Mastercam Solids

[Michael Reynolds]

More and more, I'm starting to use the solids extention in Mcam. I like it, and it's easy to use, but I'm strugling some. For instance, I just created a solid of a dovetail type tool block (like an aloris), and when I cut half of it away (extrude, cut body) to see what the sectional view would look like, it was great, but when I went into the solids manager and deleted that cut operation, I couldn't get the hole block back (yes, I tried regening). It said "problem regenerating chain". What am I doing wrong? Also, I'm curious as to how many people use mastercam to design parts and create detail drawings with. The "layout c hook works really good to place views in a drawing (from solids), but it has it's problems, like the sectional views come in upside down.

Or do most people just use mcam to do the nc work?

Thanks yet again,

Mike R.

[Kenneth Potter]

I use the solids mostly for fixture details & simple shapes."Quick quick"

Regen wont work if you have deleted any base geometry thats associated to that solid.

Ho hum back to work i go

Kennetk Potter

[Michael Reynolds]

Thanks Ken, so am I right in my assumption that most people don't use Mcam to design & create working detail/xxxx'y drawings?k I think mcam is great on the cam side, and it's not bad to draw wireframes etc., but there seems to be a lot of room for imporvement on the cad (solids) side. While I'm on it, does anyone know if Mcam is planning to make their solids package parametric?

Thanks!

Mike R.

[Elad]

As far as i know,there is no sofware in the world that can get converted solid files from other software as parametric solid.

If i get a solid file from a customer,and then i get a phone call from him,telling me to do some changes,i have a problem!

somtimes i have to make surfaces to fix his solid or to make another solid attached to the original solid.

[Michael Reynolds]

Actually, what I meant was using mcam to completely design a product, not import from another cad package.

Thanks!

Mike R.

[Bill]

I have used it alot and it seems to do a pretty decent job. I used to get "pieces" of broken slides and I would scan them on a CMM and take the point data to MC and recreate the geometry. They always seemed to have worked. I have also done part creation from "bar napkins". You never know when an idea will pop up in your head ...

[Bill]

Also, I do like the Solids package. I lost my license so now I don't Pro-E...

[Mike-T]

hello all !!

I don't have the Solids for Mastercam...I use Pro-e...Is there any advantage in geting the solids for MC ??

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Elad,

STEP, is supposed have provisions for Solids Inter-Operability between CAD Systems. I've been told that Solid Works will attempt to re-build a Solids History if you import a Parasolid. Maybe someone in here can confirm or refute that.

I like to use Mastercam Solids for designing. I race BMX for fun and I like to design parts for my bike. Maybe some day I'll even manufacture them. Solids is soooo much easier than Surface Modeling, but be warned, Surface Modeling is still important because you can still do some things with surfaces that you cannot do with Solids. Just ask anybody that uses Alias or Wavefront. Organic shapes are still ruled by surfaces.

Back to the original question, Mastercam Solids is a great Part Modeler and not really an Assembly Modeler. The reason being that you don't have the ability to check interference through kinematics(motion). This goes beyond the scope of MasterCAM's focus which is of course - CAM. That's not to say that some day they will not have it, but if I were to make a wild guess, I'd say that they probably won't (but I have been wrong before, and I'm certain I'll be wrong again)

JMHO.

------------------

James M.

[This message has been edited by James Meyette (edited 05-29-2001).]

[KMaynard]

Mike,

We actually use pro-e with the mastercam solids thru the cimmpro translator and it's great makes life a lot easier dealing with a solid model ..

[Michael Reynolds]

Thanks for all your input on this one. Now I get it...

Mike R.

[jenks]

I use Mastercam for everything. Since I work in a maintenance shop, most of my work is reverse engineering of OEM repair parts for extinct machinery. I am doing programming for 3 lathes and 3 mills. I also build some of our process equipment from scratch. I make detailed drawings, develop parts from an idea, build my fixturing, make sketches for the operators to use with their set-ups, just about anything that needs doing I do with Mastercam. But, I am not using solids.

I even use a copy of Mastercam draft v7, that we were given when we attended the upgrade classes, at home for woodworking and home fix-up projects.

[johns]

I've been asking NC for years to improve their Design end of their product. We have 5 seats of Mill and my seat of Design prepares ALL data that goes to the CNC. Each operator does his own programming but I make sure all designs are problem free. I also do mold designs and feel that MC is more stable and easier than our Cadkey seat. It's good to hear that others would like to see improvement in the Design / drawings end of it. I can't figure out why the industry uses one product for CAD and another for CAM. When I finish a mold design, it's ready for the CNC NOW. Revisions are also immediate.

[beav700]

I'm using both ProE 2000 and Mastercam 8.1.1.

There is no way to compare the two when it comes to design and creating 3d models.It's like day and night.In my opinion the best way to mill 3d shapes is to make them in something like ProE,UG,Catia,SolidWorks and import them into Mastercam. I've tried doing solids in Mcam and I get fed up after an hour. We all know that Mastercam is a CAM package and not a design program. My Co worker have been using Mastercam for last six years and when it comes to 3D he leaves to me after seeing how simple and fast it is to make it in ProE. Many times he wouldn't even be done with making 2D geometries to be extruded by the time I'm done with the whole thing in ProE.Don't get me wrong...I love Mcam and will use it as long as I can, but not for 3D modeling, for now.