First steps

License

SPC needs a network license provided by the AV License Server. If no valid license is available, only the License and Help commands are enabled and the License window opens at startup: enter the License Server address and port in Main menu panel › License › License and restart SPC. See License.

Project

Load project Selects the project to open for the simulation.

The basic element of SPC is the project. The project includes all the elements needed to run the simulation:

• the machine;
• the NC files to simulate;
• the parts, stocks and fixtures;
• the tools and the origins.

When SPC is opened a new project is automatically created and the default machine is loaded.

All project management is done through the project tree: right-clicking a node of the tree opens the menu with the commands related to the selected object.

A project can be saved and loaded again from a *.spc file with Main menu panel › File › Load project. When a project is loaded, the machine specified in it is loaded automatically, as well as all the parts, stocks, fixtures and NC files saved in the project, making the simulation environment immediately available. The arrow next to the button opens the list of the recent projects.

Machine

To use a different machine select Main menu panel › File › Load machine. New machines can be downloaded from the Download center and installed with Main menu panel › Utilities › Machine install, or created and edited with Main menu panel › Utilities › Machine wizard (see Machine wizard).

Parts

Load part Imports parts, stocks and fixtures into the project.

Parts are loaded from STL or OBJ files with Main menu panel › File › Load part. When a part is loaded you can immediately assign it the reference origin, the color and any translations and rotations.

A part can be easily converted into a fixture or into a stock for the material removal: see Parts.

NC files

Load NC file Imports the NC file to be simulated.

Load the NC file to be simulated with Main menu panel › File › Load NC file. When an NC file is loaded SPC runs a quick simulation without collision checking and finds any overtravel, taking RTCP into account.

If the NC file needs tools that are not loaded on the machine, SPC asks whether to add the missing tools automatically.

If errors are found while loading the file or checking the overtravels, a complete report is displayed. The report always remains available by selecting the node of the NC file in the project tree.

Simulate

	Next Simulates the next block of the NC file.
	To end Simulates the NC file from the selected line down to the last line.

Now the toolpath can be simulated step by step with Simulation panel › Next or directly to the end with Simulation panel › To end. During the simulation SPC checks overtravels and collisions as specified in the Verify options.

When the simulation finds problems, the Report lists them: clicking a line of the report moves the machine to that position, and the Failed toolpath view shows only the toolpath of the blocks with problems.