Applies to: DentalCAM & DentalCNC 7.08

Calculating jobs

How do I calculate jobs? I’m finished with nesting, what’s next? How do I mill jobs? What is this log in DentalCAM?

This Help article is part of the following workflow:Creating and processing jobs

When you have finished nesting your objects in the nesting view, you have them calculated and sent to DentalCNC.

1. To open the Windows for calculating jobs, select the following icon in the main icon bar:
• The window for calculating jobs opens. If the blank archive displays instead, you weren't editing a job before selecting the icon. If you receive an error message, see here.


The window for calculating jobs

2. (Optional) If you want DentalCAM to open a log in Microsoft Excel™ when the calculation is finished, activate the Open log file in Excel after calculation option. The log contains an illustration of the blank, basic job details and a list of all objects in the blank.


A job log for a blank with 2 objects 

Microsoft Excel™ must already be installed on the CAM computer The computer that is connected to your machine and which runs DentalCAM and DentalCNC. for this function to work. DentalCAM does not save a log file which you can open on another computer. Of course, you can save the log file via the save function in Excel™.

• When the calculation is finished, DentalCAM launches Microsoft Excel™ and displays the log file.
3. To start the calculation, select the following icon:
• The following happens:
1. The current window closes.
2. DentalCAM starts to calculate the job in the background.
3. DentalCAM displays a progress indicator.

As long as a job is being calculated, DentalCAM displays the word CAM in the bottom right corner of the application window. The word functions like a progress bar– the green part indicates the already calculated data and the red part the data that needs yet to be calculated.



The colors indicating the progress of calculation

4. DentalCNC launches and the job is added to the job list in the Machining view.
5. You can continue to work with DentalCAM and even start another job calculation.

Errors that prevent the window for job calculation to show

The following error messages may display instead of the window for job calculation:

Error message	Reason	Corrective action
Set bars before calculating the job	You haven't set bars for at least 1 object in the blank	Set bars for all objects.
Objects exceed the border of the blank	At least 1 object has been (partly) positioned outside of the blank	Position all affected objects within the borders of the blank
Objects are overlapping	At least 2 objects in the blank are overlapping too much.	Move all affected objects to positions where they do not overlap too much

What's next?

Depending on how you organize your object, there are several ways to continue after starting the job calculation.

• If you want to machine the job right away, switch to DentalCNC and start machining. Thanks to the DirectMill feature, you can start machining immediately:
• If you want to prepare other jobs e.g., to machine them in one session using a machine with a 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, open the blank archive and start over again.
• If you want to check the objects of the job in the residual material display before machining them, wait until DentalCAM has finished calculation and then open the list of calculated objects.