Alphacam V7.5 Release Notes - Build 7.5.0.106
Other Sections
V7.5 Release Notes
General Release Notes
Build 7.5.1.165 (Maintenance Release)
Build 7.5.1.158 (General Release)
Build 7.5.0.140 (Distributed Beta Release)
Alphawindoor 2.0 Release Notes
Build 7.5.0.106 (Internal Beta Release)
Some items were implemented in later versions of V7
General 15
Clamps and Fixtures. 15
Constraints. 16
Router and Stone. 16
Stone. 16
Lathe. 16
API/Development
Nesting: 7.5.0.100
Parametric: 7.5.0.105
STL Input: 7.5.0.100
Solid Model Feature Extraction: 7.5.0.100
General
- New: Alphacam drawing files can now be saved as the previous two versions (e.g., V7 and V6)
- New: Customer name (from license) now stored within drawing file (version 1.37)
- New: Edit Feed Rate item added to the Element right-click menu within the Project Manager
- Updated: AutoCAD 2007/2008 DWG file compatibility
- Changed: Project Manager items no longer bold
- Enhanced: 3D machining now uses a separate thread for machining, this allows for graphics to be zoomed and rotated while tool paths are generated
- Enhanced: Machining styles created from locked operation create locked tool paths
- Enhanced: OpenGL Quick-Shading graphics made compatible with Windows Vista Aero interface
- Enhanced: Improved line/surface intersection with trimmed surfaces
- Enhanced: Attribute display in Properties window sorted on name
- Enhanced: InputSTL - Read (and warn about) incomplete STL files
- Fixed: Incorrect result on wrapping 3D Engrave tool paths to surface as non 2D
- Fixed: CPX CPY CPZ bad values on 3D lead-out
- Fixed: Mouse wheel now works when requesting coordinates for a point, was previously working only if snap was used
- Fixed: Issue with Material Top and Bottom values being disabled during Z Contour Roughing of solid or surface
- Fixed: Snap to geometry with Z levels now takes the top or bottom Z level into account
- Fixed: Join with very small polylines
- Fixed: Join with very small elements
- Fixed: Bugs with Auto Z Rough/Finish > Open Geos > By Zone > Bi-Directional or not
- Fixed: On Edit Geo Z Point by Point, if no Element Z levels are set, no attributes are attached
- Fixed: Geometries are now deselected after Auto Z Rough/Finish and helical used with element Z levels
- Fixed: Crash upon Helical Interpolation selection when manifest file is used
- Fixed: Incorrect tool path level with Auto Z Rough/Finish > Helical > Lead-In/Out > Edit Op > turn off Helical
- Fixed: Incorrect machining after Start Point change on geometry with element Z levels
- Fixed: Issue with Edit Z Point by Point on path in developed work plane
- Fixed: Incorrect pocketing when using Take Account Previous Machining and multiple geometries
- Fixed: Incorrect rounded corners when applying 3D Engrave when XY Corners is set to Straight
- Fixed: Crash when using the New Window command from the View menu
Clamps and Fixtures
- Enhanced: Shading refresh is now quicker
- Enhanced: Clamp commands added to Project Manager (via right-click menu)
- Enhanced: New Assign Additional Geometries added to Clamp right-click menu and API
- Fixed: Clamp IDs (including parents) are now updated on File Insert or upon Copy/Rotate/Repeat
- Fixed: When doing interference check while moving, Z level is now taken into account
- Fixed: Moved clamps cannot be selected during Copy/Move command
Constraints
- New: Constraints | Create Element Set command
- New: Constraints | Show All Parameters command
- New: Constraints | Show All Equations command
- Enhanced: Improved Project Manager page interface
- Enhanced: Improved stability
Router and Stone
- New: Machine | Saw command added to modules Standard and above
- Advanced modules contain additional option to set the saw tilt angle
- Saw paths can be nested
- New: Machine | Set Element Saw Angle command added to Advanced modules
Stone
- Enhanced: Added buttons to Stone Machine button bar
Lathe
- Enhanced: Timeline display in operations Quick Editor uses multi-threading for better response
- Fixed: Incorrect G0 in $27 with DDP from previous operation
- Fixed: Issue with C-axis drilling if only one hole and “Traverse at R-Plane” is selected, the Safe Z would use the wrong coordinates
- Fixed: Operation group being lost when editing milling operations
API/Development
- New Object: VersionInformation
- Property: String (String)
- Property: Major (Long)
- Property: Minor (Long)
- Property: Revision (Long)
- Property: Build (Long)
- New Property: App.AlphacamVersion (VersionInformation)
- The version number passed to InitAlphacamAddIn is frozen at 20070810. Add-in DLLs and VBA projects should use the VersionInformation object if they need to restrict the versions of Alphacam that they can run with. First test that the ApiVersion is >= 20070810, then get the VersionInformation object using the App.AlphacamVersion property. You can either restrict the add-in to work with a particular version by testing the Major and Minor properties, currently 7 and 5 for version 7.5 or test Major * 1000 + Minor * 100 >= 7500. Then if necessary test the build number, which will always increment until the Major or Minor numbers change.
- New Property: App.FileVersion (VersionInformation)
- You can get the version information for loaded DLL, e.g.:
Dim VerInfo As VersionInformation
Set VerInfo = App.FileVersion("feature.dll")
This will get the information for the version of feature.dll which is loaded by Alphacam. A path can be specified if to get information about a DLL that is not loaded by Alphacam.
- New: Saw components (Router and Stone)
- Function: MillData.Saw (Paths)
- Enum: AcamSawCornerType
- Enum: AcamSawHeadPosition
- Property: MillData.SawInternalCorners (AcamSawCornerType)
- Property: MillData.SawExternalCorners (AcamSawCornerType)
- Property: MillData.SawHeadPosition (AcamSawHeadPosition)
- Property: MillData.SawInternalCornerDistance (Double)
- Property: MillData.SawExternalCornerDistance (Double)
- Property: MillData.SawAngle (Double)
- Property: MillData.SawResetElementAngles (Boolean)
- Property: Element.SawAngle (Double)
- Enum Member: AcamProcessType.acamProcessCUT_WITH_SAW
- Function: Path.GetSawNestPath (Path)
- Function: Path.GetSawPlacePath (Path)
- Function: Paths.GetSawNestPaths (Paths)
- Function: Paths.GetSawPlacePaths (Paths)
- New Procedure: Path.SaveForUndoAdded
- New Procedure: Paths.GetExtentXYG
- New Function: Path.GetFeedExtentXYG (Boolean)
- New Enum Member: AcamProcessType.acamProcessCUT_TWO_GEOS
- New Procedure: Clamp.AssignAdditionalGeometry
- New Property: Layer.Drawing
- New Property: Spline.Drawing
- New Property: Surface.Drawing
- New Property: Workplane.Drawing
- New Event: BeforeCutBetweenTwoGeometries
- New Event: AfterCutBetweenTwoGeometries
- New Property: TurnData.LiftOff
- New Property: TurnData.RetractAmount
- New Property: TurnData.RoughMethod
- New Property: TurnData.ToolCanReEnterProfile
- New Property: TurnData.PartOffSpeedPerCent
- New Property: TurnData.PartOffUsePartCatcher
- Fixed: BeforeSelectTool event wasn't being called in Lathe
- Changed: Drawing.StartDrawToQuick, Drawing.DrawToQuick, Drawing.FinishDrawToQuick now use OpenGL display list in shaded modes.
- Changed: DrawTo uses OpenGL with no display list and will be very slow for multiple points. Drawing.StartDrawToQuick, Drawing.DrawToQuick, Drawing.FinishDrawToQuick should be used instead.
- Changed: An add-in DLL can now specify that another add-in DLL must be loaded before this one. For example, AcamNest.dll must be loaded before AdvNest.dll, so AdvNest exports the following function:
ACAMAPIFUN(BSTR) GetDependencies()
{
AFX_MANAGE_STATE(AfxGetStaticModuleState());
CString str("AcamNest.dll");
return str.AllocSysString();
}
Alphacam will look in the registry for DLLs to load in the same way as before, starting with…
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LicomSystems\aroutaps\Applications7500
…where "aroutaps" is replaced by the name of the equivalent pre-V7.5 executable.
Note that on 64bit XP or Vista the 32bit node must be used, either by running RegEdit.exe and going to…
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node
…or by running…
%systemroot%\syswow64\regedit
…using the Start | Run box.
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