kerfmaster pin list · UI / workflow decisions
rulingA decision by Aristide or Jordan. True because it was decided; it can be superseded, but it cannot be stale.
Content last changed 2026-08-31 — computed from the item itself, not typed.
Jordan, 2026-08-28, on our build-151 DXF (8VACUSEPRNG0001) opened in MetaCam-EX — 'We're going to start sharing with you current MetaCam interface screenshots of functionality of what we do use in there.' Shop workflow: open DXF → assign material → toolpath. The walkthrough is the reference feature set for operator overrides, extending the EDIT_TOOLING dialogs of interface-per-contour-override. Screenshots in incoming/ (1787927812–1787929599).
Generate tooling for All / Selected / Unselected entities ('features' going forward — Jordan). Shop's standard run: Suppress corner process, Suppress automatic edge control, Suppress wirejoints (def-wirejoint) checked; cutting power by average segment length. Most options crossed out by Jordan: 'most of these things are already taken care of either through our tables or rules that you are aware of.' Result view = the tooled toolpath (toolpath-view-intent); their auto result matched our rules (holes first along one rapid line, outer last, CW outer, pierce right edge).
'Click on cut, corner, approach or escape to edit its settings.' Laser Cut popup per feature: Condition (110...), Constant power, Direction CW/CCW, Before, No Beam-offset (per-FEATURE comp off — our G40 text/art rule exists at feature grain here), Approach settings, Escape settings (escape = lead-out), Delete this tooling.
'We can literally click and drag to the desired spot, it stays attached to the toolpath with all the settings still intact.' The approach handle = lead-in + pierce point as ONE thing — matches our start-point ruling (one choice fixes start, lead, pierce). Typed overrides also available: lead-in length, tab size, lead-outs, angles of lead-ins, and even a radius on the lead-in. Answered 2026-08-28: approach point = the feature's start point; the drag moves pierce, lead and start point together as one handle; and on a job where wirejoints aren't suppressed, the wirejoint rides the drag too — it is not placed independently.
Numbered boxes on every feature; 'I can click on each item in the order I want to manually override the default sequence that you set through automation.' Shift=Batch, Shift+Ctrl=Rubber-band, Alt=Slice Tooling. Answered 2026-08-28: Shift / Shift+Ctrl / Alt were 'MetaCam's attempt at allowing the user to resequence without having to start from scratch. These options do not work really well' — and the click-features-in-order model we described (numbered pierce points, same numbering as our static toolpath plot) 'is exactly what we envisioned for the user interface.' So we do NOT copy the modifier-key scheme; the plain click-in-order sort is the design. Their auto default on this part: holes 1–6 left to right, outer 7 last.
'Change the lead-in direction/location for all identical features in the file, even if they were nested already.' Mode ALL = every identical feature follows one change (ties to true nesting — the arrayed thing is a toolpath, so one feature edit propagates across placements); mode SINGLE FEATURE (a checkbox) = override each feature individually. Confirmed 2026-08-28: in ALL mode 'we only had to manipulate one feature, and the rest all followed suit' — one drag re-points every identical feature; it is not a per-feature repeat.
The per-contour override slot must carry at least: lead-in length / angle / radius, lead-out, tab size, pierce/start location, cut direction, comp on/off, condition, and a sequence index — each a table-seeded default + operator override, per aid-the-operator-philosophy. Sequence overrides get FLAGGED against the safety rules (nc_audit traffic rule), never blocked. Identical-feature propagation is a first-class operation.
(1) Alt=Slice Tooling: see 2C above — MetaCam's failed modifier-key re-sequencing; our click-in-order model is the envisioned UI. (2) MetaCam DOES warn on a risky manual re-sequence, and the operator can dismiss. Our design goes further — severity tiers + warnings carried into the posted G-code: see gcode-warning-callouts. (3) An unsuppressed wirejoint rides the approach drag (see 2B).
record update 2026-08-31 (same commit as the code): the start/pierce override slot is now PER FEATURE — start_at={"features": [{"near", "start"}]} binds by nearest centroid to any boundary, and every posted boundary's decisions are recorded with sources + override slots in the tooling document (tooling-doc-model).