel. Depending on the drawing type of the part, a bevel width, depth, or nose size is defined. The bottom land bevel provides all three values, plus an angle value, to define the bevel. The material thickness is displayed in the dialog to aid in defining the bevel depth or nose size. Sometimes special bevel cut conditions are required for certain bevels. The bevel cut conditions are defined in Technology Setup under the Machine Parameters tab. To define a bevel angle, enter the angle value in degrees and do not check the bottom angle box. The angle is fixed. Select the bevel width, depth, or nose to define the bottom land bevel. To define the bottom land bevel using a width or depth value select the bottom angle check box and enter either the bevel width or depth. With a single-headed plasma torch, this requires two complete passes along each entity. The deepest cut, which is typically the vertical or land cut, is the first pass. The second pass is the angle cut. 1. Enter the Bottom Angle Value (A). 2. Select and enter the bevel width (B), bevel depth (C) or bevel nose size (D).

Top Land The top land bevel has an angled contour or inclination at the top of the vertical or land cut. Depending on the drawing type of the part, a bevel width, depth, or nose size is defined. The top land bevel provides all three values, plus an angle value, to define the bevel. The material thickness is displayed in the dialog to aid in defining the bevel depth or nose size. To define a bevel angle, enter the angle value in degrees and do not check the top angle box. The angle is fixed. Select the bevel width, depth, or nose to define the top land bevel. To define the top land bevel using a width or depth value select the top angle check box and enter either the bevel width or depth. With a single-headed plasma torch, this requires two complete passes along each entity. The deepest cut, which is typically the vertical or land cut, is the first pass. The second pass is the angle cut.

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Nesting NC 1. Enter the Top Angle Value () or select the check box to adjust the bevel according to the width and depth parameters. 2. Select and enter the bevel width. or Select and enter the bevel depth.or Select and enter the bevel nose size.

Top Knife This is the most common bevel type. The angled contour is applied across the material thickness. Knife bevels are defined by an angle or width. Sometimes special bevel cut conditions are required for certain bevels. The bevel cut conditions are defined in Technology Setup under the Machine Parameters tab. See Bevel Lookup Table. With a single-headed plasma torch it is accomplished in one pass with the torch at the correct angle. 1. Enter the Top Angle Value () or select the check box to adjust the bevel according to a bevel width. 2. Enter the Bevel Width.

Bottom Knife
This is the most common bevel type. The angled contour is applied across the material thickness. Knife bevels are defined by an angle or width. With a single-headed plasma torch it is accomplished in one pass with the torch at the correct angle.

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Nesting NC 1. Enter the Bottom Angle Value (A) or select the check box to adjust the bevel according to a bevel width. 2. Enter the Bevel Width (B).

K Bevel
The K bevel is defined as a contour with each side of the contour having a top and bottom angle. Depending on the drawing type of the part, a bevel width, depth, and angle is defined. The material thickness is displayed in the dialog to aid in defining the bevel depth value. With a single-headed plasma torch, this requires three complete passes along each entity. The deepest cut, which is typically the vertical or land cut, is the first pass. The second pass is the bottom or negative angle cut. The final pass is the top angle cut. The most common value for the top and bottom angles is 45. 1. Enter the Top Angle Value () or select the check box to enter a bevel width or depth value to define the bevel. 2. Enter the Top Bevel Width.or Enter the Top Bevel Depth. 3. Enter the Bottom Angle Value () or select the check box to enter a bevel width or depth value to define the bevel. 4. Enter the Bottom Bevel Width.or Enter the Bottom Bevel Depth.

Variable Bevel
The Variable Bevel has a start and end angle on each end of the contour. The image on the left is an illustration of the variable bevel. Variable bevels can be defined as a blind bevel. Variable bevels have the same bevel types as the Fixed Bevel.

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Nesting NC Selecting a bevel function displays the bevel callouts until the bevel function is ended. To display and setup the bevel callouts see Show Bevel Attributes. 1. Select the Fixed Bevel icon from the Advanced NC ribbon. 2. Left-mouse click the contour, or use the Selection Actions (See page 15) to select the contour, and right-mouse click. The Beveling Parameters dialog is displayed. 3. Select the bevel type from one of the bevel images at the top of the bevel parameters dialog. The bevel parameters for the selected bevel is displayed in the dialog. 4. Enter the bevel parameters and select OK. A bevel callouts dialog is displayed attached to the contour. Select Esc to end the bevel function. Selecting a bevel type and entering the parameters applies the bevel to the selected contour. Depending on the selected bevel type not all of the bevel parameters are displayed.

Bevel Types Select one of the bevel icons below for more information.

Variable Top Land (See page 285)

Variable Bottom Knife (See page 286)

Variable Bottom Land (See page 284)

Variable K Bevel (See page 286)

Variable Top Knife (See page 285)

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Blind Bevel A blind bevel is defined as an inclination along a section of the contour and not the entire length of the contour. When defining a blind bevel, the part contour has to be split into separate entities in the part geometry (see image onthe right). The blind bevel property can be used with any type of bevel. Thickness: The thickness of the material is displayed to assist in defining the bevel values. Bevel Image: A side view of the bevel image is displayed on the right side of the dialog. Changing the bevel values in the dialog changes the bevel image. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes to the bevel parameters. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes to the bevel parameters.

Variable Bottom Land

The Variable Bottom Land Bevel is defined when the angled contour is below the land or nose of the bevel. The bevel edges have different angle values in degrees. The variable bottom land bevel provides the start and end angles along with a depth or land/nose value. Depending on the drawing type of the part, a bevel depth or nose size is defined. The material thickness is displayed in the dialog to aid in defining the bevel depth or nose size. Sometimes special bevel cut conditions are required for certain bevels. The bevel cut conditions are defined in Technology Setup under the Machine Parameters tab. See Bevel Lookup Table. With a single-headed plasma torch, this requires two complete passes along each entity. The deepest cut, which is typically the vertical or land cut, is the first pass. The second pass is the angle cut. 1. Enter the Bottom Start Angle Value (). Below top image. 2. Enter the Bottom End Angle Value (). Below bottom image. 3. Select and enter the bevel depth or bevel nose size.

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Variable Top Land

The variable top land bevel has both a start and end angled contour above the vertical or land cut. Depending on the drawing type of the part, a bevel depth or nose size is given to define the bevel. The material thickness is displayed in the dialog to aid in defining the bevel depth or nose size. The variable bevel angles are defined in degrees. The bevel depth or nose value is used to define the vertical edge of the variable bevel. Sometimes special bevel cut conditions are required for certain bevels. The bevel cut conditions are defined in Technology Setup under the Machine Parameters tab. See Bevel Lookup Table. With a single-headed plasma torch, this requires two complete passes along each entity. The deepest cut, which is typically the vertical or land cut, is the first pass. The second pass is the start angle cut (below first image). The cutting head interpolates as it cuts across the contour from the start angle value to an end angle value (below second image). 1. Enter the Top Start Angle Value () or select the check box to adjust the bevel according to the width and depth parameters. 2. Enter the Top End Angle Value () or select the check box to adjust the bevel according to the width and depth parameters. 3. Select and enter the bevel depth.or Select and enter the bevel nose size.

Variable Top Knife

he variable top knife bevel is an angled cut across the contour with different starting and ending angles. Variable Knife bevels are defined by a start and end angle. With a single-headed plasma torch it is accomplished in one pass with the torch at the start angle (below first image) and the cutting head interpolates as it cuts across the contour from the start angle value to the end angle value (below second image). 1. Enter the Start Angle Value (). 2. Enter the End Angle Value (). 3. Select OK.

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Variable Bottom Knife

This is the most common bevel type. The angled contour is applied across the material thickness. Knife bevels are defined by an angle or width. With a single-headed plasma torch it is accomplished in one pass with the torch at the correct angle. 1. Enter the Bottom Angle Value (A) or select the check box to adjust the bevel according to a bevel width. 2. Enter the Bevel Width (B).

Variable K Bevel
The Variable K bevel is defined as a contour with a top and bottom inclination. A different start and end angle for each inclination. The Variable K bevel can be a blind bevel, occurring over a section of the contour. The material thickness is displayed in the dialog to aid in defining the bevel depth value. Sometimes special bevel cut conditions are required for certain bevels. The bevel cut conditions are defined in Technology Setup under the Machine Parameters tab. See Bevel Lookup Table. With a single-headed plasma torch, this requires three complete passes along each entity. The deepest cut, which is typically the vertical or land cut, is the first pass. The second pass is the bottom or negative angle cut. The final pass is the top angle cut. 1. 2. 3. 4. Enter Enter Enter Enter the the the the Top Start Angle Value (). Top End Angle Value (). Top Bevel Depth. Bottom Start Angle Value ().

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Nesting NC 5. Enter the Bottom End Angle Value (). 6. Enter the Bottom Bevel Depth.

Edit Same Bevel

Edit Same Bevels allows the user to edit bevels that have the same attributes across the entire nesting NC. Contours with variable bevel attributes the same as the selected bevel contour are also selected for editing. The below left image displays a fixed and variable bevel with the same angles. 1. Select the Edit Same Bevels icon from the Advanced NC ribbon. 2. Select the contour with the bevel attribute to edit. Contours with the same bevel attributes are selected and the Beveling Parameters dialog is displayed. 3. Edit the bevel parameters and select OK. The bevel attributes are changed. Select Esc to end the bevel function. If a variable angle bevel (below left image, green) has a start or end bevel that is the same as the selected bevel (below left image, orange), then the variable angle bevel is also selected for editing (below middle image). If a contour with a variable angle bevel attribute is selected, it is changed to a single angle bevel (below right image).

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Delete Bevels
Delete Bevels allows the user to delete bevels. 1. Select the Delete Bevels icon from the Advanced NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the bevel attribute to delete (below left image), or use the Selection Actions (See page 15) to select the bevels to delete, and right-click. The bevel is deleted (below right image). 3. Select Esc to end the delete bevel function.

Delete Bevel Window

Delete Bevel Window allows the user to remove NC cut out windows used for bevel lead-ins. The bevel window is an area that is cut out first to prevent material splatter from damaging cutting heads and improving part quality (below left image). The light and dark gray paths represent a K bevel contour with a lead-in length. 1. Select Delete Bevel Window from the Advanced NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the bevel window and the window is removed (below right image). 3. Select Esc to end the delete bevel window action.

Move Bevel Attribute

Move Bevel Balloons allows the user to move the bevel balloons on the nesting NC. 1. Select the Move Bevel Attribute icon from the Advanced NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the bevel attribute to move(below left image).

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Nesting NC 3. Left-click the new position for the bevel attribute. The bevel attribute is moved to the new position. 4. Select Esc to end the move bevel attribute function.

Move Bevel Arc Lead-in

Select to move a Triple Bevel Arc lead-in, which has an arc lead-in and a straight line lead-in . The straight line can be shortened or extended and/or the angle can be changed . 1. Select Move Bevel Arc Lead-in from the Advanced NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the bevel lead-in or lead-out and to anchor it to the cursor. Move the cursor to adjust the arc radius.Once the arc radius is adjusted, left-click again to set.

3. After the radius has been set, the length can be adjusted. Move the cursor to adjust the desired length, then left-click to finish.

4. Select Esc to end the Move Bevel Arc Lead-in/Lead-out action.

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Move Bevel Lead-in

Select to move the bevel lead-in or lead-out. The bevel lead-in or lead-out is shortened or extended. 1. Select Move Bevel Lead-in/Lead-out from the Advanced NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the bevel lead-in or lead-out and the lead-in or lead-out is anchored to the cursor (below left image). 3. Move the cursor and the bevel lead-in or lead-out is moved to the new position. Left-click and the bevel lead-in or lead-out is placed at the new position. (below right image) 4. Select Esc to end the Move Bevel Lead-in/Lead-out action.

Apply Bevel Sequence

Apply Bevel Sequence allows the bevel cuts to be grouped by sorting the angles and or depths in a NC cutting order. The bevel sequence is listed in the NC Post file. The following listing is an example of a bevel sequence defined in the post file. Bevel Sort Sequence ---->= 9,2,1,3,4,5,6,7,8 ;1= All bevel boxes, ;2= All inner straight ;3= All inner triple (grouped by angle and depth) ;4= All inner lands (grouped by angle and depth) ;5= All inner knives (grouped by angle) ;6= All outer triple (grouped by angle and depth) ;7= All outer lands (grouped by angle and depth) ;8= All outer knives (grouped by angle)

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Nesting NC ;9= All outer straight in the nest

1. Select Apply Bevel Sequence from the Advanced NC ribbon. 2. The NC paths are changed according to the sequence listed in the post file. For more information on Bevel Sequences contact SigmaNEST Support. The following images illustrates the above bevel sample sequence. The bevel boxes are cut first (below left image), then inside contours with bevels are cut (below middle image). The outside contours with bevels are cut last (below right image).

Knife Cutter
Select to display the knife cutting dialog. Cut Sequence: Select from the following options. Contour: Select to enable all passes applied to the internal contour first. Then all passes applied to the outer contours. Part: Select to enable the first pass to start at the internal contour, then applied to the outer contour. Nest: Select to enable knife cutting to follow the nesting NC path. Material: Displays the material type of the process. Thickness: Displays the material thickness for the process. Stack Qty: Displays the stack quantity of the sheets. Total Thickness: Displays the material thickness. Sheets: Select to enable knife cutting options to be applied to all or current sheets. Process By Area: Select to enable the knife cutting tool to cut entire areas before changing tools. Lift Angle: Enter the angle value to enable the knife to lift before cutting at a different angle. For example: entering 30 enables the knife to lift around a contour that is 30 degrees or more.

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Nesting NC Tool Down Acceleration: Enter the numeric value of the actual speed per second. Down Dwell: Enter a pause value in seconds for the knife to wait before moving down. Up Dwell: Enter a pause value in seconds for the knife to wait before moving up. Speed : Enter the feed rate in minutes. Use Down Force: Check the box to enable the use of a down force. Down Force: Enter the value of the down force in pounds or kilograms. Min Area: Specify the minimum area for the tool to be used. Different blade types perform differently, according to the blade structure, during cutting. Knife Type: Select the blade type, straight or wheel. Size: Enter the width of the straight blade or the diameter of the wheel blade. Overlap : Enter the contour extension to cut pass the material. When using a wheel the value will be negative due to the wheel diameter extending into other contours. Manual: Check the manual checkbox to enter depth values manually. Leaving Manual unchecked allows SigmaNEST to calculate the pass depths. No. of Passes:Selecting the number of passes allows the knife to continuously cut a depth distance equal to a multiple of the first depth distance. The pass number and depth are displayed in the table to the right. When the previous option Manual is checked the depth distances can be manually entered. Compensation:The Compensation value is a value for each depth distance to ensure material penetration. Example: for 1" material there may be a compensation value of 1.1", to allow the blade to penetrate the material. Knife Type tabs:Select the knife type to be used by the machine. Selecting the tab will display the parameter fields to define. Cancel:Closes the Knife Cutting dialog without saving any changes. OK:Closes the Knife Cutting dialog saving all changes.

Apply To Same
Apply to Same allows the user to select tooled contours and apply the pattern to selected internal contours of similar parts. The internal contours of similar parts can be tooled quickly. 1. Select Apply to Same from the Punching ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. 2. Window around and left-click the tooled contours to apply to similar internal part contours. 3. Left-click each internal part contour or window around the contours. 4. Right-click and the selected contours are tooled. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

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Edit NC
Edit NC functions allows the user to set corner loops for bevel cuts, thermal locks for cutting parts from thick material, and adjusting the NC path order or moving NC node points.

Corner Loops (See page 293) Thermal Locks (See page 297) Toggle Flame (See page 298) Move Insert (See page 298) Move Point (See page 299) Remove Point (See page 299) Reorder (See page 300)

Corner Loops
Select to define the head movement for corner or bevel cuts. For acute part corners, adjusting the head position for optimum cut quality is done by applying a corner loop. For bevel cuts, piercing is applied upright. The head movement is adjusted by applying a corner loop before cutting the bevel angle. Corner loop parameters are defined and edited in the Bevel Lookup Table in Technology Setup . The following corner loops are available. Select to display the corner loop type definition.

Arc Corner (See page 294) Line Corner Loop (See page 294) Line Open Corner Loop (See page 295)

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Bevel Corner Loop (See page 295) Bevel Open Corner Loop (See page 296) Small Arc Corner Loop (See page 296)

Remove Corner Loops

Remove Corner Loops allows the user to manually remove corner loops applied to part corners. 1. Select Remove Corner Loop on the Edit NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the corner loop on the part to remove. 3. The selected corner loop is removed from the part NC.

Arc Corner
Arc Corner Loop apply a radius NC movement around the corner of a part. The post file lists the corner loop parameters according to the machine process type. The lead-in and lead-out of the arc corner loop is half the radius value of the arc. 1. Select Corner Loops on the Edit NC ribbon and the Corner Loop dialog is displayed. 2. Select the Arc Corner Loop icon and the parameters for the loop type is displayed. 3. Enter the radius of the arc loop and select OK. 4. Left-click the corner to apply the arc loop and the arc loop is displayed. Radius Enter the radius for the corner loop. Cancel Select to cancel the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog. OK Select to apply the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog.

Line Corner Loop

Line corner loop is a corner loop with an NC cut path between the lead-out and lead-in. The cutting head is cutting while repositioning for the next cutting contour. 1. Select Corner Loops on the Edit NC ribbon and the Corner Loop dialog is displayed.

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Nesting NC 2. Select the Line Corner Loop icon and the parameters for the loop type is displayed. 3. Enter the Size 1 (lead-out) and Size 2 (lead-in) length values and select OK. 4. Left-click the corner to apply the line loop and the line loop is displayed. The loop is applied to the NC only and not the part Corner Loop Size 1: Enter the length the NC path will lead-out from the selected corner. Corner Loop Size 2: Enter the length of the NC path will lead-in to the selected corner. Cancel: Select to cancel the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog. OK: Select to apply the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog.

Line Open Corner Loop

Line corner loop is a corner loop with a rapid path between the lead-out and lead-in. The cutting head is not cutting while repositioning for the next cutting contour. 1. Select Corner Loops on the Edit NC ribbon and the Corner Loop dialog is displayed. 2. Select the Line Open Corner Loop icon and the parameters for the loop type is displayed. 3. Enter the Size 1 (lead-out) and Size 2 (lead-in) length values and select OK. 4. Left-click the corner to apply the line loop and the line loop is displayed. The loop is applied to the NC only and not the part Corner Loop Size 1: Enter the length the NC path will lead-out from the selected corner. Corner Loop Size 2:Enter the length of the NC path will lead-in to the selected corner. Cancel: Select to cancel the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog. OK: Select to apply the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog.

Bevel Corner Loop

Bevel Line Corner Loop is a corner loop with a lead-out and lead-in. The cutting head cuts during the head adjustment in the corner loop. The bevel line corner loop is used for adjacent beveled contours. 1. Select Bevel Corner Loops on the Edit NC ribbon and the Corner Loop dialog is displayed. 2. Select the Bevel Line Corner Loop icon and the parameters for the loop type is displayed. 3. Enter the Size 1 (lead-out) and Size 2 (lead-in) length values and select OK. 4. Left-click the corner to apply the line loop and the line loop is displayed. The loop is applied to the NC only and not the part Corner Loop Size 1: Enter the length the NC path will lead-out from the selected corner. - 295 -

Nesting NC Corner Loop Size 2: Enter the length of the NC path will lead-in to the selected corner. Cancel: Select to cancel the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog. OK: Select to apply the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog.

Bevel Open Corner Loop

Bevel Line Corner Loop is a corner loop with a lead-out and lead-in. The cutting head does not cut during the head adjustment in the corner loop. The bevel line corner loop is used for adjacent beveled contours.

1. Select Bevel Line Open Corner Loops on the Edit NC ribbon and the Corner Loop dialog is displayed. 2. Select the Bevel Line Open Corner Loop icon and the parameters for the loop type is displayed. 3. Enter the Size 1 (lead-out) and Size 2 (lead-in) length values and select OK. 4. Left-click the corner to apply the line loop and the line loop is displayed. The loop is applied to the NC only and not the part Corner Loop Size 1: Enter the length the NC path will lead-out from the selected corner. Corner Loop Size 2: Enter the length of the NC path will lead-in to the selected corner. Cancel: Select to cancel the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog. OK: Select to apply the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog.

Small Arc Corner Loop

Small Arc Corner Loop applies a concave radius NC movement between the lead-out and lead-in of the corner of a part. The post file lists the corner loop parameters according to the machine process type. The lead-in and lead-out sizes are determined by the radius of the connecting arc. 1. Select Corner Loops on the Edit NC ribbon and the Corner Loop dialog is displayed. 2. Select the Small Arc Corner Loop icon and the parameters for the loop type is displayed. 3. Enter the radius of the arc loop and select OK. 4. Left-click the corner to apply the arc loop and the arc loop is displayed. Radius: Enter the radius for the corner loop. Cancel: Select to cancel the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog. OK: Select to apply the corner loop and close the Corner Loop dialog.

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Thermal Locks
Thermal locks are used to reduce pre-piercing and to prevent thick material from separating. 1. Select Add Thermal Locks from the Edit NC ribbon and the thermal locks dialog is displayed. 2. Select the thermal lock type to apply and enter the parameters for the thermal lock type selected. 3. Select OK and the thermal lock type is displayed anchored to the cursor for placement (below left image). 4. Left -click on the contour position to place the thermal lock (below right image).

Remove Single Thermal Lock

Select to remove a single thermal lock from a part. Thermal locks are used to reduce pre piercing and hold the sheet and parts in place for cutting. 1. Select Remove Single from the Edit NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the thermal lock of the part. 3. Right-click to remove and the thermal lock is removed.

Remove All Thermal Locks

Remove All thermal locks removes all of the thermal locks throughout the nest. Thermal locks are used to prevent the sheet and parts from moving during NC cutting. 1. Select Remove All Thermal Locks from the Edit NC ribbon. 2. All thermal locks throughout the nest are removed.

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Toggle Flame
Toggle Between Position and Cutting allows the user to toggle a NC cutting path to a rapid move and a rapid move to a NC cut path. In some cases it may be necessary to change the NC to a cut path for quality or change to a rapid movement to prevent cutting close to other parts. 1. Select Toggle Between Position and Cutting from the Edit NC ribbon. 2. Left- click the path to change. Select Esc to end the Toggle function. If the path was a NC cut then it will change to a rapid movement (white). If the selected NC path is a rapid move then it is changed to a NC cut path (red). The following images illustrate a NC path changed from a rapid (below left image) to a NC cut (below right image). In this case a change to a NC cut did not interfere with other parts and allowed for the head not to flame off and rise for the rapid move.

Move Insert
Insert a break allows the user to break the NC path, a NC cut or rapid, to provide an inspection point or provide a point to interrupt the NC process. Select Insert a Break from the Edit NC ribbon. Left-click the path to insert the break. Slide the cursor to the point the break is to occur. Left-click the new position for the break. A white square is placed at the break point. Select Esc to end the Insert function. The following images illustrate a break point inserted. The NC path is selected (below left image). The position is set (below right image). 1. 2. 3. 4.

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Nesting NC

Move Point
Move NC Node Point allows the user to move a point where two or more NC paths meet. The point is selected and placed using the cursor. 1. Select Move NC Node Point from the Edit NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the point where the NC paths meet. The point is anchored to the cursor. 3. Left-click the new position for the point. The point is placed at the new position. Select Esc to end the Move function. The following images illustrate a point move. The NC point is selected (below left image). The point is placed at the new position (below right image).

Remove Point
Remove NC Node Point allows the user to remove a break point. The point is selected and removed. 1. Select Remove NC Node Point from the Edit NC ribbon. 2. Left-click the NC break point. 3. The break point is removed. Select Esc to end the Remove function. The following images illustrate a break point removed. The NC break point is selected (below left image). The break point is removed (below right image).

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Nesting NC

Reorder
The Reorder NC Path function allows the user to reorder, group, or remove NC paths. Inspection part groups can be created to allow the NC process to stop after the part or parts are cut. The window displays the NC path listing and actions for grouping. 1. Select Reorder from the Edit NC ribbon. The NC path listing for the nest is listed. The part's internal and external contours are displayed in a list in the order of the NC process. 2. Left-click the contour to reorder and use the arrow buttons to move the selected contour up or down . 3. Repeat for all the selected NC contours to be reordered. To remove a NC contour path from the listing select the NC contour and select the delete button . Reorder NC Path has the following controls for creating groups for the NC paths.

Create Group (See page 300) Create Inspection Part Group (See page 301) Remove From Group (See page 301) Highlight Cut Sequence to Selected Part (See page 301) Sort Selected Parts (See page 302)

Create Group
Create Group groups selected NC paths to be processed as a group during the NC process. 1. Select the contour NC paths to group. Left-mouse click each NC path and hold down the Ctrl key to select individual NC contour paths not in sequence. 2. Select the Create Group icon and the selected NC paths are placed in a numbered group folder. The group folder number is automatically advanced. The image below illustrates a group of NC part paths highlighted on the NC nest when the group folder is selected from the listing.

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Nesting NC

Create Inspection Part Group

Create Inspection Part Group groups selected parts into groups for quality inspections. Once the NC paths for the part(s) is complete the process is stopped for the operator to inspect the part or parts. 1. Left-click one NC path for each part to be inspected. 2. Select the Create Inspection Part Group icon and the selected NC parts, with all of the NC paths, are placed in a numbered Inspection folder. The Inspection folder number is automatically advanced.

Remove From Group

Remove from Group removes a part or parts from the group selected. 1. Double click the group to remove a NC part path. 2. Left-click the NC path and or hold down the Ctrl key to select, more than one, NC contour paths. 3. Select the Remove From Group icon and the selected NC part path is removed from the group.

Highlight Cut Sequence to Selected Part

Highlight Cut Sequence to Selected Part selects all NC paths from the first NC path in the list to the one selected. The NC path contours are also highlighted in the graphic nesting layout. 1. Left-click the NC path contour to highlight up to. 2. Select the Highlight cut sequence up to selected part icon and the NC paths are highlighted.

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Nesting NC

Sort Selected Parts

Sort Selected Part sorts selected parts throughout the list and moves those parts to the beginning of the list, in the order selected. 1. Left-click one of the NC paths for a part and or hold down the Ctrl key to select more than one part path. 2. Select the Sort Selected Part icon and the selected NC parts are sorted according to their selected sequence to the beginning of the NC nesting process.

Remnant
Remnant functions allows the user to define remnant and scrap cut parameters. Remnant (See page 302) Crop Sheet (See page 303) Manual Crop (See page 309) Cancel Remnant (See page 303) Combo Crop (See page 312) Clear Crop on All Sheets (See page 313) Cut Scrap (See page 313) Manual Scrap Cut (See page 317) Clear Scrap on Current Sheet (See page 318) Clear Scrap on All Sheets (See page 318)

Clear Crop Cut on Current Sheet (See page 313)

Remnant
Select Rem to define the remnant, an unused portion of the sheet of the nesting NC. Rem allows the user to set parameters and archive the sheet remnant. Select Rem to display the Remnant dialog. The following parameters are available. 1. Select Rem from the Remnant ribbon and the remnant dialog is displayed. 2. Enter the parameters for the new remnant and select OK. The Sheet parameters dialog is displayed. See Sheet Parameters to define the remnant. Part Border Offset: Enter a value for the distance from the border of the remnant the parts are to be placed. Add Lead-in Offset: Select to apply a lead-in offset for puddle zone compensation. Enabling the Add Lead-in Offset only uses the lead-in value from the technology table.

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Nesting NC Add Lead-in Pierce Puddle Zone: Select to enable a pierce puddle zone value that SigmaNEST will use for the remnant. Pierce Puddle Size: Enter a value for the pierce puddle size when the parameter is enabled above. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

Cancel Remnant
Prior to posting, selecting Cancel Remnant removes the remnant that would be created once a program is posted. Canceling the remnant does not effect the crop.

Crop Sheet
Select Crop Rem to display the Crop Sheet dialog, which opens to the General Crop Settings tab. An Advanced Crop Settings tab is also available for setting crop tabbing. The General Crop Settings parameters define the remnant crop for the existing sheet on the Workspace. 1. Select Crop Rem from the Remnant ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. 2. Enter the General Crop Settings. Crop Process Select the machine process type for the crop cut. Length Increments Select to define a maximum and minimum length for the remnant. Min % Used When Length Increments is not used enter a value equal to the minimum percent of the sheet that is used. Crop Type Select the type of crop from the following. Crop Line Select to apply a standard crop line at the edge of the last part nested. The following image illustrates the crop line selection.

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Nesting NC Crop Step 1 Select Crop Step 1 to step crop along the edge of the nested parts. The following image illustrates a crop step 1 selection.

Crop Step 2 Select Crop Step 2 to crop along the contour of the nested parts. The following image illustrates a crop step 2 selection.

Crop Horizontal Select to enable a horizontal crop line across the length of the sheet. The virtual crop line is not used to cut the upper sheet remnant. Two remnants are created. The following image illustrates selecting a horizontal crop line.

Crop Vertical Select to enable a vertical crop line. The virtual crop line is used as a reference to cut the sheet. Two remnants are created. The following image illustrates selecting a vertical crop line.

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Nesting NC Crop L-shape Select to enable the remnant to not be cut along the virtual crop line. The following image illustrates selecting a crop L-shape line type.

Offset Specify the offset distance for the crop. This creates the crop line at the specified offset distance from the outermost part. Minimum Strip Width This is the minimum width for the area above or below the nest that can be made into a remnant. If the unused sheet area is within the specified minimum strip width, then the remnant is created with the remaining material on both the horizontal and vertical sides of the nested area. Crop Start Side Select from where the rapid path to cut the crop line starts. Select from one of the following options. Machine Origin Select to rapid from the machine origin (blue arrow in below image) to the edge of the nested parts (red arrow in below image) to start the crop line cut.

Opposite Origin Select to rapid opposite of the machine origin (blue arrow in below image) and at the edge of the nested parts (red arrow in below image), to start the crop line cut.

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Nesting NC

Closest to Last NC Select to rapid from the last NC (blue arrow in below image) to start the crop line cut (red arrow in below image).

Enable Clamp Avoid Select to enable the crop line to clear the machine clamp. The image below illustrates the crop line moved to clear the clamp (red arrows)

Crop Process Select the process to apply the automatic crop settings. Depending on the machine process types available the drop down listing will have different process options available. Length Increments Select to enter the minimum length of the crop line. Leave unselected to enable the minimum percentage of the crop area. See the following parameter. Min % Used / Min Length If Length increment selected above enter the length value of the crop line. Enter a minimum percentage value of the sheet size used for cutting, to allow a crop line to be cut. The Min % Used is the total area of the parts compared to the sheet area. For example if 25% is entered, there must be at least 25% of the sheet used for the crop line to be cut.

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Nesting NC Edge Distance This is the distance from the edge of the sheet where the crop cut begins. When the remnant must remain attached to the skeleton, this creates a small tab at the specified distance from the edge of the sheet between the remnant and the skeleton. Create Remnant Select to make a remnant from the cropped sheet. This tracks the remnant as part of the sheet's history and put the remnant in the sheet's library as part of available stock. Unique Sheets Select to create each remnant as a unique sheet. The sheet parameters dialog is displayed to enter a sheet name or allow SigmaNEST to automatically create the unique sheet name. Create Remnant of the Drop-outs Select to create a remnant from the drop-outs or internal contours. The dropouts are tracked as part of the sheet's history. The drop-out remnants are entered into the sheet's library as available stock. Selecting Create Remnants from Drop-outs enables the Minimum Dropout area text box. Minimum Dropout Area Enter the minimum area of a drop-out that is used for a remnant. The system does not make remnants from any dropout smaller than the area specified. Add Leadin Offset Select to add a crop line offset to clear part leadin. Part Border Offset Enter a distance value to enable the crop line around the . Add Leadin Pierce Bubble Zone Select to add a leadin for the piercing zone where material splatter may occur. Pierce Bubble Size Enter the value for the pierce bubble. Leadin Select from the drop down box one of the following leadin types. The leadin type and value No Leadin: Select to have no leadin applied. Leadin: Select to apply a normal leadin type. Reversed Leadin: Select to apply a reversed leadin type. Reverse leadin is used to adjust for cutting thicker materials before approaching contours to cut. Line Line Leadin: Select to apply an additional line length for the leadin. Reverse Line Line Leadin: Select to apply a reverse line line leadin. The reverse line leadin is used to adjust for cutting of thicker materials. Leadin Length Enter the length for the leadin. For Line Line leadin numeric boxes are enabled. Leadout Select from the drop down box one of the following leadout types. - 307 -

Nesting NC No Leadout Select to have no leadout applied. Leadout Select to apply a normal leadout type. Reversed Leadout Select to apply a reversed leadout type. Reverse leadout is used to reduce cutting debris. Line Line Leadout Select to apply an additional line length to the normal leadin length. Reverse Line Line Leadout Select to apply a reverse line line leadin. The reverse line leadout is used to adjust for cutting of thicker materials. Leadout Length Enter the length for the leadout. For Line Line leadout numeric boxes are enabled. Do Height Sensing Select to enable height sensing to occur for the crop cuts. Enabled the last height sensing value is retained before the cutting head is moved outside the sheet perimeter. Multiple Torch Crop Multiple torches can be used to crop the sheet. Enter the following parameters. Multi-torch cropping is available for multi head processes. Number of Torches Specify the number of torches used to cut the nest. Type Select the multi torch crop type from the following. Simultaneous Enables the torches to crop at the same time. Sequential Enables each torch to cut before moving on to the next section. Torch Spacing Enter the distance between each torch. Separation Crop Separation Type Select from the following the separation type for the sheet crop line. Marking Select to enable a marking to be applied to the crop line. Cutting

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Nesting NC Select to enable the crop line to be cut. Separation Sequence Select from the following the crop line separation type for the parts. First Select to enable crop lines between part priority values. The parts are separated by their due dates and priorities. Between Work Orders Select to enable crop lines to separate the parts by work orders. Advanced Crop Settings tab Auto Crop Tabbing Select to enable auto crop tabbing. Crop Tab Spacing Enter crop tab spacing. Crop Tab Size Enter crop tab size.

Manual Crop
Select to manually create a remnant from the parameters specified. The Crop Sheet dialog is displayed. 1. Select Manual Crop from the Remnant ribbon. 2. Right-click the Work-space and the Crop Sheet dialog is displayed. 3. Enter the remnant crop parameters. Crop Process Select the machine process type for the crop cut. Offset Specify the offset distance for the crop. This creates the crop line at the specified offset distance from the outermost part. Edge Distance This is the distance from the edge of the sheet where the crop cut begins. When the remnant must remain attached to the skeleton, this creates a small tab at the specified distance from the edge of the sheet between the remnant and the skeleton. Create Remnant Select to make a remnant from the cropped sheet. This tracks the remnant as part of the sheet's history and put the remnant in the sheet's library as part of available stock.

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Nesting NC Unique Sheets Select to create each remnant as a unique sheet. The sheet parameters dialog is displayed to enter a sheet name or allow SigmaNEST to automatically create the unique sheet name. Create Remnant of the Drop-outs Select to create a remnant from the drop-outs or internal contours. The dropouts are tracked as part of the sheet's history. The drop-out remnants are entered into the sheet's library as available stock. Selecting Create Remnants from Drop-outs enables the Minimum Dropout area text box. Minimum Dropout Area Enter the minimum area of a drop-out that is used for a remnant. The system does not make remnants from any dropout smaller than the area specified. Add Leadin Offset Select to add a crop line offset to clear part leadin. Part Border Offset Enter a distance value to enable the crop line around the . Add Leadin Pierce Bubble Zone Select to add a leadin for the piercing zone where material splatter may occur. Pierce Bubble Size Enter the value for the pierce bubble. Leadin Select from the drop down box one of the following leadin types. The leadin type and value No Leadin Select to have no leadin applied. Leadin Select to apply a normal leadin type. Reversed Leadin Select to apply a reversed leadin type. Reverse leadin is used to adjust for cutting thicker materials before approaching contours to cut. Line Line Leadin Select to apply an additional line length for the leadin. Reverse Line Line Leadin Select to apply a reverse line line leadin. The reverse line leadin is used to adjust for cutting of thicker materials. Leadin Length Enter the length for the leadin. For Line Line leadin numeric boxes are enabled. Leadout Select from the drop down box one of the following leadout types.

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Nesting NC No Leadout Select to have no leadout applied. Leadout Select to apply a normal leadout type. Reversed Leadout Select to apply a reversed leadout type. Reverse leadout is used to reduce cutting debris. Line Line Leadout Select to apply an additional line length to the normal leadin length. Reverse Line Line Leadout Select to apply a reverse line line leadin. The reverse line leadout is used to adjust for cutting of thicker materials. Leadout Length Enter the length for the leadout. For Line Line leadout numeric boxes are enabled. Do Height Sensing Select to enable height sensing to occur for the crop cuts. Enabled the last height sensing value is retained before the cutting head is moved outside the sheet perimeter. Multiple Torch Crop Multiple torches can be used to crop the sheet. Enter the following parameters. Multi-torch cropping is available for multi head processes. Number of Torches Specify the number of torches used to cut the nest. Type Select the multi torch crop type from the following. Simultaneous Enables the torches to crop at the same time. Sequential Enables each torch to cut before moving on to the next section. Torch Spacing Enter the distance between each torch. Separation Crop Separation Type Select from the following the separation type for the sheet crop line. Marking Select to enable a marking to be applied to the crop line. Cutting

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Nesting NC Select to enable the crop line to be cut. Separation Sequence Select from the following the crop line separation type for the parts. First Select to enable crop lines between part priority values. The parts are separated by their due dates and priorities. Between Work Orders Select to enable crop lines to separate the parts by work orders. Advanced Crop Settings tab Auto Crop Tabbing Select to enable auto crop tabbing. Crop Tab Spacing Enter crop tab spacing. Crop Tab Size Enter crop tab size.

Combo Crop
Combo Crop is recommended to create crops in both Horizontal and Vertical directions. The following options are available to customize the crop: Lead-in Length: Enter the length of the desired lead-in length. Line Length: Enter the distance for an extra lead-in length. This is used for a two step lead-in and is added before the main lead-in length. Lead-out Length: Enter the distance for the lead-out. Crop Cut (Vertical Line): Select this option to create a Vertical Crop Cut Number of Heads: Number of cutting heads used to cut the Crop Head Spacing : Spacing for the cutting heads Scrap Cut (Horizontal Line):Select to create a Horizontal Crop Cut Multi Spindle Scrap Cut: Select to create Scrap Cuts which will cut the remaining skeleton into smaller pieces of scrap. Number of Heads: Enter the number of cutting heads used to cut the scrap. Head Spacing : Enter the spacing for the cutting heads. Cutter Diameter: Enter the diameter of the cutting tool.

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Nesting NC Offset Distance: Enter the offset distance Cancel: Select to exit the Combo Crop dialogue without saving changes. OK: Select to save changes and exit the Combo Crop dialogue.

Clear Crop Cut on Current Sheet

Select to clear the crop cut from the current sheet. 1. Select Clear Crop Cut from the current sheet from the Remnant ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. 2. The NC crop cut is removed from the current sheet.

Clear Crop on All Sheets

Select to clear the crop cut from all of the Nesting NC sheets. 1. Select Clear Crop Cut from all sheets from the Remnant ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. 2. The NC crop cut is removed from all of the current Nesting NC sheets.

Cut Scrap
Selecting Cut Scrap displays the Scrap Cut Options dialog. Scrap Cut Options allows the user to setup a strategy for cutting the material not used in the nest into scrap. The following image illustrates scrap cut sections in red. The Work-space is updated when values are changed in the Scrap Cut Options.

Global Settings: The global settings for the scrap cut options define the way the scrap is cut. Scrap is cut before, during, or after the part is cut. NC Position: Select from the drop down box. First: Select to enable to cut scrap lines before cutting the parts.

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Nesting NC Last: Select to enable to cut scrap lines last after the parts are cut. Progressive: Select to enable to cut scrap lines as the parts are being cut. Horizontal Lead-in Side:Enter the value for the width of the scrap block size. Snake:Select to apply a snake pattern head movement, from the machine origin, in the horizontal direction. Left to Right:Select to apply a left to right head movement in the horizontal direction. Right to Left: Select to apply a right to left head movement in the horizontal direction. Block Length: Enter the value for the length of the scrap block size. See image below, black arrows. Block Width: Enter the value for the width of the scrap block size. See image below, black arrows.

Vertical Lead-in Side:Enter the value for the length of the scrap block size. Snake: Select to apply a snake pattern head movement, from the machine origin, in the vertical direction. Left to Right: Select to apply a left to right head movement in the vertical direction. Right to Left: Select to apply a right to left head movement in the vertical direction. Stop Before Scrap : Select to stop the machine for part removal before proceeding to scrap cutting. Trim Leads: Check the position box to trim the lead-in to the known edge of the sheet. The position is referenced from the machine origin. Sheets: Select to apply the global scrap settings to all sheets or only to the current sheet. Sheet Edge Settings: Sheet edge settings allows the operator to define scrap line lead-ins/leadouts and scrap edge distances including height sensing. Include Sheet Edge Scrap Lines: Enables sheet edge parameters. Sheet Lead-in Type:Select from the following lead-in types. No Leadin: Select to have no leadin applied. Leadin: Select to apply a normal leadin type. Reversed Leadin: Select to apply a reversed leadin type. Reverse leadin is used to adjust for cutting thicker materials before approaching contours to cut. Line Line Leadin: Select to apply an additional line length for the leadin.

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Nesting NC Reverse Line Line Leadin: Select to apply a reverse line line leadin. The reverse line leadin is used to adjust for cutting of thicker materials. Sheet Lead-out Type: The Sheet Lead-out options are the same as Sheet Lead-in types. Select from the above options as Sheet Lead-in Types. Lead-in Length: Enter the length of the scrap cut lead-in length. Lead-out Length Enter the length of the scrap cut lead-out length. Edge Distance: Enter the value distance to stop cutting before getting to the edge of the sheet. Do Height Sensing : Select to enable height sensing for the sheet. Rapids out to the edge distance and freezes the head position, then rapids out to the lead-in position for the scrap cut and turns on height sensing. Lead-out to Sheet Edge: Select to cut from the part to the edge of the sheet when scrap cutting. Part Edge Settings: Part edge settings allows the user to define clearance and lead-in/outs for scrap cutting around the parts. Include Part to Part Scrap Line: Select to display the part to part scrap lines. The part to part scrap lines (red) are seen in the following image .

Part Lead-in Type: Select the lead-in type for scrap cutting around the part. Select one of the following options. No Leadin: Select to have no leadin applied. Leadin: Select to apply a normal leadin type. Reversed Leadin: Select to apply a reversed leadin type. Reverse leadin is used to adjust for cutting thicker materials before approaching contours to cut. Line Line Leadin: Select to apply an additional line length for the leadin. Reverse Line Line Leadin: Select to apply a reverse line line leadin. The reverse line leadin is used to adjust for cutting of thicker materials. Part Lead-out Type: Select the lead-out type for scrap cutting from the part. Part Lead-out options are the same as Part Lead-in options above. Lead-in Length: Enter a value for the lead-in length of the scrap cut to the part. The second lead-in length box is enabled when the Line Line Lead-in type is selected for the scrap cut. Lead-out Length: Enter a value for the lead-out length of the scrap cut from the part.

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Nesting NC Part Clearance: Enter a value for the distance the scrap cut line will stop cutting before the part. The following image displays the part contour (green) and the part clearance from the scrap cut line (red). The scrap cut converts to a rapid (white).

Minimum Cut Length: Enter a minimum cut length value to allow a minimum starting length to cut towards the part. Prevents cutting into the part when not enough distance is provided. Progressive Scrap Cut Settings: Enable Progressive scrap cut in the global settings under NC Position. Progressive scrap cut allows the machine process to cut scrap as the parts are cut. The following image displays an example. As the NC cutting occurs, from left to right, the scrap lines are also being cut between the parts.

Progressive Scrap cutting is not available with multi-head cutting processes.

Gap Width: The distance between scrap lines that is not cut. The following image illustrates scrap lines(red) with gap widths.

Single Sheet Edge Lead-out: Select to enable each scrap line to lead-out of the sheet. The following image displays the scrap cut lead-outs (red) past the sheet edge (blue).

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Nesting NC Create Gap Cut Lines: Select to enable cutting through the gap width distance. The following image displays an arrow pointing to the gap cut line. A Cut Pickup Length value must be entered.

Overlap Scrap Width: Enter the distance represented by b, in the following image below, to come back over the scrap line cut to ensure material separation.

Cut Pickup Length: Enter a value distance, represented by C in the following image below, to start the cut before the gap width.

Multi Head Scrap Cut Settings: Select to enable multi head scrap cutting. Apply Multi-head Scrap Cut: Select to apply a multi head scrap cut type. Sort Sequence: Select one of the following sort sequence options to allow the machine to cut scrap with the least amount of head position changes. Keep Sequence: Select to keep the same head sequence for cutting scrap as for cutting the parts. Keep Sequence causes the most head changes, which is the most inefficient. Max->Min: Select to go from max number of heads used to cut parts to a minimum. The scrap is cut across the sheet where the same number of heads are needed. Then reduced to the next number of heads used to cut scrap across the sheet. Min->Max: Select to go from minimum to maximum number of heads used for cutting scrap across the sheet. Opposite functionality as the Max->Min function above. Match Tolerance: Enter a distance value between the heads, that is considered to be within range, to allow the heads to cut scrap without moving to another position.

Manual Scrap Cut

Manual Scrap Cut allows the user to adjust existing scrap lines around parts. The scrap dialog is displayed for setting the parameters. The scrap lines are highlighted and can be adjusted. Cut Scrap (See page 313) has information on defining the parameter settings.

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Nesting NC 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select Manual Scrap Cut from the Remnant ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. Right-click on the Work-space. The Cut Scrap dialog is displayed. Enter the scrap cut parameters and select OK. Left-click on the scrap line to adjust or move. The scrap line is anchored to the cursor. Move the cursor to the new position and right-click. The scrap line is placed at the new position.

Clear Scrap on Current Sheet

Clear Scrap Cut on Current sheet clears the scrap cut lines on the current sheet. 1. Select Clear Scrap Cut on Current sheet from the Remnant ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. 2. The Scrap lines are removed. Select Esc to end the clear function.

Clear Scrap on All Sheets

Clear Scrap Cut on All Sheets clears the scrap cut lines on all of the sheets. 1. Select Clear Scrap Cut on All Sheets from the Remnant ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. 2. The Scrap lines are removed. Select Esc to end the clear function

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Nesting NC

Punching
The Punching functions are displayed when a punching machine is defined in the configuration. The following functions are available on the Punching ribbon. Auto Tool (See page 319) Tool Manager (See page 320) Common Line Punch (See page 328) Punch Setup (See page 329) Punch Parameters (See page 329) Single Punch (See page 346) Nibble Entity (See page 346) Punch Point to Point (See page 348) Punch Slots & Holes (See page 350) Destruct (See page 351) Apply to Same (See page 352) Auto Rivet (See page 361) Manual Rivet (See page 362) Active Turret (See page 352) Assign Tools (See page 353) Tool Sort (See page 354) Add Tab (See page 357) Delete Tab (See page 357) Display Tab Points (See page 357) Edit Punch (See page 358) Punch Explode (See page 359) Add Drill Parameter (See page 360) Drill Parameters (See page 359) Delete Drill (See page 360) Move Rivet (See page 362) Delete Rivets (See page 363)

Auto Tool
The Punching tab is not visible by default. Display the punching tab under More Commands under the Quick Access Toolbar. Automatic tooling examines the tools in the selected turret and the tool manager if the Use Global Tools is selected in the Punching Setup dialog, under Turret Management. Auto Tool always uses tools already in the current turret, and then empty positions in the tool station are filled. When all positions are filled, unused tools are replaced if permitted by the Lock Base Tools, under Turret Management. The system always works on the principle of minimum tool change for any given task.

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Nesting NC Automatic tooling always tries to use the most suitable tool for the job. For example, when punching a rounded slot, the first choice would be an obround tool of the same size. If the Obround tool is not available, the fewest hits as possible from a smaller Obround tool are used. If no Obround tool is available, another reasonable approach is to use a circular tool for the ends and as few hits as possible from a rectangular tool for the interior. Automatic tooling does not interfere with previously applied manual tooling. Manual Tooling permits an operator to use manual tooling for a few critical areas or where there are unusual requirements, and then apply automatic tooling to quickly tool the rest of the part. The granularity for manual and automatic tooling is the contour. Once manual tooling has been applied to a contour, even if it is not fully tooled, it is off limits to automatic tooling. If it is not possible to automatically tool the complete part, the operator is informed that tooling is incomplete and the affected areas of the part are highlighted. Automatic tooling is heavily influenced by the values specified in the Punching Parameters dialog.

Tool Manager
Tool Manager is used to define all tools and dies available to the punching process. Tool Manager also defines the turret or rail with the tool station locations. There can be multiple turrets or rails with different tool combinations. The main turret or rail configuration, which consist of tools used in all of the punching tasks, is defined as the Standard turret or rail. The Tool Manager dialog has two tabs, Tools and Dies. The list of the tools and dies for the punching process are empty when tool Manager is opened for the first time. Tools and dies have to be created and defined.

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Nesting NC Tools and Dies Tabs: The Tools and Dies tabs displays lists or tools or dies along with their properties. When a tool or die is selected, a graphic representation of the tool is displayed in the top right corner of the dialog box. Tabs beneath the list allow the user the option to view all or specific tool or die types, such as round or square. In addition, the functions below are available to manage the list. Edit: Select to open the Special Tool Edit: Tools (See page 322) dialog or Special Tool Edit: Dies (See page 325) dialog,depending on the current tab, which allows the user to edit the selected tool or die. New : Select to open the Special Tool Edit: Tools (See page 322) dialog and add a new tool. Copy: Select to copy the highlighted tool. Tag : Select to open the Tool Tag (See page 327) dialog which can filter all the tools down to those that match specified criteria, such as holder size or face type. Delete: Select to delete the highlighted tool. STD Shape: Select to open the Add Special Tool STD Shape (See page 76) dialog, select a tool shape and create a new tool. Tool Load : Tool station management is controlled from the lower portion of the Tool Manager dialog. The Tool Station shows the assignment of tools to specific locations in the tool station and provides all operations required to manipulate the configuration of the tool station. Multiple configurations of a tool station can be maintained in a library, complete configurations can be copied and modified to create new ones. Configurations from other systems can also be loaded. Tools are loaded by selecting the tool from the upper window tool library and dragging the tool to the lower window station position. The tool station size must match the tool holder size for the tool to be accepted into the station position.

If Station IDs are not listed in the lower part of the Tool Manager dialog contact SigmaTEK Support. Clear Turret: Select to remove all tools form the turret. Remove Tool: Select to remove the highlighted tool from the turret. Show only Compatible tools:Select to display only tools which are compatible with the machine selected. Turret Setups:The section for setting up turrets. The picture box above Turret Setups displays the holder and tool. Select the icon to display the tool shape only or select the icon again to display both the holder and the tool shape. Copy: Select to save turret settings. A dialog box will open with a text box in which the name of the turret setting can be entered. Delete: Select one of the turret setting form the list and click Delete to permanently remove the highlighted turret setting. Print: Select to open the Tool and Turret Printing (See page 326) dialog. - 321 -

Nesting NC Load : Select to open an explorer window and load a turret file. Cancel:Select to close the Tool Manager dialog without saving any changes. Done: Select to close the Tool Manager dialog saving all changes.

Special Tool Edit: Tools

The Special Tool Edit dialog displays the properties of the tools and allows users to edit those properties and add tools.

Physical Tab The Physical tab includes the Tool Name and description and displays a graphical representation of the tool. Symmetry: Select Non-symmetrical or Symmetrical. If Symmetrical is selected, select either or Fixed or Infinite. Guide Key Type: Enter the tool's guide key type , either Male, No Key or Femaleand, if applicable, the guide key's angle. Compatibility:Select the machine for which the tool is compatible. Holder Size: Select the holder size for which the die is compatible. Nest Safety Zone: Task Setting, Between Clamps, Not Between Clamps Interference Zone Definition: Left Top Right Bottom

Miscellaneous Tab The Miscellaneous tab contains the fields below. Available: Select to make the tool available to all dies.

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Nesting NC Check Tonnage: Select to have SigmaNEST run a check, based on a tool's dimensions, to make sure the tool can perform properly with the given material thickness. Causes Interference: Select if the tool needs the surrounding stations to be empty when in a turret machine.SigmaNEST will only place these type of tools in the turret, when the stations in proximity are empty.

The interference station lists must set up in the post for the Cause Interference selection to function properly. Tool Data 1-4: Select the ellipse button to open a dialog box in which tool data can be entered or edited. Usage: Select the manner in which the tool will be used from the drop-down list. Avoid Type: The avoidance type defines how tools avoid raised or formed features. It is set on the tool that creates the raised feature. SigmaNEST then determines which other tools need to have their paths adjusted to avoid the feature. None: Select if if the tool does not create a raised feature. Head Up : Select to raise the head to avoid any raised feature the tool creates. Move Around : Select to alter the tool path so that tools travel around any features. In some cases this can be faster than raising and lowering the tool. The path the tool follows is a direct line from the previous punch to the next one until the tool encounters the smallest bounding rectangle around the raised feature. If there is no suitable path around or between raised features, the tool is raised and travels over the raised feature. Stripper: Select the type to specify by how much the tool must be raised to avoid forming features. Setting a value other than default causes it to override the machines default. Default: Select default to use the machines default value. Normal: Select normal for a normal raised avoidance. Extended : Select Extended for an extended raised avoidance. Fully Retracted : Select fully retracted for a fully retracted raised avoidance. No Stripper: Select No Stripper if the machine does not have a stripper. Face Type: Select the face of the tool. Flat: Select for tools with flat type surfaces. Shear Chisel: Select for chisel type tool surfaces.

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Nesting NC Shear Concave: Select for concave type tool surfaces. Min. Form Overlap Factor: Enter the minimum distance the tool will need to punch in order to create a consistent part from multiple punches. Die Management: Select to use a die management system, then select the type of system,either Select Die (See page 324) or Automatic Die Assignment. If Dedicated Die is chosen, the die can be selected by clicking the Die (See page 324) dialog or the icon to open the Select

icon to add a new die.

Tool Specific Tolerance: Enter a positive and negative size difference to create the maximum and minimum part size for which a tool can be used. Positive refers to the outer tool tolerance;Negative to the inner. Add Die Select to open the Special Tool Edit: Dies (See page 325) dialog and add a die. Cancel Select to close the Special Tool Edit dialog without saving any changes. OK Select to close the Special Tool Edit dialog saving all changes.

Select Die The Select Die dialog lists available dies, along with their ID, Description, clearance and clearance percentage. Select a die from the list to view its properties or select Add Die to open the Special Tool Edit: Dies (See page 325)dialog and add a new die. The list of dies can be filter by entering one of the following properties and clicking the button. parameter into one of the following Material:Select the material from the drop down menu. Die Clearance: Enter, or use the arrow buttons to scroll to, the positive and negative clearance tolerance. Thickness:Enter the material thickness. Filter: Select to filter the list of available dies. Filter

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Cancel: Click to close the dialog without selecting a die. OK: Click to select the highlighted die and close the dialog.

Special Tool Edit: Dies

The Special Tool Edit dialog for dies lists the dies in a side panel. Click on any tool in the list to see and edit the properties of that tool, along with a graphical representation of the tool. The following properties are listed: Available:Select to make the die available to all tools. Die Name:Enter a name for the die.Duplicate die names are permitted. When Automatic Die Name is not selected any name may be entered. Die Description:Enter a description for the die. Die Data 1-4: Select the ellipse button to open a dialog box in which die data can be entered or edited. Die Clearance:Enter the die clearance. In SigmaNEST, the die clearance refers to the space needed on each side. For example if the total clearance is 16% enter 8% . Compatibility:Select the machine for which the die is compatible. Holder Size:Select the holder size for which the die is compatible. Dedicated Tool:Displays the tool's dedicated die, if applicable. Clearance Tolerance:Enter the clearance tolerance or use the Die Tolerance Calculator (See page 326) to calculate the tolerance. Guide Key Type:Enter the die's guide key type , either Male, No Key or Female. Cancel Select to close the Special Tool Edit dialog without saving any changes.

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Nesting NC OK Select to close the Special Tool Edit dialog saving all changes.

Die Tolerance Calculator Using the Die Tolerance Calculator, calculates for the range of thickness beyond the nominal thickness that a die can handle. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Enter the tool diameter. Enter the material. Click the Reset button to calculate Click Update to save the changes and Click Close to exit the dialog and add the values to the Clearance Tolerance %.

For the example below, a tool with a diameter is .250 will be used. The material is mild steel. The nominal material thickness for 10 GA is .135 so expanding the range to cover .133 min to .137 max will calculate the tolerance required. After entering the information, the values of .1203 looser and .1168 tighter are produced and added to the Clearance Tolerance % when the dialog is closed.

Tool and Turret Printing The Tool and Turret Printing dialog contains function for printing previewing tools and turret reports. Text Printer: Click Select to display the printer dialog. Options: Select one of the options to narrow or widen the list of reports. Setup : Select to display the Setup dialog for selecting, creating, or editing report types. See Report Setup. Export: Select to export the reports. A Save As dialog is displayed. Enter the name of the file and select the file type to export the reports into. Preview : Previews the reports selected from the report list. Print: Prints the reports. Close: Select to close the Task Report Printing dialog.

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Tool Tag
The Tool tag dialog filters all the tools down to those that match specified criteria, such as holder size or face type. Checking the box next to the parameter and entering the value allows the user to selectively group multiple tools for editing. Holder Size:Enter the value of the holder to determine if the tool will fit into the turret station. Length: Enter the length of the tool. Width: Enter the width of the tool Stripper: Select a value from the drop down list to specify by how much the tool must be raised to avoid forming features. Setting a value other than default causes it to override the machines default. Default: Select default to use the machines default value. Normal: Select normal for a normal raised avoidance. Extended : Select Extended for an extended raised avoidance. Fully Retracted : Select fully retracted for a fully retracted raised avoidance. No Stripper: Select No Stripper if the machine does not have a stripper. Face Type: Face Type values are presently provided as information for post NC programs for machine types to determine tool tonnage capabilities. Flat: Select Flat for tools with flat type surfaces. Shear Chisel: Select chisel for chisel type tool surfaces. Shear Concave: Select Shear Concave for concave type tool surfaces. Usage: The usage specifies the most advanced usage the tool is capable of. Usage is not the expected usage in any particular nest. Specifying the tools greatest capabilities permits the automatic tooling algorithm to use the tool most effectively. Lesser capabilities are always assumed. Thus a smaller parting tool may be used for nibbling, but a single hit tool is never used for nibbling on a parts outer contours. Compatibility: Select the machine type the tool is used in. Guide Key Type: Pin and Key angles are determined from the bottom of the tool counter-clockwise. Male: Select Male if the tool has a male guide type, if male is selected, a pin angle must be supplied. Pin Angle: Enter the pin angle. The below diagram illustrates a male pin key with a pin angle at 90.

No Key:Select no key if die has no key guide.

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Female: Select Female if the tool has a female key guide. Key Angles: Enter the female key angle for the key. The below diagram illustrates a female key with a key angle at 90.

Common Line Punch

Common Line Punch enables common line merging between 2 or more unique tools, that share same tool width and happen to be used for collinear line punches. Common Line Strategy: Select one of the following Common Line Strategies to apply. Remove Duplicates: Select to remove duplicate hits along common lines. Merge Hits: Select to merge hits within a specified tolerance. Merge but Preserve Tabs: Select to merge hits but keep the existing tabs in the same location. Merge and Auto Tab : Select to merge hits and relocate tabs based on the new hits. Max. Merge Distance: Enter the maximum distance two punches can be apart and still be able to be considered for merged hits. Merge Directions: Enter the direction to allow punches to merge hits, either Horizontal, Vertical, Horizontal and Vertical or All Directions. Compound Tool Merge Compound Merge Off: Select to disallow compound merging. Merge with First Tool: Select to merge hits with the first available tool. Merge with Feasible Tool: Select to merge hits with the largest feasible tool, in order to reduce hits.

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Punch Setup
Setup is used to set Multiple Machine Code and defining the turret management. Multiple Machine NC Code: Select to enable when the part is pre-tooled for more than one machine, the NC code for all the machines is saved with the part. Switching from one machine to the other retrieves the NC code saved for that machine.

Multiple Machine NC Code only applies to Automatic Dynamic Tooling Machine: Select the machine type from the drop down box before tooling the part. If the tool is to be tooled for different machines select each machine and then tool the part for each machine type, then enable the above Multiple Machine NC Code function. Process: Select the process used before tooling the part. Post: Displays the current post selected. Cutting Zone X: Displays the cutting zone for the X (width) dimension Cutting Zone Y: Displays the cutting zone for the Y (length) dimension Turret Management (For Punch Machines): Turret management is displayed for router and punch type machines with turrets. Combine With Floor Turret: This parameter applies to the tooling of this one part only. Use Global Tools: Select Use Global Tools allows SigmaNEST to automatically place any required tools that are in the tool manager in the turret. If Use Global Tools is not selected only the tools in the specified turret are used. If a required tool is not in the turret, tooling fails. Check Die: Select check die to have a tool with a corresponding die be placed in the turret. When it is not selected, this check is not performed. Lock Base Tools: Tools in the base turret are not exchanged or replaced when selected. Look-Up Base Turret:Selecting Look Up Base Turret assigns a specific base turret according to the material and thickness of the part. Base Turret: Select the base turret from the drop down list, for the Look-Up Base Turret parameter. Cancel: Select to close the NC Options dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the NC Options dialog saving all changes.

Punch Parameters
Punch parameters are defined by the following categories: General , which defines tool tolerances, interferences, limits, and tooling strategies,General Parting , which defines contour tooling, parting, and grid punching, Auto Tooling, which defines the tool overlaps, destruct limits, and tool

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Nesting NC preferences, and Tabbing which defines tab strategy and tab definition parameters. For more detailed information, see the links below.

General (See page 330) General Parting (See page 333) Destruct (See page 334) Auto Tooling (See page 338) Tabbing (See page 341)

General
Punching Tolerances Tool Tolerance: This value is the tolerance between the tool size and the entity size. If the tool matches the entity's size within this positive or negative tolerance, then the tool is used to punch the entity. The value is always entered as a positive value. Angle Tolerance: The Angle Tolerance value defines the tolerance, of the angle of the tool and the angle of the contour to be punched, is within plus or minus the tool angle. When the angle is within the tolerance value of the tool, the tool is used to cut the contour. The angle tolerance is always specified as a positive value. Same Tool Tolerance: If the dimensions of two tools are the same within this positive or negative tolerance, then either tool is used to cut the contour. The tolerance is always specified as a positive value.

Tooling Parameters Minimum Circular Parting Area (MCPA): The MCPA is used to part and tab when the destruct requirements are not met. The following image illustrates the Minimum Circular Parting Area (MCPA). For example, setting the MCPA to 3 will allow all internal circular areas larger than or equal to 3 to be parted. Increasing the value to 4 will prevent the parting destruct to be applied to the two smaller areas.

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Internal hole areas smaller than the MCPA value can be single tooled or destructed depending on tool availability. Max. External Protrusion Limit

In the above figure, a represents the maximum external protrusion value. This is the maximum amount by which the tool (in black) can protrude from the edge of the part contour (gray) when tooling an external contour. It applies to single hit tools creating an external relief. Max. Internal Protrusion Limit

In the above figure, a represents the maximum internal protrusion value. This is the maximum amount by which the tool (in black) can protrude from the edge of the part contour (gray) when tooling an internal contour. The maximum internal protrusion limit is applied regardless of how much of the area defined by the internal contour has already been tooled. If the punch hit shown in the diagram happens to be the first internal contour hit, then there is, in fact, no protrusion, but SigmaNEST always applies the limit from the contour, regardless of what has already been tooled.

Min. Tool Overlap Limit:This is the minimum amount by which two tool hits must overlap each other. Parting Interference Dist.

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Nesting NC The above image illustrates the Part Interference Distance (PID), represented by the distance between the arrows. The PID value is the distance beyond the part contour (gray) that is allowed to be removed and still be in tolerance. Corner Radii Tooling

When corner radii tooling is selected then a tool with multiple radii for tooling an arc corner (e.g. fillet or concave edge) is used if available. The above image illustrates the use of a selected multiple radii tool (black) applied to the corner of a part (green). If corner radii tooling is not selected then the corner will probably be tooled with a small radius nibbling tool instead. Allow Symmetric Overhang

When Allow Symmetric Overhang is selected, a tool (above image, in green) is permitted to overhang the edge of a protrusion (above image, black) when tooling its plateau surface. The symmetric overhang is represented by a (in the above image). The illustrated angle must be greater than 180 on both sides of the protrusion for the symmetric overhang setting to be in effect. When this field is not selected then multiple hits from a smaller tool are used to avoid overhangs. Ignore Corner Tabs: Applies to single hit tooling only. Select Ignore corner tabs to allow a defined corner tab to be removed with a single hit. Not selecting Ignore corner tabs will preserve the corner tabs with multiple hits. Ignore Regular Tabs: Applies to single hit tooling only. Select Ignore regular tabs to allow defined regular tabs to be removed with a single hit. Not selecting Ignore regular tabs will preserve regular tabs with multiple hits. Check for Floating Scrap : Floating scrap can occur when a series of punch hits leaves some free floating material. Since it is free floating, it can interfere with subsequent punching operations. Selecting this field causes the automatic tooling algorithm to check for and inform the operator when floating scrap occurs. When floating scrap is found, the operator uses manual tooling to ensure that floating scrap does not occur. The check is only made for automatic tooling.

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Nesting NC Grid Punching

Grid Punching is available for machines with post files that have defined grid punch parameters. The post version (PSTTYPE) needs to be SNPOST3.DLL for grid punching to be enabled. Grid Punching is applied to single parts. Grid punching is a grid of uniformly spaced hits by the same tool at a constant pitch in the x and y directions. Activate Grid Punching : Select grid punching and SigmaNEST will automatically recognize the grid patterns. The displayed NC tool path shows a rapid move to and from the start of the grid and no moves to the rest of the features in the grid. Grid Rows: Define the minimum and maximum number of extra rows to apply grid punch. Grid Columns: Define the minimum and maximum number of extra columns to apply grid punch.

When defining the min values, the max value will automatically advance to the min value if the max value is less than the min value. The diagram below illustrates grid punching. When the settings are set to 2 extra rows and 3 extra columns, SigmaNEST will apply the grid punching to the part from the designated coordinate (shaded contour).

General Parting
Contour Tooling Selection Contour tooling selection determines whether the tooling that results from the application of No Outside Sheet Tooling , In The Box Tooling and Sheet Squaring functions are applied to all external contours or only contours that form cut-outs. All: Select All, to apply to all external contours. Internals Only: Select Internals Only, to apply to the contours of cut-outs only.

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Nesting NC No Outside Sheet Tooling : Select No Outside Sheet Tooling to ensure tooling does not take place on the edges of parts that coincide with the edge of the sheet. L Cutout Pre-Parting :L cutout pre-parting determines whether and under what circumstances L shaped cutouts are tooled before other external contours. Off: Select Off to allow L-shaped cut-outs not to be tooled before other external contours. Only Corner Tabbed : Select Only Corner Tabbed to allo w contours forming Lshaped cutouts and that have tabs to be tooled first. All Edges: When set to All Edges, all contours that form part of an L-shaped cut-out are tooled before other external contours and those cut-out contours that have corner tabs are also tooled before cut-out contours that do not have corner tabs. Sheet Squaring : Select Sheet Squaring to allow SigmaNEST to square the sheet using the contours of the nested parts. Allows uniformed remnants to be created. Parting Horizontal Only Vertical Only Orthogonal Horizontal First Orthogonal Vertical First Select Preserve Tabs When Squaring to keep all tabs intact while squaring. Destruct Mode Squaring Select which edges will be punched by checking the appropriate boxes. Click on the buttons on either end of the rectangles representing the sides to .....................

Destruct
Destruct: The destruct parameters determines how and when material is destroyed.

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Nesting NC Max. Rectangular Area: Max Rectangular Area specifies that rectangular areas larger than this are not destroyed. Max. Circular Area:Max Circular Area specifies circular areas larger than the Max Circular Area value, are not destroyed. Max. Rough Scallop :The Rough Scallop value determines the maximum scallop height permitted when destroying inside contours. In the diagram below a is the rough scallop. Because these are purely internal material destruction hits, it does not matter that the scallop value is large. The regular scallop value b is much smaller because these hits determine the finish of the internal contour.

Filleted Rect. Destruct: Selecting one of the following drop down values, Long Strips or Short Edge Trim, determines the tooling direction for the material destruction. When destroying material in filleted rectangles, the corners are typically processed with round tools. Three rectangular areas remain. In the top figure of the adjacent diagram, the three rectangular areas are numbered. The filleted rectangular destruct options determine how these rectangular areas are tooled. Long Strips is illustrated in the middle figure of the diagram. All of the rectangular areas are tooled horizontally. Short Edge Trim is illustrated in the bottom figure of the diagram. The vertical edges are tooled vertically and the rest is horizontal.

In the Box Tooling Select to use with right-angle sheer nesting, In the Box Tooling causes the material from cut-out features to be destroyed so a right-angle sheer can tool the remaining external contours to complete the part.

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For example, the part diagram, above left, might be tooled as shown when in the box tooling is not selected. When in the box tooling is selected it is likely to be tooled as shown in the diagram above right. Over Punch Length: Over Punch length controls the amount of material that is removed by in the box tooling. When it is set to 0, the block of material removed is flush with the adjacent external contours. Illustrated in the In the Box Tooling right diagram. When the over punch length is greater than zero it specifies how far the block of removed material extends beyond the adjacent external contours, see the following image.

Flex Boundary: Selecting Flex Boundary allows the tool to apply hits outside of the part boundaries during a destruct. See image below.

If Flex boundary is off only the Over punch length will be used for a tool protrusion limit. If flex boundary is active the Max External protrusion limit will be considered and a value in between the two limits will be considered for the external protrusion Unidirectional Destruct Select to apply the destruct sequence in one direction.

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Max No. of Destruct Rings: When destroying a circular area, this is the maximum number of rings of hits that are permitted. Min. Destruct Tool Width/Length:The value is the tool width expressed as a percentage of the tool length. A square is 100%. A tool that is four times as long as it is wide is 25%. It is used to eliminate from consideration very thin tools that would cause excessive lateral loading of the tool. If a value of 75% is specified, for example, then only tools that have a width that is 75% of their length or higher (nearly square) are considered as candidates for material destruction. The constraint can also be specified as: (tool width / tool length x 100) >= this field's value Max. No. of Destruct Lines: When destroying a rectangular area, this is the maximum number of lines of hits that are permitted. It is similar in concept to the maximum number of destruct rings that is described above. Special Tool Nibbling

Tools must be defined with advanced usage for nibbling and parting. Specifies that special tools can be used for nibbling. If an arc edge is being nibbled then a special tool with a suitable arc can be selected. If a straight edge is being nibbled then a rectangular special tool is selected. If special tool nibbling is not selected, then special tools are not considered for nibbling. If corner radii tooling is selected it always takes precedence over special tool nibbling. For example, if corner radii tooling and special tool nibbling are both selected, then the tool selection sequence is: 1. Select a tool with multiple radii. 2. If there is no suitable multiple radii tool available, select a special tool. 3. If there is no suitable special tool available, use conventional tooling algorithms. Special Tool Destruct

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Nesting NC Select Special Tool Destruct for circular destructs on contours. A Multi radii tool (above image) is used for circular destructs. Complex Auto Destruct: Select Complex Auto Destruct for non standard shapes, for example the illustration below. Destruct Strategy: Select one of the destruct strategies below Use Best: Allows SigmaNEST to determine the best strategy, based on number of hits. Max Area: Uses the largest tools available. X Axis: Creates hits along the x axis. Y Axis: Creates hits along the y axis. Max Length: Creates hits beginning along the longest edge. Min Edge to Recognize:Enter the size of the smallest edge to recognize when punching. Max Edge # for Linear Nibble:Enter the maximum number of edges a special tool can have to be considered for use in complex auto destruct. Parallel Edges Tolerance:Enter the maximum angle two lines can be to each other and still be considered a parallel line.

Auto Tooling
Material:Displays the material name. Thickness:Displays the thickness of the material. Enable Corner Overlap :Select Enable Corner Overlap to compensate for machine tolerances that could otherwise leave an unintended sliver on the corner. The below right diagram illustrates Do Corner Overlap selected. The below left diagram illustrates Do Corner Overlap not selected. Allow Extended Parting :Select Allow Extended Parting to allow the punch to strike beyond the edge of the material. This allows a larger punch to be used when there would otherwise be excessive overlap between successive hits. The extended parting overlap may be relatively large, because its purpose is to reduce the number of tool changes required to keep the punch overlap distance reasonable. The images below illustrate the differences between selecting Allow Extended Parting (right) and leaving it unselected (left).

Corner Overlap Distance: The corner overlap distance is usually just enough to ensure a clean punch of the corner.

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Nesting NC Nibble Type Select one of the following nibble types from the drop down box. Conventional : Hits along the punch line in a simple first to last sequence.

Bridge Punch: Hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence with alternating full and partial hits.

Bridge (Forward): Hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence using full hits and then makes partial hits in the same sequence.

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Nesting NC Bridge (Back): Hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence using full hits and then makes partial hits in last to first sequence.

Max. Scallop :Enter the Maximum Scallop height of submachine between successive hits of a round tool moving along a linear edge, or between rectangular tools moving along a curved edge. The Maximum Scallop height is represented by a in the following diagram.

Maximum Circular Relief Diameter: When the parts edge arc diameter exceeds this value it is nibbled even though there may be a tool large enough to punch it in a single hit. This is done because the protrusion of a large part beyond the edge of a part prevents close nesting of parts. For example, if this value is set to 1 inch and there is a 2 inch relief on the part, then even though there may be a 2 inch circular tool available, the relief will be nibbled. Maximum Side Tooling Length: This is the maximum length of a rectangular tool that may be used on its short edge or widthtypically to punch a notch. The diagram below a represents the tool length. The maximum side tooling length is the maximum value of a that can be used for side tooling. The topmost hit is a side tooling hit, because it removes material with its side edge only.

Max Tool Overlap Percentage: These maximum overlaps are expressed in terms of percentages of the tool length. There is an additional maximum value for lateral tolerance. This applies when material is destroyed and specifies the overlap between the parallel punching lines used to destroy the material. Dial in the percentage value for each tool or select the value and type in the new value.

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Nesting NC Arc Tooling Preference: The arc tooling preference specifies the preferred order in which tool shapes are considered for tooling concave and convex arcs. Select from the drop down boxes, the following Arc Tooling preferences for each order: first (1), second (2), and third (3). Rnd : round Sqr : square Rec : rectangle Obr : obround

Selecting a shape more than once in either the Concave Arc or Convex Arc columns will cause a warning to be displayed when the settings are saved.

Tabbing
Auto Tabbing : Select Auto Tabbing to allow tabs to be placed on all parts according to the definition and strategy Tab Definition:Use Dedicated Tab Tool:When selected a specific tool is used to create the tab. When not selected the parting tools are used to create the tab. Min. Tab Tool Overlap Minimum tab tool overlap value allows a minimum distance to be designated to prevent floating scrap to occur. The above image illustrates the overlap value (b), is the value the parting tool overlaps the tabbing tool(a), to prevent floating scrap(shaded area). Linear Tab Width:The simple width of the tab measured along the punching line. Linear Tab Style: Select one of the values from the drop down box. The following descriptions and diagrams describe each selection. The following icon resented in black and the tools in green. represents a tab. The contours are rep-

Simple Tab : Specifies that no tab tool is used. The parting tool simply leaves a tab width gap between two of its hits. Begin Delay Tab :Begin Delay Tab is used with or without a dedicated tab tool. Initially a gap the width of the tab plus the width of the tool used to create the tab is retained, then at the end, the tab tool returns to strike before the tab in the direction of motion. The top part of the above diagram shows the use of a parting tool and the bottom part of the above diagram, a dedicated tab tool. In both cases the tab hits are represented by shaded shapes and the direction of motion is from left to right.

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Nesting NC End Delay Tab :The End Delay Tab can be used with or without a dedicated tab tool. Initially a gap the width of the tab plus the width of the tool used to create the tab is retained, then at the end, the tab tool returns to strike after the tab in the direction of motion. The above top diagram shows the use of a parting tool, and the above bottom diagram shows a dedicated tab tool. In both cases the tab hits are represented by shaded shapes and the direction of motion is from left to right. Double Delay Tab : The Double Delay Tab can be used with or without a dedicated tab tool. Initially a gap the width of the tab plus twice the width of the tool used to create the tab is retained. At the end, the tab tool returns to strike both before and after the tab, in the direction of motion. This creates a single double width tab. The top above diagram shows the use of a parting tool and the bottom diagram, a dedicated tab tool. In both cases the tab hits are represented by shaded shapes and the direction of motion is from left to right. Twin Delay Tab : The twin Delay Tab can be used with or without a dedicated tab tool. Initially a gap the width of the two tabs plus the width of the tool used to create the tab is retained. At the end, the tab tool returns to strike in the middle of the remaining material. This creates two tabs. One on each side of the final hit. The first above top diagram shows the use of a parting tool and the bottom diagram shows a dedicated tab tool. In both cases the tab hits are represented by shaded shapes and the direction of motion is from left to right. Circular Tab Width

The minimum width of a tab created on an arc. The above diagram shows the Circular Tab Width between the vertical lines. Corner Tab Style: Select a value from the drop down list to determine the way corner tabs are created. Symmetric Tab : The tab width is divided so that half the specified width occurs on each side. The symmetry setting is ignored if one side can be tooled with a single hit.

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Auto Longest: Auto Longest tabs are applied to the longest side of the corner. If both sides leading to a selected corner are the same length, then a symmetric tab is used. This is illustrated, at the top left, in the following diagram.

Corner Tab Width: The width of the tab material left on the side of the material, adjacent to a corner, for tabs that occur before and after a corner. For a symmetrical tab the remaining material on each side of the corner is half this value. Tabbing Strategy: Tabbing Strategy is only active when Auto Tabbing is selected. Tab Type Number: The number of tabs are placed at approximately equal distances around the perimeter of the part. Spacing :When Spacing is selected, the Tab Spacing field is also completed and tabs are placed around the perimeter of the part at intervals of approximately this distance. Corners: Corners specifies that tabs must be placed on corners where possible. The nominal tab spacing distance and the tab search distance must also be supplied. The way these values are used to determine actual tab positions is described in the Corner Tab Placing Algorithm (See page 345). Fixed : Tabs are placed at fixed distances from each other (Tab Spacing). This distance is maintained even when the Move Tabs Away from Corners attribute is set. The whole set of tabs along an entity may be moved to move a tab away from a corner, but the distance between each is maintained.

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Nesting NC Equal Spacing : Equal Spacing sets the tabs equidistant from one another along each side. Lead-out Tab: Lead-out Tab creates a single tab between lead-in and lead-out. Min. Tabbed Entity Length:Tabs are not placed on entities that are shorter than this length. Number of Tabs: Enter the number of tabs to use for parts. Minimum Number of Tabs:The minimum number of tabs that must be placed on the part. If necessary, other parameters, such as tab spacing, are ignored in order to ensure that the minimum number of tabs are placed. Tab Spacing : Desired distance between tabs. Tab Search Percentage: This is the percentage of the tab spacing distance that the tab placement algorithm will use to search forwards or backwards from the nominal distance specified by the tab spacing value in order to find a good tab position. For example, if the tab spacing parameter specifies that tabs should be placed 50 units apart and the search percentage is 50 percent, then the tab placement algorithm will use any good tab position between 25 and 75 units from the previous tab. The tab placing algorithm has more flexibility when the tab search percentage is large. Tab Lines All Lines: This option allows tabs to be placed on all of the line types according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Only Horizontal: The horizontal option places the tabs along horizontal sides of the part according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Only Vertical: The vertical option places the tabs along vertical sides of the part according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Only Horizontal and Vertical:This option places tabs along the horizontal and vertical sides of the parts only according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Move Tabs Away From Corners: If the normal tab spacing algorithm places a tab right next to a corner, the selection of this attribute equalizes the spacing between the tabs on this edge to move it away from the corner. This option may also be selected when the tab type is set to Corners. In this case, true corners are tabbed, but tabs are moved away from corners with arcs. This is illustrated in the following diagram, where the right-most tabis moved away from the corner with an arc, the left-most tabis placed on the corner.

Tab Arcs Tab Arcs: Tabs are placed on the arcs according to the tab parameters selected.

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Nesting NC Exclude Arcs: Tabs are excluded from arcs. Only if Needed : This option overrides tab parameters and places tabs along arcs according to specified spacing. Cancel: Selecting Cancel closes the punching parameters dialog not saving any changes made. Save: Selecting Save closes the punching parameters dialog saving all changes made.

Corner Tab Placing Algorithm Step 1: All corners are evaluated and weighted based on factors such as whether it is convex, the proximity of other entities to the corner and the length of the entity preceding and following the corner. Step 2: The best corner is selected for the first tab. Step 3: The desired tab spacing is used to select a candidate tab position at the specified distance around the perimeter of the part. Step 4: The specified search percentage is used to search forward and backwards from the candidate position for a suitable corner within that range. Step 5: If one corner is found within the search distance from the candidate position it is used. Step 6: If more than one corner is found within the search distance from the candidate position, the best one (with the highest weighting) is chosen. Step 7: If there are no corners within the search distance from the candidate position, a tab is placed at or near the candidate position depending on attributes such as Min Tab Entity Length, Tab Lines, Tab Arcs, etc. Step 8: The procedure continues by using the tab spacing distance to locate the next candidate position.

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Single Punch
Single Punch allows the user to manually set the tool for a contour. A secondary and auxiliary tool assignment is available to define secondary or auxiliary tool hits. 1. Select Single Punch on the Punching ribbon from the Nesting NC tab. The current tool is anchored to the cursor. 2. Hover over the contours and left-click the position to tool. The tool hit is placed at the position selected. Repeat as necessary. 3. Change tools by selecting the drop down arrow next to the top current tool, in the control panel on the left, and select a tool from the list. A tool can also be selected from the tool manager by selecting Select Tool. 4. Select Esc to end the function.

Current Tool: The top tool is the current tool. To select a different tool select the drop down arrow, if the desired tool is not listed select Select Tool and the tool manager dialog is displayed. Select a tool to use from the tool manager. Secondary Tool: To define a secondary tool select a tool from the drop down arrow on the right side of the secondary tool. To change the secondary Select Tool opens the tool manager dialog. Select Clear Tool to clear the tool selection. Auxiliary Tool:The auxiliary tool is for an additional tool needed for a third strike on the entity. Select the Select Tool option and the tool manager dialog is displayed. Select a tool from the tool manager. Select Clear Tool to clear the tool selection.

Nibble Entity
Nibble Entity allows the user to select a tool and apply a nibble pattern across the entire contour. A secondary tool can be defined to provide a second tool hit. As the selected tool approaches the contour the tool hits are placed across the contour. The placement of the sequence of tool hits is defined with the following parameters.

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Current Tool: The top tool is the current tool. To select a different tool select the drop down arrow, if the desired tool is not listed select Select Tool. The tool manager dialog is displayed, select a tool to use. Secondary Tool: Select the secondary tool from the drop down arrow on the right side of the punching option dialog. To select a tool from the tool manager select the Select Tool and the tool manager is displayed. The secondary tool can be selected to be used At Start or At End or both. Punch Sequence:The drop-down list, after the secondary tool, is the point to point sequence. Select one of the following values: Conventional: Conventional hits along the punch line in a simple first to last sequence. Bridge Punch: Bridge Punch hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence with alternating full and partial hits. Bridge Forward : Bridge (Forward) hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence using full hits and then makes partial hits in the same sequence. Bridge Back: Bridge (Back) hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence using full hits and then makes partial hits in last to first sequence. Spacing Mode: Spacing Mode is used in conjunction with Line Tooling. Select the type of tool spacing. MinOverlap %: The minimum percentage overlap of the tool hits, approximately 20% overlap. MinOverlap :The actual amount of overlap of tool hits, specified in the selected system units. Min Step :The distance between tool hits, specified in the selected system units. Note that if the distance is greater than the dimension of the tool, there is no overlap. There are gaps between the hits. Scallop : The scallop height that results from successive hits of a round tool, specified in the selected system units. Line Tooling : Enter the line tooling spacing value. The following diagram illustrates the overlap of a 0.25 inch round tool. The vertical run shows an absolute overlap of 0.1 inches and the inclined run shows an absolute overlap of 0.01 inches.

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Arc Tooling : The arc tooling value is always specified as a maximum permitted scallop height. The actual scallop height may be smaller, depending on the geometry of the arc and the size of the tool. Side:The side parameter specifies the relationship between the entity and the nibbling hits. It only applies to lines. Auto Side is always in effect for arcs. Punch On Entity: Punch on Entity specifies that the center-point of the tool strikes the contour. This is illustrated in the next diagram. Punch Left: Punch Left specifies that the tool strikes on the left of the contour when moving in its direction of travel. Punch Right: Punch Right specifies that the tool strikes on the right of the contour when moving in its direction of travel. Auto Side: Auto Side determines the side of the contour the tool strikes is the side the nibble run is placed by the mouse pointer. Start/End Conditions: The start and end conditions specify the location of the start and end positions of a nibbling run. The numeric entry field, after the start and end conditions, permits a positive or negative offset from the specified start and end locations. This may be used to overcome machine tolerances. For each condition specify the type of start and end conditions. Tool Edge:The outer edge of the tool. Tool Center: The center of the tool. Tangent to Next Entity: Tangent to the adjacent tool. Message Box:Tool messages are displayed, in red, at the bottom in the message box.

Punch Point to Point

Point to Point allows the user to select a tool and apply a nibble pattern from a selected point to another selected point. A secondary tool can be defined to provide a second tool hit. Select the tool

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Nesting NC and select the point to start the tool path and slide the tool and left-mouse click the second point. The tool path is displayed between the two points.

Current Tool: The top tool is the current tool. To select a different tool select the drop down arrow, if the desired tool is not listed select Select Tool. The tool manager dialog is displayed, select a tool to use. Secondary Tool: Select the secondary tool from the drop down arrow on the right side of the punching option dialog. Select the Select Tool option and the tool manager dialog is displayed. Select At Start or At End or both for the run specification. Point to Point Sequence: The drop-down list, after the secondary tool, is the point to point sequence. Select one of the following values: Conventional: Conventional hits along the punch line in a simple first to last sequence. Bridge Punch: Bridge Punch hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence with alternating full and partial hits. Bridge Forward : Bridge (Forward) hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence using full hits and then makes partial hits in the same sequence. Bridge Back: Bridge (Back) hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence using full hits and then makes partial hits in last to first sequence. Spacing Mode: Spacing Mode is used in conjunction with Line Tooling. Select the type of tool spacing. MinOverlap %: The minimum percentage overlap of the tool hits, approximately 20% overlap. MinOverlap :The actual amount of overlap of tool hits, specified in the selected system units. Min Step :The distance between tool hits, specified in the selected system units. Note that if the distance is greater than the dimension of the tool, there is no overlap. There are gaps between the hits. Scallop : The scallop height that results from successive hits of a round tool, specified in the selected system units. Line Tooling : Enter the line tooling spacing value. The following diagram illustrates the overlap of a 0.25 inch round tool. The vertical run shows an absolute overlap of 0.1 inches and the inclined run shows an absolute overlap of 0.01 inches.

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Punch Slots & Holes

Slots and Holes allows the user to select a tool and apply a nibble pattern to slots and holes internal to the part. A secondary tool can be defined to provide a second tool hit. Select the tool and hover over the slot or hole. Left-click to display the tool pattern across the hole or slot.

Current Tool: The top tool is the current tool. To select a different tool select the drop down arrow, if the desired tool is not listed select Select Tool. The tool manager dialog is displayed, select a tool to use. Secondary Tool: Select the secondary tool from the drop down arrow on the right side of the punching option dialog. Select the Select Tool option and the tool manager dialog is displayed. Select At Start or At End or both for the run specification. Point to Point Sequence: The drop-down list, after the secondary tool, is the point to point sequence. Select one of the following values: Conventional: Conventional hits along the punch line in a simple first to last sequence. Bridge Punch: Bridge Punch hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence with alternating full and partial hits. Bridge Forward : Bridge (Forward) hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence using full hits and then makes partial hits in the same sequence. Bridge Back: Bridge (Back) hits along the punch line in a first to last sequence using full hits and then makes partial hits in last to first sequence. Spacing Mode: Spacing Mode is used in conjunction with Line Tooling. Select the type of tool spacing.

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MinOverlap %: The minimum percentage overlap of the tool hits, approximately 20% overlap. MinOverlap :The actual amount of overlap of tool hits, specified in the selected system units. Min Step :The distance between tool hits, specified in the selected system units. Note that if the distance is greater than the dimension of the tool, there is no overlap. There are gaps between the hits. Scallop : The scallop height that results from successive hits of a round tool, specified in the selected system units. Line Tooling : Enter the line tooling spacing value. The following diagram illustrates the overlap of a 0.25 inch round tool. The vertical run shows an absolute overlap of 0.1 inches and the inclined run shows an absolute overlap of 0.01 inches.

Arc Tooling : The arc tooling value is always specified as a maximum permitted scallop height. The actual scallop height may be smaller, depending on the geometry of the arc and the size of the tool. Message Box: Tool messages are displayed, in red, at the bottom in the message box.

Destruct
Select to apply a tooling destruct sequence to the sheet area and or internal part areas. Auto Tool Select: Select Auto Tool Select to allow the system to automatically select the best tool available that minimizes the number of hits. Current Tool: The top tool is the current tool. To select a different tool select the drop down arrow, if the desired tool is not listed select Select Tool. The tool manager dialog is displayed, select a tool to use.

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Nesting NC Secondary Tool: Select the secondary tool from the drop down arrow on the right side of the punching option dialog. Select the Select Tool option and the tool manager dialog is displayed. Select Clear Tool to clear the tool selection. Auxiliary Tool:The auxiliary tool is for an additional tool needed for a third strike on the entity. Select the Select Tool option and the tool manager dialog is displayed. Select Clear Tool to clear the tool selection. Dest. Min. Overlap :Enter the value for the minimum overlap between tool hits. Dest. Max. Scallop : Enter the value of the maximum scallop height permitted during destruct. Over Punch Length:Enter the value of the length the tool extends over the contour. Over Punch Width:Enter the value of the width the tool extends over the contour. Message Box: Tool messages are displayed, in red, in the message box at the bottom of the punching options dialog. When no error messages are visible the message box is not displayed.

Apply to Same
Apply to Same allows the user to select tooled contours and apply the pattern to selected internal contours of similar parts. The internal contours of similar parts can be tooled quickly. 1. Select Apply to Same from the Punching ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. 2. Window around and left-mouse click the tooled contours to apply to similar internal part contours. 3. Left-click each internal part contour or window around the contours. 4. Right-click and the selected contours are tooled. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Active Turret
Select Active Turret to display the current active turret for the nesting layout. The Active Turret function is similar to the Tool Manager. The turret cannot be changed when viewing the Active Turret.

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Nesting NC The tools in blue indicate they are used in the layout. Tools in bold indicate they are in the active turret but not used. Tools can be removed, added, or the tool sequence changed. To edit the tools in the upper dialog see Tool Manager. Remove a tool from the Active Turret. 1. 2. 3. Add a Left-click the tool to remove. Select Remove Tool and the tool is removed. Select Done to close the Active Turret dialog. tool to the Active Turret.

1. Left-click and hold on the tool to add to the Active Turret. 2. Drag the tool to the bottom dialog. The stations will indicate if the tool can be placed at the selected location. 3. Drop to place the tool in the selected position. 4. Select Done to close the Active Turret dialog.

Assign Tools
Normally used for combo machines, Assign Tools to Contour displays the Standard Contour Tool Assignment dialog. The dialog is separated into two listings. The upper listing displays the contours by group type, dimension, and angle. The quantity column displays the number of times the combination occurs in the nest. The contours in red, in the upper listing (Contours), do not have a punch tool assigned and are profile cut. The contour groups in black have punch tools assigned. Selecting the tool in the upper listing, highlights the tool, in the turret location in the lower listing. The lower listing (Tool Load) displays the assigned tools with the following attributes. The tool can be edited from here by double-clicking on the tool. The Tool Edit dialog is displayed. See Edit Tool. Bold Highlight: Bold highlight defines the tool, in the lower listing, is used, but not used on any of the upper contour types. Teal Highlight: A teal highlight defines the tool is used with one contour type in the upper listing. The contour group type may occur many times in the nesting layout. The number of times is displayed in the quantity column. To remove or reassign the tools left-mouse click on the tool in the lower listing and the contour group is highlighted in the upper listing. Blue Highlight: Blue highlighted tools are assigned to more than one contour group type in the upper listing. To remove a punch tool from a contour to be profile cut. 1. Left-click a black contour from the upper listing. 2. Right-click and select Remove the Primary Tool.

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Nesting NC 3. The contour in the upper listing will highlight in red. The contour is no longer punch tooled. 4. Select Done to create the revised NC path. To assign a punch tool to a contour group. 1. Left-click a tool from the lower listing and drag it to the upper listing on the contour group to apply the tool. 2. If the contour type is highlighted in red the tool becomes the primary tool for the contour group. The contour group is highlighted in black. If the contour group is highlighted in black before applying the tool the tool becomes a secondary tool for the contour group. 3. Select Done to create the revised NC path. Turret: Select the turret button to display the tool manager. Tools can be added or edited, but you cannot change the turret at this point. Tools in blue are tools used for the NC path of the current nest. Tools in black are loaded in the turret but are not used. Cancel: Selecting Cancel closes the Standard Contour Tool Assignment dialog without saving any changes. Done: Selecting Done saves any changes and closes the Standard Contour Tool Assignment dialog.

Tool Sort
Tool Sort is selected after auto tooling. Once the tools are selected for the contours in the nesting layout they are sorted for efficiency. Selecting Tool Sort displays the Tool Sort dialog. The following parameters and options set up the strategy and transition for applying tool sorting. Tool List The left side of the dialog displays the listing of the tools for the process. The upper right corner displays navigation arrows (see image below) to select an individual tool displaying the tool's orientation .

The slide control (below image, right arrow) changes the visibility level of the Tool sorting window. By selecting the tools in the list and with the visibility set low (bottom image, right arrow), the user can step through and view the selected NC tool path (bottom image, middle arrow), on the nesting Work-space (bottom image, left arrow).

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Sort Tools On: Select Current Sheet or All Sheets to apply the sorting to the current sheet or sheets. Group Strategy: The Group Strategy parameters groups the tools by characteristics and usage of the tool and part. This flexibility enhances efficiency of the punching process. Grouping Rule: Select the Grouping Rule type from the drop down box. The Grouping Rule allows the operator to group tools to provide time utilization of tool changes. The following options are displayed. Regular: Groups and displays the tools in the order of the Auto NC program. Parting Angle: Groups and displays the tools used for parting parts according to the angle of the part. By Part: Groups and displays the tools needed to punch out a part. All Internals First: Groups and displays the tools for internal contours. Parting Internals First: Groups and displays the tools for internal parting contours. Dedicated Countersink: Groups and displays the tools for countersink contours. Max to Min #Heads: Groups and displays the tools by size from largest to smallest. Min to Max #Heads: Groups and displays the tools by size from smallest to largest. Horizontal Parting by Part : Groups and displays the tools for each part according to horizontal parting. External by Part: Groups and displays all external parting tools for each part. The tool may be listed more than once. Tool Independent: Displays each tool once in the listing even though they are used more than once. Sort By Tool Usage: Selecting Sort by Tool Usage displays the tools according to the order the tools are used. Separate By Tool Angle: Selecting Separate by Tool Angle displays a listing for each tool with each angle. Group By Tool: Selecting Group by Tool groups similar tools. Group By Multi-tool: Selecting Group By Multi-tool displays the tools by multi-tool collections. Sort Strategy The Sort Strategy defines a tool change time utilization strategy. Sort Pattern: Selecting from a sort strategy reduces time for tool changes. Select from the following strategies:

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Snake Horizontally: The pattern follows a left to right, right to left, upward pattern.

Snake Vertically: The pattern follows an up, right, then down from left to right pattern.

Horizontal Typewriter: The pattern follows horizontally from left to right, then upward from right to left.

Vertical Typewriter: The pattern follows vertically from the lower left upward, then down to the right. Strip Width: The Strip Width value is enabled when the sort pattern is set to other than None. Enter a numeric value to apply the sort strategy to a strip section. After the value is entered, select

the move strip lines button

to reposition the visible strip lines on the Work-space.

Tool Transition Rule: Select from the following options to define the continuation of the punching process after a tool change Closest to Previous Hit: After the tool change the punching continues from the last hit. Fixed Transition Reference: Selecting Fixed Transition Reference displays a sheet diagram below the drop down box. Selecting the check box positions defines the tool transition to continue in a quadrant area. Selecting one check box defines a quadrant, selecting two boxes defines an upper/lower or left/right side area. Closest Transition Reference: Punching is continued from within the area closest to the tool transition location. The last position punched is the area the machine head will go to continue punching after the transition. Apply To All Tools: Select Apply to All Tools to apply the sort strategy to the tools.

Apply Group and Strategy Sorting : Select the icon strategy to the listing of tools.

to apply the group and tool sort

Save as Default: Select to save the settings as the default settings for the tool sort strategy. Cancel: Select Cancel to close the tool sorting dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select OK to close and save all changes to tool sorting.

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Add Tab
Add Tab allows the user to place tabs on NC part contours. The part tooling is moved to display the tab along with the addition symbol. 1. Select Add Tab icon on the Punching ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. 2. Left-click the tab on the part contour and the tab is placed at the selected location. 3. Select Esc to end the function.

Delete Tab
Delete Tab allows the user to remove tabs on NC part contours. The tab is displayed with the addition symbol. 1. Select Delete Tab icon on the Punching ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. 2. Left-click the tab on the part contour and the tab is removed. 3. Select Esc to end the function.

Display Tab Points

Display Tab Points allows the user to display the tabs on NC part contours for a better view of the tabs on the nesting NC layout. 1. Select Display Tab Points icon on the Punching ribbon on the nesting NC tab. 2. The tabs points are displayed with the addition symbol.

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Edit Punch
Edit Punch allows the user to change tools for the NC punch contours of the current nest layout. Cursor over the NC paths to display the primary tool for the NC path. Change the tool by selecting the NC path.

The top of the Punching Options dialog, on the left, displays a down arrow to display a tool listing. Select the tool and select the green check mark to save the selected tool for the NC path. Secondary and auxiliary tools can be assigned for multi-function tooling to individual contours.

Tool Viewer
Tool viewer displays the tools used in the NC nest. Select the tool from the listing and the NC path that uses the selected tool is highlighted. The tool can be replaced with another tool or deleted to be retooled.

Tool Listing : The listing displays all of the tools used in the nesting NC. Select the column icon and select the columns to display from the drop down box. Column Listing (See page 21) has additional information customizing column. Double-click the tool to open the tool edit dialog. Tool Image Window : The selected tool is displayed in the image window.

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Nesting NC Replace: Select to replace the tool with another tool in the turret. Select the alternate tool from the turret and select OK, the tool is replaced. Delete: Select Delete and OK to remove the tool from the NC path. Cancel: Select to close the tool viewer without saving changes. OK: Select to close the tool viewer saving any changes.

Punch Explode
Edit Punch provides the following actions to edit NC punch items for the current nest. Punch Explode separates a group of NC tool hits into individual tool hits. The NC tool hits can then be edited. The nest NC has to be Auto Tooled . Refer to the below image. The first image on the left displays the NC tool path for multiple hits for an obround geometry. The hits are all highlighted in one color, indicating the group of hits are defined as one set. Select Punch Explode and select the group or window around the group with the cursor (second from left image). Right-click to separate the group of NC tool hits. Select Edit Punch and mouse over the NC tool hits. The NC tool hits are highlighted individually (Right image). After the explode action is executed, the obround tool hits are individual NC tool hits. The NC tool hits can be edited. Tools are accessed from the tool option window (displayed on the far right side, see the below images.

Drill Parameters
Several drilling operations can be specified on this dialog and each one takes place in the correct sequence. A pictorial representation of the specified parameters is shown in the upper right of the dialog. To see which holes have drilling attributes assigned, together with a pictorial representation of the drilling attributes, select Attributes from the View menu at the top of the part mode work area. Select the Process Tab at the top of the attribute dialog window. Select Show Drill Attributes.Drill tolerances are global tolerances used to select a drill for the drill process.

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Nesting NC Hole Type: Select the type of drilling operation from the drop down list. The Blind Hole option permits the specification of a drilling depth, because it does not penetrate the bottom of the material. Other options are Drill, Ream, and Punch. Pre-drill: When PreDrill is selected, an initial hole that is normally smaller is drilled before the final hole is. It is not necessary for the pre-drilled hole to extend through the material. It may be used to just notch the surface, for example. Secondary Drill: If Secondary Drill is selected a second hole is drilled prior to the main one. It may be used with the pre-drill parameters to successively enlarge a hole to its final size. Tap : Selecting Tap permits a coarse or fine thread of the specified diameter to be tapped into the hole. The tap diameter corresponds to the thread's major diameter, whereas the hole diameter (shown at the top right of the dialog) corresponds to its minor diameter. Counter Sink: The counter sink angle is measured as illustrated in the following diagram. Either the counter sink angle and the counter sink diameter or the counter sink angle and the counter sink depth are sufficient to specify the counter sink. Thus if either the diameter or the depth is specified, the other field automatically changes to a consistent value. In the image below, A is the counter sink angle.

Counter Bore: A counter bore is essentially a counter sink with vertical walls.

Add Drill Parameter

Select to add a drill process to a contour. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the Add Drill function from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. Left-click or window around the contour to add a drill process. Right-click to display the Drill Parameters dialog. Enter the Drill Parameters (See page 359). Select OK to close the dialog and display the drill call-out for the contour. The below right image displays the drill contour as the NC path is applied. 5. Select Esc to end the function. Save the change by selecting Update Current Part.

Delete Drill
Select to remove a drill process. - 360 -

Nesting NC 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the Delete Drill function from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. Left-click or window around the contour to delete the drill process. Right-click and the drill process is removed. Select Esc to end the function. Save the change by selecting Update Current Part.

Auto Rivet
The riveting functions are used to create holes and/or add rivets or screws to multiple layers of material that must be held down to a base board for cutting. For example, rivets are often used when cutting multiple thin sheets of aluminum which must be attached to a base board to maintain stability. Auto Rivets allows the user to set default conditions for rivets and have them done on one sheet. Rivet Size: Enter the size of the rivets. Rivet Clearance: Enter the clearance distant that must be maintained between rivets and other entities. Remove Rivets: Select Yes to remove rivets after cutting the parts or select No to leave the rivets on the sheet. Sheets: Specify the sheets to which the rivets will be applied, by selecting All Sheets or Current Sheet. Rivets Drill and Rivet: Select to create a hole and add the rivet. Drill Only: Select to create a hole for the rivet only. Drill Only is used when rivets are drilled in by hand Rivet Only: Select to place the rivet only. Rivet Only is often used when rivets or screws are used which do not need holes cut prior to insertion. Primary Rivets: Primary rivets are used to hold the sheet to the baseboard, usually in four corners or a grid pattern. Each primary rivet is drilled then inserted in before moving to the next rivet position. Number of Rows: Enter the number of rivets to place vertically. Number of Columns: Enter the number of rivets to place horizontaally. Secondary Rivets are used to hold done internal contours and floating scrap. All secondary rivets holes are drilled before any rivet is inserted. Rivet Floating Scrap will add rivets to any floating scrap. After selecting Secondary Rivets or Rivet Floating Scrap the following options are availabe for those rivets: Pitch: Enter the length between rivets on a part's contours

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Nesting NC Reach Radius: Enter the radius, the center will be the first rivet position, to remove any rivets from that radis and reduce the number of unnecessary rivets. Min Internal Contour Area: Enter the smallest internal contour for which a rivet will be used. Min Internal Contour Rivets: Enter the minimum number of rivets to use per countour. Apply Externals: Select to apply external rivets. Apply Internals: Select to apply internal rivets. Cancel: Select to discard the changes and exit the dialog. OK: Select to apply the changes and exit the dialog.

Move Rivet
Select to move a rivet manually. When selected, a side panel will open with the options below. The rivets can only be moved one at a time. Move: Select to move a rivet anywhere on a sheet, regardless of clearance. Right-click once to select a rivet and again to place it after it has been moved to the desired location. Bump : The Bump function allows the rivets to be moved manually but ensures rivets are not within a specified clearance distance from each other. The clearance can set in either the Manual Rivet (See page 362) or Auto Rivet (See page 361) dialog. Done: Select to save changes and exit the function.

Manual Rivet
The riveting functions are used to create holes and/or add rivets or screws to multiple layers of material that must be held down to a base board for cutting. For example, rivets are often used when cutting multiple thin sheets of aluminum which must be attached to a base board to maintain stability. Manual Rivet allows the user add individual rivets to sheets. Rivet Size: Enter the size of the rivets. Rivet Clearance: Enter the clearance distant that must be maintained between rivets and other entities. Remove Rivets: Select Yes to remove rivets after cutting the parts or select No to leave the rivets on the sheet. Rivet Type: Select the rivet type from the two options below:

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Nesting NC Primary Rivets: Primary rivets are used to hold the sheet to the baseboard, usually in four corners or a grid pattern. Each primary rivet is drilled then inserted in before moving to the next rivet position. Secondary Rivets:Secondary rivets are used to hold done internal contours and floating scrap. All secondary rivets holes are drilled before any rivet is inserted. Rivets Drill and Rivet: Select to create a hole and add the rivet. Drill Only: Select to create a hole for the rivet only. Drill Only is used when rivets are drilled in by hand Rivet Only: Select to place the rivet only. Rivet Only is often used when rivets or screws are used which do not need holes cut prior to insertion.

Delete Rivets
To delete an rivet or rivets, Select Delete Rivet from the Punch-Nest ribbon on the Nesting NC tab. The side panel opens with selection actions listed below. Select part or parts and right-click to delete rivet(s). Selection Actions Single:Select Single to delete a rivet on a single entity. Left-click to select the entity. Rightclick to delete the rivet. Select Done to save and exit. Window : Select Window to delete rivets on select a group of entities, by creating a window around them. Left-click and hold down to create a window around the objects. Right-click to delete rivets from the selected entities. Select Done to save and exit. Unselect: Select Unselect exclude an entity from the entities selected to have rivets deleted. Left-click on the entity to exclude from deletion. Right-click to execute the deletion. Done: Select Done to accept the current changes and close the side panel.

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Nesting Detail

Nesting Detail
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Nest (See page 169) Nesting Detail Detail (See page 366) Verify (Nesting) (See page 220) Parts Bar

Nesting Detail
The Nest Detail allows the user to detail, print, and or plot the nesting information. Select the following functions to enable the function. Print (See page 364) Plot (See page 365) Detail (See page 366) Detail All (See page 367) Clear (See page 367) Note Delete (See page 368) Make Note (See page 140)

Print
Select Print to display the Task Report Printing dialog. Graphics Printer: Select the Graphics Printer button to display the Print Setup dialog. See Print Setup for setting up the graphics printer selection. Text Printer: Select the Text Printer button to display the Print Setup dialog. See Print Setup for setting up the text printer selection. Graphics Printing : Place a check mark in the box next to the word Graphics to print a graphic representation of the nest. Sequence Number: The Sequence Number report displays a graphic representation of the nest with the pierce positions numbered. Sequence Number is enabled if the Graphics field is selected. Print Selection: Report List: Select the reports in the report list for printing. To create and setup reports see Report Setup. Sheets

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Nesting Detail Current Sheets: This prints the information for the sheet currently selected in the Task Report dialog. Multiple Sheets: Select to print information for multiple sheets. The sheets are specified in the Multiple Sheets field. Sheet numbers are separated by commas, and ranges are with a hyphen separating the start sheet from the end sheet, e.g. 13,5. All Sheets: SigmaNEST prints the information of all the sheets used in the nesting. Setup : Select to display the Setup dialog for selecting, creating, or editing report types. See Report Setup. Export: Select to export the reports. A Save As dialog is displayed. Enter the name of the file and select the file type to export the reports into. Preview : Previews the reports selected from the report list. Print: Prints the reports. Close: Select to close the Task Report Printing dialog.

Plot
Select Plot to send the nesting detail or part to the plotter. A Plot dialog is displayed for setting up the paper and layout. Plotter: Select from one of the following plotter positions from the drop down box. Lower Left: The graphic is positioned in the lower left of the paper. Center: The graphic is positioned in the center of the paper. Lower Right: The graphic is positioned in the lower right of the paper. Paper Size: Select from the drop down box the paper size. Selecting User enables to manually enter the paper size in the X and Y numeric boxes. The default User size is 8.5 x 11. X: Displays the size of the graphic along the x-axis. It changes automatically with the selected paper size. If the paper size is set to User, this value may be entered manually. Y: Displays the size of the graphic along the y-axis. It changes automatically with the selected paper size. If the paper size is set to User, this value may be entered manually. Scale: Select one of the following from drop down box. Auto : Automatically scales the graphic to fit the size of the paper. Manual: Specifies the percentage size of the graphic. The system scales the graphic by doubling the size according to the number chosen. For example, 1 = 100%, 2 = 200%, and so on. Enter the size increment on the right.

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Nesting Detail Port: Select the port the plotter is configured on. Also available will be any printers installed. A browse button is available to save the plot as a .PLT file. Select File under the port drop down box and browse to the folder location to save the file. Plot File Name: If plotting the graphic to a file, choose the output file name. Choose the Browse button to search for a current file name. Plot Overlay:This defines the margin of the sheet. Enter the distance from the edge of the sheet, which must be unoccupied. Paper Layout: Select from Portrait (the length of the paper is vertical) or Landscape (the length of the paper is horizontal). When the paper size is set to User, the orientation is determined by the X and Y values specified and this field is inactive. Plot: Select to send the information to the plotter. Close: Select to close the Plotter dialog.

Detail
Select to detail the current nesting sheet. Detail Sgl (Single) details the parts and the nesting. The nesting is surrounded by a detail border with general nesting information. Notes and markings are also displayed on the parts. 1. Select Detail Sgl from the Nest Detail ribbon on the Nesting Detail tab. 2. The part notes and markings are displayed along with the detail notes of the nest.

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Nesting Detail

Detail All
Select to detail all nesting sheets. Detail All details the parts and the nest on all of the nesting task sheets. The nesting is surrounded by a detail border with general nesting information. Notes and markings are also displayed on the parts. 1. Select Detail All from the Nest Detail ribbon on the Nesting Detail tab. 2. The part notes and markings are displayed along with the detail notes of the nest for all layouts.

Clear The Clear function removes the detail information from the current nesting layout or all layouts of the nest. 1. Select Clear from the Nest Detail ribbon. A confirmation dialog is displayed. 2. Select Yes to clear the current nesting layout, select no to cancel clearing the layout, or select All to clear all of the layouts for the nest. All detail notes are cleared.

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Nesting Detail

Note Delete
Select to delete notes from the nesting layout. The Notes are deleted using single or window action selections. Selection Actions (See page 15) has additional information on the selection types. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select Note Delete from the Nest Detail ribbon. Left-click the note to delete. The selected note is highlighted. Right-click and the note is removed. Repeat as needed or select Esc to end the note delete function.

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Parts

Parts
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Part Mode (See page 369) Part NC (See page 386) Part Advance NC (See page 392) Punch - Part Mode (See page 398)

Part Mode
The Part Mode allows the user to update, import, export, and modify parts and their parameters. Auto Update Parts (See page 369) Auto Update All Parts (See page 370) Auto Update Current Part (See page 370) Save Current Part (See page 370) Print (See page 371) Edit Part (See page 371) Save All Parts (See page 381) Save Part (See page 381) View Part List (See page 382) Edit Geometry (See page 383) Part List (See page 384) Import (See page 385) Export (See page 385) Move Lead-in (See page 209) Edit Lead-in/out (See page 210) Special Lead-in/out (See page 212) Delete Lead-ins (See page 385) Set Fix Lead-ins (See page 386) Remove Fix Lead-ins (See page 386)

Auto Update Parts

Auto Update Parts is used to update parts on all nesting tasks and layouts, that have been changed. The function is toggled on or off. When the function is highlighted it is turned on. The parts that are modified on the Work-space are modified in the task associated with the Work-space. Update Auto Parts on: Select the Auto Update Parts icon and the icon is highlighted.

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Parts Update Auto Parts off:Select the highlighted Auto Update Parts icon and the icon is no longer highlighted.

Auto Update All Parts

Auto Update All Parts is used to update parts on all nesting tasks and layouts, that have been changed. 1. Select the Auto Update All Parts icon. 2. All parts that have been changed are updated on all nesting tasks and layouts in the Work-space.

Auto Update Current Part

Auto Update Current Part is used to update the current part in the parts Work-space on all nesting tasks and layouts. 1. Select the Auto Update Current Part icon from the Part Mode ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. The current part is updated on the nesting tasks and layouts.

Save Current Part

Save Current Part saves the current part, in the Work-space, to the specified default directory (e.g. C:\SNDATA\Parts\). This will over write the existing part file. Use the following options to save the part to a sub directory. Alias:Selecting Alias will save the part file name to a folder under the name designated for alias. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\Alias name). The alias folder can be given any path, (e.g.C:\Alias name). Customer: Selecting Customer will save the part file name to a folder with the customer name. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\Customer Name\). The customer name field has to be filled in the Part Parameters dialog window. Material: Selecting Material will save the part file name to a folder with the name of the type of material. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\MS\). MS represents mild steel. Material and Thickness: Selecting Material and Thickness will save the part file name under a folder with the name of the thickness and then under a folder with the name of the material type.

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Parts (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\MS\0_5000\). MS represents mild steel and 0_500 represents the material thickness. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving the changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

Print
Select Print to print single part information. Graphics Printer: Select to either print the part graphic only or both the graphic and part information. Select: Select to select the printer and setup the paper parameters. See Print Setup. Print Only Visible Image: Select to only print the part graphics. Print: Select to print the selected part report. Preview : Displays the selected reports and graphics. Close:Closes the part print dialog.

Edit Part
Select to open the Part Parameters dialogue and edit the part.

Part Data Tab

Part Parameters defines the part attributes. The part is displayed in the upper left corner. The contours are displayed in color to indicate internal and external contours. The part properties are displayed on the left side of the dialog, such as the area, weight, cutting length and cutting time for the part. Along with cutting time and the total cut length. The cutting time is dependent on the material type, thickness, and machine process. Part Name: The part name is the identification for the part throughout the system. Recall, edit and identify the part name in the nesting dialog. Save the part under this name. The part is also identified by this name in the Work Order list. Edit the part name prefix in the SNConfig program on the part defaults page. The Part Parameters dialog automatically increments the base name by one every time a new part is created. Specify the start increment number in the SNConfig program on the part defaults page.

Another name can be entered if needed, but be sure that it does not overwrite an existing part file when the part is saved.

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Parts The file extension name for part files is .PRS. If Save is chosen, the part is saved in the default part directory and a prompt appears, asking if the Work Order list should be updated. If a work order list does not already exist, one is created. There is also an auto save option in the SNConfig program on the part defaults page. If this is enabled, the part is saved and written to the Work Order list every time OK is chosen. Work Order No.: The work order number specifies the work order batch to which the part belongs. Once this information is typed in, it remains as the default setting until it is changed to the next work order number. If the work order number does not exist, a new work order is created, and the part is added to the work order. Select the ellipse (...) button next to the Work Order Number to display the Work Order Edit dialog. Dwg No.: The drawing number is the customer's drawing number, if one exists. Any name or number can be used. This information is not used in any other section of SigmaNEST. Rev No.: Specify the revision number, if the part undergoes revisions. This number is usually linked to the drawing number. Production Part: Select to define the part as a production part to help in tracking revisions. Material: The material type is selected from the material list. If the material type is new or needs to be edited, select the ellipse symbol to the right of the material drop down box. The Technology Setup dialog is displayed. Technology Set-up (See page 430) has additional information on adding new or editing materials. Thickness: Specify the thickness of the material. Customer: You can type in the customer name for reference purposes. Once this information is entered, it remains the default setting until it is changed to the next customer. The customer name is also displayed in the Work Order manager. Number To Nest: Enter the quantity of parts nested. Programmed By: This option records the creator of each part. When entered, this information remains the default setting until it is changed to the next programmer. Due Date: Specify the date the part is required. Do not Nest in Internal Contours: Check this box if parts are not to be nested inside internal contours. Filler Part: Check this box if this part is to be used as a filler part. Priority (1-255): The selected priority of the part is used by the nesting algorithm. In the Nesting Parameters, the Priority function of the nesting algorithm is enabled or disabled. If the priority function in the nesting algorithm is disabled, the selected parts are nested in an automatically determined sequence. If the Priority function in the nesting algorithm is enabled, the nesting algorithm overrides the part order selection to a certain degree and gives priority to the part priority number specified here. If the priority is set to one, the part has the highest priority. The greater the number, the lower the priority of the part to be nested. If two parts have the same priority, the nesting algorithm looks at the part order setting and makes a decision based on that setting. Setting the priorities of parts may affect how tightly parts are nested.

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Parts Part Data 1-14: These fields permit custom part information. Remark: Any additional information associated with the part.

Lead-in Tab The Lead-in/Out tab is used to define the parameters for the lead-in and lead-out for a specific part. The internal and external lead-ins and lead-outs are placed on the edge or center of the part contour. The dialog defines External/Internal Edge and Center Lead-ins/outs. See the following images.

Internal Same as External: Select to apply the external lead-in/lead-out parameters to the internal lead-in/out parameters. The internal parameters are disabled in the dialog. Center Same as Edge: Select to apply the lead-in and lead-outs the same as the edge lead-ins and lead-outs. The center lead-in and lead-out parameters are disabled in the dialog. Material Lookup : Select to have the program check for specific lead-in/out conditions. SigmaNEST looks in the technology table to determine the lead-in process based on the machine process. Lead-ins by Process: Select the type of lead-in and lead-out to use for a specific material, thickness, and machine process. It is also possible to specify a different lead-in and lead-out for internal and external contour cutting. Select the specific process by selecting from the list in the pull down menu. The file containing this lead-in and lead-out information is the *.LTB file located in the post directory. Process: Select the Process type from the drop down box. The Lead-ins by Process check box has to be selected for this parameter to be active. Set as Default: Select to set the Lead-in/out parameters as default settings. Save to Lead-in Table: Select to save the settings in the Lead-in Table. Set Lead-ins as Fixed : Select to set all lead-ins for the part as fixed lead-ins. SigmaNEST software will not move the lead-ins. The text label above this button displays the fixed lead-in state. Reset Fixed Lead-ins Select to set all lead-ins for the part to non-fixed lead-ins. SigmaNEST will move lead-ins as needed during the nesting procedure, according to part parameters. The text label above this button displays the fixed lead-in state. External/Internal Edge Lead-ins/outs: The External and Internal Edge Lead-ins/outs have the same parameter settings. Lead-in Position: The following image illustrates part positions for defining lead-in locations.

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Parts

Select a position on the part where the lead-in is placed. In the diagram above, each position is represented by the first letter of each word in the position description. For example, TL stands for Top Left. The part is shaped in such a way that each position is distinct. This is not always true. In a rectangular part, the Top Left and Left Top positions coincide, as do all the corner positions. The actual position of the lead-in is affected by the lead-in tolerance specified on the Defaults tab of the SigmaNEST Configuration dialog, under the Parts Default section. If the lead-in tolerance covers the area depicted by dimension 1 in the diagram above, then the Top Right and Right Top positions are distinct. If the lead-in tolerance covers the area depicted by dimension 2 in the diagram above, then the Top Right and Right Top positions logically coincide and a Top Right specification actually results in the lead-in being placed in the Right Top position, because the tolerance causes it to be included in the top and it is the right-most position. Another attribute on the Defaults tab of the SigmaNEST Configuration dialog affects middle lead-in positions. Because these are not commonly used, any middle specification, such as Bottom Middle is ignored unless Break entities when placing middle lead-in types is selected in the Part Defaults section of the Defaults tab in the configuration. If the middle specification is ignored, one of the end specifications is used instead. For example, if Bottom Middle is specified, then Bottom Left or Bottom Right is used instead. The following list defines the available lead-in positions. Top left (TL): Places the lead-in at the left of the topmost protrusion of the part. Top middle(TM): Places the lead-in at the middle of the topmost protrusion of the part. Top right(TR): Places the lead-in at the right of the topmost protrusion of the part. Left top(LT): Places the lead-in at the top of the left most protrusion of the part. Left middle(LM): Places the lead-in at the middle of the left-most protrusion of the part. Left bottom(LB): Places the lead-in at the bottom of the left-most protrusion of the part. Bottom left(BL): Places the lead-in at the left of the bottom-most protrusion of the part.

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Parts Bottom middle(BM): Places the lead-in at the middle of the bottom-most protrusion of the part. Bottom right(BR): Places the lead-in at the right of the bottom-most protrusion of the part. Right top(RT): Places the lead-in at the top of the right-most protrusion of the part. Right middle(RM): Places the lead-in at the middle of the right-most protrusion of the part. Right bottom(RB): Places the lead-in at the bottom of the right-most protrusion of the part. Longest: Attaches the lead-in to the longest entity within the part. Auto select: Places the lead-in at the best possible position. Gap Size: Enter the gap size, path distance, between the lead-in and lead-out. A negative gap size crosses over the lead-in position, creating overlap cutting. A positive gap size causes the lead-out to occur before the lead-in position. This can help to avoid an undercut "nick" in the part, as may occur with plasma cutters. The images below illustrate the gap parameter for a spherical part. The image on the left illustrates a negative gap, while the image on the right illustrates a positive gap.

Lead-in and Lead-out Types: External and Internal lead-ins/outs for edge and center contours are the same. Select a lead-in/out type from the drop down box. The parameters displayed depend on the lead-in type selected. None: Select for no lead-ins for the part. Line: Select to enable a line type lead-in for the part. Enter the length for the leadin. Line Angle: Select to enable a line with an angle lead-in type for the part. Enter the lead-in length and the angle of the lead-in. Arc: Select to enable an arc type lead-in for the part. Enter the arc radius and the angle the arc lead-in will occur. For the arc type lead-in, the lead-in angle value represents the sweeping angle of the arc. The arc lead-in always intersects the part at a tangent. The arc radius is specified as the lead-in length value. The lead-in angle is only accessed for the line angle or arc type lead-ins.

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Parts

Line Line: Select to enable an additional line type lead-in for the part. Two line lengths are provided for the lead-in. Line Angle Line: Select to enable an angled lead-in line with another angled line. The lead-in values are the length and angle of the lead-in and the length and angle of the second line. Line Arc: Select to enable a line with an arc type lead-in for the part. The values to enter are the lead-in radius and arc angle along with the line length and angle. Contour: Select to enable the lead-in to occur on the contour, for router type machines. Under Cut Lead-in: Select to undercut a round contour to fit other parts. Lead-in/Lead-out on Open Contour: Select to apply the lead-in and or lead-out to an open contour. Enter the Lead-in/out length1 and length2 values.

Part Cost Tab

Select Cost tab to display the Part Parameters Cost dialog. The Part Parameters Cost dialog displays part information along with the part cost. The top portion of the dialog contains information pertaining to the part itself. This includes part name, material thickness, material, net weight, net area, rectangular weight, rectangular area, part length and part width Net Area and Weight: The net weight and net area of the part is the weight and area of the part after it is cut. Rectangular Area and Weight: The rectangular weight and area of the part is obtained from calculating the weight and area of the smallest rectangle into which the part can fit. Dropouts are not taken into account. The rectangular weight and area is always greater or equal to the true weight and area. Part Length and Width: The part length and width is displayed from when the part was created. Selecting 1 results in the fastest cut. Selecting thee last option results in the highest quality cut, which results in a longer process time. Calculated Time: The calculated time is displayed and will change when you select the different machine types.

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Parts Default Cut Quality: Select from one of the following cut qualities: Fastest, Medium Fast, Normal, Better & Best. Machine: You can select the machine process from the process Pull-down Menu. If the process is changed, the costing parameters for the new process is automatically updated and the costing values change. To create or modify a process, refer to Machine (See page 411). Blank Frame: The Blank Frame allows the specification of a value for a margin placed around the part. This is used for compensating kerf loss around the part. For example, if a 10 x 10 part is cut, with a 0.05 kerf value, the actual material removed from the plate is 10.1 x 10.1. Cost Factor: The cost factor is a value of the net total cost of the part, in most cases it is 1. Cost Factor is used to adjust the calculated cost of the part. If the part is unusually easy to manufacture, the cost facter may be less than one to reduce the cost. Conversely, a part that is difficult to manufacture might have a cost factor greater than one to increase its cost. For example, to supply a part with a cost factor of 25 percent above the cost of the manufacture price, the cost factor would be 1.25. Customers can have their own cost factor. Once the cost factor changes, it remains the same until it is changed again. Select OK to save the cost factor value. Markup%: The Markup % field is used for quantity markups. Parts ordered by quantities can be designated with a lower markup value. For example, for 50 parts the markup value may be 5 %. For 100 parts the markup value may be 2.5 %, the higher the quantity the lower the markup value. Selecting the ellipse will display the Quote Item Detail dialog. Any quantity with markup values will be listed. To add, delete, or reload defaults right click in the dialog to display a selection box. Cutting Speed, Rapid Speed and Pierce Time: Each machine has a cutting technology table associated with it, where cutting speeds are defined. The cutting technology table is a text file with a .tec extension. The file is associated to the cutting machine by means of entries 400 to 407 in the PST file. The cutting speed, rapid speed, and pierce time, for a particular part, is given in seconds. These parameters are read from the technology files. See Technology Setup. Operating Cost: The operating cost is a factor that is process dependent and represents a value per cutting time. Operating cost consists of time, cutting length, number of pierces, or in punching the time to form the part. The true shape value is the cost of the actual material usage of the part based on its actual shape. The rectangular shape value is the cost of material used by the smallest bounding rectangle around the part. Process Costs (See page 435) parameters must be entered to display operating costs,.

For Punching machines you must auto tool and tool sort to display the operating cost of the part. However the accuracy depends on the nest. The tool movements and changes are different when the part or parts are nested. Material Cost: The material cost is specified as a monetary value per pound for imperial and per kilogram for metric. When a value is entered here two blue arrows appear here to either update the master material value or refresh or reset the value from the master material value. Other Costs: Other Costs applies additional costs to parts. Parts may undergo additional handling, bending, welding, or some other procedure to complete or handle the part.

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Parts Select the ellipse to open the Other Costs dialog. Select active next to the listed costing type to enable the costing type for the part. Depending on the type of cost, values may exist for changing. Click on the value to edit. When no costing types are listed, or a new costing type is needed. Other Costs (See page 436) has additional information on setting up or editing costing types.

Other Costs is enabled under Configuration on the Work-space tab, on the Default tab, under Part Defaults section, select Use Cost File. Part Unit Price: This is the total part cost. Shipping Cost: The cost of shipping the part.

Grain Tab
The Grain Tab contains the following options: Select Compatible Machines: Selecting the check box will activate the text box listing for other machine types to set the Grain parameters. Add Auto Text: This drop down list permits the addition of markings with values from the Part Data tab. Multiple attributes may be selected and their order adjusted with the up and down arrow buttons. To remove a previously selected attribute, select it and then the Text Size: Enter the auto text size. Text Property: Select the property of the text. The text is defined as a Marking or as a No Cut. Mirror: The mirror setting determines whether the automatic nester mirrors the part or not. If this function is enabled, the nesting algorithm executes the mirroring function when needed. If the function is disabled, the nesting algorithm does not mirror the part. A good reason for disabling mirroring is if the material being cut has a preferential side or a grain constraint. Grain Constraint: If the grain constraint is enabled, the part is only rotated 0 or 180 degrees during nesting. The following functions are not accessible if this is set to Use Grain. Angle: Set the angle either to incremental or absolute. This parameter controls the way the automatic nesting algorithm rotates the parts to get the best nest. If the angle is set to incremental, the part is incrementally rotated in order to find the best nest. If the angle is set to absolute, the part is rotated once for each angle in the Abs Angles field. Angle Increment: Enter the angle degree for an Increment angle. The smaller the increment angle, the longer the nesting algorithm takes. Abs Angles: The part is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction and is always nested in this orientation. Multiple angles are specified by separating them with commas. Common Cut Part: Select if the part is a common cut part. When selected the part will be nested along side other parts also defined for common cutting. button.

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Parts Small Part: Selecting Small Partprovides an option to include additional part clearance for nesting small part,s allowing parts more material for vacuum and decreasing the chance for moving. Small parts are identified by checking the small part option on the Part Parameters' Grain Tab (See page 378). Part clearance can be set in the Task Parameters dialogue under the Advanced Task Parameters (See page 179) tab. Corner Loops: Selecting one of the corner loops will activate the following Corner Loop Size and Min Corner Loop Angle parameters.

Corner Loop Size: Enter the corner loop size. Min Corner Loop Angle: Enter the minimum corner loop angle. Rotate 90: Select to rotate the part 90 degrees counter clockwise. This parameter is active if Grain Constraint is set to No Grain. Minimum Rectangle: Select to minimize the rectangular area around the part. This parameter is active if Grain Constraint is set to No Grain. Mirror: Select to change the position of the part as a mirror of the original position. Save: Select to save the grain tab parameters. Print: Select to open the print dialog for printing the part quote, report, or detail. Cancel: Select to close the grain parameters dialog not saving any changes. OK: Select to close and save all changes made to the grain parameters.

Tracking Tab
The Tracking tab tracks parts in Work-spaces, Nests, and Static Nests. New parts can automatically be set to be tracked in the configuration dialog. Track this part: Select to automatically track a selected part for tracking in Work Orders, Nests, and Static Nests. Once the Work-space or nest is saved the part is archived to the appropriate listing.. Workspaces Computer Name : Displays the name of the computer File Name: Displays the file name. Up-To-Date : Specifies if the part is an up-to-date revision Browsable by this Computer :Specifies if the part is tracked across networks. Nests Program Name: Displays the name of the program

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Parts Computer Name: Displays the name of the computer File Name: Displays the file name. Up-To-Date: Indicates if the part is the latest revision, and has the latest changes applied to it. Browsable by this Computer: Specifies if the part is tracked across networks. Statics tab Static Nest: Displays the name of the Static Nest. Static Nest Type: Displays the type of nest; a single nest, kit (multiple sheets), or pr-nest (group of nested parts) type. File Name: Displays the name of the file from which part was created . Material: Displays the material. Thickness: Displays the thickness of the material. Length: Displays the length of the material. Width: Displays the width of the material. Quantity: Displays the quantity of the material. Number of Heads: Specify the number of torches that are used for the machine process. Head Spacing : Select the desired torch spacing, enabled when Manual torch setting is selected. If the Torch Spacing is set to Sheet, the system calculates the torch spacing, taking into account the number of torches and sheet width. Machine: Displays the machine. Up-To-Date: Indicates if the part is the latest revision, and has the latest changes applied to it.

Edit (Part Parameters dialogue)

Selecting Edit opens the Part 2 dialog, which contains two tabs, Part Mode and Part Mode Detail, and Quick Access Toolbar (See page 10). Part Mode Tab Part Mode (See page 369) Part NC (See page 386) Part Advance NC (See page 392) Punch - Part Mode (See page 398)

Part Mode Detail Tab Detail (Part Mode) (See page 401)

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Parts Geometry (See page 84) Edit (Part Mode) (See page 402) Detail (See page 140) X-Form (Work-space) (See page 153) Verify (CAD) (See page 165)

Save All Parts

Save All Parts saves all part file names associated with the Work-space, to a specified default directory (e.g. C:\SNDATA\Parts\). Save All Parts will over write their existing part files. Use the following options to save the part to a sub directory. Alias: Selecting Alias will save the part file name to a folder under the name designated for alias. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\Alias name). The alias folder can be given any path, (e.g.C:\Alias name). Customer: Selecting Customer will save the part file name to a folder with the customer name. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\Customer Name\). The customer name field has to be filled in the Part Parameters dialog window. Material: Selecting Material will save the part file name to a folder with the name of the type of material. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\MS\). MS represents mild steel. Material and Thickness: Selecting Material and Thickness will save the part file name under a folder with the name of the thickness and then under a folder with the name of the material type. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\MS\0_5000\). MS represents mild steel and 0_500 represents the material thickness. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving the changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

Save Part
Save Part saves the part to a new file name associated with the Work-space, to a specified default directory (e.g. C:\SNDATA\Parts\). Save Part As will over write their existing part files. Use the following options to save the part to a sub directory. Alias: Selecting Alias will save the part file name to a folder under the name designated for alias. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\Alias name). The alias folder can be given any path, (e.g.C:\Alias name). - 381 -

Parts Customer: Selecting Customer will save the part file name to a folder with the customer name. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\Customer Name\). The customer name field has to be filled in the Part Parameters dialog window. Material: Selecting Material will save the part file name to a folder with the name of the type of material. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\MS\). MS represents mild steel. Material and Thickness: Selecting Material and Thickness will save the part file name under a folder with the name of the thickness and then under a folder with the name of the material type. (e.g.C:\SNDATA\Parts\MS\0_5000\). MS represents mild steel and 0_500 represents the material thickness. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving the changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

View Part List

The Parts List displays a listing of the parts from the Parts folder where SigmaNEST is installed. The default parts directory is changed in the configuration program see Configuration for information on changing the default directory. The directory where the listed parts are stored is displayed at the top of the dialog. To change the directory select the Browse or Alias navigation tabs on the right side of the dialog. Some customers use alias names to store parts. Select a folder from the directory listing above the Alias and Browse tabs and the parts are listed in the dialog. The list box contains a list of all the parts in the current directory. The graphics box at the top right corner, is a graphical representation of the selected part. The X-Y values are the selected part's outer dimensions. Search: Search is used to filter a smaller group of parts to display in the listing. For example, enter a thickness and customer name in the text boxes and select OK. The parts are listed with the entered customer and thickness. Search is also used to simplify a search for specific parts. The following search parameters are used for filtering the parts list. Part Name: The name of the part. Material: The material type of the part. Thickness: The thickness of the material type of the part. Programmed By: The author of the file. Customer: The name of the customer. Drawing No.: The drawing number of the part.

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Parts Revision No.: The revision value of the part. Remark: A text remark specific to the part or parts. Search in: Search in all aliases or the current parts list. Cancel: Select to close the Search dialog and cancel the search. OK: Select OK to close the dialog using the search parameters. Delete: Select to delete the part or parts from the listing. A confirmation message is displayed. Select OK to remove the parts from the list or select cancel to cancel the delete action. Tag : The Tag function allows the user to quickly select parts with common attributes. For example, to select all the parts starting with a P in the part name and with a thickness of 12, type in p* in the part name edit box, and 12 in the thickness edit box. Select OK and the parts are selected that meet the criteria entered. Select OK again to load the parts to the Work-space. Edit: Select Edit to display the Part Parameters dialog. See Part Parameters for a description of the part parameters.

To make work order quantity changes use the work order function, do not make quantity changes here in the parts list. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without loading the parts to the Work-space. OK: Select to close the dialog and load the selected parts to the Work-space.

Edit Geometry
Edit Geometry is used to change the part geometry for the current part. The Edit Geometry dialog, which resembles the CAD tab is displayed along with the geometry of the selected part. The Contour Attributes (See page 25) are available to define the part contours. The following ribbons are available for editing part geometry: Files (See page 383) Geometry (See page 84) Edit (See page 125) Detail (See page 140) X-Form (Work-space) (See page 153) Verify (CAD) (See page 165)

Files

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Parts The Files ribbon contains actions for handling rebuilding the part in edit geometry or importing the part from an external file and include the following:

Close: Selecting Close to close the Edit Geometry dialogue. A confirmation message displays with the following options for rebuilding the part or canceling the action. Yes: Select to rebuild the part and save it to the library. No :Select not have the part rebuilt with the changes. Cancel: Select to cancel rebuilding of the part.

File Import: Edit Geometry allows the user to import files that contain the modified geometry for the current part. Select from the following file types from the drop down arrow. CDL: CadKey files with lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, and text. DXF : A Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) file is an ASCII or binary file format of a drawing. DWG : DWG is an AutoCAD drawing format. IGES: International Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) is an ANSI-standard format for the digital representation and exchange of information between CAD/CAM systems. NC : Numerical Control (NC) files. Word address and ESSI are supported. HPGL: Hewlett Packard Graphic Language files. Pattern: Pattern files contain a subset of a Work-space file (.WS file). A pattern file is used to transfer information from one Work-space to another in geometric form.

Part List
Selecting Part List displays a listing of the parts on the Work-space. The parts are viewed as a list or a table. Hover over the parts on the table tab to display the part names at the bottom of the dialog. The column listing can be edited to display preferred column information on the List tab. Double-click a part in the list or the table to load to the Work-space the part for editing. The part can be edited. Edit Multiple Parts: Select to edit multiple parts selected from the table or list. Delete: Select to delete a part from the current Work-space listing. The parts List dialog is displayed. Print: Select to print Part Reports on the current parts on the Work-space. The Part List Reports dialog is displayed. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without loading the parts to the Work-space.

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Parts OK: Select to close the dialog loading the selected parts.

Import
Edit Geometry allows the user to import files that contain the modified geometry for the current part. Select from the following file types from the drop down arrow. CDL: CadKey files with lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, and text. DXF : A Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) file is an ASCII or binary file format of a drawing. DWG : DWG is an AutoCAD drawing format. IGES: International Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) is an ANSI-standard format for the digital representation and exchange of information between CAD/CAM systems. NC : Numerical Control (NC) files. Word address and ESSI are supported. HPGL: Hewlett Packard Graphic Language files. Pattern: Pattern files contain a subset of a Work-space file (.WS file). A pattern file is used to transfer information from one Work-space to another in geometric form.

Export
Select to export the part file as a CDL or DXF file. The Save As dialog is displayed. navigate to the folder to export the file to and enter the file name and select Save to save the file or Cancel to cancel the action. CDL: CadKey files with lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, and text. DXF : A Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) file is an ASCII or binary file format of a drawing.

Delete Lead-ins
Select to delete special lead-ins on the part. The single and window select actions are available to remove the special lead-ins.

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Parts 1. Select Delete Lead-in from the Part Mode ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the special lead-in on the part to remove. The lead-in becomes highlighted. 3. Right-click on the workspace and the special lead-in is removed. The delete lead-in action is ended.

Set Fix Lead-ins

Select to define the lead-ins as fixed. The parts will be nested according to the fixed lead-ins. The single and window select actions are available for selecting the fixed lead-ins. 1. Select Set Fix Lead-ins from the Part Mode ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the special lead-in on the part to set. The lead-in becomes highlighted. 3. Right-click on the workspace and the special lead-in is fixed.

Remove Fix Lead-ins

Select to define the fixed lead-ins as no longer fixed. The single and window select actions are available for selecting the fixed lead-ins. Each lead-in is highlighted as they are selected. 1. Select Remove Fix Lead-ins from the Part Mode ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the special lead-in on the part to remove. The lead-in becomes highlighted. 3. Right-click on the workspace and the special lead-in is removed.

Part NC
The Part Mode NC contains functions for generating or editing NC tool paths for a given part. Auto NC (See page 387) NC by Contour (See page 388) NC by Profile (See page 243) Manual Pocket (See page 388) Post Single Sheet (See page 252) Editor (See page 254) Toggle Flame (See page 298) Move Point (See page 299)

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Parts

Modify Values (See page 391) Center Punch (See page 389) Part Mode Set-up (See page 389) Clear NC (See page 392) NC Delete (See page 250) Back Contour (See page 252) NC Back 1 (See page 251)

Move Insert (See page 298) NC Fillet Corners (See page 265) Reorder (See page 300) Auto Tab (See page 266) Manual Tab (See page 269) Delete Single Tab (See page 270)

Auto NC
The Auto NC for parts function allows the user to modify the NC path for the current part. A dialog is displayed for setting parameters for avoiding parts that have been cut around the current part.

Auto NC for parts does not change an already generated NC path on the nesting. In order to obtain a completely new, automatically generated NC for the nesting, first remove all NC paths. Then Auto NC the nesting to apply the new part NC. Auto NC for parts can be specified for some of the contours and permits the rest of the part NC to be applied automatically. Part Avoidance can be applied to the current part and can result in minor modifications being made, see Tip Up Avoidance below. Multiple Machine NC Code: Multiple machine NC code applies to automatic dynamic tooling for punching only. Select to tool the part for more than one type of machine. The NC code, of all machine types, for the tooled part is saved with the part. Selecting multiple machine NC code will use the NC code associated with the machine type selected. Machine: Displays the machine type. The machine type can be selected from the drop down box. Post: Displays the Post file for the machine process. Cutting Order: The Cutting Order for a part defines how the inside contours of the part will be cut. Select from one of the following parameters to define the cutting order of the part. No Change: Select to not change the Auto NC path defined by SigmaNEST by the Auto Nesting NC function. Left to Right: Select to cut the inside contours from the left side of the part to the right side of the part.

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Parts Top Down: Select to cut the inside contours from the top of the part down to the bottom. Big to Small: Select to cut the larger inside contours first and then the smaller inside contours. Small to Big : Select to cut the smaller inside contours first and then the larger inside contours. Min Move 1: Select to minimize cutting time. The smallest part width is used as the path zone width to zigzag from left to right across the sheet. The results is more up and down head movements. Min Move 2: Select to produce less up and down head movement. The path zone width is the widest part width. The result is more horizontal head movement. Tip Up Avoidance: Select to enable the cutting head to avoid cut parts. Select the ellipse icon to display and setup the Part Avoidance settings. Auto Punch: Select to enable the contours, with punching NC for combination type machines, to be cut with defined punch tools. Auto Drill: Select to enable the contours, with drilling NC for combination type machines, to be drilled with defined drilling tools. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes to the dialog. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes to the dialog.

NC by Contour
NC by Contour can be used to manually select contours to be cut in the order they are selected. 1. Select the By Contour icon on the Part Mode NC ribbon, on the Parts tab. 2. Select the contours in the order to cut. The contours are highlighted as they are selected. 3. Right-click or select Esc to end the contour function. 4. Save the Current part changes to the Work-space or the part file. Verify the NC path with the simulation function.

Manual Pocket

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Parts Manual Pocket is used to set up several concentric passes to remove material from inside contours by router type machines. 1. Select the Manual Pocket icon on the Part Mode NC ribbon, on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the contour and right-click to display the Pocket Process dialog. 3. Enter the pocket process parameters.

Center Punch
Select to define a center punch point on the part. The center punch point is identified before any cut path is generated. 1. Select The Center Punch function icon from the NC Part Mode ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click a position on the part for the center punch. 3. Select Esc to end the function.

Part Mode Set-up

Parts NC setup allows the user to setup process, feed rate, and kerf parameters for the parts. The Turret Management parameters are enabled for punch machines. Machine: Select the machine type from the drop down box before tooling the part. If the tool is to be tooled for different machines select each machine and then tool the part for each machine type. Then enable the above Multiple Machine NC Code function. Process: Select the process used before tooling the part. Post: Displays the post file for current post selected. Cutting Zone X: Displays the cutting zone for the X (width) dimension Cutting Zone Y: Displays the cutting zone for the Y (length) dimension Turret Management (For Punch Machines): Turret management is displayed for router and punch type machines with turrets. Combine With Floor Turret: This parameter applies to the tooling of this one part only. Use Global Tools: Select Use Global Tools allows SigmaNEST to automatically place any required tools that are in the tool manager in the turret. Not selecting Use Global Tools only the tools in the specified turret are used. If a required tool is not in the turret, tooling fails. Check Die: Select check die to have a tool with a corresponding die be placed in the turret. When it is not selected, this check is not performed. Lock Base Tools: Tools in the base turret are not exchanged or replaced when selected. - 389 -

Parts Look-Up Base Turret: Selecting Look Up Base Turret assigns a specific base turret according to the material and thickness of the part. Base Turret: Select the base turret from the drop down list, for the Look-Up Base Turret parameter.

The lower half of the NC Setup dialog pertaining to Kerf is not relevant to punching processes. Kerf In: The Kerf In option provides the choice of having the kerf calculated by SigmaNEST (Computer) or by the machine control (Control). Kerf offset calculation takes considerable time on some older controls. In this case, kerf calculation by SigmaNEST is more efficient; however, the kerf offset is not changed on the machine. The kerf calculated by SigmaNEST is the radius and typically the kerf in control is the diameter. Computer: Select Computer and the kerf is calculated by SigmaNEST. The kerf calculated by SigmaNEST is the radius. Control: Select control and the kerf is calculated as the diameter. Kerf by Process: When the computer option is selected Kerf by Process is active. Select Kerf by process to enable the kerf value to be determined by the process parameter in technology setup. Kerf Radius: In cases where SigmaNEST calculates the kerf, the kerf value is specified in the Kerf edit field. The kerf that is used in SigmaNEST is defined as the tool radius. See the following figure represents the tool head, in which, A=Kerf Value (radius), and B= Cutter Diameter.

The default kerf value is read from the technology file for the machine selected. Kerf Lookup : When Control is selected at the Kerf In option, selecting Kerf Lookup enables the program to look up the kerf parameter from the technology table information. A table displays the process with kerf radius value. Kerf Diameter: This shows the kerf diameter, calculated from the kerf radius. Set the kerf diameter in this box, and the kerf radius box shows the update.

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Parts Feed Rate Type:This sets the default feed rate value. The feed rate type option allows specification of how the NC feed rate is calculated. The machine feed rate can be applied from within SigmaNEST. The options are: Thickness: The NC feed rate value is calculated by using the material type and thickness parameters from the lookup table. The lookup table is the technology file of the machine selected. Manual: The NC feed rate is kept at the user specified value until it is changed. When the manual feed rate option is selected, the feed rate value is entered in the Feed rate box. Feed Rate: Displays th e feed rate of the process selected. When Manual Feed Rate type is selected enter the desired value. Apply To All: Apply turret management to all parts in the Work-space. Cancel: Closes the NC Setup dialog not saving any changes. OK: Closes the NC Setup dialog saving any changes.

Modify Values
The NC values for the part contours can be manually changed. Once the contour is selected a feed rate dialog is displayed. 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the Modify NC Values from the Part Mode NC ribbon on the Parts tab. Left-click the contour to edit. The contour is highlighted and displays the feed rate dialog. Enter the new feed rate to use and select OK. The change is accepted and the dialog closes. Save the current part to save the change to the part file or select update current part to apply the change to the part only in the current NC task.

Feed Rate: Enter the feed rate for the contour to adjust the quality of the contour cut.

These options are only active after generating the NC paths for the current part.

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Parts

Clear NC
Select to remove the NC path of the part on the Work-space. 1. With the part on the Work-space select Clear NC from the Part Mode NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. The NC path is removed from the part on the Work-space only.

Part Advance NC
The Part Mode Adv NC ribbon is used to modify part contours. Tabbing, bevels, corner loops, quality, and adding certain processes are some of the Advanced NC functions. The Advanced NC functions are saved for the current Work-space. Select Update Parts to save the modification to the part in the part library. Auto Tab Add Tab (See page 393) Delete Single Tab (See page 393) Delete All Tabs (See page 393) Show Tabs (See page 393) Fixed Bevel (See page 278) Variable Bevel (See page 282) Edit Same Bevel (See page 287) Delete Bevels (See page 288) Move Bevel Attribute (See page 288) Apply Bevel Sequence (See page 290) Quality (See page 206) Set Depth (See page 396) Clear Depth (See page 397) Verify Depth (See page 397) Change Process (See page 398) Verify Process (See page 398) Add Router Process (See page 393) Edit Router Process (See page 394) Delete Router Process (See page 395) Far/Near Side (See page 395) Corner Loops (See page 293) Set Cut Direction (See page 396) Waterjet - Feed Rate Calculator (See page 242) Reorder (See page 300)

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Parts

Edit Same Depth Contours (See page 397)

Apply To Same (See page 292)

Add Tab
Select to add tabs to the part defined in the tab settings dialog, under the auto tab function. 1. Select Add Tabs from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Use the Position Actions (See page 18) to place the tabs on the part contour. The tabs were placed, in the below right image, using the cursor action. Left-click the contour positions and the tabs are displayed with the addition symbol. 3. Select Esc to end the function.

Delete Single Tab

Select to remove tabs on part contours. 1. Select the Delete Single Tab icon. 2. Left-click the tab on the part contour and the tab is removed.

Delete All Tabs

Select to remove all of the tabs on a part.

Show Tabs
Select Show Tabs to display the pre tabs on the part's contour.

Add Router Process

Select to define a router process on the part contour.

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Parts 1. Select The Router Process function icon from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click a contour on the part for the router process and right-click. The Router dialog is displayed. 3. Select the router parameters and select OK. The contour is displayed with a router callouts (below image).

The router process dialog displays images of the available routing types. The following images are an illustration. The routing types displayed may be different according to the machine type and tools.

Process: Select the process from the drop down box. The processes available are defined from the post file. Can be processed after main process: Select to have the router process occur after the main cutting process. Cancel: Select to close the router dialog without saving changes. OK: Select to close the router dialog saving all changes.

Edit Router Process

Select to edit a router process on the part contour. 1. Select The Edit Router Process function icon from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the contour on the part with the router process and right-click. The Router dialog is displayed. 3. Change the router parameters and select OK. The contour is displayed with a new router callouts (below image).

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Parts The router process dialog displays images of the available routing types. The following images are an illustration. The routing types displayed may be different according to the machine type and tools.

Process: Select the process from the drop down box. The processes available are defined from the post file. Can be processed after main process: Select to have the router process occur after the main cutting process. Cancel: Select to close the router dialog without saving changes. OK: Select to close the router dialog saving all changes.

Delete Router Process

Select to remove a router process on the part contour. The router process is removed for the current Work-space only. To apply the router process removal to the part select Save Current Part. 1. Select The Delete Router Process function icon from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the contour with the router process and right-mouse click. The router process is removed.

Far/Near Side
Far/Near Side function defines the part contour as a near (top) side or as a far (bottom side). 1. Select the Far/Near Side function from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the contour and the contour is highlighted.

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Parts 3. Right-click and the Far/Near Side dialog is displayed. 4. Select the side to apply to the part. 5. Select Esc to end the function and use Save Current Part to save the change.

Set Cut Direction

Set Cut Directions can change the direction in which a selected part is cut. Select one of the direction options below, then click on a contour of the selected part to set the new direction.

Reverse Clockwise

Counterclockwise Reverse kerf

Set Depth
The Set Depth parameter is used for router and drill type machines to set contour depths. The value is the remaining depth value of the material thickness. 1. Select the Set Depth function from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the contour and the contour is highlighted. 3. Right-click to display the New depth dialog and enter the remaining thickness value. 4. Select OK and the dialog is closed saving the depth value. Select Esc to end the function. 5. Save the depth value using Update Current Part. Thickness: Displays the thickness of the part material. Remaining Thickness: The Remaining Thickness is the thickness of the contour after the machine process. Full Depth (Z=0.000):Select the text and enter the value for the remaining thickness to be applied to the contour. The value entered will be used and added to the drop down listing. Half Depth: Select to apply the contour to be half of the thickness of the material. The value is half the material thickness and is added to the drop down listing. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving the changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving the changes.

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Parts

Edit Same Depth Contours

The Edit Same Depth Contours parameter is used for router and drill type machines to set contour depths. The value is the remaining depth value of the material thickness. Edit same is the same as the Set Depth function except it changes the depth value of all similar contours. Thickness: Displays the thickness of the part material. Remaining Thickness: The Remaining Thickness is the thickness of the contour after the machine process. Full Depth (Z=0.000): Select the text and enter the value for the remaining thickness to be applied to the contour. The value entered will be used and added to the drop down listing. Half Depth: Select to apply the contour to be half of the thickness of the material. The value is half the material thickness and is added to the drop down listing. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving the changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving the changes.

Clear Depth
The Clear Depth parameter is used for router and drill type machines to clear contour depths. 1. Select the Clear Depth function from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. A confirmation dialog is displayed. Select Yes to remove the depth value for the contour.

Verify Depth
The Verify Depth parameter is used for router and drill type machines to verify contour depths. 1. Select the Verify Depth function from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the contour and the contour is highlighted. 3. The depth value of the contour is displayed at the bottom of the workspace.

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Parts

Change Process
The Change Process function is used to define the different cutting processes to use on a given part. For example: The distinction between using hi-definition plasma on a part's small holes and standard plasma on the exterior can be made here. 1. Select the Change Process function from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the contour to change the process and the contour is highlighted. 3. Right-click and the Process dialog is displayed. 4. Select the process from the drop down box and select OK. Depending on the machine type the process options may vary. 5. Select Esc to end the function and use Save Current Part to save the change.

Verify Process
The Verify Process function is used to verify the contour cutting process. 1. Select the Verify Process function from the Part Adv NC ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click the contour to verify and the contour is highlighted. 3. The process of the selected contour is displayed at the bottom of the workspace.

Punch - Part Mode

The Punching functions are displayed when a punching machine is defined in the configuration. Old New Copy Punch (See page 400) Old New Move Punch (See page 400) Auto Drill Manual Drill

Auto Tool (See page 319)

Tool Manager (See page 320) Punch Parameters (See page 329) Punch Setup (See page 329)

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Parts

Check for Floating Scrap Single Punch (See page 346) Nibble Entity (See page 346) Punch Point to Point (See page 348) Punch Slots & Holes (See page 350) Destruct (See page 351) Apply to Same (See page 352) Mirror Punch NC - Horizontal (See page 399) Mirror Punch NC - Vertical (See page 399)

Part Mode Set-up (See page 389) Part Mode Set-up (See page 389) Add Drill Parameter (See page 360) Delete Drill (See page 360) Add Tab (See page 357) Delete Drill (See page 360) Display Tab Points (See page 357) Edit Punch (See page 358) Punch Explode (See page 359)

Mirror Punch NC - Vertical

Copy Punch NC Vertical allows the user to select NC contours and copy the selected NC around the vertical axis. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select Copy Punch NC Vertical from the Part Punch ribbon on the Parts tab. Window around and left-click the NC contours to copy. Right-click and select a position action to place the selected NC copy and left-click. The selected NC is copied to the new position. Select Esc to end the function.

Mirror Punch NC - Horizontal

Copy Punch NC Horizontal allows the user to select NC contours and copy the selected NC around the horizontal axis. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Select Copy Punch NC Horizontal from the Part Punch ribbon on the Parts tab. Window around and left-click the NC contours to copy. Right-click and select a position action to place the selected NC copy and left-click. The selected NC is copied to the new position. Select Esc to end the function.

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Parts

Old New Copy Punch

The Old New Copy Punch function is used to copy the NC Punch code to selected entity or entities. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the old new copy. 1. Select Old New Copy Punch NC from the Part Punch ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Window around and left-click the NC entities to copy. 3. Right-click and select a position action to place the selected NC copy and left-click. 4. The NC is copied to the new position. 5. Select Esc to end the function.

Old New Move Punch

The Old New Move Punch function is used to move the NC Punch code from the original location to a new location. The selected base point of the selected entities is used as the point of placement. The Selection Actions are available for selecting the entity or entities for the Old New Move function. 1. Select Old New Move Punch from the Parts Punch ribbon on the Parts tab. 2. Left-click and window around the Punch entity(ies). 3. Right-click on the workspace to advance to the next action of the Old New Move Punch function. 4. Left-click a base position of the selected entity(ies). 5. Left-click the new base position for placing the selected NC. The selected NC Punch code is moved. 6. Select Esc to end the function.

Drill Tolerance
Drill Tolerance Minimum/maximum:Enter a min and max tolerance for the tool to be used. For example, a particular part has four holes with a .25 diameter.The tool library does not include a 25 tool drill, but does have a .2656 diameter drill. If the tolerance is set to +.005 -.005, no drill be selected. If the tolerance is set to +.01 -.005, SigmaNEST will select the .2656 tool to drill the .2500 hole. Countersink Angle Tolerance: Enter an angle tolerance for the countersink. The counter sink angle is measured as illustrated in the following diagram.

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Part Detail

Part Detail
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Detail (Part Mode) (See page 401) Geometry (See page 84) Edit (Part Mode) (See page 402) Detail (See page 140) X-Form (Work-space) (See page 153) Verify (CAD) (See page 165)

Detail (Part Mode)

The Detail (Part Mode) ribbon contains functions to apply, edit, create, and verify part details.

Print (See page 429) Detail Part (See page 401) Remove Part Detail (See page 402) Auto Part Dimension (See page 402)

Detail Part
Part Detail displays a detail border around the part. Used to printout hard copies of parts and the part details. 1. Select Detail Part from the Part Detail ribbon on the Part Detail tab. 2. A part detail border with part information is displayed.

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Part Detail

Remove Part Detail

Remove Part Detail removes the detail border around the part. 1. Select Remove Detail Part from the Part Detail ribbon on the Part Detail tab. 2. The part detail border with part information is removed.

Auto Part Dimension

Auto Part Dimension displays the part dimensions. 1. Select Auto Part Dimension from the Part Detail ribbon on the Part Detail tab. 2. The part dimensions are displayed.

Edit (Part Mode)

The Edit ribbon contains functions for editing existing geometries, parts, nests, or sheets. Delete (See page 125) Recall All (See page 127) Recall Last (See page 127) Undo (See page 128) Geometry Filter (See page 128) Trim (See page 131) Break (See page 135) Attributes (See page 137) - 402 -

Tools & Help

Tools & Help

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Config (See page 403) Reload Config (See page 428) Plug In Manager (See page 428) Application Manager (See page 429) Register COM Server (See page 429) Print (See page 429) Plot (See page 365) Text Editor (See page 429) Technology Set-up (See page 430) SQL Server (See page 451) User Set-up (See page 451) Digitizer (See page 452) File Manager (See page 452) Register COM Server (See page 429) Pack and Send (See page 453) Help (See page 453)

Config
SigmaNEST's Configuration dialog is grouped by the following tabs. The parameters enable SigmaNEST to run according to user preferences.
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System (See page 404) System 2 (See page 406) Printer (See page 408) Paths (See page 409) Machine (See page 411) General (See page 416) 3D Import (See page 416) eReports (See page 424) Defaults (See page 424) Database (See page 426) Prompt (See page 427) Tracking/ Revision (See page 428)

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Tools & Help

System
The System tab displays SigmaNEST program parameters. The parameters set up the Work-space color and display along with basic part properties. Language: Select the language from the drop-down menu for the program. Restart SigmaNEST to enable the language change Note Height: Note Height defines the default size of font when using dimension functions. Font heights are usually between 8 (small) and 72 (large). Units: Select from Metric (mm) or Imperial (in) units. The part and sheet dimensions throughout the program are referenced to the type of units selected. Aspect Ratio : The aspect ratio is used to set the width of the characters in relation to text height. For example, if the height of a character is one, and the ratio is 0.75, then the character width is 0.75. If the character height is two and the ratio is 0.75, then the character width is 1.5. Editor: Enter the path to an editor program or select the ellipse next to the editor text window to browse to an editor. Note Gap : The note gap is the distance between the characters in the notes. The note gap is usually smaller than one, but greater than zero. File Manager: SigmaNEST uses the Explorer file manager available in the Windows environment, or select the ellipse next to the File Manager text box to navigate to another file manager application. Arrows: The detail dimension function uses arrows to show the dimensions of entities. The arrow direction can be set to pointing inward or outward. Communication Program: Select the Direct Numerical Control (DNC) program for transferring CNC programs from the computer to the cutting machine control. The default path points to SHOPCOMMII.EXE. Select the ellipse next to the communication program text box to navigate to the required DNC program. Digits for Dimension: Set the number of decimal places for numerical detail dimensions. Chaining Tolerance: Enter a chaining value for filling in gaps between chain selected entities. Chaining is a selection method that allows the programmer to select multiple entities in a single "Chain". If the programmer wants to select multiple entities in a series, the first entity may end before the next entity begins, thus creating a gap between the first entity's end point and the next entity's start point. This gap ends the Chain option's ability to continue to the next entity, unless the Chaining tolerance is set high enough to "bridge" this gap. Scale: The scale is the default scale when SigmaNEST is set up for metric or imperial units. This scale parameter is for display purposes only. Parts are always created on a scale of 1:1. Weld Gap : When creating a closed contour from geometry, that consists of lines and arcs with small gaps between their end points, SigmaNEST automatically closes these gaps or fixes overlaps, if the gaps are smaller than this weld gap parameter. For example, when creating a part, if SigmaNEST gives the message Open Contours, this parameter may need to be slightly increased. SigmaNEST Font: Select from one of the following font style types for etching text.

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Tools & Help Geometry Error: This is the value that SigmaNEST uses to determine if two entity end points are close enough to each other to indicate the entities are continuous. This value would be relevant to the size of the geometry when using large parts. Example:
l l

Large entity - 1.01 inches or 1.1 millimeters Small entity - (scanned artwork) 0.0001 inches or 0.001millimeters

Be sure there is a relevant geometry error value. This influences the geometry interpolation results obtained from SigmaNEST. Skin: Select a skin type to set the graphic style of tool bars and window borders. Min Offset length: If the length of the entity is smaller than this parameter, SigmaNEST will remove this entity and connect the adjacent endpoints when offset geometry. Show Ribbon Icons Show all icons: Shows All Icons regardless of type of machines loaded All available icons: Shows Icons for all machines listed in the configuration machine list Active machine only: Shows Icons for the active machine only. Number of Digits Select the number of digits to use for detailing numeric values. The above digits for dimensions defines the decimal place of the group of digits. Default Color: Select a color to define the entities. The default outer entity color for SigmaNEST is green. Color Scheme: Select from the Work-space background color from the drop down list. Font: Select the Font button to display the Font dialog. Select from the font type, style, and size. A sample of the font is displayed in the samlpe window. The font type is used in the program dialog and display windows. Part\Sheet Default Fill Color: Select from the drop down list the color pattern for the parts and sheet. Use Generic OpenGL Implementation: (Select to have generic OpenGL functions handle graphic rendering. Some modern graphic cards may have additional features. The features are enabled by new OpenGL functions that become available. OpenGL is a standard specification for producing computer graphics. Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

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Tools & Help

System 2
System2 dialog is a continuation of the general settings from the System dialog. Part Direction: The cutting direction for the part can be set to clockwise or counter-clockwise. Part direction is a very important setting. This parameter determines the cutting direction for outside contours. Set this parameter according to the machine specifications. Whenever a program is automatically created and the direction is set to clockwise, the outside contours are cut clockwise and the inside contours are cut counter-clockwise. Lock WS Files: Locks the Work-space files to prevent changes. Offset Type: Select from the following offset options. Arcs around all corners: Smoothes or rounds the corner where two lines meet. No arcs between two lines: Retains the original specifications. Round sharp corners: Rounds any sharp corners. Auto Save Parts: Select to save parts to the parts library. Merge Collinear Entities: When several entities are co-linear, the system can merge the entities and create one line or the system can leave the entities separate. When beveling, it may be necessary to bevel only a section of the co-linear entities, so this feature should then be set to No . This permits beveling a section of the line instead of the entire line. Set the feature to Yes to merge colinear entities. Auto Post Parts: Select to automatically post the part to the post processor. The NC code is generated and added to the post process file. Cutter Diameter: Enter a cut head diameter to be displayed during NC simulation. The cutter diameter does not have any affect on tool offset or kerf. Parts with pre-programmed NC code have fixed lead-ins: Select to retain the fixed lead-in lines once the part is pre-programmed in Part Mode. When using subprograms, creating one subprogram for one part at different rotations reduces the amount of subprograms. The system overrides the pre-programmed part with the NC code when not selected, allowing the software to determine the placement of the lead-in lines. NC Command Display Size: Enter the size of the square that defines the start position, sized according to the size of the sheet. This identifies the start position for cutting, cropping, and the punch point NC path. Export Nesting Results to a text file: This creates a RTF file, which is stored in the NC directory. Export Nest as a XML file: Creates a XML file, which is stored in the NC directory. Auto Save WS: Select Yes to save the Work-space to the Temp directory within the SigmaNEST installation directory with the filename AutoSave.ws. Auto Save Time (min): SigmaNEST automatically performs a save operation at the time intervals set here. Keep Remnant: Select to save the remnant name the same as the stock sheet's original name. Add remnants from parameter sheets to inventory

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Tools & Help When using parameter sheets (sheets not in the inventory library) SigmaNEST will not add the remnant when using one of the create remnant commands unless this option is checked. Use Virtual Crop To Calculate Nested Area on a Parameter Sheet: Calculates the nested Area on the Parameter Sheet Export Work Order Information to SimTrans: This exports the information from the work order to SimTrans, a program for sending information to a managed enterprise resource planning (MERP) system. Print Remnant: This prints a graphic representation of the actual remnant. If this is not selected, a standard sheet is used in place of the remnant. Length Units: This option concerns reports. When displaying a length, it is reported in inches or feet if the system is set to Imperial (inches) on the System Tab. If the system is set to Metric (millimeters) on the System Tab, the lengths display as millimeters or meters. Check for Network Plug : When using a network "plug" or network sim, this option must be selected. This allows SigmaNEST to run on a network. Area Units: This option concerns reports. When displaying an area, it is reported in square inches or square feet if the system is set to Imperial (inches) on the System Tab. If the system is set to Metric (millimeters) on the System Tab, the areas display as square millimeters or square meters. Virtual Crop Line: Virtual Crop Line is for calculating the scrap and yield percentages and has the following options: No Crop Line: When the Virtual Crop Line option is set to No Crop Line, the scrap and yield percentages are based on the entire sheet less any remnants that were created. No Crop Line is mostly used. Crop Line: When the Virtual Crop Line option is set to Crop Line, a gray vertical crop line is represented on the nest (the gray virtual crop line is always on), the scrap and yield percentages are based on the material to the left of this line. The material to the right is considered recovered and not used in the calculation or yield, regardless of its size.

This parameter is important to calculating costing. Enable Edit for Sub-Bevel Entries: Select to allow the Sub-Bevel Tech Table to be edited;unselect to lock the table. The default setting is locked. The Sub-Bevel Tech Table is located under the Bevel tech Table, in Technology Set-up dialog's Machine parameters tab under listed bevel machine. Program Name Format: Select from the following options. Use Task Name for Program Name: Select to use the task name as the program name. Each Program has a Unique Number: Select to use a unique number for the program name. Max Name Length: Set the maximum number of characters (from 1 to 20) to allow in the name. - 407 -

Tools & Help Fill With: Select to enable if the name is shorter than the maximum name length, the unused characters are filled with a selected value. Program Name Increment: Select a value to automatically increase the program name by the entered value. For example, enter 20. Each time a new name is added it increases by 20; the program file begins with 50 then 70 then 90, and so on. Max Program Number: Enter the maximum number that can be used for a program name. Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

Printer
Select to display the Printer dialog. Enter the printing parameters for Nesting, Part, and Sheet modes. Default Line Thickness: Enter the default line thickness for all modes. Specify the thickness for the nesting report printout. A different thickness can be used for sheet, part, NC code, and nesting detail. If no individual values are defined all reports will use the default value. Nesting Mode: The following parameters set the line thickness and bitmap for the nesting mode: Line Thickness for Sheets: Enter the value for printing sheet line thickness. Line Thickness for Parts: Enter the value for printing sheet line thickness. Line Thickness for NC Code: Enter the value for printing sheet line thickness. Line Thickness for Detail Geometry: Enter the value for printing sheet line thickness. Part Mode: Enter line thickness for part, NC code, and detail geometry. Line Thickness for Parts: Enter the value for printing sheet line thickness. Line Thickness for NC Code: Enter the value for printing sheet line thickness. Line Thickness for Detail Geometry: Enter the value for printing sheet line thickness. Sheet Mode: Enter line thickness for sheet and detail geometry. Line Thickness for Sheets: Enter the value for printing sheet line thickness. Line Thickness for Detail Geometry: Enter the value for printing sheet line thickness. Printing Color (Graphics): Select Black and White or Color for graphic images, if the printer supports it. Printing Color (Reports): Select Black and White or Color for report text, if the printer supports it. Use Fixed DPI: Select to use a specific DPI (dots per inch) value for printing. Higher value equates to higher print quality. Open GL mode for printing : Select from one of the following for graphic color printing.

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Tools & Help Color Index: Select to have brighter colors rendered in a palette. Used for 8bpp (bits-per-pixel) graphic cards. RGB: Select for higher capable graphics cards that accurately shade objects for a realistic three-dimensional (3-D) display. Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

Paths
Before changing the paths in SigmaNEST, make sure the new path exists. Remember to add the back slash (\) at the end of all paths. The following is a list of the paths that can be changed: C:\SNData\WS\ Work-space file area C:\SNData\Parts\ The main part library. Customer directories can be under this directory. C:\SNData\CDL\ CADKEY CDL files. C:\SNData\DXF\ AutoCAD DXF files C:\SNData\DWG\ AutoCAD DWG files. C:\SNDATA\IGES\ Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) files. C:\SNDATA\NC\ Location of NC import files. C:\SNDATA\SHEETS\ Sheets library files C:\SNDATA\SHAPES\ Shapes library files C:\SNDATA\Tools\ Tools for punching C:\SNDATA\PTN\ NC Pattern files C:\SNDATA\BOM\ Bill of material files C:\SNDATA\ Network server location

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Tools & Help C:\SNDATA\REPORTS\ENGLISH-USA\ location of report files C:\SNDATA\POST\ Post and Technology setup files C:\SNDATA\REVNC\ Reverse NC files C:\SNDATA\Quotes\ Quote file path C:\SNDATA\JOBS\ Jobs files C:\SNDATA\Static\ Static Nest path C:\SNDATA\WOL\ Batch import .WOL files C:\SNDATA\JOBS\ Jobs files C:\Program Files\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST Develop\ SigmaNEST Develop program location C:\SNDATA\eReport\ Report files for parts, tasks, nests, and sheets C:\ProgramData\SigmaTEK\SigmaNEST9.0\MAC\ Location path for macro files C:\SNDATA\Replace\ Replace Pattern path C:\SNDATA\LinkedFiles\ Linked Files path C:\SNDATA\CTLShapes\ Cut to Length shapes path C:\SNDATA\DSTV\ DSTVfiles C:\SNDATA\DBGeo\ Database Geometry storage path Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

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Tools & Help

Machine
The Machine tab defines the machine and file types to use for the nesting Work-space. If your machine is not listed select New and define a machine and files to use for the nesting Work-space. Machines: Displays a list of the machine types. Double-click the machine to use for the nesting Work-space. If no machines are listed select New to add a machine or machines to the listing. Machine: Displays machine type selected from the list. Post: Displays the name of the selected machine's post processor file. Cost File: Displays the name of the selected machine's cost file, containing the cost parameters and formulas. Parameters: Select to display the Machine Parameters dialog. The parameters consist of dialogs for setting backup NC file locations, machine capabilities, machine zones and basic parameters depending on the machine type and contains the following tabs: General, Cutting Zones and Torch Settings. For more information see the links below Edit: Select to open the New/Edit Machine dialog and edit the machine and files to use for the nesting Work-space. Delete: Select Delete to remove the machine highlighted on the list above. New : Select to open the New/Edit Machine dialog and define a machine and files to use for the nesting Work-space. Cancel: Select to close the dialog not saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes. Related topics: General Tab (Machine Parameters) (See page 411) Cutting Zones (See page 412) Torch Setting (See page 413)

General Tab (Machine Parameters)

Select the General Tab to set the NC path parameters. The post file is displayed at the top of the dialog. NC Extension Enter the file extension for the NC file. NC Path: Enter the path of the folder that holds the NC files. Save Second File: Saves a second copy of the file. Second NC Path: Enter the path to save a second file when Save second file is set to yes. Save Third File: Saves a third copy of the file. Yes: Saves a third file.

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Tools & Help No : Will not save a third file. Prompt: The system pauses and displays a prompt for saving a third file. Third NC Path: Enter the Third File path when Save Third file is set to Yes. Delete NCI File: Select from the following. Yes: The NC file is automatically deleted. No : The NC file is not automatically deleted. Prompt: The system pauses and displays a prompt for deleting the NC file. Display Summary: Select to display or not to display the summary. Yes: The system pauses and displays a summary. No : The system returns to SigmaNEST without pausing or displaying a summary. Machine Capabilities: Select the following type or types of machine capabilities.: Oxygas Plasma Laser Water Jet Router Drill Punch Knife Poly Foam Right Angle Shear

Cutting Zones
Select the Cutting Zones tab to set the NC cutting zone parameters. Bed Length: Enter the length of the machine bed. Bed Width: Enter the width of the machine bed. Cutting Zone Type: Defines the cutting zone for all or by individual processes. Global: Select to globally set the cutting zone for all processes. By Process: Select to apply the cutting zone to the individual machine process. X Cutting Zone: Enter the X coordinate cutting zone. Y Cutting Zone: Enter the Y coordinate cutting zone. Cutting Zone Offset X: Enter the cutting zone offset for the X coordinate when the cutting zone type is set to By Process. Cutting Zone Offset Y: Enter the cutting zone offset for the Y coordinate when the cutting zone type is set to By Process. Cancel: Select to close the Machine Parameters dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Machine Parameters dialog saving all changes. Apply: Select to apply the cutting zone changes without closing the machine parameters dialog.

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Tools & Help

Torch Setting
Select the Torch Setting Tab to set the torch configurations for the machine. Torch Setting Type: Select from one of the configuration types. Global: Select to globally set torch settings for all processes. By Process: Select to apply torch settings to the individual machine process. The process listing is active when By Process is selected.

To change the process, click on the process in the listing, on the bottom left side of the machine parameters dialog. Variable Torch Setting : SigmaNEST selects the smallest torch spacing. Select one of the following parameters. Infinite: Select to allow SigmaNEST to adjust the head spacing automatically. Discrete: Select to specify the various torch configurations and SigmaNEST will select the best one. Select Discrete and the #Torches and Torch Distance columns become active in the table. Enter the torch number and the distance value in the table. More than one distance is assigned to the torch, see below image. Scroll down the table to add more torches.

The Discrete parameter is used for multiple torch cutting with variable torch spacing. Max Number of Torches: Enter the maximum number of torches available for the process used. Each additional head added is displayed in the table below the Max Number of torches text box. When more than one head is used one of the heads can be defined as a master. Master: The other heads are positioned with reference to the master head. Double-click on the column underneath the word Master next to the head number, to place an asterisk to indicate the master torch head. Min Max:Each head has a min/max distance setting. Enter the minimum and maximum zone distance for the head to move.

There must always be at least one Master Head (which would have been set up during the initial set up). Usually the settings apply to head 1. For a machine that can drive the heads separately, all the heads can be set to Masters. Cancel: Select to close the Machine Parameters dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Machine Parameters dialog saving all changes. Apply: Select to apply the cutting zone changes without closing the machine parameters dialog.

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Tools & Help

General Import
The Batch Import dialog is used to import CAD files and define the CAD program part layers into SigmaNEST levels or color maps. When a file is selected for importing, the levels are listed in the dialog listing according to the layers of the CAD program. The attributes for the layers, now levels, can be mapped or defined for SigmaNEST to interpret. The default attribute for the levels are listed as Kerf Cut. By right-mouse clicking on the layer, a drop down listing of attributes is displayed. Select the attribute to apply to the level or map. Batch Import Type: Select one of the following batch import types. Level Mapping: Select to define imported CAD part layers as levels. The levels are displayed in the listing on the left side of the Batch Import dialog. Each level has an attribute defined. Color Mapping: Select to define the imported CAD part layers as colors. The color mapping is displayed in the listing to the right of the level listing. The attributes listed below are used to define both level and color mapping. Kerf Cut: Select to define the level or map as a kerf cut. No Kerf Cut: Select to define the level or map as a no kerf cut. Left Kerf: Select to define the level or map as a left kerf cut. Right Kerf: Select to define the level or map as a right kerf cut. Lead-in: Select to define the level or map as a lead-in. Marking: Select to define the level or map as a marking. No Cut: Select to define the level or map as a no cut . Detail: Select to define the level or map as detail information. Auto Mark: Select to define the level or map as an auto mark. Special Tool: Select to define the level or map to use a special tool. Add : Select to add new level mappings. A new level map entry is added to the listing. Delete: Select the level and select delete to remove the level entry. Tag Type: When importing DXF files, the attributes set in the DXF file are used to populate the tag text boxes. A separator is defined to recognize the string to apply to the tag when the String Tags option is selected. No Tags: Select to not use tags. Color or level mapping is only used. DXF Attribute Tags: Select to use the object type attribute in DXF files to identify the tag names in the batch import dialog. String Tags: Select to enable a field separator for the imported file. When the separator is encountered in the file being imported the following string is used in the tag text box.

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Tools & Help String as Part Name: Select to use a string name to identify the part name. Tags: The tags listed below are enabled when DXF Attribute Tags or String Tags is selected for the tag type. Separator: Enabled for String Tag types. Enter the character to indicate the string separator. Part Name Tag: Enter the part name. Material Tag: Enter the material type of the part. Thickness Tag: Enter the thickness of the material used for the part. Material Lookup Tag: Enter the material name for the material lookup tag. Lookup Filename: Navigate to the file using the ellipse icon or enter the filename used for the batch import. Quantity Tag: Enter the quantity of the parts to create. Customer Tag: Enter the name of the customer. Drawing Number Tag: Enter the drawing number of the part file. Revision Number Tag : Enter the revision number for the part. Remark Tag: Enter any remarks for the batch file import. Mirror Part Tag: Enter text to indicate if the part can be mirrored. Grain Constrain: Enter text to indicate grain constraints. Common Cut Tag : Priority Tag: The selected priority of the part is used by the nesting algorithm. In the Nesting Parameters, the Priority function of the nesting algorithm is enabled or disabled. If the priority function in the nesting algorithm is disabled, the selected parts are nested in an automatically determined sequence. If the Priority function in the nesting algorithm is enabled, the nesting algorithm overrides the part order selection to a certain degree and gives priority to the part priority number specified here. If the priority is set to one, the part has the highest priority. The greater the number, the lower the priority of the part to be nested. If two parts have the same priority, the nesting algorithm looks at the part order setting and makes a decision based on that setting. Setting the priorities of parts may affect how tightly parts are nested. Filler Part Tag: Select if this part is to be used as a filler part. Do Not Nest Internals Tag:Select if parts are not to be nested inside internal contours. Part Data 1 to 14: Custom part information can be entered into these fields. Auto Tile Parts: Select the checkbox to automatically have the parts tiled on the Work-space after the import. Dimension to Geometry Check

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Tools & Help Display Warning Message? : Click to check the box and enable a warning message to be displayed if the geometry and dimensions do not match. Warning Symbol : Enter the symbol or text to display, next to the difference in dimension and geometry, in the warning. Do Linear Dimension Scale Options Display Only Warning : Select to display the warning without making any automatic changes. Update Dimension to Geometry: Select to automatically update the dimension to match the geometry. Display Warning Symbol at Invalid Dimension: Select to display the warning symbol and difference in dimension and geometry at the incorrect dimension. Cancel: Closes the configuration dialog and cancels any changes that were made to the Batch Import dialog. OK: Closes the configuration dialog and saves all changes made in the Batch Import dialog.

3D Import
Select 3D Import tab to display tabs for setting parameters to import cad files. 3D import is broken down into multiple tabs. General (See page 416) Advanced (See page 418) SolidWorks (See page 419) SolidEdge (See page 420) Inventor (See page 421) NX (See page 422) ProE (See page 423) SpaceClaim

General
The General Tab allows the user to set general parameters for File Imports. Import Z Depth: Select to allow the file to be imported with defined multi and partial depth cuts. Depth cuts are shown in different colors. This option is typically used with router machines.

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Tools & Help Create BOM from Assemblies: When this option is selected, a BOM file is created using the quantities from the assembly file. Parts are saved to the current parts folder and the BOM file is saved in the current BOM folder. The BOM is created using the assembly name. Grain Property:When this value is used, the Grain property in the SigmaNEST part will be set to No Grain or Use Grain Enter the grain property used in the custom properties on the CAD model. Example GRN or Grain Values in the CADmodel can be set to True/False, On/OFF, 0/1.

Use Top View Coordinate System for each supported CAD system to control the orientation of the imported model. Sheet Metal: Sheet Metal section defines part markings and bend lines. Auto Detect Bend Lines: Auto Detect Bend Lines gives the user multiple options. No :Select to not define any bend lines for the part when the file is imported. As Marking Lines: Select to define the bend lines of the part file as markings. The following options are enabled. Modify Bend Lines: Select to define the markings of the bend lines. Line Mark: Select to use a line mark to designate the bend line. Size: Enter a value for the marks to be separated from the edge of the part and between each mark. Cross Mark: Select to use a cross mark instead of a line to designate the bend line. Point mark: Select to use a point mark instead of a line to designate the bend line. Nos: Enter the number of cross marks or post marks to use representing the bend line. As No Cut Lines: Select to define bend lines of the part file as no cut lines. Ignore: Select to ignore the bend lines when the part file is imported. Spline Approximation Tolerance: When importing a 3D part, SigmaNEST automatically converts a spline into a set of lines and arcs using Spline Approximation Tolerance. The tolerance value can be specified according to the accuracy requirement of a part. A smaller value increases the accuracy of the part. The following are the default values depending on the units selected in the Configuration. metric: .05 mm imperial: .005 in Optimize Spline Import: Select Optimize Spline Importto reduce the number of lines and arcs, if possible, while maintaining the original shape. Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

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Tools & Help

Advanced
File importing is used to import different type of cad files. Select the file type along the lower second level tabs. Select the formatting features and profile information for the type of file. Enter part, work order, and any part data information. The General Tab allows the user to set general parameters for the File Import types. Keyword Filter: Selecting the Keyword Filter allows the user to include or exclude files for importing. Keyword Source: Use one of the standard filters typically found in the file property of the CAD model or enter a custom property name: Keyword Value: After selecting the keyword source type enter text, to filter by, in the Value text box.

Keywords can be separated by a comma to allow for multiple keywords. Use Feature Mask: Select to enable the feature mask function when importing part files. Select from the drop down box one of the following feature mask options. Suppress Features: Select to suppress any part feature attributes of the part defined in the part file. Unsuppress Features: Select to allow the part feature attributes to be imported with the part file. Feature Mask Name: Enter the feature attribute mask name, to be suppressed or unsuppressed, used in the part file. Example: When selecting parts or an assembly, and only require parts that have a Keywords of "CNC" set in the Keyword field of the Model(s) then set the Keyword filtering options as follows Keyword Filter check on, Include Part, Keyword Source set to Keyword, Value set to CNC Grain Property: When this value is used, the Grain property in the SigmaNEST part will be set to No Grain or Use Grain Enter the grain property used in the custom properties on the CAD model. Example GRN or Grain Values in the CADmodel can be set to True/False, On/OFF, 0/1. Use Top View Coordinate System for each supported CAD system to control the orientation of the imported model. Solid : Select the following solid parameters for bevel and far side recognition. Bevel Recognition: Recognizes bevels in different file types and applies them according to the program model. Far Side Recognition: Recognizes part file far side kerf cut, no cut, or ignore the far side of the part layout.

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Tools & Help Process Mapping : Select to enable Process Mapping of sketches from the CAD program. CAD part programs sometimes contain many sketches defining the part or parts. The sketches are mapped to a specific process and kerf type. Use the Add or Delete buttons to add or remove a map for each sketch. Define the following sketch parameters. Sketch Name: Enter the sketch name of the CAD part file. Process Name: Select the machine process type used. Entity Attribute: Select the kerf type from the drop down box. Contour Direction: Select the contour direction from the drop down box. Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

SolidWorks
Select the SolidWorks tab to display parameters to set for importing SolidWorks cad files. Uses Configurations: Select to enable the SolidWorks files to be imported with or without their different part versions, or families. Some CAD programs allow the user to create different versions of the same part. The different versions are saved within the part file. The part version name is entered in the text box separated by a comma delimiter, example: Mfg, DEFAULT. Show all Configurations in Tree View : Select to show all configurations of a part, known as a family in SolidWorks. If not selected, only the part listed in the import will be shown. Forming Features: Select to enable SigmaNEST recognize forming features. SigmaNEST also supports recognition of SolidWorks Design Library or feature pallet for formed tools like louvers, bridge lances and embosses. The following steps are required: 1. Create a special tool in SigmaNEST tool library using the base sketch of the design library shape. 2. Assign the machine that uses this tool in SigmaNEST as the default machine. Drills:Enables the function to recognize Hole Wizard features from SolidWorks to be imported and assigned to a drill property. SigmaNEST machine post must support drilling as well as the physical machine must support drilling. Top View Coordinate System: Enter the name of the top view coordinate system that is used in SolidWorks files. The top view coordinate system defines the part orientation. The function is given a name in the application that the part is created in, in this case SolidWorks. Use Pre-defined Top View : When Use Pre-Defined Top view option is ON, any (or first instance) coordinate system that has been in SolidWorks part is considered as top view coordinate system and processed part accordingly. Use Global Top View : Select to use the World Coordinate System, based on a simple X,Y coordinate system, from the CAD application for part orientation.

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Tools & Help Part Property Mapping : Select from the drop down box the part file fields,in the left column, to import to SigmaNEST fields listed below.Options include: Title, Subject, Author, Keywords,Comments, Create Date, Save Date and Bends. The Bends option will populate that field with the number of bends in a part. Fields can be left unassigned. To remove any text in the fields select the text and select delete. Part Name DWG No. Material Programmed By Due Date Priority Rev No. Company Word Order No. Remark Part Data 1 to 14

Cancel:Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

SolidEdge
Select the SolidEdge tab to display parameters to set for importing SolidEdge cad files. Use Family Members:Select to enable the SolidEdge files to be imported with their different part versions. Some CAD programs allow the user to create different versions of the same part. The different versions are saved within the part file. The part version name is entered in the text box separated by a comma delimiter, example: Profile, Flat. Top View Coordinate System:Enter the name of the top view coordinate system that is used in SolidWorks files. The top view coordinate system defines the part orientation. The function is given a name in the application that the part is created in, in this case SolidWorks. Use Pre-defined Top View : When Use Pre-Defined Top view option is ON, any (or first instance) coordinate system that has been in SolidWorks part is considered as top view coordinate system and processed part accordingly. Use Global Top View :Select to use the World Coordinate System, based on a simple X,Y coordinate system, from the CAD application for part orientation. Part Property Mapping : Select from the drop down box the part file fields,in the left column, to import to SigmaNEST fields listed below.Options include: Title, Subject, Author, Keywords,Comments, Create Date, Save Date and Bends. The Bends option will populate that field with the number of bends in a part. Fields can be left unassigned. To remove any text in the fields select the text and select delete. Part Name DWG No. Material Programmed By Due Date Priority Rev No. Company Word Order No. Remark Part Data 1 to 14

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Tools & Help Cancel:Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

Inventor
Select the Inventor tab to display parameters to set for importing Inventor cad files. Use iParts/iAssemblies: Select to enable the Inventor files to be imported with their different iPart versions. Some CAD programs allow the user to create different versions of the same part. The different versions are saved within the part file. The part version name is entered in the text box separated by a comma delimiter, example: Mfg, DEFAULT. Filter Reference BOM: Select to exclude the BOM reference files when importing an Inventor file. Legacy Sheet Metal: When importing Inventor sheet metal parts that are created in Inventor 10 or older versions to allow bend lines to be read into SigmaNEST. When this setting is ON, bevel recognition, far side recognition and drill recognition is not supported. Feature Profiles:Select to enable the Inventor files to be imported with their part feature profiles. Some CAD programs allow the user to create profile features on the part. The profile being the contour of the part. Part contours are defined with kerf cut types, tools, or markings, etc. Select from one of the following parameters in the drop down box. Kerf Cut No Kerf Cut Left Kerf Right Kerf Lead-in Marking No Cut Detail Auto Mark Special Tool

Forming Features: Select to enable SigmaNEST recognize forming features. SigmaNEST also supports recognition of SolidWorks Design Library or feature pallet for formed tools like louvers, bridge lances and embosses. The following steps are required: 1. Create a special tool in SigmaNEST tool library using the base sketch of the design library shape. 2. Assign the machine that uses this tool in SigmaNEST as the default machine. Drills: Enables the function to recognize Hole Wizard features from SolidWorks to be imported and assigned to a drill property. SigmaNEST machine post must support drilling as well as the physical machine must support drilling. Top Plane: Enter the name of the top plane definition from the inventor file that defines the part orientation. Set the X-Axis and the Y-Axis to determine the orientation.

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Tools & Help X-Axis: Enter the X-Axis designator for the Inventor file. Y-Axis: Enter the Y-Axis designator for the Inventor file. Top View Coordinate System: Enter the name of the top view coordinate system, which defines the part orientation, used in Inventor files.The function is given a name in the application that the part is created in, in this case Inventor. Use Global Top View : Select to use the World Coordinate System, based on a simple X,Y coordinate system, from the CAD application for part orientation. Part Property Mapping : Select from the drop down box the part file fields,in the left column, to import to SigmaNEST fields listed below.Fields can be left unassigned. To remove any text in the fields select the text and select delete. Part Name DWG No. Material Programmed By Due Date Priority Rev No. Company Word Order No. Remark Part Data 1 to 14

Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

NX
Select the NX tab to display parameters to set for importing NX cad files. Process Assembly Bodies: Select to process the linked files as individual parts. Top View Coordinate System: Enter the name of the top view coordinate system that is used in NX files. The top view coordinate system defines the part orientation. The function is given a name in the application that the part is created in, in this case Unigraphics. Use Pre-defined Top View: When Use Pre-Defined Top view option is ON, any (or first instance) coordinate system that has been in SolidWorks part is considered as top view coordinate system and processed part accordingly. Use Global Top View: Select to use the World Coordinate System, based on a simple X,Y coordinate system, from the CAD application for part orientation. Consider UDO for Process Mapping: Select to use UDO, User Defined Objects,properties when process mapping. Merge Composite Layers: Select to import NX parts with composite layers as a single layer part. 64 Bit: Select if the NX program used is 64 Bit. Part Property Mapping : Select from the drop down box the part file fields,in the left column, to import to SigmaNEST fields listed below.Fields can be left unassigned. To remove any text in the fields select the text and select delete.

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Tools & Help Part Name DWG No. Material Programmed By Due Date Priority Rev No. Company Word Order No. Remark Part Data 1 to 14

Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

ProE
Select the ProE tab to display parameters to set for importing ProE cad files. Use Instances: Select to enable the Pro Engineer files to be imported with their different part versions. Some CAD programs allow the user to create different versions of the same part. The different versions are saved within the part file. The part version name is entered in the text box separated by a comma delimiter, example: Flat, Mfg, Default. ProE Version: Select the version of ProE currently installed. Path to proe.exe: Enter the path for the proe.exe file or click the ellipse icon to open a browser in which to search for the file. Path to pro_comm_msg.exe: Enter the path for the pro_comm_msg.exe file or click the ellipse icon to open a browser in which to search for the file. Top View Coordinate System: Enter the name of the top view coordinate system that is used in the Unigraphics file. The top view coordinate system defines the part orientation. The function is given a name in the application that the part is created in, in this case Unigraphics. Use Pre-defined Top View : When Use Pre-Defined Top view option is ON, any (or first instance) coordinate system that has been in ProE part is considered as top view coordinate system and processed part accordingly. Use Global Top View : Select to use the World Coordinate System, based on a simple X,Y coordinate system, from the CAD application for part orientation. Drills:Enables the function to recognize drilling holes or markings to be imported and assigned to a drill property. SigmaNEST machine post must support drilling as well as the physical machine must support drilling. Part Property Mapping : Select to enable ProE part mapping fields to be imported. Enter ProE fields on the left side of the table to be mapped to SigmaNEST fields on the right side of the table.Fields can be left unassigned. To remove any text in the fields select the text and select delete. Part Name DWG No. Material Programmed By Due Date Priority Rev No. Company Word Order No. Remark Part Data 1 to 14

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Tools & Help Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

eReports
When a post operation is completed a number of reports can be automatically produced in a variety of electronic formats. Save eReports When Posting : Select to create the reports listed when you post the file. Report Listing : The report listing displays the reports selected. The listing displays the name of the report, a prefix, file type, and the eReport type.Double-click on a report in the list to open the eReport Add/Edit Dialog and edit the selected report.. eReport Add/Edit Dialog:The eReport Add/Edit dialog allows users to edit or add reports by selecting a report type and customizing the following options: File Name Type: Select Task, Program or Sheet Name from the drop down list. eReports Type: Select the format for the report from the drop down list. Alternate Extension: Enter an optional alternate extension type. Prefix: Enter an optional prefix for the report. Delete: Select to delete the selected report or reports from the list. Edit: Select to open the eReport Add/Edit dialog and edit an eReport from the listing. Add : Select to open the eReport Add/Edit dialog and add an eReport to the listing. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

Defaults
The values defined on the Defaults Tab dialog, (under Tools Help, Config), are the normal or initial settings of a new nesting task. A task is a combination of parts and sheets along with possible nesting.

Task Defaults
Task Name: Specify the prefix of a new task's name. The default value is T. Task Maximum Value: Enter the maximum number that can be used for a task name. Task Sheet Name Prefix: Enter an option prefix for the task sheet name. Priority Value: The priority value is multiplied with the part's priority to provide the final priority.

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Tools & Help In Process Parts Value: In Process Parts Value is used to set parts on the task to a higher priority. When multiple tasks are being cut, setting this value higher will allow the task to be cut first. Due Date Value: Enter a Due Date Value. The difference between a part's due date and the current date is multiplied by the due date value in order to arrive at its priority. A higher value indicates a higher priority. Part Defaults: There are a number of default settings to change for a specific part. These default settings can be changed in the program, under Part Defaults. Part Description: Each part has a name. Specify the prefix of the part name in the part name edit box. Every time a new part is created, the part number is increased. Break entities when placing middle lead-in types: When this attribute is selected, the middle lead-in positions, depicted in the Lead-in Position dialog by an "M" in the second letter, are active. Because middle positions are not normally used for lead-in lines they are disabled when this field is not selected. Lead-in Tolerance: The lead-in tolerance specifies the distance from the specified lead-in position that is considered logically the same. In the Lead-in Position dialog, if the lead-in position is specified to the Top Right (TR) and the lead-in tolerance covers the distance depicted by dimension 1, then the Top Right and Right Top (RT) positions are distinct. However, if the lead-in tolerance is specified so that it covers the distance depicted by dimension 2 in the diagram, then the Top Right and Right top positions are logically the same and the Right Top position is actually used, because it is considered to be part of the top and it is the right-most position. Set Part Name Same as Filename: Select to have the filenames of the parts, imported or created, the same as the names of the parts. Use Cost File: Select to enable the selected cost file above to be used in the machine production of the part. Cost File: Enter, or click on the ellipse to browse to, the cost file to use in production costing. Set drawing number same as filename.Select to have the filenames of the parts, imported or created, to the drawing number field. Sheet Defaults Sheet Name Prefix: Enter the prefix for the sheet names. The default is S. Work Order Defaults Work Order Prefix: Enter a prefix for the quoted work order. Work Order Postfix: Enter a postfix for the quoted work order. Quote Defaults: Quote default values provide information for quote parameters.

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Tools & Help Quote Prefix: Enter a prefix for the quote. Quote Markup : Quote markup is a percent value. Tax Rate %: Enter local tax rate. Shipping Cost: Enter the shipping cost. Due Date Value (days): Due date value is specified as the number of days from the date of the creation of the quote date. New WO Number: Select one of the following parameters. Next WO Number: incremented automatically. Same as Quote Number: same as the Quote Number. Combined Number: combination of the incremental WO number and the Quote Number. Cost Model: Select one of the following cost model types from the drop down box. True Cost : cost of the actual material usage of the part based on its actual shape. Rect Cost: cost of material used by the parts smallest bounding rectangle. Quoted Work Order Prefix: Enter a prefix for the quoted work order. The default is WO. Recalculate Cost at Startup Reload Part Material Cost Cut To Length Defaults Cut Plan Name: Enter a prefix for the cut plan name. The default is CP. Cut Plan Maximum Number:Enter the highest number to use after the Cut Plan Name prefix to desinate a cut plan. CTL Task Name: Enter a prefix for the CTL task name. The default is CTLT. CTL Task Maximum Number: Enter the highest number to use after the CTL Task Name prefix to desginate a CTL task. Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

Database
The Database tab displays the connection information, server name, database, and user login. A connect button is available to allow to test the connection to the database or connect to another database. Select the connect button to display the SQL Login dialog.

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Tools & Help SQL Server: Select the drop down arrow to display the List of SQL Servers available. Select the server icon next to the text box to populate the listing with available servers.

Database: Select the drop down arrow to display the List of Databases available. Select the database icon next to the text box to populate the listing with available databases.

Security: Security settings are available along with a default user button to set the login and password to the SigmaNEST default user. Login: Enter the user name. Password :Enter the user password. Select the show password icon word. Allow Password Save: Select to allow passwords to be saved. Use Windows Security: Select to use windows profiles and passwords for logins. Default User: Select to load and display the default User and password in the security section of the login dialog. Test Connection: Test Connection allows the user to test the connectivity to the selected server and database. OK: Select to close the SQL Login dialog saving all changes. Geometry Storage: Geometry Storage sets up sheet geometry files in the SigmaNEST Database that were either created using CAD in SigmaNEST or by the creation of a remnant. Select one of the following options from the drop down menu: Compressed : Select to store as a zip file in the database. Uncompressed : Select to store as a uncompressed file in the database. External Zip : Select to store as a zip file outside the database. If this option is selected, a path must be set up under the Paths (See page 409) tab in the Configuration dialog. The zipped file will not be saved under the sheet name, but under an identifier. Geometry Data Type: In addition to being able to be stored in SigmaNEST as a.sht file, geometry sheet files can be also be stored as a CDL or DXF. Storing the files as a CDL or DXF is the ability to import in to another program and view it separately. to display the pass-

Prompt
The Prompts tab displays any of the message dialog prompts that the user checks to not show when executing a program function. When a user selects the check box to not display the message prompt the prompt is listed in this dialog. To allow the prompt to be displayed again for the program function check the prompt check box and select OK. Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

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Tools & Help

Tracking/ Revision
Parts Tracking : Part tracking allows the user to track the current up to date part. Mark new parts for tracking automatically: Select to automatically track new parts as they are saved to the parts library. New parts only are set for tracking. Revisions Keep part revision history:Select to save all part revisions. The parts library listing will show an expand icon indicating the part's revisions are saved and listed.

Automatic Revision Prefix:Specify the prefix of a parts revision. Excluded Characters: Excludes letters when incrementing revision by a letter. For example, if the letter "I" is excluded, a revision will skip from "H" to "J". Multiple letters must be separated by a comma. Revision Increment: Designate revision increments to be identified by numbers or letters by selecting the applicable bubble. Save a base revision the first time a revision is added : Check this option if a part can be saved without a revision number Base Revision:When a part is saved without a revision this value will be added to the Revision field when the parts revision value has been bumped up. A value is required. Cancel: Select to close the Configuration dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the Configuration dialog saving all changes.

Reload Config
Select Reload Config to reread the SigmaNEST Configuration file and set the new values in SigmaNEST if the snconfig.ini file was edited manually.

License File Manager

The License File manager contains information on the SIM, program and user's company. It also provides an option for starting SigmaNEST in demo mode, checking for a network SIM,and updating or requesting a license codes.

Plug In Manager
Select Plug In Manager to open the Plug In Manager dialog, which contains the functions below: Import Plug Ins: Select to open the Post folder for file management.

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Tools & Help Delete Plug Ins: Select to open the NC folder for file management. Reload Plug Ins: Select to open the INI folder for file management. OK: Select to close the Plug In Manager.

Application Manager
Select Application Manager to open the Plug In Manager dialog, which contains the functions below: Add Application: Select to open the Post folder for file management. Delete Application: Select to open the NC folder for file management. Reload Applications: Select to open the INI folder for file management. OK: Select to close the Application Manager.

Register COM Server

Register Com Server sets the current loaded version of SigmaNEST as the default SigmaNEST that automation or external applications will use.

Print
Select to display the work space printing dialog. Select: Select to choose the printer, and its set-up dialog, to which the document will be sent. Print Only Visible Image: Check to print the visible image on the work space, uncheck to print all images on the workspace. Print: Select to print the work space. Preview :Select to view the print image. Close: Select to close the work space printing dialog.

Text Editor
The Editor functions and actions are displayed along the top of the dialog. The left side of the dialog is used to navigate to the file to be edited. Double-click the file and the file is displayed on the right side of the editor. The SigmaNEST Editor allows more than one file to be edited at a time allowing text to be copied or moved from one file to another. The selected files are displayed using a program format style from the drop down menu, for easy editing and navigating. The following file format types are available: Plain Text, INI, and PST Files

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Tools & Help

Technology Set-up
Technology Setup is used to setup the material types of the sheets, markup values for the material types, production costs, and machine parameters. Technology Setup dialog consists of the following tabs.
l l l l

Material Tab (See page 430) Mark-up Tab (See page 431) Production Costs Tab (See page 432) Machine Tab (See page 442)

The layout of the tables can be altered using a query builder, which can be created by dragging the column header of a selected field to the bar above the table, or selected custom from the column header drop-down menu.

Material Tab
The Material tab on the Technology Setup dialog displays material parameters and cost information. The Material parameter information is important for SigmaNEST to calculate part cutting parameters. Important material parameters are Material name, thickness, cost per unit of measure, shear strength, and density. Material: Enter or edit the material name. IAC : Enter the material IAC specification. Material Group : Material Group is used to group materials with the same set of cutting conditions. The cutting parameters are set once and the materials are then added to the group. The group name is the name of one of the materials in the list that the other materials will be grouped with. Costing and Reporting of a material is still based on an individual material and not the group. When the material is listed in the group and listed in the Tech Table the parameters for the material are retrieved from the material first and not the group. 1. Select Add or Edit Material from the Material tab in the Technology Setup dialog. 2. Select a material name from the drop down box or enter a material name that will be used to define the parameters. 3. Select Ok and the Material dialog is closed. Select the Delete icon to remove the group the material is applied to and confirm the action. Material Cost: Enter the material cost per pound. - 430 -

Tools & Help Density: Parameter for density is pound per cubic inch. Shear Strength: Shear strength is given in PSI. Die Clearance: Displays the die clearance in inches. Material Cost by Thickness: Displays the material cost per thickness. When this box is checked different levels of thickness and their associated costs are entered by the Add Material button or deleted by selecting the button. Add Material: Allows the user to add a material. Edit Material: Allows the user to edit the material parameters in the Add Material dialog. Delete Material: Allows the user to delete a material. Caution! Selecting delete here will delete the selected material and material information. To cancel the delete operation before closing the add material dialog select cancel. Import Material: Allows the user to import material information from a Directory location. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

Mark-up Tab
Selecting the Markup tab contains options for entering markup information for a material according to quantity. The information is displayed by the material name, IAC, thickness, quantity, and markup percentage. The markup percentage field is a decimal value. Entering .5 is equivalent to a half of a percent. Entering 5.00 is 5 percent. Add : Displays the markup editor dialog. The material name, thickness, quantity, and markup values are entered. The markup is defined as a percentage. The material has to be added here, to be in the master selector listing. The Master Selector dialog is located in the Markup Material Editor, which is displayed when the Edit Material button is selected. Edit Material is used for applying markup percentages to more than one material. Edit: Selecting a material in the list and selecting edit displays the markup editor dialog. The material markup information can be changed. Delete: Delete removes the selected material from the markup list. Edit Material: Selecting Edit Material displays the Markup Material Editor dialog. Material markup parameters can be applied across several materials by selecting a material to emulate. Materials listed in the bottom of the dialog in red indicate the material has no markup applied to them. To use the markup value from one of the materials in the upper window select the material or materials and select Add Material. Add Material: Select the material in red and select Add Material. The Master Selector dialog is displayed. Select a material to emulate from the drop down box and

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Tools & Help select OK. The material is added to the above list. Delete Material: Select the material and select delete to remove the material from the list. The material is removed from the list and placed in the lower Missing Material listing, and is displayed in red. Combine Material: Combine Material allows the user to combine different materials with the same attributes in the Markup Material Editor dialog once they are in the above listing. Select more than one material and select combine material. The Master Selector is displayed. Select the master material from the drop down box. Select OK and now the materials are grouped and will be identified by the master material selected. Split Material: Split Material separates materials that once were combined back to their individual materials. Select the material group and select Split Material. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes. Cancel: Select to close the dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the dialog saving all changes.

Production Costs Tab

Production Costs is used to setup global, machine, process, and other costs. Global costs apply to all of the machines and processes. Machine costs apply to specific machine types. Process costs apply to the machine process. Other Costs is available to define additional or specific costs pertaining to certain process types, such as bending, grinding, and welding. Comprehensive costing information is recorded at several levels: Global or overhead costs might include things like administration and overall plant costs. These costs are consolidated and expressed as a cost per unit of time, a cost per unit of cutting length and a cost per pierce. Production costs might include the financing cost of the machine and labor costs to run the machine. These costs are consolidated and expressed as a cost per unit of time, a cost per unit of cutting length, and a cost per pierce. Process-level costs might include consumables, such as, cutting heads and fuel. These costs are expressed as a series of costs per material and thickness, each of which contains the cost per unit of time, cost per unit of cutting length and cost per pierce components.

The main parameters for the base of all costing is the machines feed rate, pierce, and or punch times. These parameters are located in the post file (.PST) lines 410 to 420.

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Tools & Help Material cost is expressed as a value per unit of weight. This rate can vary by material thickness and there is provision for different markup percentages for different quantities of material consumed. All the previous costs, are integrated in a per Part cost, that can be further modified for each part. There is provision for adjustments based on the parts overall complexity, for an additional markup percentage that varies by quantity, for shipping costs and for extra miscellaneous costs. To control complexity for those wanting simplified costing, SigmaNEST permits the selection of costing models that incorporates, one or more, global, machine and process levels. There is also a user-defined model. These models are set at the machine level. For example, when running one machine the costing model might only consider overhead costs, but when running another machine it might include machine and process-level costs as well. Costing is divided into the following: Global Cost (See page 433) Machine Cost (See page 434) Process Costs (See page 435) Other Costs (See page 436) Cost Formulas (See page 438)

Global Cost
Global costs are costs applied across all of the machines and their processes. The cutting, running, and piercing costs may be defined at the global level. Additional parameters may also be defined in the global cost parameter listing. Cost Formulas (See page 438) has additional information on formula equations and variables. Setting Global Costs 1. Select Global in the listing at the top left of the Production Cost dialog. 2. Right-click one of the cost parameters in the list to edit the text of the field. Edit or keep the cost parameter field name. 3. Left-click the value field next to the above selected cost parameter field and enter a value from the key board, or select the down arrow to display a calculator to assist in defining the value. 4. Left-click outside of the calculator to close the calculator and save the value. Repeat the steps for each cost parameter to define. To add additional #Variables:Select the #variable item and edit the text box describing the variable definition, then select the Value box to the right of the variable and enter the value. The new variable is added to the global costing parameters. For example: #104.

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Tools & Help Other Costs:Other Costs are defined by using the Setup Cost Type and Populate Cost Type functions on the right side of the Global Costs dialog. To setup other costs, refer to Other Costs (See page 436).

Machine Cost
Cost Parameters These are costs associated with running a particular machine and include things like the financing costs of the machine and operating labor costs. Selecting a machine changes the global costing parameters into machine cost parameters, along with displaying costing models. Cutting , Running (Operating), and Piercing machine cost parameters are displayed. Cutting Cost factors are usually the average number of cutting heads used, gas, nozzle, mirror, lenses, etc. The use and general maintenance of the machine. The machine's typical feed rate, number of hours worked, and the machines utilization rate. The Operating Cost factors are usually operator's salary or wages, the number of hours worked, and the financing costs of the machine. The Piercing Cost is the cost per pierce. Cost Formulas (See page 438) has additional information on calculating cost parameters. . To add additional #Variables: Select the #variable item and edit the text box describing the variable definition, then select the Value box to the right of the variable and enter the value. The new variable is added to the global costing parameters. For example: #104. Cost Model: In addition to setting the cost parameters, the Cost Model is also set at this level and the costing model formulas are displayed for each of the calculated cost models. True Cost: This is based on the net weight of the part. For example, if a part has cut outs such as holes and internal contours, the true cost estimate would ignore the cost of the dropout scrap. True shape cost is the absolute minimum cost and does not allow for any scrap loss.

The net weight of the part is used for estimating the shipping weight and heat treatment cost of parts Rectangular Cost: This calculates the cost of the part, based on material consumed equal to the smallest rectangle that can fully enclose the part. This usually provides a conservative estimate of part cost. True shape cost and rectangular costs are calculated automatically every time a part object is created (refer to Geometry (See page 84) for information on part creation).

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Tools & Help Nested Cost: The cost of the part as it would appear in a nest. This takes things like kerf and clearance into account. The scrap percentage, number of torches and the true shape of a part are used in the calculation of the nested cost. Scrap is allocated to each part in proportion to its area, thus increasing the material component of the cost for each part. This formula is dependant on which type of virtual crop line is selected in the SigmaNEST configuration menu, under System2 tab. For details on the virtual crop line selection refer to virtual crop line. To set the cost model select the machine in the left pane. Select one of the following costing models from the Cost Model drop-down list in the right pane. Selecting different cost models will display different variables in the formulas. Any additional variables that are defined in the cost parameter list must be added to both the material and cutting cost formulas under each True, Rectangular, and Nested formula sections for the values to be calculated. Cost Formulas (See page 438) has additional information on calculating cost parameters. User Setup model: User define model that permits a custom cost formula to be defined for the true, rectangular, and nested costs. Use variables #104 to #108, to define additional parameters. Only Detail model: Makes use of the costs defined at the process level. Only Machine model: Makes use of the costs defined at the machine level. Only Global model: Makes use of overhead costs defined at the global level. This is the simplest model that requires the definition of the fewest cost parameters. Global + Machine model: Makes use of overhead and machine level cost parameters. Global + Machine + Detail model: Makes use of overhead, machine, and process costs. This is the most comprehensive model and requires the most cost parameters. This model produces the finest costing granularity. Import: Selecting Import an explorer window for importing a production cost (.CST) file. Export: Selecting export opens a dialog for saving a cost file to a different file type.

Process Costs
Process costs have the same parameters as global and machine costs, but they are defined by process, material, and thickness. Different thickness materials will cost different when running the same process. Import: Imports existing cost files (.CST). An explorer window is displayed to navigate to a file location. Select the file and select Open. Export: Exports the file as a .CST file. An explorer window is displayed to navigate to a folder location. Select the folder and select Save. The file is saved to the selected folder location. Add : Displays the Production Cost dialog, with the Machine and Process type. Enter the values for the new production costs for a material and its thickness.

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Tools & Help Material: Select the listing of material type for the machine and process. Thickness: Enter the thickness of the material for the machine and process type. Cutting Cost: Enter the cutting cost per unit of cutting length. Running Cost: Enter the running cost of the process per unit of time (second). Pierce Cost: Enter the cost of the pierce.

Cutting, Running, and Pierce cost values must be entered to display operating costs in part parameters. Custom Cost Parameters: To add additional #Variables,select the #variable item and edit the text box describing the variable definition, then select the Value box to the right of the variable and enter the value. The new variable is added to the global costing parameters. For example: #104. Edit: Select the material process parameter in the process listing to edit values. Delete: Deletes the selected material process parameters in the listing. Edit Material: Selecting Edit Material displays the Process Material Editor dialog. Materials listed in the top portion of the dialog are existing materials used in the process. Materials listed in the bottom portion of the dialog under Missing Materials are all materials used in all processes. Material costing parameters are easily combined or split according to material. Add Material: Displays the Add Material dialog for adding new material types. Delete Material: Selecting the material and then selecting delete will remove the material from the process listing, however the material will be added back to the Missing Materials listing. Combine Material: Selecting materials from the Material list and selecting combine displays the Master Selector dialog. Selecting the down arrow in the drop down box displays a list of the materials in the process. The Master Selector uses the values from the selected material as the global parameters for the combined materials. Split Material: Selecting any combined materials from the list, and selecting Split will separate the materials and list them separately in the Material Listing. Cancel: Selecting cancel closes the production cost dialog without saving any changes. OK: Selecting OK closes the production cost dialog saving any changes.

Other Costs
Other Costs is used to define any additional costing associated to the part. There may be additional handling, bending, or welding costs that the part may undergo. Select the Setup Other Costs button and the Other Costs dialog is displayed. The dialog is separated into the following sections.

Other Costs is enabled under Configuration on the Work Space tab, on the Default tab, under Part Defaults section, select Use Cost File.

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Tools & Help Setup Cost Type: The costing type is a description of a cost type associated with the part. Costing Types can be active or inactive. Main Process: Select to enable the type as the main process. When a costing type is enabled as main process, the costing type is active even when the active check box is not enabled. Active: Select to make the cost type active. Uncheck Active to disable the costing type, so it will not used to consider other costs. To Add Costing Types Plus symbol: Select to add a new costing type is added to the list. Select the new costing type to edit the name. Minus symbol: Select to delete a costing type from the list. Formula: Cost, Runtime, and Setup Time are reserved variables. Click the cursor in the formula window and directly enter the formula from the keyboard. Right mouse click displays a list box of SigmaNEST variables. Select the desired variable. If the variable is not listed create one in add parameters, see next section. Parameters and Table items are used in the formula for calculating the costing type. Add parameters is used for defining variables to use in the formula. Add Tables provide the formula with variables, from SigmaNEST, that can be assigned fixed result values. Standard function script expressions are used for combining the parameters and table fields forming the costing type formula. The following example uses a declared constant BendTime, a parameter NumBends, table fields, T1_result, T2_result, T3_result, T4_result, and a SigmaNEST variable, Number of Parts, selected from right mouse clicking in the formula window. const BendTime = 20; begin if(NumBends > 0) then begin Cost := NumBends*(T1_Result/3600)*BendTime+T4_Result*(T2_Result/3600)*BendTime+T3_Result/Number of Parts;end;else beginCost := 0;end;end; Add Parameters: Select the plus symbol to add a parameter. Use the minus symbol to delete a parameter. The parameter is a variable value that the user will enter. For example, when building a bending cost formula the number of bends is different between parts. NumBends would be a variable parameter to add. Enter the following parameter fields. Variable Name: Enter a variable name. Description: Provide a brief description of the variable. Default Value: Enter a default value for the parameter. This value will appear in the Other Costs listing in the Cost Tab of part parameters. Type: Enter the data type of the parameter. Add Tables: Use Add Tables to create tables to define fixed values or values from SigmaNEST. Editing and creating tables is similar to parameters.

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Tools & Help Double click the row under the table name or select the plus symbol to add a table. Select the arrow icon to edit a table. The Add/Edit Table for Cost dialog is displayed. Use the minus symbol to delete a table. The table is for obtaining parameters from SigmaNEST. Table Name: Enter a table name. Table Description: Provide a brief description of the table. Column Name: Double click the row under the column name to edit, or select the plus symbol to insert a new column. Click in the column name box to enable a drop down box of parameters from SigmaNEST. Select one of the parameters for the table. SigmaNEST values or fixed values can be grouped into tables to provide easy lookup for entering them into the formula. Column description: Enter the column description. Populate Cost Type: To edit or create rows for the tables select Populate Cost Type button to display the Populate Table Data dialog. Costing Type: 1. Select the costing type, from the left side of the dialog.The table tabs are displayed along the top of the dialog. 2. Select the table tab to edit or create the table rows of the table. 3. Select the plus symbol, at the bottom of the populate data table dialog and a new row is added. Enter the values for the table row. 4. Select the minus symbol to delete a row from the list. 5. Enter the value in each row of each column. Cancel: Select to close the Other Costs dialog without saving changes. OK: Select to close the Other Costs dialog saving all changes.

Cost Formulas
Cost formulas are for example purposes. Additional variables, not listed in the formulas, may have to be added for more accurate costing values. Cutting Cost: Cutting cost covers gas, maintenance and other consumable materials and is expressed as a monetary value per unit of cutting length, estimated as follows: Cutting cost per inch = NT x Cgnm / (F x H x U x 60 seconds) Where: NT: The average number of torches used. Cgnm: Gas, nozzles, mirrors, lenses, and maintenance. F : The average feed rate at which the machine is cutting normally.

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Tools & Help H: The number of hours worked per month. U: Machine utilization e.g. 0.6 (60%). The result must be a value per second. If cutting cost is used, it is the sum of all overhead costs for a period, divided by the typical cutting distance in that period. Running Cost:Expressed as a monetary value per unit of time, $/inches for imperial units and $/millimeters for metric units. Running cost covers operator salary, floor space rent, capital cost of machine, etc. Estimated as follows: Running cost per hour = S + (R / (Nm x H)) + Cm x (I + 1 / Ny) / (12 x H) Operating cost per second = Operating cost per hour / 3600 Where: S: Operator salary per hour. R: Factory Rent per month. Nm: Number of cutting machines. H: Number of hours worked per month. Cm: Purchase cost of machine. I: Bank interest rate. Ny: Number of years for payback (e.g. 5). Piercing Cost: Expressed as a monetary value per pierce, e.g. $0.05 per pierce. The piercing cost calculates the per pierce cost by dividing the number of pierces of the nozzle, by the cost of the nozzle. Piercing Cost = cost in units of currency per pierce. Piercing Cost = Cost of Nozzle / number of pierces nozzle can make. Cost Model Formulas: The cost models pertain to True, Rectangular, and Nested models. The True cost model defines the cost as the actual material used for the parts, not taking into consideration any scrap. The Rectangular cost defines the part cost including smallest rectangular area of scrap around the part. The Nested cost model defines the part cost including the scrap of the nested parts. Each of the Cost models consist of a material and cutting cost formula for the parts. The material and cutting cost formulas are defined when the machine is selected under the Production Cost dialog in Technology Setup. True cost: Material Cost = ([weight] * [MatCost]) Cutting Cost =
l

When Detail is selected the cutting cost is defined as: ([CostParam1]*[CutLength])+([CostParam2]*[TotalTime])+([CostParam3]*[PierceCount]) +

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Tools & Help #104 + #105 + #106 + #107 + #108 When Machine is selected the cutting cost is defined as: ([MachineCostParam1]*[CutLength])+([MachineCostParam2] *[TotalTime])+([MachineCostParam3]*[PierceCount]) + #104 + #105 + #106 + #107 + #108 When Global is selected the cutting cost is defined as: ([GlobalCostParam1]*[CutLength])+([GlobalCostParam2] *[TotalTime])+ ([GlobalCostParam3]*[PierceCount]) + #104 + #105 + #106 + #107 + #108 When Global + Machine are selected the cutting cost is defined as: (([MachineCosParam1]+[GlobalCostParam1])*[CutLength]) +(([MachineCostParam2]+[GlobalCostParam2])*[TotalTime])+ (([MachineCostParam3]+[GlobalCostParam3])*[PierceCount]) + #104 + #105 + #106 + #107 + #108 When Global + Machine + Detail are selected the cutting cost is defined as: (([CostParam1]+[MachineCostParam1]+[GlobalCostParam1])*[CutLength])+(([CostParam2]+ [MachinCostParam2]+[GlobalCostParam2])*[TotalTime])+ (([CostParam3]+[MachineCostParam3]+[GlobalCostParam3])*[PierceCount]) + #104 + #105 + #106 + #107 + #108

To add additional #Variables, example: #104, the Cost Model User Setup must be selected. Select the #variable item and edit the text box describing the variable definition, then select the Value box to the right of the variable and enter the value. For example: with Cost Model User Setup selected, add to the material cost formula + #104, so it is displayed as, ([weight]*[MatCost]) + #104. The above True Cost Formula shows the example.

Rectangular Cost Material Cost = ([rectWeight]*[MatCost]) Cutting Cost =

l

When Detail is selected the cutting cost is defined as: ([CostParam1]*[CutLength])+([CostParam2]*[TotalTime])+([CostParam3]*[PierceCount]) When Machine is selected the cutting cost is defined as: ([MachineCostParam1]*[CutLength])+([MachineCostParam2]*[TotalTime])+ ([MachineCostParam3]*[PierceCount]) When Global is selected the cutting cost is defined as: ([GlobalCostParam1]*[CutLength])+([GlobalCostParam2]*[TotalTime])+ ([GlobalCostParam3]*[PierceCount])

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Tools & Help When Global + Machine are selected the cutting cost is defined as: (([MachineCostParam1]+[GlobalCostParam1])*[CutLength])+(([MachineCostParam2]+ [GlobalCostParam2])*[TotalTime])+(([MachineCostParam3]+[GlobalCostParam3])*[PierceCount]) l When Global + Machine + Detail are selected the cutting cost is defined as: (([CostParam1]+[MachineCostParam1]+[GlobalCostParam1])*[CutLength])+(([CostParam2]+ [MachinCostParam2]+[GlobalCostParam2])*[TotalTime])+(([CostParam3]+[MachineCostParam3] +[GlobalCostParam3])*[PierceCount]) Nested Cost: Material Cost = [MatCost]*([weight]/(1-[scrap]))
l

Cutting Cost = When Detail is selected the cutting cost is defined as: (([CostParam1]*[NumParts]*[CutLength])+([CostParam2]*[TotalTime]*[NumMasterParts])+ ([CostParam3]*[PierceCount]*[NumParts]))/([NumParts]) l When Machine is selected the cutting cost is defined as: (([MachineCostParam1]*[NumParts]*[CutLength])+([MachineCostParam2]*[TotalTime]*[NumMasterParts])+ (([MachineCostParam3]*[PierceCount]*[NumParts]))/([NumParts]) l When Global is selected the cutting cost is defined as: (([GloalCostParam1]*[NumParts]*[CutLength])+([GlobalCostParam2]*[TotalTime]*[NumMasterParts]) +([GlobalCostParam3]*[PierceCount]*[NumParts]))/([NumParts]) l When Global + Machine are selected the cutting cost is defined as: l ((([MachineCostParam1]+[GlobalCostParam1])*[NumParts]*[CutLength])+ (([MachineCostParam2]+[GlobalCostParam2])*[TotalTime] *[NumMasterParts])+([MachineCostParam3]+[GlobalCostParam3])*[PierceCount] *[NumParts]))/([NumParts]) l When Global + Machine + Detail are selected the cutting cost is defined as: ((([CostParam1]+[MachineCostParam1]+[GlobalCostParam1]) *[NumParts]*[CutLength])+(([CostParam2]+[MachineCostParam2]+[GlobalCostParam2]) *[TotalTime]*[NumMasterParts])+(([CostParam3]+[MachineCostParam3]+ [GlobalCostParam3])*[PierceCount]*[NumParts]))/([NumParts]) Scrap / Yield Calculations
l

Scrap Percentage Calculation (((Nest or Sheet Area of the parts) / Nest or Sheet Area) * 100) Yield Calculation 100% - True Scrape Rectangular Yield Calculation 100% - Rect Scrape

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Tools & Help

Machine Tab
Machine Parameters tab, under Technology Setup machine displays machine information, including the post and technology file names. The machines are listed in the panel on the left side of the dialogue. Under each machine is the following tabs, each displaying different sets of parameter tables that can be added to or edited. Task Parameters (See page 442) Technology Set-up (See page 443) Lead- in Lookup (See page 444) Tabbing Look-up (See page 447) Interference Look-up (See page 450)

To edit the information or image for a machine 1. Select the machine from the list to display the current information and image. 2. Right-click the machine image window and select Edit machine to display an Edit machine dialog. 3. Select the machine type and model from the drop down menu. 4. Select image to open a browser in which to search for an image. 5. Select Ok to save the changes and close the dialog or Cancel to close without saving changes.

Task Parameters
Task Parameters tab displays a table of tasks assigned to a selected machine. The fields in the table will vary depending on the machine. Add : Select Add to display the Lead-in Editor dialog. Enter the appropriate information in the fields below.Select Ok to save the changes and close the dialog or Cancel to close without saving changes. Material : Enter the material type for the nesting. Thickness: Specify the thickness of the material used for the nest. Length: Specify the length of the sheet. The value is ignored if a sheet from the stock control system or a remnant is used. Width: Specify the width of the sheet. As with the previous option, the value is ignored if a sheet from the stock control system or a remnant is used. Clearance: This is the distance between the parts. When entering the nesting clearance, the system is satisfied within approximately plus or minus 20% of the value defined.

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Tools & Help Edge Distance: The edge distance is a border around the sheet in which no parts are nested. If a dead zone is specified in the machine setup, then the top or bottom takes the larger of the two values, depending upon where the zero position is set. Pre- pierce Diameter: Pre Pierce Diameter is available only when Yes is selected in the Check Pre Pierce Box. Punch tool or drill size. Edit: To edit a row, double-click on row or highlight the row and select the Edit button to open the task parameters dialog. The fields listed above, under Add , can be edited, with the exception of the material. Delete: Select to delete highlighted row. Edit Material: Select Edit Materials to open the task parameters' Material Editor. Combine Material : Select to combine the highlighted materials into one. Split Material: Select to split the combined material into individual materials. Delete Material: Select to delete material. Add Material: Select to add material. Same As: Select to apply the same setting to the highlighted material as defined for the selected material. Select Ok to save the changes and close the dialog or Cancel to close without saving changes.

Technology Set-up
The Technology Set-up section of the Machine tab displays the Material table.The fields in the table will vary depending on the machine. Add : Select Add to display the Lead-in Editor dialog. Edit: To edit a row, double-click on row or highlight the row and select the Edit button to open the task parameters dialog. The fields listed above, under Add , can be edited, with the exception of the material. Delete: Select to delete highlighted row. Edit Material: Select Edit Materials to open the task parameters' Material Editor. Combine Material : Select to combine the highlighted materials into one. Split Material: Select to split the combined material into individual materials. Delete Material: Select to delete material. Add Material: Select to add material. Same As: Select to apply the same setting to the highlighted material as defined for the selected material. Select Ok to save the changes and close the dialog or Cancel to close without saving changes.

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Tools & Help

Lead- in Lookup
The Lead-in Lookup displays the table is used to define the parameters for the lead-in and lead-out of parts for a machine process. The fields in the table will vary depending on the machine. Add : Select Add to display the Lead-in Editor dialog. Edit: Select to display the Lead-in Editor (See page 444) and edit highlighted row. HDX lead-ins can also be created and edited in the Lead-in Editor. Edit: To edit a row, double-click on row or highlight the row and select the Edit button to open the task parameters dialog. The fields listed above, under Add , can be edited, with the exception of the material. Delete: Select to delete highlighted row. Edit Material: Select Edit Materials to open the task parameters' Material Editor. Combine Material : Select to combine the highlighted materials into one. Split Material: Select to split the combined material into individual materials. Delete Material: Select to delete material. Add Material: Select to add material. Same As: Select to apply the same setting to the highlighted material as defined for the selected material. Select Ok to save the changes and close the dialog or Cancel to close without saving changes.

Select Ok to save the changes and close the dialog or Cancel to close without saving changes.

Lead-in Editor
Main Tab : The lead-in fields below can be edited under this tab. Side Panel: The side panel listed info on the machine, process name, material and, thickness. Lead-in Settings: The fields below for the lead-in settings for the internal and external edge leadins and the internal and external center lead-ins can be edited under this tab. Gap Size: Enter the gap size, path distance, between the lead-in and lead-out. A negative gap size crosses over the lead-in position, creating overlap cutting. A positive gap size causes the lead-out to occur before the lead-in position. This can help to avoid an undercut "nick" in the part, as may occur with plasma cutters. Lead-in Position: The default lead-in position is "Do not Change". Once a position is selected the next time lead-in parameters dialog is opened the lead-in position is set to the default. The lead-in position may have one of the following values: Right Bottom: Places the lead-in at the bottom of the right most protrusion of the part.

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Tools & Help Right Middle: Places the lead-in at the middle of the right most protrusion of the part. Right Top : Places the lead-in at the top of the right most protrusion of the part. Left Bottom: Places the lead-in at the bottom of the left most protrusion of the part. Left Middle: Places the lead-in at the middle of the left most protrusion of the part. Left Top : Places the lead-in at the top of the left most protrusion of the part. Bottom Right: Places the lead-in at the right of the bottom most protrusion of the part. Bottom Middle: Places the lead-in at the middle of the bottom most protrusion of the part. Bottom Left: Places the lead-in at the bottom of the left most protrusion of the part. Top Right: Places the lead-in at the right of the topmost protrusion of the part. Top Middle: Places the lead-in at the middle of the topmost protrusion of the part. Top Left: Places the lead-in at the left of the topmost protrusion of the part. Longest: Places the lead-in on the longest entity of the part. Auto Select: Places the lead-in at the best possible position. Lead-in Lead-out Center Lead-in Center Lead-out HDX Tab : The fields below for the internal HDX lead-in can be edited under this tab. Gap Size: Enter the gap size, path distance, between the lead-in and lead-out. A negative gap size crosses over the lead-in position, creating overlap cutting. A positive gap size causes the lead-out to occur before the lead-in position. This can help to avoid an undercut "nick" in the part, as may occur with plasma cutters. Diameter Center Lead-in Center Lead-out Cancel (HDX): Select to close the HDX tab without saving changes Add : Select to add the HDX lead-in.

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Tools & Help HDX (See page 446) is for internal contours only.

HDX
HDX manipulates the cutting parameters and lead-ins/outs to create small hole sin Carbon steel (MS,A36..) 0.25, 0.375, 0.5 , 0.75 & 1 plate. HDX requires SigmaNEST, version 9.1 or later, an advanced Plasma post, a Burny controller with an Auto Gas console, INova Height Control and Advance Command messaging. Lead-ins: HDX lead-ins are applied automatically to qualifying contours if the HDX check box on the part dialog is checked. HDX lead-ins are defined by a diameter and lead-in / out values. The diameter refers to the hole size that this lead-in can be applied to. For example: If there are two HDX lead-ins defined as 0.25 and 0.5 diameter, all holes up to a 0.499 diameter will have a 0.25 diameter HDX leadin; holes between 0.5 and 1.5 diameter will have a 0.5 HDX lead-in. Create HDX Lead-ins 1. 2. 3. 4. Open Technology Set-up, located on the Tools ribbon. Select the machine from the list in the left side panel. Select Lead-in Look-up . Select Customize from any of the drop-down menus on the column headings.? 5. Select OK to close the dialog. 6. Select Customize from the bar on the bottom.? The Filter Builder dialog is displayed. 7. From the list of available internal lead-ins double click the internal lead- in for the material and thickness that a HDX must be added for 8. Select the HDX tab. 9. Enter the parameters in the HDX box on the bottom right. Import Lead-ins as a batch: HDX lead-ins can be created by importing a CVS file, with the required settings as a batch. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Open Technology Set-up, located on the Tools ribbon. Select the machine from the list in the left side panel. Select Lead-in Look-up . Select Import HDX. Select the file to import.

HDX lead-ins cannot be changed in the Edit Part dialog. It must be done in technology setup.

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Tools & Help

Tabbing Look-up
The Tabbing Lookup table defines tabs for the process type. The following parameters are obtained from the post file. Tabbing parameters can be edited from this table dialog.The fields in the table will vary depending on the machine. Material:The material type. Thickness: The material thickness. Tab Type: The tab type determines how the tabs are placed on the part. Select one of the following values from the drop down list: Number Tab : Number tab type designates the number of tabs placed around the perimeter of the part. Tab Space: Spacing tab type places the tabs around the perimeter of the part at approximate intervals specified in the Tab Spacing field. Fixed Tab Type:Fixed Tab Type places the tabs at fixed distances from each other(Tab Spacing) and this distance is maintained even when the Move Tabs Away from Corners attribute is set. The whole set of tabs along an entity may be moved to move a tab away from a corner, but the distance between each is maintained. Equal Spacing : Equal Spacing sets the tabs equidistant from one another along each side. Lead-out Tab : Lead-out Tab creates a single tab between lead-in and lead-out. Tab Size: Tab size is the amount of material that is not cut , but is left for the tab. Number of Tabs: This field is available when Number is selected in the Tab Type field. Selected entities have this number of tabs placed on them. Example: If 5 tabs are selected to place on the entity, 5 tabs are evenly spaced on that entity, as determined by the size of the entity and the specified size of the tab. The spacing between the tabs depends on the number of tabs and the length of the entity. Tab Spacing : This field is available when the Tab type is set to Spacing. Tab Spacing specifies the distance apart from each tab. Example: If one inch is specified, the tabs are placed at one inch intervals along the perimeter of the entity. The number of tabs placed depends on the length of the entity and the distance between the tabs. Min Number of Tabs: This is the minimum tabs that will be used for Spacing, Corners, Fixed, and Equal Spacing tab types. Min Tabbed Entity Length: Tabs are not placed on entities that are shorter than this length. Tab Search Percentage: This is the percentage of the tab spacing distance that the tab placement algorithm will use to search forwards or backwards from the nominal distance specified by the tab spacing value in order to find a good tab position.

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Tools & Help For example, if the tab spacing parameter specifies that tabs should be placed 50 units apart and the search percentage is 50 percent, then the tab placement algorithm will use any good tab position between 25 and 75 units from the previous tab. The tab placing algorithm has more flexibility when the tab search percentage is large. Min Internal Tab Area: This value determines if any tabs will be placed on the inside perimeter of an entity where the inside area is greater than the value specified. Min External Tab Area: This value determines if any tabs will be placed on the outside perimeter of an entity where the outside area is greater than the value specified. Tab Part Ends: If this parameter is set to yes then tabs are placed on the ends of the entity according to the Part/Width Length Ratio value. Part Length/Width Ratio : This parameter is active and can be set when the Tab Part Ends parameter is set to yes. Specifying a length/width ratio allows a tab to be placed on the part end. Tab Lines: This parameter allows the tabs to be placed on specific line types. One of the following 4 options may be selected. All lines: This option allows tabs to be placed on all of the line types according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Only horizontal: The horizontal option places the tabs along horizontal sides of the part according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Only vertical: The vertical option places the tabs along vertical sides of the part according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Only horizontal and vertical:This option places tabs along the horizontal and vertical sides of the parts only according to the Tab Type and Spacing selected. Exclude Open Contours: When this parameter is selected tabs are not placed on open line contours. Tab Arcs: Tab Arcs This option places tabs along the arcs according to the specified spacing. Exclude Arcs: This option excludes tabs placed within arcs. Only if Needed : This option overrides tab parameters and places tabs along arcs according to specified spacing. Remove Tabs Do not remove tabs: Tabs will remain.

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Tools & Help Remove Tab : Tabs will be removed. Remove Tab from center: Tabs are removed from the center of parts. Double Tab Remove: Removes the tab in two sequential cuts. Requires an offset value. Remove Tabs from Center with Lead-in: Tabs with lead-ins at the center of parts are removed. Remove Sequence The remove sequence defines the way the tabs are removed from the previous option. By Part: Removes tabs after each part has been cut. By Nest: Removes the tabs from all of the parts after they have been cut. Over Cut: Over cut allows the process to overcut the tabbing for a smoother contour, for laser type machines. Offset: For double tab remove, the offset is the first tab cut, then removes the remaining tab along the contour. usually for router type machines. Move Tabs Away From Corners: If the normal tab spacing algorithm places a tab right next to a corner, the selection of this attribute equalizes the spacing between the tabs, on this edge, to move it away from the corner. Tab Method : Tab methods is one of the following types: Normal:Tab type for normal full depth tab types. 3D Tab : Tab type for router type machines performing partial depth tab types. Micro Tab : Tab type for special laser type machines performing micro weld type tabs. Depth:If the normal tab spacing algorithm places a tab right next to a corner, the selection of this attribute equalizes the spacing between the tabs, on this edge, to move it away from the corner. Tab moves are head-down moves : Select this for tab moves to be head-down moves. Lead-in Length Lead-in Angle Lead-out Lead-out Length Lead-out Angle Add : Select Add to display the Lead-in Editor dialog. Edit: Select to edit highlighted row. Delete: Select to delete highlighted row. Edit Material: Select Edit Materials to open the task parameters' Material Editor. - 449 -

Tools & Help Combine Material : Select to combine the highlighted materials into one. Split Material: Select to split the combined material into individual materials. Delete Material: Select to delete material. Add Material: Select to add material. Same As: Select to apply the same setting to the highlighted material as defined for the selected material. Select Ok to save the changes and close the dialog or Cancel to close without saving changes.

Interference Look-up
Add : Select Add to display the Lead-in Editor dialog. Edit: Select to edit highlighted row. Delete Row : Select to delete highlighted row. Edit Material: Select Edit Materials to group the materials by a set of lead-in/out parameters. The Bevel Material Editor is displayed.

SQL Manager
Select SQL Manager to perform database maintenance. Once the SQL Manager icon is selected a connection dialog is displayed, see the following Connect topic for connecting to the database. Connect: Select to connect to open the SQL Server (See page 451) dialog and a selected database. Exit: Select to exit the SQL manager. Email: Select to email all or selected tables to SigmaTEK for evaluation. Export: Select to export tables and archives to a folder location. A navigator window is displayed to select a location or create a new folder location to export the tables and archives. Import: Select to import a database. A navigator window is displayed to select a database filename to import. Select the file and select open. Execute T-SQL File: Select to execute a SQL query file. A navigator window is displayed to select the SQL file to run. Options: Select to display a options dialog for backing up the database or for importing or exporting as a CSV (Comma Separated Value) file. Select the location and select OK.

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Tools & Help Empty: Select to empty selected or all tables of the selected database. The database can also be emptied. Delete Selected Databases: Select the database and select Delete Selected Database to remove the database from the server.

SQL Server
Select Connect to display the server login information, server name, database, user login. A test connect button is available to allow testing of the connection to the database. The List of SQL Servers is available from the drop down box or can be browsed with the server icon .

Database: The List of Databases is available from the drop down box or can be browsed with the database icon . Security settings are available along with a default user button to set the login and password to the SigmaNEST default user. Security: The login section allows the user to use a user name and password or their windows profile. Login: Enter the name of the user. Password : Enter the user password. Use Windows NT Authentication:Select to allow SQL Manager to use the user window profile for authentication. The logged in user will connect as long as they have administrative rights. The Login and password is not needed when Use Windows NT Authentication is selected. Built-in SigmaNEST User Test Connection: Select to test the connection to the database. If the test connection fails contact your Network Administrator. Cancel: Select to close the SQL Server Login dialog without saving any changes. OK: Select to close the SQL Server Login dialog saving all changes.

User Set-up
Select User Setup to add, edit, remove, and or setup login options. Existing users are listed in the upper left window of the User Setup dialog. The User Setup can be used to define multiple profiles for different machine types.

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Tools & Help Add User: Selecting Add User displays the User Setup dialog. Enter the User Name, Full Name, and check the box for Profile by User Name. Select OK to save the new user or select Cancel to close the Add User dialog without saving any changes. . Edit User: Select Edit User to change user information. OK saves any changes and Cancel closes the dialog without saving any changes. Remove User: Selecting Remove User removes the user from the list. Select OK to permanently remove the user or select Cancel to cancel the user removal. Login As: Select the user from the list and select Login As to change to the selected user login. Login Options:Select from the drop down menu a login option for the user. Use Windows User: Selecting Use Windows User allows SigmaNEST to open up with the window's user login. Ask User Name: This option enables SigmaNEST to prompt for a user login name on startup. Selecting Ask User Name displays a User Login dialog. Select the User Name from the drop down box and select OK. Login as User: Selecting Login as user activates the User Name drop down box. Also select the User name from the list. SigmaNEST opens up in the selected user's login. User Name: Select the User Name when using the above Login as User option, under the Login Options. Cancel: Selecting Cancel closes the User Setup dialog without saving any changes. OK: Selecting OK closes the User Setup dialog saving any changes.

Digitizer
Select Digitizer to display the Digiview dialog. Digiview allows the user to draw geometry for parts from a digitizer device and save the file for importing into SigmaNEST.

File Manager
Select File Manager to open folders to perform file management. Post Folder: Select to open the Post folder to view and handle post files. NC : Select to open the NC folder to view and handle NC files. INI: Select to open the INI folder for to view and handle .INI files. SNDATA Folder: Select to open the SNDATA folder to view and handle program files. - 452 -

Tools & Help

Comms
Comms is used to communicate from SigmaNEST to the cutting machine controller. After selecting Comms, SigmaNEST invokes communication software that allows communication with the machine. SigmaNEST uses the ShopCOMMII.exe program for this purpose. The software name on the System tab, under Config configuration on the Tools & Help ribbon. Different communication software can be used. Depending on the communication software selected, the machine communicates directly or by use of other methods of data transfer, such as PSION organizers. Verify the communication parameters such as baud rate, parity, etc., in the communications program to match the machine communication settings.

Pack and Send

Select to open the Pack and Send utility. Pack and send is used to export SN configurations. Available Configuration package: Displays existing configuration files and the date created. The files can be deleted, saved to a location, or opened for viewing. Select a file from the list and the following functions are enabled. Open Configuration package: Select to open the file to view the unpack options and Configuration Content Package . Save Configuration package: Select to save the configuration file to a location. The file is saved as a zip file. Email Configuration package: Select to email the configuration file using Outlook. Delete Configuration package: Select to delete the selected configuration file from the listing. Create New Configuration package: Select to open the New Configuration Package dialog . Import Configuration package: Select to open a navigator dialog to import SN Config packages. Navigate to the file and select open. The file is displayed in the Pack and Send Configuration Package listing. Close: Select to close the Pack and Send dialog.

Help
SigmaNEST offers a variety of ways to help its users.

Live Update: Live Update is used to update an existing SigmaNEST install. The SIM must be in place during the update procedure. The following steps through the Live Update procedure.

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Tools & Help

Corporate and company firewalls may prevent using live update through the Internet. Check with your system administrator to allow updates over the Internet. 1. Select Live Update from the Tools tab. The SigmaNEST Live Update dialog is displayed with a list of any SigmaNEST installs. 2. Select the SigmaNEST install version to update and select Install Updates. 3. An Upgrade Install Wizard is displayed. Select Next to continue the update. A feature list is displayed along with the file sizes. 4. The files are all selected by default. Update files can be deselected. Verify the disk space needed for the files, at the lower right of the dialog. Select the files to update and select Next. 5. Select Next to Install the updates. A status bar is displayed indicating the progress of the live update. When the live update is complete the dialog is closed. SigmaNEST on the web includes the following:

Contact SigmaTEK: Selecting this option will open up the SigmaNEST.com website's contact page, which lists all of the contacts for our domestic and international offices.

SigmaNEST Community: Selecting this option will open up SigmaNEST's Web Forum. The SigmaNESTWeb Forum is an online discussion site where SigmaNEST users can discuss SigmaNEST tips, tricks.

SigmaNEST Home Page: Selecting this option will open the SigmaNEST.com website.

Web Meeting : Selecting this option will open Ilinc. Technical Support technician will instruct users on this feature when a web meeting has been arranged.

Help Contents: Select to open the help file or click on the arrow to select the Help Contents, Help Index or Tutorials About: Selecting this option will open a box with information on the version of SigmaNEST currently installed, as well as the available modules and memory being used. Welcome Screen: Selecting this option will open up the initial SigmaNEST Welcome screen Latest News: Selecting this option will open up the news section of SigmaNEST.com.

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Tools & Help System Report: The System report displays the details about the computer as well as the installation of SigmaNEST. This can be useful when trouble shooting an issue in SigmaNEST. Crop Sheet (See page 303)

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