Window Chaining
Window chaining is useful for quickly selecting a large number of chains that do not lie inside a closed boundary. Use window chaining to quickly select multiple chains in one operation by drawing an area on the screen.
When window chaining, Mastercam uses a search point to select the chains in the window. The search point is based on the Prompt for window start point setting in the Chaining page of the System Configuration dialog box (File, Configuration). If you selected this option, Mastercam prompts you for a start point for the open chains after you define the window selection. When you choose a point in the graphics window as the start point of the first chain, Mastercam automatically assigns start and end points for each open chain in the selection window. If you deselect this option, Mastercam orders the chain based on the position of the first corner of the window, which defines the search point.
By default, as Mastercam selects the chains, it looks for the chain closest to the search point, then the next closest, and so on. The order in which Mastercam selects the chains becomes the cut order of the chains in the toolpath. While Window chaining is a very efficient method for chaining many entities in one action, it may not produce the chain order that you need for your toolpath, which could result in inefficient tool motion. You can change this default search order (next closest) by choosing different Nested chain sort options from the Chaining Options dialog box.
Search direction
for open chains: One way, Zigzag
The One way and Zigzag options on the Chaining Options dialog box determine the order in which Mastercam searches for open chains when using the window chaining method. Window chaining is a method for quickly selecting multiple chains in one operation by drawing an area on the screen.
When you use window chaining, Mastercam orders the chains based on the position of the first corner of the window, automatically assigning start and end points for each open chain in the selection window.
If you choose One way, each chain begins at the point closest to the start of previous chain. If you choose Zigzag, each chain begins at the point closest to the endpoint of previous chain.
