Working with Operations
- Set your default SketchUp template units to inch or cm before working in MAKE.
- Don't change the units in a SketchUp model after creating MAKE operations.
Video: Selecting The Template
One of the most useful features of MAKE is the ability to attach machining instructions to SketchUp components and export data for CNC machining. MAKE's simple tool set makes it easy to add toolpaths, pockets, contours, saw grooves and drilling to your part and assembly components. Drilling operations for connectors like dowels, cams and bolts can be inherited from part to part. Each operation has a link to instructional videos. A detailed description of the operations attributes is included.
Although there are many ways to embed operations in your parts, the following tree diagram illustrates best practices for adding operations to a part:
MAKE Machining Functions
Video: Attaching Drilling Operations
Drilling Components
The MAKE Component Library has prebuilt components for all basic drilling operations. Adding drilling components using SketchUp's Components dialog is the fastest and easiest way to add drill holes. You can also save parametric groups of drill holes as "Jigs". If you need to create standard parametric drilling patterns see Working with Jigs for more information.
Generate Toolpath
Video: Attaching Milling Operations
Create a toolpath using lines and arcs, but without faces. Select the lines and arcs comprising the toolpath and make them into a component. From the Extensions -> MAKE menu, select Generate Toolpath to open the Generate Toolpath dialog box. Enter the values shown in the dialog. The Depth value must be a negative number. You must enter either a Tool Name or the Tool Diameter.
TIP: You can use the Scale tool to resize toolpaths but be aware that if you scale an arc non-uniformly, the arc will be divided into line segments. When in doubt, draw the toolpath geometry instead of scaling existing toolpaths.
TIP: For the cleanest CNC results always create geometry for toolpaths using lines and arcs. If you have to make an ellipse, you may be able to approximate the ellipse using a small number of arcs, or if you need a true ellipse use the Arcs Circles + extension by D. Bur and set the number of segments to a relatively high number, such as 120. The ellipse will be made up of line segments.
WARNING: Do not mirror a toolpath component using the Scale tool or Flip Along. If you mirror a toolpath the tool compensation and arc directions will be wrong. If you need to mirror a toolpath, copy the original toolpath you want to mirror, paste the new toolpath, then explode it to edges, and then make those edges into a new toolpath component.
Generate Saw Groove
Video: Attaching Milling Operations
Create a saw groove using a single line. After drawing the line select it and make it into a component. From the Extensions -> MAKE menu, select Generate Saw Groove to open the Generate Saw Groove dialog box. Enter the values shown in the dialog. The depth value must be a negative number. You must enter either a Tool Name or the Tool Diameter.
Generate Pocket
Video: Attaching Milling Operations
Create the pocket geometry using a closed entity such as a rectangle or circle, or a closed loop using lines and arcs. After the loop is closed delete the face that was automatically created by SketchUp. Select the geometry comprising the pocket and make it into a component. From the Extensions -> MAKE menu, select Generate Pocket to open the Generate Pocket dialog box. Enter the values shown in the dialog. The depth value must be a negative number. You must enter either a Tool Name or the Tool Diameter.
TIP: You can use the Scale tool to resize pockets but be aware that if you scale an arc non-uniformly, the arc will be divided into line segments. When in doubt, draw the pocket geometry instead of scaling existing pockets.
TIP: For the cleanest CNC results always create geometry for pockets using lines and arcs. If you have to make an ellipse, you may be able to approximate the ellipse using a small number of arcs, or if you need a true ellipse use the Arcs Circles + extension by D. Bur and set the number of segments to a relatively high number, such as 120. The ellipse will be made up of line segments.
WARNING: Do not mirror a pocket component using the Scale tool or Flip Along. If you mirror a pocket the tool compensation and arc directions will be wrong. If you need to mirror a pocket, copy the original pocket you want to mirror, paste the new pocket, then explode it to edges, and then make those edges into a new pocket component.
Generate Shape from Face
Video: Generating Shape from Face
To Generate a perimeter shape on a panel, first select the panel component, then from the Extensions -> MAKE menu, select Generate Shape from Face and click on the face of the panel. No dialog is presented, as the shape will read the panel depth and create a routing contour that goes 1mm past the panel thickness.
TIP: Attach all edgebanding before using Generate Shape from Face.
TIP: If you are making parametric parts with edgebanding use Generate Toolpath instead of Generate Shape from Face.
TIP: If you are creating an ellipse use Generate Toolpath instead of Generate Shape from Face.
Add Drilling from Component
The Add Drilling from Component function is used with components modeled in SketchUp or imported from other applications.
If working directly in SketchUp draw circles where you want holes to be made and then extrude them to the required depth, just as you would model them naturally in SketchUp. When you're done making the holes use MAKE -> Add Drilling from Component on each face to automatically convert the hole cylinders into drilling components.
More detailed instructions on using this function are in Working with Imported Solid Models.
Creating Machining Operations Manually
TIP: Use MAKE's machining functions if possible. If you need to create machining operations manually or you just want to 'look under the hood' to understand how operations work, the following section explains operations attributes in detail.
Required Attributes for Operations
type : operation
- set the
type
attribute value to operation to designate a machining operation
operation :
- set the
operation
attribute value to the desired machining operation. Each operation is described below.
Anatomy of a Drilling Operation
TIP: The fastest way to add machined holes is using components. MAKE comes with a library of drilling operations components that can be inserted in panel components.
Drilling operations can be direct (the hole is a subcomponent of the part), inherited (the hole is inherited from an adjacent part), or both direct and inherited, for example for a dowel where the horizontal drilling is directly applied to a horizontal panel, and the mating vertical drill holes are inherited to the adjacent vertical end panels.
For drilling operations the following conditions must be met:
- The drilling operation is within a parent component of
type -> panel
- A drilling "container" component of
type -> operation
andoperation -> [vbore, hbore, etc.]
- One or more child components of
type -> hole
- Operation attribute values must be all lower case.
The following example shows a panel component called 'Part' with a drilling component inside it called 'vbore'. The drilling component has two subcomponents: a 'Vbore_Op' component which contains the required hole
operation and a 'Vbore_Geom' component which contains the optional 3D geometry representing the drill hole.
TIP: Using 2D representations of the holes makes your components lighter and perform faster.
hole
- A hole operation uses a circle to represent the location and diameter of a drill hole.
- Visually representing the hole in 3D is optional. If you're engineering products that have a lot of holes we recommend using 2D representation of holes for best performance.
- To create a hole component draw a circle in SketchUp. The circle geometry contains the information for its center point and diameter.
TIP: Draw hole drilling operations as a "circle" with 4 segments to make them easy to identify.
- Double click to select the circle face and edges, then right-click and select Make Component
- In the SketchUp component definition dialog that opens, add a name for the component and click on Set Component Axes to move the origin to the center of the circle, with the blue axis pointing up. After setting the axes click Create.
- Open the Component Attributes dialog and add attributes
type
-> operation andoperation
-> hole. - For vertical drilling add the attributes
vborediameter
andvboredepth
. - For horizontal drilling the attributes
hborediameter
andhboredepth
. - Add
LenX
andLenY
attributes and set them equal to the circle diameter. This will prevent the hole component from being scaled unintentionally. - Add
LenZ
attribute and setLenZ
=0 to represent the hole in 2D. - If you want to represent the hole depth in 3D set
LenZ
equal to vboreholedepth or hboreholedepth as appropriate. - Make certain that the hole origin is on the face where the drill should enter the panel.
- A hole component must be inside a parent component with one of the following operations:
operation
-> vboreoperation
-> hboreoperation
-> inherit-vboreoperation
-> hbore+inherit-vboreoperation
-> vbore+inherit-vbore
TIP: If you're making a library of holes, model the holes on the Red-Green (X-Y) plane and use the model origin as the hole center. When you make component, add a Glue To plane to the parent operation and choose Horizontal for vbore holes and Vertical for hbore holes. This will make it easier to place your hole components on panel faces.
Direct Drilling Operations
Direct drilling operations apply one or more drill holes directly on a component.
vbore
- The hole component must be on a panel face.
- Set the
operation
attribute to vbore to drill a vertical hole into the face a component. - The required attributes on the component are
type -> operation
andoperation -> vbore
. - Requires at least one child component with
type -> operation
andoperation -> hole
. - The parent component must be of
type -> panel
hbore
- The hole component must be on a panel edge.
- Set the
operation
attribute to hbore to drill a horizontal hole into the edge of a component. - The required attributes on the component are
type -> operation
andoperation -> hbore
. - Requires at least one child component with
type -> operation
andoperation -> hole
. - The parent component must have
type -> panel
Inherited Drilling Operations
You can associate drilling operations with a component so that the drilling is applied to any component adjacent to it. For example an adjustable shelf can have a set of linebore holes on either side of it that are inherited to the side panels that are adjacent to the shelf.
inherit-vbore
- Set the
operation
attribute to inherit-vbore to drill a vertical hole in the face of an adjacent panel component. - An example use of inherit-vbore is to inherit a set of line bore holes from a shelf to a side panel.
- The required attributes on the component are
type -> operation
andoperation -> inherit-vbore
. - Requires at least one child component with
type -> operation
andoperation -> hole
. - The parent component must have
type -> panel
Direct + Inherited Drilling Operations
Composite drilling operations apply one or more direct drilling operations and inherit one or more drilling operations to an adjacent component.
hbore+inherit-vbore
- Set the
operation
attribute to hbore+inherit-vbore to drill a horizontal hole in the edge of a panel and a vertical hole in the face of an adjacent panel component. - An example use of hbore+inherit-vbore is to create machining for a dowel. Two drilling operations can be attached to a single
hole
component: a horizontal hole drilled into the edge of a shelf and a mating vertical hole inherited to a side panel. This method assures that the two drilling operations are always aligned. - The required attributes on the component are
type -> operation
andoperation -> hbore+inherit-vbore
. - Requires at least one child component with
type -> operation
andoperation -> hole
. - The parent component must have
type -> panel
vbore+inherit-vbore
- Set the
operation
attribute to vbore+inherit-vbore to drill a vertical hole in the face of a panel and a mating vertical hole in the face of an adjacent panel component. - An example use of vbore+inherit-vbore is to create aligned holes for bolting two end panels together. Two drilling operations can be attached to a single
hole
component: a vertical hole drilled into the face a panel and a mating vertical hole to be inherited to an adjacent panel. This method assures that the two drilling operations are always aligned. - The required attributes on the component are
type -> operation
andoperation -> vbore+inherit-vbore
. - Requires at least one child component with
type -> operation
andoperation -> hole
. - The parent component must have
type -> panel