CAM Tool: Tangent

This feature allows you to pick on a CAD element and have the tool move tangent to that element and insert the coordinates into the edit window.

If a tool is loaded, when you pick a CAD element, the tool will be drawn with the toolnose tangent to the element and the X and Z coordinates will be inserted onto a new line in the edit window, at the edit cursor position.

Which side of the element that the toolnose is drawn tangent to is determined by which side of the element the element the mouse cursor is on when it is picked.

For a lathe tool, the position and size of the toolnose radius is determined by the input to the dialog box that appears when you save a tool drawing. The tool radius can be temporarily increased or decreased in the Tool Offset dialog box.

Tools With Width

For lathe tools that have a width, like a grooving tool, its usually possible to put the tool tangent to either side of the tool. When Width and Angle are filled out properly in the Tool Nose Info dialog box, you can pick an element tangent to one side or the other side of the tool. If the tool doesn't go tangent to the element in the right way, try holding down the Shift key while picking the element. This reverses the orientation information on the tool and may put the tool the way you are looking for.

If there is no tool loaded, or the toolnose is set for 0,0,0 then the coordinates inserted into the edit window would be the actual point that was picked.

See: Insert XYZ Buttons on how to insert these coordinates into the edit window and Tool Offset for adding a tool radius offset.

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