In 2024 and beyond yes

I prefer to helix everywhere as well. Cheers to finding out that bigger than 50% flips the helix direction, I'll be sure to watch for that.

Thanks for the reply! I am familiar with the entry options. For some reason I just chose to create a larger pocket on entry thinking the larger pocket would clear material faster and with the stiffest axis on its way down. Possibly a better way to do it, but it worked. I just wish I noticed it posted conventional helix before it got out to the machine and sounded horrible. I went down to 50% helix rad reposted and it sounded great.

I don't think so, but I don't know for sure

Glad you got it done. In the future, you could choose "plunge only" instead of Helix, but use the "center on point" checkbox to control where that entry point is. Since you're not really center-cutting with the tool, and there is a slot for chip evacuation, you should just be able to plunge straight down, and then have the tool begin the dynamic motion.

Making deep soft jaws clamped on a .500 spacer is why I said ".750 endmill helixing into a .500 slot" I noticed the issue when I chose a radius bigger than 50% for helixing down. ( I just wanted to remove more material and create a larger space for the dynamic roughing to start its routine) No help needed, I reduced the helix entry rad to 50% and the jaws came out fine. Thanks for the replies. Screen shot attached for clarity

Machines won't show up in that Menu for selection unless they are valid machines, so if you haven't migrated that folder or you aren't seeing a particular machine show up even though a file for it exists, this is a cue to go back and put that file/folder through the migration process.

If you are upgrading a legitimate copy of Mastercam your reseller can help you update these files.

That is a interesting solution to the problem. I don't think I want to go down that road especially since one of my posts has the pcan section in the encrypted part I can't modify. Clever solution none the less.

That was the file I was talking about but it sounds like the problem is that your files are just too old.

They are quite similar...the MPMaster was always nice as it had so many options already built in and usually all you need to do was change a switch... I have built my last several posts, HMC & VMC based on the generic Fanuc posts I find no issues getting things done....my reality at this point in time though is I simply don't have time to be doing too much post building...I maintain my HMC & VMC posts as I have heavily customized them but anything else, I purchase...my time is better spent on other things.

Yes Educational users can open industrial files but cannot save them as industrial files. Same goes for Home Learning edition. Home learning addition cannot post code or export to step/ stp files. Home learning addition can be installed on your home computer. It is a time limited item (about 18 - 24 months).

That's a good point. Are there any pros/cons of the MPMaster vs the Generic Fanuc post? I've never used the generic post.

Unopened projects cannot be saved...Even if .mcam-defaults is modified, it will be invalid. You must first "copy" a copy of your post,...and then edit... Replace the name of pcan and the name of pcan1 with each other (Picture 1) or Replace the contents of pcan with the contents of pcan1 (Picture 2).... Just use "Before" for your coolant setting (since it's already swapped)... But... if you want to use other insert instructions (Picture 3)... You must remember that Before and With have been exchanged!!! I've tested it...it seems to work Maybe Colin Gilchrist has a better way, Colin Gilchrist is a professional... or...

Can education users open files of general users? If so, can I install it on my home computer? Because I want to know what improvements will be made in 2025... and I can still communicate here...

Just to double check it is this config file that you are talking about correct? I deleted it but the machines still does not showup. I have also tried to rename my mastercam 2023 file and have mastercam rebuild the file and it did not work either. Then I was thinking it could have been that the files are on the cloud (OneDrive) so it doesn't like that so I moved all the files to a local drive but that also did not work. Ahhhh I see, I will go to them then. Thanks for saving me from digging even deeper into a dead end

you cannot use 2018 machien files in 2023 that is too big a jump even for the migration wizard you will need to contact your reseller to update them for you they will need to update to 2021 and then 2023

Possibly a corrupted mcamx.config file. You could try deleting it and it will recreate a new one with the default settings when you start Mastercam. It is usually in the C:\Users\****\Documents\My Mastercam 2024\Mastercam\CONFIG folder.

I was already trying to set the defaults by renaming the file as a .mcam file. I can get it looking the way I want but it just won't save it that way. I might just add a warning message in the post to let me know if I forget to set it to "With". I was hoping to make life a little easier and avoid having to select it every time by setting the defaults but it doesn't look like it works that way.

Hello, I have looked all over and have not found a way to fix this problem. I am currently updating from MCAM2018 to MCAM2023, and the Machine Definition Menu Management under Machine Type -> Router -> Manage List is empty even though it has the same Machine directory path as MCAM 2018. Here is a side by side screenshot of 2023 vs 2018. I copy and pasted the path from 2018 to 2023 so they are all directing to the same folder. The only thing I could guess is that mastercam stopped support for some machine definition files? Here are a couple of other things I've tried: 1. Using Migration Wizard to migrate all the files 2. Copy pasting the machine definition files into the default path of the Machine Definition Directory The current work around that I have since we only need two machine definitions is to set one machine as the default machine and set the other machine definition manually by choosing default machine, then going to files and then changing machine definition from there. Thanks for any help!

To spell it out: Rename Defaults File Extension *.mcam-defaults > *.mcam Open Defaults File "as a Mastercam File". You'll see in the Toolpaths Manager, the normal structure, with MD/CD (Files), and Operations. Replace the MD/CD with "Your MD/CD/PST". Save the file. Go to File > Repair File (compacts database and removes dead pointers). In the Toolpaths Manager, edit your default settings. Save the file. Close the File. (Do File > New, if you are keeping Mastercam open) Rename the file extension *.mcam > to *.mcam-defaults

For Default Files > there is a MD/CD embedded in these files. As SuperHoneyBadger mentioned, you can edit the file extension of the Default File, open it in Mastercam, and perform a "Replace" on the machine definition. This is the reason you see "on/off" as your only options. Because "by default", the Defaults File points to MPFAN, and uses "V9 style coolant" options.

Yes using old Purple Hasp from Version 8 days (not X8).... Yes I work in educational facility.

Are you an education user? I remember you said you had the old hasp and also the new version of the license Are you an education user?...School?

When you are setting the default values, are you using the button in the Machine Group Setup, 2023/2024, or are you changing the *.mcam-defaults to an *.mcam and back again? Also coolant defaults are defined per-toolpath, I believe, so you'll need to set it individually for all the paths you use. This is nice cause you can have thru-coolant on drills, but not contours, etc, but if you only have flood it does seem like an unnecessary extra bunch of hoops to jump through.