If your production is using CNC milling machines, you will probably have to prepare the outlines of parts before exporting to a CAM program. It is not enough to make flat shots from 3D solids, you  also need to remove the overlaying lines and intersections, convert splines to arcs, close polylines to loops, assign the right layers according to the type of process. All this work can be done by regular means with Autodesk® AutoCAD®. But it takes longer and you can see a lot of mistakes. To speed up the process, making loops are commands from this plugin.

The program can:

• Make flat shots from 3D Solids without any question.
• Distribute the lines of flatshots in layers (visible and invisible separately).
• Find in a heap of lines the contours of parts, choose the maximum of them and label it as the contours for outside milling.
• Find the maximum closed loop in a set of intersecting lines and arcs.
• Find nested contours and distribute them in layers - for outside and inside milling.
• Close contour of dadoes (grooves, mortises, pocket or rabbets) into the loop using fragments of outside contour of workpiece.
• Generate arc for the circular cutter approach in the internal corner of a workpiece (full cut out of corner).
• Generate a cut out surface at the inner corner of the 3D solid.
• Generate arc to exit milling cutter out of the dado loop on the edge of the details (instead of the usual stretching dado loops).
• Check that the cutter given diameter will pass dado, automatically extend the dado loop.
• Convert splines and ellipses to lines and arcs with a given tolerance (the maximum deviation from the original curve).
• Project 3D splines and 3D polyline on the XY plane for conversion into ordinary polyline.
• Inverting the wrong arc whose Normal Z = -1.
• Work with the “2D polyline” object, which occurs when after the explosion of texts using TXTEXP command.
• Restore the circle from ellipses and splines, when you project cylinder (the hole in the Solid) crookedly.
• Optimize the number of polyline segments and remove the extra line joints.
• Ignore the small occasional gaps.
• Remove the small waste objects.
• Delete lines superimposed one on top of another or which are too close.
• Filter selected lines, ignoring the invisible and auxiliary by layer and line type.
• Set up tolerances, both in size and in angle.
• Enable or disable management of layers.
• Specify the diameter of the holes in the name of drilling layer (for diameters no longer cutter).
• Specify the desired depth in the name of dado or pocket layer (As indicated in the settings).

The following program version is being developed to full automation of processing circuits for Solids - indicating the milling depth, slopes saw blade dimensions and size dimensions. Program updates are free of charge.

This program does not replace the CAM-program. It does not create G-codes and it does not contain a nesting module for lay out details on a sheet. The program has a different task - to prepare accurate DWG-circuits for export; for the technologist to easily make 2D processing programs with any CAM program. 

According to your request I can optimize the command for the standards of your company. Offer your price.

Download:

App provides to you 7-days full-functional trial. You can get the latest version from my site in folder "PLUG-INS". You can find drawings for test program in a folder "Example DWG".

Activation:

For activation you must donate $100. After payment in activation window you must enter your email and press "Repeat request" button. I will send you activation code as soon as possible. You are required to activate within 7 days after installation..

Compatibility:

Plugin compatible with Autodesk® AutoCAD® 2012–2018 x32 and x64. Tested on Autodesk® AutoCAD®, Autodesk® AutoCAD® Mechanical®, but all other verticals should work. There is full English and Russian localization. Names of options, layers and line types compatibility to German and Italianlocalization. If you want to translate program into your language, I will help you free of charge.

Special thanks:

This program is based on the code writing Sergey Donskov.