Screenshots of old Mastercam releases

[Watcher]

It just crossed my mind how early Mastercam releases looked like...

 

Saw a screenshot in one of the posts with a footer note "CNC Software 1983-2016"

 

Seldom we remember how long these tools have been around...

 

Does anyone have pics of early Mastercam releases, like V1, V2, V3?

 

I'm very curious about how the UI looked like back then...

[David Colin]

I'd be very curious too!

I googled and i couldn't find a screenshot below v6 (which didn't look different from v9 i used a lot).

[Newbeeee™]

^^^ sweet interface.

[David Colin]

It was intuitive and lightning fast speaking of keyboard shortcuts

[Thad]

 

I googled and i couldn't find a screenshot below v6 (which didn't look different from v9 i used a lot).

 

I started using V7. There was a single row of icons along the top of the screen.

[David Colin]

So it looks like toolbars appeared with V7 and disappeared with 2017

[Thad]

[Newbeeee™]

Wonder where the look came from!

[RonC.]

I started and learn mastercam on v2.0 when it was still DOS base op system, if I remember right picture v7. with out icon bar, you selected through menu ,

which you still can do up to ver x6.. I'm not sure about newer vers. cause i'm stuck at ver 6 for now .. grrr.. :-)

[gcode]

V7 looks the same a V8 and V9 as far as I can tell

I wouldn't go back to that interface for anything

It was primitive then  and more primitive today

[Newbeeee™]

V7 looks the same a V8 and V9 as far as I can tell

I wouldn't go back to that interface for anything

It was primitive then  and more primitive today

Didn't you beta test V1?

[?Mark]

I don't think there was V1. It was named something else prior to v3.

".GE3" is what I started with...could have been V3

I liked it, but like gcode, I wouldn't want to go back, lol

[gcode]

Didn't you beta test V1?

No.. my first software was Anciam 1.0

no mouse.. 13' four color screen, 2 8" floppy drives

 

you drew and drove toolpaths with keyboard commands

 

line1= ya2.

 

would draw a line of infinite length at Y2.0

 

c1 = P[2,2] d4

 

would draw a 4" circle at X2 Y2

 

toolpaths would be ..

 

rapid P1[Z2.0]

feed P1 [Z0]

feed line 1, arc 1, line 2, arc 3, line 4   etc etc etc

 

would could do simple pocketing routines... but it was very difficult

 

 

The system cost $12K new ... I bought it used in the mid 80's for $300

There was no tech support and no internet. and 2 instruction books 4" thick

It took me a long time to figure it out

 

My first experience with Mastercam was V5 at Saddleback Community College in Santa Ana

I first made chips with Mastercam when I bought a seat of V7 Level 1 lathe and mill in 1988

[Thad]

You could be pretty quick with that side menu. The next click was never more than a about 3 inches away on the screen. I'm sure the keyboard users were even faster.

[gcode]

You could be pretty quick with that side menu. The next click was never more than a about 3 inches away on the screen. I'm sure the keyboard users were even faster.

do it do it done done  

[Watcher]

I think this is around V3.21

 

Link says it was shipped with centroid controls between 1994 and 2001...

 

http://www.cncsnw.com/MCTutor1.htm

 

[MIL-TFP-41]

Just going off of memory....V5 was the first to look like the V9 interface that we all have seen. Before that I don't really remember...might of not had the icon's across the top.

V7 was the first to have any kind of associativity.....but only on 2d toolpaths.

[gcode]

Just going off of memory....V5 was the first to look like the V9 interface that we all have seen. Before that I don't really remember...might of not had the icon's across the top.

V7 was the first to have any kind of associativity.....but only on 2d toolpaths.

I believe solids were introduced in V8

[Watcher]

It would be nice if someone from CNC could post some pics of first releases...

 

It´s even worth to show how the software has come a looong way...

[Thad]

do it do it done done  

 LOL. I forgot about that.

[MIL-TFP-41]

V4 Wire screenshot:

 

[Newbeeee™]

G, I know this was your first CAM system...

[crazy^millman]

G, I know this was your first CAM system...

Mine was my fingers and toes and some crayons.

[BBprecise]

Started on v5.5 myself. Don't think I still have the install disks for v5.5, but I believe I have v7 and/or v9 installs. Pretty sure toolbar across top started in v9 (didn't use v8 so not sure on that), rarely used it. Loved the menu on the left side. V7 is where association started, and boy did that take some getting used to. Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it also v7 where they started controlling lead in/lead and CDC in the toolpath parameters? I remember in v5.5 I had to create geometry needed to turn cdc on and off (wasn't bad before association because you could just delete the geometry once you created the toolpath) and extend the geometry so you didn't plunge or rapid into stock. I also believe it was v9 (could have been v7, it was a long time ago) when MC became stock aware on lathe only IIRC. It was neat because instead of having to create every DOC when roughing a forging (so you could trim every line to the stock profile so you knew you weren't rapiding into stock) MC just used the stock clearance you set it up with and wham bam thank you ma'am you were done.

 

Those early versions required you to really know what you were doing and you had to mentally keep track of stock shape. File ext. was ge3 up until v9 when it changed to putting version number (or a derivative) in it; ie mc9 was for v9., mcx was v10. That lasted for a version or two, then they started using mcx-*(2nd digit of version number).

 

Ohhh the memories.

[gcode]

G, I know this was your first CAM system...

actually my first CAM system was an HP rpn calculator .

I wrote a bunch of macros to solve bolt circles and solve arc endpoints for

endmills machining outside radii.

Twenty years of CAM systems has made me stupid and lazy

I couldn't write those macro's today to save my life

 

Who's old enough to remember trig and log tables ???

and slide rules