Working with Figures

Working with Figures in PEPS/Opticam Classic

Working with figures is a core part of using PEPS/Opticam Classic effectively. This guide will walk you through the essential steps involved in figure creation and management:

What This Guide Covers:

1. How to create a figure
2. How to edit a figure
3. How to reassign the start hole or lead-on positions
4. How to explode a figure

What is a Figure?

A figure in PEPS/Opticam Classic consists of three main components:

1. Start Hole – the entry point of the tool
2. Lead-On Position – where the tool begins to engage with the material
3. CAD Geometry – the actual lines and arcs that define the shape to be machined

How to Create a Figure

Once your CAD data is imported, follow these steps to create your first figure:

1. Open the Figure Creation Menu

Navigate to the Preparation tab.

Click on "Profile Figure" to open the figure creation menu.

2. Set the Start Hole

You can either enter coordinates manually or click the >> button to pick a point directly in the viewport.

When defining a specific point like a start-hole or lead-on position, it is useful to use the snapping modes that PEPS offers.

From left to right they are as follows:

1. Endpoint
2. Intersection
   
3. Midpoint (also snaps to the midpoint of a face)
   
4. Center of
   
5. Normal to
   
6. Quadrant
   
7. Auto snap (snaps to point closes to cursor)
   
8. xyz is for defining explicit axis values
   
9. Lastly, the coordinate mode turns off snap mode and allows you to freely pick.
   

3. Set the Lead-On Position

By default, the “Lead on to nearest point” option is enabled.

Uncheck this option if you would prefer to manually define the lead-on location.

4. Set the Lead-Off Position

“Lead off from nearest position” is also checked by default.

Uncheck it to manually specify where the tool should exit and lead-off to.

5. Select Geometry

Click the "Select Lines/Arcs" button.

Manually choose each line or arc that should be included in the figure.

Here is a recording of the figure creation process from start to finish

Make use of the "Chain" Tool
When selecting geometry, it is recommended to use the "chain" tool. This tool will select all other 2D lines connected with the line you select. You can right click one of your lines and select this option.

Assign a Custom Figure Name

The software will automatically assign a name starting with "Fig_000".

When you finish, the menu will reopen, and the next figure will be named "Fig_001", and so on
If you would like to assign a custom name simply begin typing a new name before creating the figure.

Setting Default Options For Figure Creation

When creating a figure, you can customize several default options.

1. Open the Create Figure Window
   Begin by opening the "Create Figure" window from the preparation tab.
2. Access the Options Tab
   In the "Create Figure" window, click on the Options tab. This tab allows you to configure several useful settings.
3. Configure Your Defaults
   Within the Options tab, you can:
   • Assign a Default Prefix: Set a default prefix that will automatically be added to the names of new figures.
   • Choose a Custom Line Color: Specify a default color for figure lines. This can be especially helpful for distinguishing figure lines from standard 2D geometry in your program.
4. Save Your Defaults
   After selecting your preferred settings, you can save them as the default configuration:
   • Click the option to Save as Defaults.
   • If prompted for a password, enter: ketmac
     ("Camtek" spelled backwards).

Your new defaults will now be automatically applied each time you create a new figure.

How to Edit a Figure

If you need to modify the shape or components of an existing figure, you can do so easily using the "Figure Edit Mode".

1. Enter Figure Edit Mode

1. Double-click the figure you want to edit.
   
2. A menu will appear. Select the "Figure Edit" option from this menu.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Alternative Method
3. Go to the Layers/Figures tab.
   
4. Click on the "Figure Edit" button
   

Confirm you are in Edit Mode

1. Look at the command bar at the bottom of your screen.
   
2. In the bottom right corner, you should see a red highlighted aread with the name of the figure you are editing.
   
3. If this is visible. you are in Figure Edit Mode.
   
   
   

2. Make Your Edits

1. You can now modify the individual lines and arcs that make up the figure.
   
2. Use the tools found under the "Modify" and "Draw" tabs on the PEPS toolbar to make your changes.
   

3. Save Your Changes

1. Click the red area in the bottom command bar to exit and save your edits
   
2. Alternatively, go to the Layers/Figures tab and click "Figure End" to finish editing and save.
   

How to Reassign the Start Hole or Lead-On Positions

Occasionally, you may need to reassign the start hole or change the lead-on point of a figure. This can be done quickly using the following steps:

1. Open the Figure Menu
   Double-click on the figure you wish to edit. This will bring up the Figure Menu.

2. Select “Edit Start Hole Position”
   In the Figure Menu, choose the option labeled Edit Start Hole Position.
   
   

3. Redefine Start Hole and Lead-On Point
   A window will appear that resembles the original figure creation dialog.
   Here, you can redefine both the Start Hole and Lead-On Point just as you did when the figure was first created.
   
   
   
   

4. Save Changes
   Once you've made your adjustments, click the Done button.
   Your changes will be saved, and the figure will update accordingly.
   
   Here is a recording that shows how to change the start-hole and lead-on positions
   
   
   
   

How to Explode a Figure

If you need to undo the creation of a figure, you must first explode the figure. This process separates the figure into individual elements and converts it back to 2D line data.

1. Open the Layers/Figures Tab
   Go to the Layers/Figures tab located on the ribbon bar at the top of the screen.

2. Select the "Figure Explode" Command
   In the menu, click on the "Figure Explode" option.
   
   
   
   

3. Confirm the Explosion
   A prompt will appear asking if you want to explode all levels.
   Select "Yes" to proceed.

4. Edit the Lines
   Your figure is now exploded into individual lines. Each line can be selected and edited separately. You can now select new lines to incorporate into your figure and recreate your figure.
   Note that the lines will retain their colors from the figure. 

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