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PureCutCNC
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Glossary

This glossary defines the terms the app and this guide use. If you are coming from another CAM program, the last column gives names you may know for the same idea. Terms in bold are labels as the app shows them.

Project and design

Section titled “Project and design”
Term Meaning Elsewhere often called
Add feature A closed feature with the Add role: material that remains in the part. The first solid feature in a project is always an add feature. Boss, raised area
Backdrop A reference image placed under the sketch for tracing. It is never machined. See Backdrop images. Underlay, trace image
Construction geometry Sketch-only reference geometry for snapping, mirroring, and dimensioning. It is never machined, simulated, or exported. See Construction geometry. Reference geometry, guides
Constraint A distance from a point on a feature to a point or edge of another feature. PureCutCNC positions the feature to keep that distance. See Dimensions and constraints. Parametric constraint
Creation target The choice in the tool rail that decides whether a new shape becomes a feature, a line, a region, or construction geometry. Layer, drawing mode
Dimension A measurement drawn on the sketch. A driving dimension changes the geometry when you edit its value. Annotation, driving dimension
Feature A shape in the project, drawn or imported. Its role decides what it does in the model and in machining. See Features, roles, and depth. Entity, object, vector
Feature tree The list of the project’s stock, origin, features, regions, construction geometry, tabs, and clamps in the project panel. See Feature tree and properties. Object list, layers panel
Line An open or closed path with the Line role. It adds no material; engrave and V-carve operations can follow it. Open vector, path
Linked features Copies that share one definition, so editing the shape of one changes all of them. Make unique separates one copy. See Linked features. Instances, clones, components
Model An imported 3D model (STL, OBJ, or STEP) in the project. The 3D surface operations machine it. See Importing 3D models. Mesh, 3D component
Origin The point on the stock that becomes machine X0 Y0 Z0 in the exported G-code. See Stock, origin, and units. Work zero, WCS, datum
Project A .camj file that holds the stock, origin, features, tools, operations, machine choice, tabs, and clamps. Job, document
Region A closed feature with the Region mask role. It limits where operations may cut and is never cut itself. Include regions add to the allowed area; exclude regions remove from it. See Regions. Machining boundary, containment
Role What a feature does: add, subtract, line, region, construction, or model. The properties panel shows it as Operation. Feature type
Sketch editing The mode for changing a feature’s points and segments, opened with Edit sketch. See Editing sketches. Node editing
Stock The block of material the job starts from, with its outline and thickness. See Stock, origin, and units. Material, blank, workpiece
Subtract feature A closed feature with the Subtract role: a cavity removed from the material. Pocket geometry, cut-out
Workflow panel The small movable panel that guides a staged canvas command, step by step. See The workspace. Command prompt
Z top, Z bottom A feature’s vertical extent as coordinates: where it starts and where it ends. The cut depth of a subtract feature is Z top minus Z bottom. Start depth, cut depth

Machining

Section titled “Machining”
Term Meaning Elsewhere often called
CAM Plan A dialog that proposes operations, tools, and shared tabs for the project’s features, for you to review before they are created. See CAM Plan. Machining wizard, templates
Clamp A workholding obstacle placed on the stock. Toolpaths are checked against it and kept clear. See Clamps and clearances. Fixture, hold-down
Clearing pattern How an operation clears an area: Offset, Seeded circles, Parallel, or Trochoidal. See Clearing patterns. Pocketing strategy
Climb, conventional The Cut direction: whether the cutter’s rotation moves with or against the feed. Down milling, up milling
Corner relief An extra cut into inside corners so a square part fits: Dogbone or T-bone. See Corner rounding and relief. Dog-bone fillet, overcut
Edge route An operation that follows a closed profile: Edge route inside or Edge route outside. Profile, contour cut
Engrave An operation that follows a path at a fixed depth. Follow path, trace, on-line cut
Entry strategy How the cutter reaches cutting depth: Plunge, Helix, or Ramp. See Entry and exit moves. Lead-in, ramping
Feed reduction Lower feed where the cutter is fully engaged, such as slotting. See Feed reduction. Adaptive feed, slot feed
Machine The machine definition that decides the G-code dialect, units commands, and file extension. See Machines. Post-processor, post
Operation A machining step applied to one or more target features, with its own tool and settings. Its Kind says what it does. See Choosing an operation. Toolpath, machining operation
Pass Whether an operation is the Rough or Finish pass. The Add menu’s Both creates one of each. Roughing, finishing
Rest machining A follow-up operation for a smaller tool that clears only what the first tool could not reach. See Rest machining. Rest roughing, remachining
Stepdown The depth of material removed per level. Depth per pass, depth of cut
Stepover The sideways distance between neighbouring passes. Operations set it as Stepover ratio, a fraction of the tool diameter. Width of cut
Stock to leave Material an operation leaves for a later pass: Stock to leave radial on walls and Stock to leave axial on floors. Allowance, leave stock
Tab A small bridge of material that an edge route leaves so the part stays attached to the stock. See Tabs. Holding tab, bridge
Target The features an operation machines, set under What it cuts. Regions can be added to limit where it cuts. Selection, geometry
Toolpath The path the cutter follows for an operation, generated from its targets and settings. NC path, cutter path
Trochoidal Cutting with small overlapping loops to keep the cutter’s engagement low. See Trochoidal cutting. Adaptive clearing, dynamic milling
V-carve Carving with a V-bit, where the groove width follows the cut depth: V-carve offset and V-carve medial. V-carving, prism carving

Tools and cutting

Section titled “Tools and cutting”
Term Meaning Elsewhere often called
Ball endmill A cutter with a rounded tip, used for 3D finishing. Ball nose
Flat endmill A cutter with a flat tip, for pockets, edge routes, and clearing. Square endmill
Feed How fast the cutter moves through material while cutting. Plunge feed is the rate for downward moves. Feed rate, plunge rate
RPM Spindle speed in revolutions per minute. Spindle speed, S
Tool library The bundled metric and imperial tools you can import into a project with Import from library…. See Tool library. Tool database
V-bit A cutter with a pointed, angled tip, set by its V angle. Engraving bit, V-cutter

Checking and output

Section titled “Checking and output”
Term Meaning Elsewhere often called
G-code The program your machine controller runs, written by Export. See Exporting G-code. NC code, CNC program
Preview Build The version of the app built from its main branch between releases, with features not yet in a stable release. Beta, nightly, snapshot
Setup booklet A PDF with an operation’s setup details and pictures, for use at the machine. See Setup booklets. Setup sheet
Simulation The view that removes material from the stock along the toolpaths, so you can check the result. See Simulation. Stock simulation, cut preview
Section titled “Related pages”