Tool path display apparatus for machine tool

A tool path display apparatus for a machine tool, which displays a three-dimensional path of a movable part of the machine tool configured to control positions and attitudes of a tool and a workpiece by means of a plurality of drive axes using a numerical controller, the tool path display apparatus comprising:

• a data acquisition unit configured to simultaneously acquire and store, as time-series data, actual position data for the plurality of drive axes at each time;
• a movable part path calculation unit configured to calculate three-dimensional coordinate values of the movable part as viewed from a coordinate system secured to the workpiece, based on the actual position data stored in the data acquisition unit and data on the mechanical structure of the machine tool, thereby determining the three-dimensional path of the movable part;
• a stereoscopic image generation unit configured to determine left- and right-eye stereoscopic image data based on the three-dimensional path of the movable part determined by the movable part path calculation unit;
• and
• a stereoscopic image display unit configured to display the left- and right-eye stereoscopic image data determined by the stereoscopic image generation unit so that the image data are visible from the left and right eyes corresponding thereto.