Cadivari 0.3.0 also supports 3D model surface finishing. Use CAM → 3D Model → Surface for a ball-nose raster over the setup body's accessible upper surfaces. It requires pre-roughed stock and currently excludes overhangs and non-flat undersides.
Recommended test
Test the planar and variable-Z workflows separately before combining them in a real job.
- In CAM → Setup, confirm the stock size, thickness, and Safe Z match the real material and clamp arrangement.
- Open Operations, choose Add facing, and select a flat end mill.
- Set Removal, Stepdown, Stepover, and Raster X or Y. Confirm the 2D lanes cover the full stock, including its outside corners.
- Open Simulate. Review every Safe-Z transfer and confirm the cutter-radius overscan cannot reach a clamp or exceed machine travel.
- For the current specialist surface-finishing example, install a Fretboard Designer result in CAD, select it, return to CAM, and choose Surface fretboard.
- Select a ball nose and compare Along versus Across rastering, Stepover, and Finish allowance.
- For a compound-radius board, confirm the animated cutter follows continuously changing Z while remaining vertical.
- Enable a bass-side fallaway and confirm every lane follows its asymmetric top while the opposite edge retains the original symmetric surface.
- Within that specialist example, choose a soundhole-trimmed board end and confirm Across lanes split around the opening while Along lanes stop before it with cutter-radius clearance.
- Save and reopen the project, then preview or export the complete ordered job to verify both operations persist.
01 · PLANAR STOCK PREPARATION
Facing clears the complete stock rectangle
Facing is independent of selected drawing geometry. It starts from the configured stock boundary and creates a serpentine X- or Y-direction raster with explicit removal depth, stepdown, stepover, feed, plunge, and spindle values.
Width extra and Height extra can expand the facing boundary beyond every stock edge for flattening oversized material. Both values are measured per side. The cutter centre also travels one tool radius beyond each raster end so the physical cutter reaches the requested corners instead of leaving a narrow frame. This deliberate overtravel means the real clamps, machine travel, and stock overhang must be checked before export.
02 · SPECIALIST SURFACE FINISHING
The current associative workflow follows a complete physical surface
The first specialist surfacing implementation is available when a placed Fretboard Designer object is selected. It stays linked to that object and resolves the board's flat, constant-radius, or compound-radius crown together with its optional physical Bass- or Treble-side fallaway.
A ball-nose cutter remains vertical while its rounded tip follows variable Z with rounded-tip compensation. Along follows the part length; Across traverses its width. In the fretboard example, a soundhole-trimmed end causes raster lanes to split or stop around an enlarged cutter-safe circular boundary instead of crossing the opening. Stepover controls lane spacing and Finish allowance deliberately leaves material above the modeled surface.
This is surface finishing from above, commonly described as three-axis or 2.5D-plus surface machining. It does not tilt the cutter and does not require a five-axis machine.
03 · SHARED CAM PIPELINE
Preview and export use the same resolved motion
Both operations use the job's stock-top Z0, selected job-zero anchor, Safe Z, cutter assignment, explicit depth order, ordered complete-job animation, automatic preflight, G-code generation, and project save/open validation. The visible 2D lanes, 3D cutter motion, duration estimate, and exported program therefore come from the same deterministic motion plan.
CURRENT SCOPE
Conservative first implementation
- Facing supports rectangular configured stock with a flat end mill.
- Associative variable-Z surfacing supports installed Fretboard Designer geometry. Cadivari 0.3.0 adds the separate model Surface workflow linked above; both require a ball nose.
- Surfacing is a finishing operation. Cadivari 0.3.0 adds layered model roughing as a separate operation; rest machining is not included.
- Arbitrary imported-mesh machining, undercuts, tilted tools, and five-axis motion are not supported.
- Clamp, fixture, holder, and machine-envelope collision geometry is not modeled.
- All cutter, feed, plunge, stepover, stepdown, allowance, and Safe-Z values must be verified against the real tool, material, machine, and workholding.