Electrode

This command allows you to create the electrode part. This one is included in the electrode document. It is possible, with the same command, to manage the adding of a base.

Creation stages / Use:

Click the icon or select the Electrode > Electrode... command from the drop-down menu.

Select the eroding shape(s) which will determinate the electrode and its dimensioning origin.
Determine if a base need to be added or not, and its definition.
It is possible to associate a Stock from the library to this electrode.
Validate

This command is available only in the Modeling stage in the Electrode document.

Before launching the command, if a face from a previously created electrode is selected, the Electrode command is initialized with the settings and parameters of the electrode "template".

Available options:

Electrode Creation Management :

Name: This option allows you to give the name of the electrode that will be created. This name is incremental, the next electrode will take this same name followed by the counter.
Dimensioning origin: This frame is the origin of the EDM electrode positions. It is pre-filled by default with the frame of the shape to erode or the additional origin frame chosen at the creation of the eroding shape. Other additional origin frame can be selected or created on the fly by the button.
Eroding shapes : With choosing one eroding shape, an electrode will be created from this shape, with adding or nor a base. It is also possible to create an electrode with choosing several eroding shapes :

Electrode created from only one eroding shape

Electrode created from several eroding shapes.

Hide: This option allows you to hide the selected entities during the command, in order to select more easily other entities, especially those that were behind the first ones.

Base:

Positioning origin: This option allows you to choose a frame defining the position of the center of the base. It is possible to create this frame on the fly with the button.

The Z direction of this frame must be the diving direction of the electrode in the particular case of electrodes with a diving direction orthogonal to the Z direction of the Dimensioning origin.

The orientation of the base can be defined according to two modes of creation:
Eroding shape direction: The Z direction of the base corresponds to the direction of the last extension of the eroding shapes.
Positioning origin direction: The Z direction of the base corresponds to the Z direction of the positioning origin.

Eroding shape direction

Positioning origin direction
Centered: When this option is selected, the X and Y positions of the base center are no longer rounded, but correspond to the exact center of the enclosing box of the eroding shape.

Total height: It is possible to create an electrode by giving its total height. According to this given total height, two adjustment modes are available:


The height of the base is automatically adjusted to create an electrode of the desired total height.	The total height and the height of the base (Z length) are given. The height of the eroding shape is automatically adjusted.

Three definition mode of the base are available :
Rectangular: the created base will be rectangular, dimensioned with three values following X,Y and Z. The X direction can be specified.
Cylindrical: the base is define with a diameter and a height.

No base: No base is added to the eroding shape. It is possible to choose whether or not to activate Eroding Shapes Adjustment:

Here are some examples of electrodes created with no base from the same eroding shape:
Without Adjustment	With Adjustment, Without Height, Positioning origin direction	With Adjustment, With Height, Eroding shape direction

Blend edges : This option allows you to automatically add fillets or chamfers on the blend edges between the base and the eroding shape.
None: No treatment is applied on the edges.
Fillet: Allows you to create a fillet with the wanted value, applied on the edges.
Chamfer: Allows you to create a chamfer with the wanted value, applied on the edges.
Default values: With this button, it is possible to give to the base its default dimensions. They were computed based on the englobing box of the selected shapes plus a margin. This margin is given in the electrode document options. The values are rounded to the nearest integer.

Stock:

It is possible to associate a stock to the created electrode. This stock will be a Document one in the Electrode file. You can create your own Stock component, with providing the Electrode Stock function.

Manufacturer: It allows you to choose a manufacturer library with electrode stocks. It possible to create your own stock library.
Family: It allows you to choose the wanted stock family from the available components in the selected library.
Use best code: The available codes list is updated regarding the dimensions given to the base. Only the codes allowing this base creation are proposed. If the option Use best code is chosen, the first code whitch respect the base dimension is selected.
The Minimum Stock Height is recalled as an indication. It corresponds to the height of the electrode, plus a Margin for stock height computing. This margin is given in the electrode document options.
Base defined by stock: This option allows you to give the base the X and Y stock dimensions. The values given in the Base definition become constraints to choose the stock.

Advanced options :

Preview below base dimensioning: This option allows you to choose whether or not to display the preview of the below base dimension when creating the electrode. This allows you to easily visualize the minimum height between the electrode base and the shape to erode.

This option is not available if the shape to erode is a sheet shape.

Detailing: This option allows you to automatically create Detailings in the electrode part document along the X, Y and Z directions of the base frame.
These detailings can then be projected in a draft by activating the Detailing option in the views.
Dimension offset: This value is used to control the position of the dimensions in relation to the enclosing box of the electrode.

Modifications / Additional information:

The electrodes created are automatically inserted in the Electrodes set. This set is automatically created in the file if no electrode was created before.
It is possible to edit in place the electrode, or open it from the Project tree.
Repeat an electrode will automatically create the Theoretical positions of this one.

In the electrode document, the cameras are associative with the Electrode Base frame:


The Front Camera, associated to the XZ+ plane of the Base frame.	The Electrode Camera, associated to the XZ- plane o the Base frame.