Managing Geometry with User Machining Features

Machining	3 Axis Surface Machining	Managing Geometry with User Machining Features Customize the geometry tab page of a surface machining operation with user machining features
Use Case

Abstract

This article discusses the CAASmiUserOperationWithUserMF use case. It explains how to customize the default geometry tab page of a surface machining operation to be able to select geometry through an user machining feature's geometry attribute.

This paper accompanies the first scenario of Surface Machining Operation Sample [1].

What You Will Learn With This Use Case
The CAASmiUserOperationWithUserMF Use Case
Step-by-Step
In Short
References

What You Will Learn With This Use Case

This use case is intended to help you to manage geometry of a surface machining operation with a machining feature geometry attribute.

More specifically, the CAASmiUserOperationWithUserMF Use Case shows how to:

Overload the geometry tab page of a surface machining operation.
Create a new machining feature.
Connect a machining feature with a surface machining operation.
Manage geometry selection of surface machining geometry attributes.

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The CAASmiUserOperationWithUserMF Use Case

CAASmiUserOperationWithUserMF is a use case of the CAASurfaceMachiningItf.edu framework that illustrates Surface Machining capabilities. It is a part of the sample described in the technical article [1].

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What Does CAASmiUserOperationWithUserMF Do

This use case customizes the default geometry tab page of CAASmgOperation.

CAASmgOperation is associated with a new machining feature: CAASmgMachiningFeature.

CAASmgMachiningFeature has a geometry attribute : CAASmgGuide. This parameter can support manufacturing geometries or nc geometry features.

The geometry management is done by several functionalities:

Description of functionalities illustrated:

Select a curve : select an edge with the edge selection toolbar.
Select a set of curves : select a NC Geometry Feature of edges.
Remove all : remove selection.
Add a empty set : create an empty NC Geometry Feature of edges.
Export curves in a new set : create an NC Geometry Feature with the edges previously selected.

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How to Launch CAASmiUserOperationWithUserMF

This use case is a part of Surface Machining Operation Sample [1]. You should build all the modules of this sample at a time to be able to launch it [2].

Don't forget to edit the interface dictionary located in:

Windows	`InstallRootDirectory\CAASurfaceMachiningItf.edu\CNext\code\dictionary\`
Unix	`InstallRootDirectory/CAASurfaceMachiningItf.edu/CNext/code/dictionary/`

where InstallRootDirectory is the directory where the CAA CD-ROM is installed, and uncomment the appropriate lines by removing the '#' character.

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Where to Find the CAASmiUserOperationWithUserMF Code

This use case is made of source files located in the CAASmiUserOperationGeomUI.m module of the CAASurfaceMachiningItf.edu framework :

Windows	`InstallRootDirectory\CAASurfaceMachiningItf.edu\CAASmiUserOperationGeomUI.m`
Unix	`InstallRootDirectory/CAASurfaceMachiningItf.edu/CAASmiUserOperationGeomUI.m`

where InstallRootDirectory is the directory where the CAA CD-ROM is installed.

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Step-by-Step

CAASmiUserOperationWithUserMF is divided into the following steps:

Implementing CATIMfgGeometryActivity:
Creating the geometry dialog frame:

We now comment each of those sections by looking at the code.

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Declaring CATIMfgGeometryActivity Implementation

To overload the geometry tab page, we should create an extension class that will implement CATIMfgGeometryActivity:

  ...
  // Tie the implementation to its interface
  #include "TIE_CATIMfgGeometryActivity.h"
  TIE_CATIMfgGeometryActivity( CAAESmiUserOperationGeometryEditor);
  ...

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Coding GetMainPanelEditor

In GetMainPanelEditor, we create a new CAASmgMachiningFeature and we associate it with CAASmgOperation. Then we call the geometry dialog frame described below.

  ...
  // Associates a machining feature
  CATIMfgActivity * pActivity = NULL;
  oRC = QueryInterface(IID_CATIMfgActivity, (void**) &pActivity);
  if (SUCCEEDED(oRC))
  {
    spMachFeature = pActivity->GetFeature(); 
    if (NULL_var == spMachFeature)
    {
      // Create a user machining feature
      oRC = CreateCAAMachiningFeature(spMachFeature);
      if (SUCCEEDED(oRC))
      {
        // Link the machining feature to the activity
        pActivity->SetFeature(spMachFeature);
      }
    }
    pActivity->Release();
    pActivity = NULL;
  }

  // Creates the frame
  oFrame = new CAASmiUserOperationGeometryPanel(iFather,spMachFeature);
  ...

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Creating a New Machining Feature CAASmgMachiningFeature

The CreateCAAMachiningFeature method is used to create CAASmgMachiningFeature.

At first, we retrieve the startup of CAASmgMachiningFeature from the catalog generated by CAASmiUserMachFeatureCatalog.m module.

  ...
  // Loads catalog	  
  CATUnicodeString CatalogFeature ("CAAUserMachiningFeatures.CATfct");	
  CATUnicodeString ClientID ("CAAManufacturing");

  CATICatalog * pCatalogCont = NULL;
  oRC = ::AccessCatalog (&CatalogFeature,&ClientID,spFeatCont,&pCatalogCont);
  if (pCatalogCont == NULL) return oRC;

  // Retrieves startup from catalog	  
  CATBaseUnknown * pNewSUFeat = NULL;
  CATUnicodeString NewSUFeatType("CAASmgMachiningFeature");
  oRC = pCatalogCont->RetrieveSU(&pNewSUFeat,&NewSUFeatType,"CATISpecObject");
  if (FAILED(oRC)) return oRC;
  ...

Then, we instanciate CAASmgMachiningFeature and we add the CAASmgGuide attribute with the AddNcGeometryParameter method of CATISmgNcGeometryManager. This method adds a geometry attribute which support standard geometries or nc geometry features.

  ...
  // Creates the machining feature (associated in Catalog)	  
  if (pNewSUFeat)
  {
    CATISpecObject * pSpecSUFeat = NULL;
    oRC = pNewSUFeat->QueryInterface(IID_CATISpecObject, (void**) &pSpecSUFeat);
    if (SUCCEEDED(oRC))
    {
      oFeature = pSpecSUFeat->Instanciate("",spFeatCont);

      // Adds a geometric parameter "CAASmgGuide"
      if (!!oFeature)
      {
        CATISmgNcGeometryManager * pSmgManager = NULL;
        oRC = oFeature->QueryInterface(IID_CATISmgNcGeometryManager, (void**) &pSmgManager);
        if (SUCCEEDED(oRC))
        {
          oRC = pSmgManager->AddNcGeometryParameter("CAASmgGuide",SmgEdgeType);

          pSmgManager->Release();
          pSmgManager = NULL;
        }
      } 
  ...

Finally, we add our feature in the Manufacturing Container.

  ...	
  // Adds the feature in the MfgView
  SEQUENCE(CATBaseUnknown_ptr) ListOfMfgView = spFeatCont->ListMembers(CATIMfgViewAccess::ClassName());
  int NbMfgView = ListOfMfgView.length();
  if (NbMfgView)
  {
    CATBaseUnknown * pBaseView = ListOfMfgView[NbMfgView - 1];
    if (pBaseView)
    {
      CATIMfgViewAccess * pMfgView = NULL;
      oRC = pBaseView->QueryInterface(IID_CATIMfgViewAccess, (void**) &pMfgView);
      if (SUCCEEDED(oRC))
      {
        pMfgView->AddFeature(oFeature);
        pMfgView->Release();
        pMfgView = NULL;
      }
    pBaseView->Release();
  } 
  ...

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Geometry Management: Coding SelectCurve

In CAASmiUserOperationGeometryPanel class, SelectCurve is called whenever the user clicks on "Select a curve" button. It calls the CAASmiUserOperationGeometrySelCom command that manages the selection of standard geometries (edge or curve).

  ...
  // Sends Selection command
  new CAASmiUserOperationGeometrySelCom (this,_spGuide);
  ...

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Geometry Management: Coding SelectZone

In CAASmiUserOperationGeometryPanel class, SelectZone is called whenever the user clicks on "Select a set of curves" button. It activates the standard dialog editor of NC Geometry Features management via the CATIEdit interface.

  ...
  CATIEdit * pEdit = NULL;
  HRESULT RC = _spGuide->QueryInterface(IID_CATIEdit, (void**) &pEdit);
  if (SUCCEEDED(RC))
  {
    // For zone management
    pEdit->Activate(NULL);
    pEdit->Release();
    pEdit = NULL;
  }
  ...

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Geometry Management: Coding RemoveAll

In CAASmiUserOperationGeometryPanel class, RemoveAll is called whenever the user clicks on "Remove all" button. It uses the RemoveAll method of CATISmgNcGeometryParameter interface.

 ...
  CATISmgNcGeometryParameter * pSmgParameter = NULL;
  HRESULT RC = _spGuide->QueryInterface(IID_CATISmgNcGeometryParameter, (void**) &pSmgParameter);
  if (SUCCEEDED(RC))
  {
    pSmgParameter->RemoveAll();
    pSmgParameter->Release();
    pSmgParameter = NULL;
  }
  ...

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Geometry Management: Coding NewZone

In CAASmiUserOperationGeometryPanel class, NewZone is called whenever the user clicks on "Add a empty set" button. A Nc Geometry Feature is created by the CreateNcGeometryFeature method of CATISmgFactory. The Nc Geometry Feature is added with Add method of CATISmgNcGeometryParameter.

  ...
  // Creates a empty zone
  CATISmgFactory * pSmgFactory = NULL;
  HRESULT RC = spFeatCont->QueryInterface(IID_CATISmgFactory, (void**)&pSmgFactory);
  if (SUCCEEDED(RC))
  {
    pSmgFactory->CreateNcGeometryFeature(SmgEdgeType,spNcFeature);
    pSmgFactory->Release();
  pSmgFactory = NULL;
  }

  // Adds it in the guide parameter
  if (!!_spGuide && !!spNcFeature)
  {
    CATISmgNcGeometryParameter * pSmgParameter = NULL;
    RC = _spGuide->QueryInterface(IID_CATISmgNcGeometryParameter, (void**) &pSmgParameter);
    if (SUCCEEDED(RC))
    {
      pSmgParameter->Add(spNcFeature);
      pSmgParameter->Release();
      pSmgParameter = NULL;
    }
  }
  ...

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Geometry Management: Coding Export

In CAASmiUserOperationGeometryPanel class, Export is called whenever the user clicks on "Export curves in a new set" button. It uses the Export method of CATISmgNcGeometryParameter interface.

  ...
  CATISmgNcGeometryParameter * pSmgParameter = NULL;
  HRESULT RC = _spGuide->QueryInterface(IID_CATISmgNcGeometryParameter, (void**) &pSmgParameter);
  if (SUCCEEDED(RC))
  {
    pSmgParameter->Export();
    pSmgParameter->Release();
    pSmgParameter = NULL;
  }
  ...

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In Short

This use case has demonstrated how to manage surface machining operation geometry interactive with a geometry attribute of an user machining feature.

It first shows how to implement the CATIMfgGeometryActivity interface to overload default geometry tab page.
Then, it shows how to create its own machining feature with a surface machining geometry attribute.
Finally, it describes geometry management illustrating the use of CATISmgNcGeometryParameter, CATISmgNcGeometryManager and CATISmgFactory interfaces.

We will see now how to compute the tool path of our operation [3].

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References

[1]	Surface Machining Operation Sample Overview
[2]	Building and Launching a CAA V5 Use Case
[3]	Computing a Tool Path with User Machining Features
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History

Version: 1 [Mar 2002]	Document created
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Machining

3 Axis Surface Machining