General application settings of DentalCAM

• From the Machine type drop-down list, select the machine type for which DentalCAM will calculate the job data. If the Auto-select machine type based on last connected machine in CNC application option is activated, any changes to the Machine type setting will have no effect as your selection will be overwritten every time the application starts.

• If you use a model X machine, activate the Activate job calculation for X models option in the general application settings in DentalCAM. This will activate the designated command set which is required for these machines. The option only displays if you have selected a machine from the Machine type drop-down list for which an X model is available.

  There is no equivalent option in DentalCNC because this application is able to directly detect the connected machine.

  • DentalCAM takes the new setting into account for all future calculated jobs.

Beside the manual import method, DentalCAM features an automatic import method. If you only want to use the automatic import method, deactivate the manual import method.

• If users should be able to manually import STL files, activate the Manually import STL files via a file browser/root folder option.

• DentalCAM displays either a file browser or a root folder in the STL import view.

   Selecting a root folder or activating the file browser

• If users are not supposed to import STL files manually, deactivate the Manually import STL files via a file browser/root folder option.
• DentalCAM hides all control elements for the manual STL import in the STL import view.

When using the automatic STL import function, DentalCAM automatically imports files from an STL import folder and adds them to the import list in the STL import view.

For this, DentalCAM periodically checks if new files have been added to the STL import folder and automatically imports any new STL files it can find. This is useful if you want to automate your STL import workflow.

• If you want to change the standard STL import folder, use the corresponding input field.

• If you want DentalCAM to automatically import STL files, activate the Automatically import STL files via the STL import folder option.
  • DentalCAM adds all files in the STL import folder to the import list.

• If you do not want to use the automatic import method function, deactivate the Automatically import STL files via the STL import folder option.
  • DentalCAM stops automatically importing STL files. You need to manually import files in the STL import folder that DentalCAM hasn't imported yet.

Auto-select machine type based on last connected machine in CNC application

• If you want DentalCAM to automatically select the machine type based on the last machine that DentalCNC communicated with, activate the Auto-select machine type based on last connected machine in CNC application option. This will overwrite any machine which was manually selected through the Machine type setting.

This option is helpful if you use the CAM computer The computer that is connected to your machine and which runs DentalCAM and DentalCNC. only for 1 machine and want to prevent users from erroneously select an incorrect machine type.

If you use the CAM computer The computer that is connected to your machine and which runs DentalCAM and DentalCNC. with different machines, you must deactivate this option because otherwise you will not be able to select the machine which you currently want to create or edit jobs for.

If the machine type is incorrect, the application will calculate the job data incorrectly and machining will fail.

Some materials require different scaling factors for the X-, Y- and Z-direction due to their shrinkage during sintering.

• If you use such a material, activate the Different scaling in X, Y, Z option.

• When you create a new blank, DentalCAM displays 3 input fields for 3 different scaling factors (X-, Y-, Z-direction).

Scaling factors for all 3 directions

Applies to:

• R5

• E5

Activating the Extended milling range option enables you to position objects as far as physically possible towards the disc border. You don’t need to maintain the default safety distance. This allows you to use your discs more economically at the cost of process reliability.

Jobs that you create while this option is activated cannot be machined using the blank changer Machine component which stores multiple blanks in a magazine and which can automatically load them into the working chamber.. When using the search, use a blank changer or a blank magazine instead. This also applies to jobs where safety distances were maintained for all objects.

left: Crown positioned without safety distance; right: Safety distance maintained

• To disable the required safety distance for discs, activate the Extended milling range option.

The material database is automatically updated by and updated via the Internet.

• To turn off the automatic update, deactivate the Automatic download of the material database option in the general application settings of DentalCAM and DentalCNC.

Every object in a job has a machining status. This status determines how the objects behave in the nesting view and whether they will be machined when you send the job to DentalCNC. In the nesting view, you can easily distinguish the different status by color .

Why DentalCAM assigns a preset status to all calculated objects

As DentalCAM does not communicate with your machine (only DentalCNC does), the application does not know if a calculated job has actually been machined. Therefore, it assigns the same preset status to all calculated objects. The default status for calculated objects is Already machined and therefore, calculated objects display as machined areas.

You can select the preset status from the Status of calculated objects toggle switch group by activating the desired option:

• Do not machine – The objects are displayed in the nesting view, but you cannot edit them and they won’t be calculated and machined when you send the job to DentalCNC. If you want to edit or machine them, you need to change their status in the nesting view.
• Machine – The objects are treated as new objects in the nesting view. You can edit them and they will be calculated and machined when you send the job to DentalCNC.
• Already machined – After loading the blank again, the objects are no longer displayed in the nesting view. Instead, machined areas ('holes') are shown in their place. The holes represent the missing material in the blank. This is the default status for calculated objects.

Status of calculated objects

What are machined areas?

Machined areas in DentalCAM represent the parts of a used blank that have already been milled or ground out (the ‘holes’ that are left after the objects were separated from the blank). They display both for discs as well as blocks, but as blocks are hardly ever re-used, they are almost only important for discs.

You cannot position objects in machined areas.

A disc made of Zirconia with machined areas

When to choose which option?

• Do not machine – This option is useful if you regularly make changes to objects in already calculated blanks:

  You can activate this option to be flexible and to be on the safe side:

  • If you edit a blank after machining, the unmovable old objects prevent you from positioning new objects in non-machinable areas.
  • If you edit a calculated blank before machining, you can quickly change the status of the calculated objects in the nesting view and edit them again.
• Machine – If you regularly inspect objects in the residual material display before machining, we recommend setting the preset status of objects to Machine so that you can edit or calculate them right after the inspection.
• Already machined – We recommend this option in most cases because usually calculated jobs will be machined without having to edit individual objects again. You can always add new objects to unused areas of a blank after machining simply by editing the calculated job again.

Every time DentalCAM calculates an object, the application compiles several files with object related data into a folder which is stored on the CAM computer The computer that is connected to your machine and which runs DentalCAM and DentalCNC.. With the setting Storage period for calculated objects in days you specify for how many days these data remain on the CAM computer after calculation.

The residual material display uses these data, and you may even want to store these data externally to keep a history of every manufactured object for quality control.

• Enter the number of days that you want DentalCAM to store the data of calculated objects into the Storage period for calculated objects in days input field.

• DentalCAM automatically deletes the data of all calculated objects whose calculation time dates back longer than the specified time period allows.

Further information on calculated object data

The data comprises:

• A copy of the original STL file (i.e. the original object data that you created or that was sent to you).
• Basic job details (such as the lot number or machining quality)
• The calculated object data (what DentalCAM created from the STL file)
• A thumbnail of the object for easy reference

Where exactly are the data stored?

For each object that is calculated, DentalCAM adds a folder to the FAP folder which is stored in the DentalCAM installation folder The folder on your hard drive that you installed DentalCAM and DentalCNC in.. Each folder is named with a sequential number (starting number: 0000001).

The FAP folder in the installation folder The folder on your hard drive that you installed DentalCAM and DentalCNC in.

DentalCAM copies several files into each folder that serve as a history for each calculated object

The files in the folder:

• Protokoll.txt A text file with basic job data (viewable in any text editing program)
• Sim.bin The calculated job data created by DentalCAM (can be viewed in the residual material display)
• W.bmp A preview image of the object (viewable in almost any graphics display or editing program)
• W.st. The original STL file (viewable with any STL file viewer or editor)

The content of the Protokoll.txt file

You can open the Protokoll.txt file with any text editor (e.g. Notepad). It contains the following lines (variable content has been enclosed within angle brackets)

TOC=<Date of calculation> <Time of calculation>

MAT=<blank type>

BID=<blank ID>

LOT=<Lot number>

BEM=<Comment text>

STL=<Path to STL file including file name>

TYP=<Indication>

QOW=<Machining quality>

Example:

TOC=04.08.2016 11:05:36

MAT=CoCr

BID=55

LOT=8547145

BEM=Urgent

STL=C:\STL files\crowns\crown1234.stl

TYP=Crown/bridge

QOW=Standard

ChairsideCAM is a variant of DentalCAM with a specially adapted user interface for the chairside area. The user interface focuses on the typical steps in this workflow.

vhf recommends ChairsideCAM for chairside users.

Main features:

• Streamlined interface for accelerated chairside workflow

• Designed for single orders – no blank archive available

• Exclusively block machining possible

• High quality like DentalCAM, because based on the same technology

• If you want to work with the ChairsideCAM , activate the option Activate ChairsideCAM.

For instructions on ChairsideCAM , see  Welcome to ChairsideCAM.

If you activate the Base job ID on creation date option, DentalCAM will change the format of blank IDs for all future jobs to the following:

Job creation date – sequential number

The sequential number is reset daily. It is independent of the default blank ID.

What this feature is useful for:

• You can filter jobs in the blank archive by their creation date by entering the date into the ID input field.
• When you use a material with limited stability, you can keep track when the job was added to the archive.

You may still need to keep track of the expiry date of the blank. For this, you can enter a comment into the corresponding input field when you create a job.

By default, the blank archive is stored in the Archiv (no spelling mistake) folder within your installation folder The folder on your hard drive that you installed DentalCAM and DentalCNC in.. You change the folder e.g. to store the blank archive in a network folder.

1. Create the new folder for the blank archive:
   • Use only Aa–Zz and 0–9 for the folder name, and no special characters such as umlauts.
   • Allow read and write access to the folder for each DentalCAM client. Set up the network share accordingly.
   • If needed, copy the contents of an existing archive into the folder. Do not combine different blank archives.
2. Enter the folder for the blank archive into the Archive folder input field. Alternatively, select the following icon to the right of the input field to open a file browser to navigate to the desired folder:
• DentalCAM saves new jobs (blanks) to the new folder and displays existing jobs in the blank archive in that folder.

By default, DentalCAM stores the calculated job data in the CNCTransfer folder. DentalCNC uses the data in this folder to machine the jobs. You can change the folder e.g., to store all calculated job data in a network folder.

• Enter the folder for the calculated job data into the Folder for processing data input field. Alternatively, select the following icon to the right of the input field to open a file browser to navigate to the desired folder: