Stripping Knives

  Edit Bar controls: Knife, Mode, Interactive, Angle vertical, Offset, Offset vertical, Infer along, Infer horizontal, Settings, Cut palettes.

This tool allows you to add strip knives relative to the design or sheet extents of the current layer to separate the waste board.

The tool supports the creation of T , L or straight perimeter strip knives. The placement of the strip knives can be dependent on a number of factors including how the waste is being removed and if there is a blanking unit.

Settings  - lists the predefined settings for the stripping knives.

Cut palettes  - lists the cut palette settings. Only the palettes specified in the setting will be used to calculate the design extents and are available for being snapped to; typically this will be set to cut type entities only.

Angle Vertical  - stripping knives are created at 0, 90, 180, 270 or 360 degrees only. If the entity chosen is an arc or a line not at 0, 90, 180, 270 or 360 degrees, then the direction of the strip knife will be dependent upon this option. If checked, the strip knife will be vertical, if not checked, the strip knife will be horizontal.

Strip Knife  - with this option enabled you can select stripping knives as well as normal cut entities. This option is only available when using Gutter mode.

Infer along  - infer along instructs the tool to check for the same configuration of entities and blocks along the same vertical or horizontal axes and automatically place strip knives at these points.

Infer horizontal - infer horizontal is only applicable to external horizontal strip knives (i.e. when the Knife option is set to Perimeter). When adding horizontal strip knives this option allows you to add strip knives in line to the side lay and off lay at the Y point specified.

Knife - lists the waste area the strip knife is to be applied to. From the list select the option required, this will then populate the Mode list.

Gutter - this option allows you to place a strip knife between two cut entities

Internal knife - this option can be used to create a grid of strip knives in a large internal waste area.

Perimeter - this option is used to apply strip knives relative to the outside waste extending out from the design/cut extents of the drawing to the sheet or dieboard extents.

Perimeter slot - this option is used to create a U or L type stripping knife enclosing a slot waste area.

Mode  - the options listed here are dependent upon the Knife option selected; see Creating strip knives below.

Creating strip knives

First select the Strip knife setting and Cut palette settings.

Gutter

To create a gutter strip set Knife  to Gutter and then select the Mode  for creation:

Offset from end

This mode allows you to place a gutter strip knife Offset  by the specified amount from the end of a picked entity.

Offset vertical / offset horizontal  - if this option is enabled the offset distance will be relative the vertical/horizontal axis, otherwise it will be applied along the length of the picked entity.

To create the strip knife define the offset distance and pick the entity close to the end and side you want the strip knife to be created. The strip knife will extend to the next cut entity.

Offset from entity

This mode will create a gutter strip knife Offset  by the specified amount to the side of the picked projecting between two cut knife entities. The picked entity must be horizontal or vertical.

To create the strip knife define the Offset  value and the Number  of knives to create at the defined offset value, then pick the entity from which to create the new strip knife ensuring your cursor is to the side the knife is required.

Snapped point

This mode will create a gutter strip knife at the snapped point projecting between two cut knife entities. To create the strip knife choose the snap mode and then pick the entity from which to create the new strip knife ensuring your cursor is to the side the knife is required.

Internal knife

To create an internal strip set Knife  to Internal knife and then select the Mode  for creation and then pick a point inside the hole; the entities surrounding the picked hole are highlighted in white. If the area detected is only part of the area you wish to add strip knives to, you can hold the Shift key down while picking additional areas - these will be added to the stripped area. Similarly holding Control down will remove picked areas. This part of the tool is similar to the Hole Finder tool. Once the hole has been identified press the Accept button. Then you can create a pattern of strip knives using any combination of the modes below.

Replicate  - instructs the tool to check for holes of the same configuration of entities and blocks as the hole selected and automatically creates the strip knife geometry.

Rewind  - will delete the last strip knife/knives added

Add strip knives using the modes available; once complete press OK  to create strip knives or Cancel  to cancel the internal knives.

Once the internal shape is complete you can create further copies by checking the option Copy last hole and picking the hole to copy to. You can Mirror or Rotate the original geometry by changing the values on the Edit Bar before accepting the new hole.

Distribute from ends

This mode allows you to add multiple strip knives specifying an initial Offset  from the picked end points and with either a defined Separation distance or the Number  of strip knives.

Offset vertical / offset horizontal  - if this option is enabled the offset distance will be relative to the vertical/horizontal axis, otherwise it will be applied along the length of the picked entity.

Set the edit bar options and then pick the two end points between which the strip knives will be created.

Offset from end 

This mode allows you to add strip knives offset from the end of a picked entity.

Offset vertical / offset horizontal  - if this option is enabled the offset distance will be relative the vertical/horizontal axis, otherwise it will be applied along the length of the picked entity.

Set the edit bar options and pick the entity close to the end from which the new entity will be offset.

Offset from entity

This mode allows you to add strip knives Offset  from existing horizontal or vertical entities; you can add multiple strip knives by defining the Number  to create.

Set the Offset value and the Number of strip knives to be added and then pick the entity to create the new entities to be offset from.

Place between

This mode allows you to add multiple strip knives evenly spaced between two existing horizontal or vertical entities.

You can either set the average Separation  value or the Number  of strip knives on the edit bar, then pick the two horizontal or vertical entities to create the new strip knives between.

Snapped point

This mode allows you to add strip knives from a snapped point on an entity.

Change your snap mode as required and snap the point from which to create the new strip knife.

Perimeter

To create a perimeter strip set Knife  to Perimeter and then select the Mode  for creation:

Distribute from ends

This mode allows you to add multiple strip knives specifying an initial Offset  from the picked end points and with either a defined Separation distance or the Number  of strip knives.

Offset vertical / offset horizontal  - if this option is enabled the offset distance will be relative to the vertical/ horizontal axis, otherwise it will be applied along the length of the picked entity.

Set the edit bar options and then pick the two end points between which the strip knives will be created.

Offset from end

This mode allows you to add strip knives offset from the end of a picked entity.

Offset vertical / offset horizontal  - if this option is enabled the offset distance will be relative to the vertical/horizontal axis, otherwise it will be applied along the length of the picked entity.

Set the edit bar options and pick the entity close to the end from which the new entity will be offset.

Offset from entity

This mode allows you to add strip knives Offset  from existing horizontal or vertical entities; you can add multiple strip knives by defining the Number  to create.

Left/Top  - if enabled, the strip knives will be added to the left side (if horizontal) or the top (if vertical), otherwise they will be added to the right or bottom of the design extents.

Set the Offset  value and the Number  of strip knives to be added and then pick the entity from which to create the new offset entities.

Place between

This mode allows you to add multiple strip knives evenly spaced between two existing horizontal or vertical entities.

You can either set the average Separation value or the Number  of strip knives on the edit bar, then pick the two horizontal or vertical entities between which to create the new strip knives.

Snapped point

This mode allows you to add strip knives from a snapped point on an entity.

Change your snap mode as required and snap the point from which to create the new strip knife.

Perimeter slot

To create a perimeter slot strip set Knife  to Perimeter slot and then select the Mode  for creation:

L Style

This mode allows you to place an L shape strip knife between two picked entities so as to enclose a slot waste area.

U Style

This mode allows you to place a U shape strip knife between two picked entities so as to enclose a slot waste area.

Interactive Mode Off, Override Settings Off – Click on 2 knife entities (the cursor is locked to Entity Snap), the respective size of the resulting strip knives are set by the current Strip knife MTS, i.e. they are predefined.

Interactive Mode Off, Override Settings On – Enter override values in the Extension and End Length fields in the Edit bar. Click on 2 knife entities (the cursor is locked to Entity Snap), the respective size of the resulting strip knives are set by the previously entered values.

Interactive Mode On, Override Settings Off - Click on 2 knife entities (the cursor is locked to Entity Snap), after which the cursor will change back to the previously used snap mode (Smart Snap is recommended) and the respective size of the resulting strip knives are set by moving the mouse and reading the cursor feedback until a desired size has been achieved. Click to set.

Interactive Mode On, Override Settings On - Click on 2 knife entities using any snap mode, e.g. End, Mid, On Entity, etc. and the respective size of the resulting strip knives are set by the intersection of the points identified.

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