Updating Libraries and Machine Definitions

[Shoggoth_2150]

So while I'm not new to Mastercam, there are things I've never been able to find good answers to, or resources for. For instance:

-How do you add to or create/update your Materials Library? Half of the Metals we cut aren't in the default library and I've no idea how to expand on it to include new materials.  I usually just end up picking a metal as close as I can find to what's being cut. 

-How do you create a new Tool Library? I often download tool models from MachiningCloud and want to make Libraries according to manufacturer. I know how to add them in by the job, importing them one by one, but no idea how to create a fresh Library so I can pull them whenever I want.

-Is there a way to add in machines to the simulator? Is there some resource somewhere that would allow you to download a 3D version of the machine you're using in the real world to show in the simulator? I'd love to add my 5-Axis Matsuura MX-520 into it so I could actually see any collisions happening.

As I said, I've never been able to find good answers to these questions. It's one area of my Mastercam knowledge that has always been lacking. Any information that anyone has to pass along, or resources, would be appreciated. Perhaps there is some corner of eMastercam that explains it all and I just haven't found it.

Thanks. 

[#Rekd™]

I would suggest you register on the CNC software website for some training, there are many great tutorials on these topics.

https://www.mastercam.com/support/education-resources/

 

[OVodov]

Don't  you get Camplete for your Matsuura?

Matsuura has a partnership with Camplete, so you will get machine simulation and postprocessor at the same time which will make your life much easier.

[Shoggoth_2150]

It was $18k for CAMplete, versus $3.5k for a Mastercam post. We priced it out. Money talks...

[cncappsjames]

You must not be in the US @Shoggoth_2150. CAMplete Comes with the Matsuura 5-Axis machine purchase in the US. The only charge comes after the 1st year. Maintenance... and it runs around $1,500 per year. 

If something "costs" $18k but it works right out of the box and in a couple hours you are ready to go at the machine, it requires no back and forth for a month to get things right, collision checks g-code in your actual machine, or, something else "costs" only $3,500 yet is going to require a crap ton of effort, time, and you never really know exactly what you are going to get out at the machine which one "costs" more? 

Money you can make back. Time, once it's gone, you can never get it back. 

[crazy^millman]

1 hour ago, Shoggoth_2150 said:

It was $18k for CAMplete, versus $3.5k for a Mastercam post. We priced it out. Money talks...

One crash and you will see not a wise move.

That said your answers are such. Click on the ? in the section you want more information on and do some reading.

From help for #1

Editing a Material Definition

1. Click Tool settings in the Toolpaths Manager.

2. If the material is already selected, click Edit. Otherwise, click Select and choose the desired material from the library.

3. If you click Edit, the changes you make will only affect the current machine group.
4. If you click Select and select a material from the library, the changes you make will be saved to the materials library and will affect all future parts that use the material.
5. Edit the material parameters as required. There are two types of material parameters:
   1. Each material has a base cutting speed and a base feed per tooth. Changing these affects all operations and tool types.
   2. Each material includes an override percentage for each operation types and tool material. Edit these individual values to customize feeds and speeds for each operation or tool type.
6. Depending on whether you accessed the material definition from a lathe machine group, or a mill/router machine group, you will see different sets of operation types to edit.

Working with Materials

Mastercam uses material definitions to help calculate feed rates and spindle speeds as accurately as possible.

Material definitions are stored in libraries, just like tool definitions. Material definition libraries have a .mcam-materials extension and are stored in ..\<Shared Data Folder>\MATERIALS. When you select a material, Mastercam copies the definition to your part file. Material definitions consist of base feed rates and tables of adjustments for different operation types and tool types. If you have selected a material, when you then select a tool for an operation, Mastercam can use the information in the material definition to help calculate proper default feed rates and spindle speeds for the selected operation and tool.

You can use the same library for both Lathe and Mill/Router applications, but you need to configure the material definition individually, since Lathe has completely different operation types than Mill or Router. You can also store inch and metric material definitions in the same library. The default material library is specified as part of the machine definition.

Creating machine-specific material libraries lets you optimize the default feeds and speeds for different machine characteristics; for example, you might edit a material definition to produce lower feed rates on an older machine with less horsepower. Then, if you load the different machine definition in a machine group in a part file, you can easily update the feeds and speeds. However, no matter what machine you are using, you can select materials from any library, not just the default.

Answer #2

Tool Manager: Classic

Use the Tool Manager, Classic dialog box to view and manage tool libraries, the tools in your part file, and tool definitions. Use it to:

• Look at the tools stored in a tool library, machine group, or both.
• Create new tools and store them in a tool library or machine group.
• Edit tools from a tool library or machine group.
• Copy tools to/from a library to a machine group, or between different libraries or machine groups.

An extensive right-click menu gives you many options for configuring the tool display and working with tool geometry and the tool definitions.

Use the drop-down list in the upper-right corner to select which tools to view:

The tool list window displays information about each tool.

• Click on column headings to sort the list by that column. Drag column headers to make them wider or narrower.
• Select Filter active to filter the list of tools. Click Filter to change the filter criteria with the Tool List Filter dialog box. You can filter by tool type, shape/size, or material.

Click any of the following links to display more information:

Working in the Part window

When you create or work on a tool in the part window, you are working on a copy of the tool definition that is stored in the machine group. That means if you edit a tool from the part window, you are only changing the definition in the machine group and not the tool library. If you select the tool from another Mastercam file, the changes you make here will not appear.

• If you delete a tool, it will be removed from the machine group, but will still be in the tool library (assuming that it was loaded from one).
• If you create a new tool, you need to save it or copy it to the tool library window to make it available to other Mastercam files.
• Double-click a tool to edit it.

• Tools that are currently being used in operations have a check mark next to them:

  Details icon

  

  Small icon

  

  Large icon

  

You can delete all the tools that aren't being used by selecting Delete unused tools from the right-click menu.

The window shows all the tools in a machine group. You can display tools from a different machine group by selecting it from the list.

Working in the Library window

The Library window displays all the tools in the selected tool library. You can display tools from a different library by selecting the new library or, choosing a new tool library. Mill and Router users can each open the other's tool libraries and save tools from one type of library to the other.

Copying tools from one window to another

Click on a tool to select it. Select more than one tool by pressing [Ctrl] and clicking multiple tools, or you can [Shift]+click a range of tools. Then, use any of the following techniques to copy tools to another window.

• Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to copy tools from one window to the other:
• Drag the selected tools from one window to another.
• Double-click a tool in the Library window to copy it to the Part window.

Copying a tool from the Part window to the Library window saves it to the tool library that is displayed in the window. When you copy a tool to the library, Mastercam assigns it the next available tool number. This means that if an identical tool already exists in the library, Mastercam will still create a new tool with a new tool number.

To copy tools from one machine group to another, select the tool or tools and press [Ctrl+C]. Then open the new machine group and then press [Ctrl+V]. Follow the same process to copy tools from one library to another.

Importing tools from parts

Use the Tool Manager to import tools from a Mastercam part file and save them to a tool library.

1. Click Select file for tool import.
2. Select the Mastercam file which contains the desired tools.
3. Enter a name and location for the new tool library.

Mastercam opens the new library in the Tool Manager. To copy tools into another library, select the desired tools and press [Ctrl+C]. Then open the other library and press [Ctrl+V].

In addition to this classic Tool Manager, Mastercam offers a stand-alone Tool Manager, which provides an efficient and comprehensive way to manage tools and tool holding components, and to create tool assemblies to use in Mastercam. In addition to the tooling component support, Tool Manager also integrates work material and cut parameter data so that you can accommodate a manufacturer’s cutting recommendations. You can also create your own cut parameter data and store it in the database.To work in the stand-alone Tool Manager, select the Windows Start menu, and choose Mastercam, Tool Manager.

Parameters

Machine group list

Shows the machine group from which the tools in the window are displayed. To view or select a tool from a different machine group, select the group from this list.

Tool list

Displays the tools in the current Mastercam file or the tools in the current tool library. Right-click in the window to see a menu with additional options. Click on a column heading to sort the tools in that order.

Select tool list

Select which tools to display. You can choose to display tools from the current part file, from a tool library, or both. Each set of tools will be displayed in its own window. If you display tools from a library, you will be able to select a library.

Filter active

Activates the tool list filter using the current filter criteria.

Create a new tool library

Click to create a new tool library. After clicking the button, enter the name of the library. Make sure you add the .TOOLS extension. To add tools to the library, copy them from the part file. Select Both from the Select tool list to display them, or right-click in the window and choose Create new tool.

Select a different tool library

Click to choose a different tool library.

Select file for tool import

Click to save all the tools from a Mastercam part file as a separate tool library. You will be prompted to select a Mastercam file, and then a name and location for the new tool library. It will automatically open in the Tool pane in the Tool Manager.

Copy tool buttons

To copy tools from one window to another, select a tool and then click on the proper button. If you copy a tool to a tool library, Mastercam will assign a new tool number instead of overwriting an existing tool.

Display mode

Select one of the following to establish the type of items displayed in the Library list window:

• Tools: Displays only tools.
• Assemblies: Displays only assemblies.
• Both: Displays both tools and assemblies.

You can sort the list by clicking the Tool/Assembly column header to group tools and assemblies. The first click will group all of the tools and assemblies together, the second click will reverse the order in which they are listed.

Tool Libraries

Tool libraries (TOOLDB extensions) store tool definitions. Once you save a tool definition to a library, the tool can be used in any Mastercam file.

Tool libraries are useful for storing common tools or for storing tools for specific jobs. You can create a separate library for each machine tool in your shop or for sets of machines that use similar tools. You can use one of several tool libraries that come with Mastercam, or you can create your own tool libraries. Use the Tool Manager to view and manage libraries and tool definitions.

You can also use the stand-alone Tool Manager application to work with tools, holders, tool assemblies, cut parameters, and materials. To work in the stand-alone Tool Manager, select the Windows Start menu, and choose Mastercam 2020, Tool Manager.

The default tool library is set in the active machine definition as part of the General Machine Parameters. You can override this and specify a new default library for the machine group with the Files tab of the Machine Group Properties.

However, whenever you create an operation, you can select a tool from any library available on your computer. Right-click in the Toolpath parameters tab (Lathe) or Tool page (Mill/Router) when creating or editing a toolpath to access tools from different libraries for that operation.

You need to maintain separate tool libraries for Mill/Router and lathe tools, due to the differences between milling and turning tools. For C-axis or Mill-Turn applications, you will use both tool libraries: select tools for turning operations from the lathe tool library, and tools for milling operations from the mill tool library. Also, metric and inch tools are typically stored in separate libraries.

Related topics 

• Tool Libraries
• Tool Definitions
• Mastercam's Tool Managers
• Tool Manager Right-click Menu: Classic

Tool Definitions

Before you can use a tool in a toolpath, Mastercam needs a tool definition for it. A tool definition contains the following information:

• The shape and dimensions of the tool, including how it is mounted in the turret or spindle
• Default values for feeds/speeds/coolant
• Default cutting parameters

Mastercam uses this information to properly calculate cutter compensation, display the tool on screen, intelligently calculate and avoid collisions and gouges, and create meaningful default values for toolpath parameters.

When you first create a tool definition, it resides in the current part file as part of the current machine group and is saved with the file. To make the tool available to other Mastercam files, save the definition to a tool library. Similarly, when you make changes to a tool definition, the changes are saved in the current part file until you write the changes to a library.

When you select a tool for an toolpath, Mastercam copies the definition to the machine group. This way, someone else can open your part file and use it without having access to your tool libraries. You can also use the Tool Manager to load tool definitions from a tool library into a machine group even if they are not used in a toolpath.

Notes for Lathe users

For Lathe tools, the tool definition contains information for both the cutting insert and the holder. Mastercam supplies you with four different tool manufacturer catalogs to choose from:

• Sandvik®
• Kennametal®
• Valenite®
• ISCAR

These catalogs contain tool codes and parameters for many different inserts and holders. Tool definitions are significantly different for Lathe tools and Mill/Router tools. This means that milling and lathe tools are generally stored in separate libraries.

Notes for Router users

Mastercam supports drill blocks, aggregate tooling, and multiple or piggy-back heads. These need to be defined in the machine definition before they can be used in a toolpath. Then, when you are creating a toolpath, right-click in the tool display area in the Toolpath parameters dialog box to select them.

NOTE

• Use the Tool section in the control definition to tell Mastercam how to use tool offset registers and tool/head numbers.
• Mastercam uses calculated feeds and speeds as defaults when you create a new toolpath. You can always override these values in the Toolpath parameters tab for a particular toolpath.
• All of Mastercam's feeds and speeds calculations are limited by the thresholds set by the machine and control definitions.
• You can tell Mastercam to calculate default feeds and speeds based on either the tool definition (as described here) or the material definition. Use the Tool settings tab of the Machine Group Properties dialog box to make this selection on a job-by-job basis.

Answer #3 Have this and will be glad to sell it to you for a price. It was created by myself, but it is not tied to the post. For that need to cough up $7,500 US if your dealer has not already quoted this for you. If they have then we will not go around your dealer to support you.

 

[Shoggoth_2150]

33 minutes ago, cncappsjames said:

You must not be in the US @Shoggoth_2150. CAMplete Comes with the Matsuura 5-Axis machine purchase in the US. The only charge comes after the 1st year. Maintenance... and it runs around $1,500 per year. 

If something "costs" $18k but it works right out of the box and in a couple hours you are ready to go at the machine, it requires no back and forth for a month to get things right, collision checks g-code in your actual machine, or, something else "costs" only $3,500 yet is going to require a crap ton of effort, time, and you never really know exactly what you are going to get out at the machine which one "costs" more? 

Money you can make back. Time, once it's gone, you can never get it back. 

Nope, in Alberta. The machine was part of an acquisition, and the licence had expired. I should clarify, however, that $18k price tag was for 2 machines, the Matsuura MX-520, and a Nakamora Tome WT-300. We'd have needed both versions of CAMplete, True Path & Mill Turn. The Mastercam posts for both machines was 1/3rd of the cost, and we already use Mastercam for every other machine we have. It was a matter of cost and standardization. Only thing lacking is not having full simulation out of the gate. Still making parts on them no problem.  

[Leon82]

Did you get tcp with your mastercam post?

Camplete makes a nice job setup sheet.  Once you get your holders in the library in mastercam they export to camplete with the export dll.

 

[MJPESTALITZ]

On ‎5‎/‎8‎/‎2020 at 11:32 AM, Shoggoth_2150 said:

So while I'm not new to Mastercam, there are things I've never been able to find good answers to, or resources for. For instance:

-How do you add to or create/update your Materials Library? Half of the Metals we cut aren't in the default library and I've no idea how to expand on it to include new materials.  I usually just end up picking a metal as close as I can find to what's being cut. 

-How do you create a new Tool Library? I often download tool models from MachiningCloud and want to make Libraries according to manufacturer. I know how to add them in by the job, importing them one by one, but no idea how to create a fresh Library so I can pull them whenever I want.

-Is there a way to add in machines to the simulator? Is there some resource somewhere that would allow you to download a 3D version of the machine you're using in the real world to show in the simulator? I'd love to add my 5-Axis Matsuura MX-520 into it so I could actually see any collisions happening.

As I said, I've never been able to find good answers to these questions. It's one area of my Mastercam knowledge that has always been lacking. Any information that anyone has to pass along, or resources, would be appreciated. Perhaps there is some corner of eMastercam that explains it all and I just haven't found it.

Thanks. 

THERE IS A LOT YOU WONT FIND HELP FOR. NOT ALL  FEATURES USED IN MASTERCAM HAVE  ANYTHING  ABOUT IT IN HELP. SEE AUTO ANGLE. NOPE.  NO ECOURSES ON POST MANAGEMENT. MY LEAST FAVORITE.. NO COMMAND PROMT THAT WILL TAKE YOU THERE.

[#Rekd™]

6 hours ago, MJPESTALITZ said:

NO COMMAND PROMT THAT WILL TAKE YOU THERE.

There is a “Command Finder” on the home tab. 

[MJPESTALITZ]

15 hours ago, #Rekd™ said:

There is a “Command Finder” on the home tab. 

DOESNT DO THE SAME THING

[JoshC]

22 hours ago, MJPESTALITZ said:

THERE IS A LOT YOU WONT FIND HELP FOR. NOT ALL  FEATURES USED IN MASTERCAM HAVE  ANYTHING  ABOUT IT IN HELP. SEE AUTO ANGLE. NOPE.  NO ECOURSES ON POST MANAGEMENT. MY LEAST FAVORITE.. NO COMMAND PROMT THAT WILL TAKE YOU THERE.

you must not have looked all that hard because I see a description on auto angle in the help section. Not sure what you mean about post management so i cant comment about that but Auto angle is certainly described in the help.

 

"Auto angle

Determines the roughing angle automatically. If the stock is larger in width than height, the roughing angle is 0 (zero) degrees. If the stock is larger in height, the roughing angle is 90 degrees."

[MJPESTALITZ]

51 minutes ago, JoshC said:

you must not have looked all that hard because I see a description on auto angle in the help section. Not sure what you mean about post management so i cant comment about that but Auto angle is certainly described in the help.

 

"Auto angle

Determines the roughing angle automatically. If the stock is larger in width than height, the roughing angle is 0 (zero) degrees. If the stock is larger in height, the roughing angle is 90 degrees."

NOT AUTO ANGLE DETECTION... IT IS AUTO ANGLE INSIDE THE FACING OPERATIION THAT SHOULD ALLOW YOU TO SPECIFY THE ANGLE THE TOOL TRACKS IN Z.

[crazy^millman]

4 minutes ago, MJPESTALITZ said:

NOT AUTO ANGLE DETECTION... IT IS AUTO ANGLE INSIDE THE FACING OPERATIION THAT SHOULD ALLOW YOU TO SPECIFY THE ANGLE THE TOOL TRACKS IN Z.

Sorry you are mistaken the Auto Angle in that toolpath has the exact help Josh has shown. That controls the plane direction of the toolpath not the Z. 

I am self taught like many on here, but you reach out to your dealer or even go get the free training on Mastercam U then you might get more insight into the toolpaths and their functions. 

One other thing Yelling is consider rude an yelling so please turn off your caps lock. Have a good day. 

[JoshC]

 

or from where your at in your second image on the left side you should see "cut paramaters: Face" click that, then click parameters. 

[Forbes Precision]

On 5/8/2020 at 2:36 PM, Shoggoth_2150 said:

It was $18k for CAMplete, versus $3.5k for a Mastercam post. We priced it out. Money talks...

Tell me you've never used Camplete without telling me you've never used Camplete.