Recommended test
Use a known rectangle and the default 6 mm cutter.
- In CAD, draw a rectangle and set X 50, Y 50, W 100, H 60 mm.
- Switch to CAM. Confirm the tool diameter is 6.000 mm.
- Choose Add contour, press P, or select Contour in the left rail. Before selecting geometry, only the borderless amber Select a rectangle on the canvas or in Objects. instruction should appear, with clear space before the action buttons.
- Confirm Contour uses the contour-and-cutter symbol rather than a scissors icon in the rail, operation summary, setup card, and status bar.
- Click the rectangle. A gold provisional preview should appear. The border-only setup card should use a clean dashed-leader list with no dark inner panel, report Outside and 3.000 mm compensation, and leave clear space before the action buttons.
- Confirm the contour title has its own line above the path and the W 100.0 mm and H 60.0 mm labels are clear inside the rectangle.
- Before creation, change Cut depth, Stepdown, Feed, Plunge, Spindle, Direction, Entry, and Holding Tabs. Confirm pass count, final Z, tab markers, travel caret, and validation update immediately without adding an operation.
- Confirm the translucent band represents the 6 mm cutter and the dashed line is its centre path. Restore suitable values and choose Create outside contour.
- The preview should turn green and an Outside contour 1 row should appear under Operations. Its Entry, Depth, Cutting, and Holding Tabs values should use the same single-column dashed-leader input lists as the creation draft.
- Set stock width to 150 mm. The CAD rectangle still ends at 150 mm, but the cutter centre reaches 153 mm, so the contour must show a warning. Restore the stock width.
- Change the cutter to 8 mm. The compensation should update to 4 mm. Undo to restore the 6 mm path.
- Remove the contour, then undo. The complete operation and preview should return.
01 · SELECT
Configure before creating
Enter Contour mode from the left rail, the Operations panel, or P. Click one rectangle on the canvas or choose it from Objects. Cadivari opens an editable draft for depth, cutting values, entry, and basic holding tabs while keeping source dimensions, cutter diameter, and compensation derived and read-only.
Every draft edit rebuilds the provisional 2D path, depth count, tab placement, start direction, and motion checks without touching project history. The Create button is enabled only when the tool, stock fit, depth, cutting values, tabs, start point, and entry motion are valid. Creating the operation stores the reviewed draft as one undoable document command.
02 · INSPECT
Read the cutter preview
03 · GEOMETRY
Why the path is 3 mm outside
A 6 mm flat end mill has a 3 mm radius. To leave the source rectangle at its drawn size, the cutter centre travels 3 mm outside each edge. The four transitions are radius-sized arcs around the rectangle corners, producing one continuous tool-centre loop.
The CAD Offset tool creates a new drawing shape. Rectangle Contour keeps the original CAD boundary and derives cutter compensation from the operation’s stored tool.
04 · UPDATES
The operation remains linked
The contour stores the source rectangle and tool identifiers rather than a fragile copy of path points. Edit the rectangle in CAD or change the cutter diameter and the CAM preview is recalculated. Shrinking the stock can turn a formerly valid operation into a visible warning.
Deleting the source rectangle also removes its contour in the same history command. Undo restores both.
CURRENT SCOPE
A guarded rectangle workflow
- This tool creates Outside rectangles; general closed paths provide separate Outside/Inside placement
- Motion Plan v3 adds configurable path-ramp or plunge entry, pass linking, and exact tab lifts and lowers
- No separate lead-in or lead-out
- No material simulation, clamp checking, or collision checking
- Local NC Export supports this verified rectangle workflow