create/src/Mod/CAM/Roadmap/Functionality/Operation Configuration.md

Requirements

🟩 Core Essentials

Features present or expected in a basic CAM package and necessary to perform the required tasks

All Operations

Feature	Description	Assessment
Operation tool control Parameters	Configure spindle speed, feed rate, tool selection	tools are configured via the Tool Controller. The functionality is COMPLETE but not intuitive. Users expect to configure this within an operation and need to exit the op and edit the TC.
Operation Depth parameters	start/end depth,	COMPLETE. Terminology used throughout CAM is inconsistent.

Pocketing

Feature	Description	Assessment
Entry Strategies	Provide helical and ramp entry	Partially complete via dressup. specific strategies are possible but limited and buggy
Entry Start Point	Allow user to specify entry point	Start point selection is poorly implemented. It's not allowed at all in adaptive. When used in other pocket ops (millface) only a single point is allowed. If the pocket algorithm needs to retract and re-enter, it will use whichever point is needed. Pocket entry point should be studied to evaluate the current state-of-the-art. Either remove it and let the op set start point automatically or reimplement it consistently. Retain starting position from hole to hole when set. Angle in XY set by first hole.
ie retain starting angle on XY plane as determined by first hole.
Minimising rapids between holes gains nothing over all and leads to rather arbitrary starting points.
Clearing Strategies	zigzag, offset, line, grid, adaptive, Spiral	INCOMPLETE. Spiral pattern is missing and is desirable for some use cases
Stock to Leave	Set material to leave for finishing pass	COMPLETE. Terminology is inconsistent.
Stepover Control	Set amount of material removed per pass	COMPLETE

Contouring (Profile)

Feature	Description	Assessment
Entry/Exit Strategies	Specify entry/exit paths	Partially Complete via dressup. strategies are limited and buggy
Stock to Leave	Set material to leave for finishing	COMPLETE with inconsistent terminology
Holding Tags	Add tags to retain part	COMPLETE via dressup

Drilling Holes

Feature	Description	Assessment
Canned Cycles	Support G81, G82, G83, G73	COMPLETE
Multiple Targets	Handle multiple targets in one op	COMPLETE
Drill Ordering	Allow user-defined target order. Don't ignore selected objects	Incomplete
Obstructed Faces	Support targets across intermediate obstructions	Incomplete
enable and disable indidvidual targets		Requires deleting the target

Gcode	Canned Cycle	Assessment
G81	Drilling Cycle	WORKS, excessive air cutting, see #22622
G82	Drilling Cycle, Dwell	WORKS, excessive air cutting, see #22622
G83	Peck Drilling Cycle	WORKS, excessive air cutting, see #22622
G73	Chip Breaking Drill	WORKS, excessive air cutting, see #22622

Engraving

Feature	Description	Assessment
Engrave text	Allow operating on a text	DONE
Engrave centerline	TrueType fonts usually don't work well for engraving. Single-line fonts are rare and limited. Engraving software that follows font centerline is ideal	NONE

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🟨 Professional Grade

Features usually present or expected in the state-of-the-art applications

All Operations

Feature	Description	Assessment
Model-Based Depth Selection	Set relevant depths by clicking features of model or stock	DONE
Tool selection	Only allow selecting tools that function with the operation	INCOMPLETE

Pocketing

Feature	Description	Assessment
REST Milling	Target leftover material from previous ops	Partially implemented. Buggy Poor visualization

Contouring (Profile)

Feature	Description	Assessment
Multiple Passes	Support multi-pass or kerf-widening	NO
Holding Tag Shape	Customize size/shape of holding tabs	DONE

Engraving

Feature	Description	Assessment
(placeholder)	(To be defined)

Drilling Holes

Feature	Description	Assessment
Order Optimization	Automatically sort drill order for efficiency	NO
Efficient Cycles	Minimize wasted travel in canned cycles	NO

Boring Cycles

Gcode	Canned Cycle	Assessment
G85	Boring Cycle, Feed Out
G86	Spindle Stop, Rapid Out
G87	Back Boring Cycle
G88	Spindle Stop, Manual Out
G89	Dwell, Feed Out

Tapping Cycles

Gcode	Canned Cycle	Assessment
G33.1	Rigid Tapping
G74	Left-hand Tapping with Dwell
G84	Right-hand Tapping with Dwell

Threadmilling

Feature	Description	Assessment
non-synchronised theadmilling	WORKING

V-Carving

Feature	Description	Assessment
Compute accurate Vcarve toolpath	Use a V-shaped cutter at varying depth to create varying glyph width in the carve	DONE

Deburring

Feature	Description	Assessment
(placeholder)	(To be defined)

Helical Clearing

Feature	Description	Assessment
clear cyl. hole	needs outside helix profiling; refuses hole less than twice tool size

Adaptive Clearing

Feature	Description	Assessment
(placeholder)	(To be defined)

Lathe Operations

Feature	Description	Assessment
(placeholder)	(To be defined)

Indexed Multi-Axis

Feature	Description	Assessment
(placeholder)	(To be defined)

Continuous 4th and 5th Axis

Feature	Description	Assessment
(placeholder)	(To be defined)

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🟦 Next-Level CAM

Features that would exceed industry standard

Feature	Description	Assessment
framework to support extremely esoteric strategies	-Jeweling, fluting, guilloche