Linking imported solid models in Mastercam

[Newbeeee™]

3 hours ago, Thee Rickster ™ said:

 

Generally customer sends a new file, it goes through our CN tracker and a CN flags the

production job, we Move the current rev data to an obsolete folder and place the new rev data

in the main folder.

 

 

This is exactly how I had my shop and the place I worked at previous.

Customer folder, Part number and Issue folder, and within this an OOI folder (Out of Issue).

Everything to make the part (master job card, drawing/print, cad file, mcam file, NCprogram, setup sheets, emails if important etc) within.

When the part was raised in issue, rename the folder to correct (new) issue, move all contents into the OOI file. Then put into the newly named folder new print and cad model. 

Then when priority/time came, sort the changes and create a new master job card, copy/then update to create a new mcam file, prog etc.... 

Worked like a charm.

Call me a luddite, but it would frighten me to death mcam potentially hosing files automagically....imagine upgrading a release and it "upgraded" every one of your cam files.... 

[JParis]

8 minutes ago, Newbeeee™ said:

imagine upgrading a release and it "upgraded" every one of your cam files.... 

How would a software that only stores your files, suddenly upgrade a file?

 

Based on that theory, you should never update your Windows program...

[Newbeeee™]

19 minutes ago, JParis said:

How would a software that only stores your files, suddenly upgrade a file?

 

Based on that theory, you should never update your Windows program...

Unless I misunderstood which is most possible, post 6 from Ricky Hey John, when i close and reopen the file, the tracker removes the .stp files

 

Ref never upgrading windows....yes you are 100% correct! By design

My place had XP when the doors were opened in 2005, and around 2009 upgraded PC's and then 7 was installed on everything and stayed till I sold in 2017.  6x PC's all networked and not connected to the interwebs. Zero issues in 12 years. No "overnight updated graphics driver" issues, no nothing. Absolutely flawless. Look at all the time I saved and the many less headaches I had!

And just the 1x standalone pc for internet and emails.

[JParis]

5 minutes ago, Newbeeee™ said:

when i close and reopen the file, the tracker removes the .stp files

It wasn't actually removing the file, it was dropping it out of the Tracking option...

[Jobnt]

17 minutes ago, Newbeeee™ said:

Ref never upgrading windows....yes you are 100% correct! By design

This. ^^^

[Thee Rickster ™]

On 9/14/2023 at 3:26 PM, JParis said:

It wasn't actually removing the file, it was dropping it out of the Tracking option...

Correct.

 

For some reason it automatically adds the Mastercam file and pointlessly removes the (named).stp files that

i want it to track.....

 

So i can assume it is buggy or just doesn't do anything really useful for file(rev) management tracking.(red flagging rev changes)

or it is still in development.??

 

Wish list or enhancement

 

Regards

[Jobnt]

28 minutes ago, Thee Rickster ™ said:

So i can assume it is buggy or just doesn't do anything really useful

Now do ActiveReports. (NoLOL)

[SuperHoneyBadger]

25 minutes ago, Jobnt said:

Now do ActiveReports. (NoLOL)

Just wait for DynamicReports!

[JParis]

1 hour ago, Thee Rickster ™ said:

i want it to track.....

If you're looking to track Rev control...it's not going to do it...

All it will do is alert you if a file of the exact same name has been updated since you last opened the Mastercam file...that's it....same name, same location, beyond that, you really need a 3rd party product.

[Jobnt]

27 minutes ago, SuperHoneyBadger said:

DynamicReports

What the hell are they planning now? 

[crazy^millman]

1 hour ago, Jobnt said:

Now do ActiveReports. (NoLOL)

Varco Reports and get the customization and functionality you really need from Active Reports.

[Jobnt]

33 minutes ago, crazy^millman said:

Varco Reports and get the customization and functionality you really need from Active Reports.

I thought Varco was separate from Active Reports? 

I will never use Active Reports until they correct their anal-cranium-inversion and quit opening the app full screen on my 3 foot monitor. 

Yeah, I know, cutting off muh nose to spite muh face and all that. I don't use CNC Edit Man for the same reason even though it's fairly well set up for what we do here. 

[crazy^millman]

17 minutes ago, Jobnt said:

I thought Varco was separate from Active Reports? 

I will never use Active Reports until they correct their anal-cranium-inversion and quit opening the app full screen on my 3 foot monitor. 

Yeah, I know, cutting off muh nose to spite muh face and all that. I don't use Edit Man for the same reason even though it's fairly well set up for what we do here. 

Jim took and bought the developers kit and created a user interface that allows us to customize the outputs. He has also developed custom ones for many different customers over the years.

[gcode]

Mastercam announced they were "partnering" with Varco Reports a couple of weeks ago

I have no idea what "partnering" entails and have heard nothing further on the subject since then.

[Jobnt]

16 minutes ago, crazy^millman said:

created a user interface

Does it still open full screen? 

      /asking the tough questions  

[crazy^millman]

3 minutes ago, Jobnt said:

Does it still open full screen? 

      /asking the tough questions  

Yes just like i want it to. It can be minimized, but if that is the hill you are going to choose to go to battle on then your choice to pick it.

[Aaron Eberhard]

17 minutes ago, crazy^millman said:

Yes just like i want it to. It can be minimized, but if that is the hill you are going to choose to go to battle on then your choice to pick it.

My Varco Reports opens in the whatever window size I last left it in.

[crazy^millman]

21 minutes ago, Aaron Eberhard said:

My Varco Reports opens in the whatever window size I last left it in.

I have mine as full so it always open exactly like I want it. Why I have 3 monitors.

[byte]

1 hour ago, gcode said:

Mastercam announced they were "partnering" with Varco Reports a couple of weeks ago

I have no idea what "partnering" entails and have heard nothing further on the subject since then.

Mastercam Partners is a program that provides benefits to companies that develop features for Mastercam,

you can find the list of Partners here -> https://www.mastercam.com/community/partners/

[Jobnt]

1 hour ago, crazy^millman said:

Yes just like i want it to. It can be minimized, but if that is the hill you are going to choose to go to battle on then your choice to pick it.

And here-in lies the problem.

Lazy (ignorant??) software programmers often think everyone uses the software the same way they do so they don't take into consideration that what works for them might not work for their "customers" "users" or whatever you want to call them.

So yeah, my hill, my battle, my sanity and my very accurate signature. 

[Jobnt]

1 hour ago, Aaron Eberhard said:

My Varco Reports opens in the whatever window size I last left it in.

Thanks.

I wonder if that's a function of the Varco reports or if CNC fixed Active Reports.

[crazy^millman]

48 minutes ago, byte said:

Mastercam Partners is a program that provides benefits to companies that develop features for Mastercam,

you can find the list of Partners here -> https://www.mastercam.com/community/partners/

Too bad some partners aren't listed on there. 10 years I have been hearing we will be listed yet no where to be found.

[crazy^millman]

19 hours ago, Jobnt said:

And here-in lies the problem.

Lazy (ignorant??) software programmers often think everyone uses the software the same way they do so they don't take into consideration that what works for them might not work for their "customers" "users" or whatever you want to call them.

So yeah, my hill, my battle, my sanity and my very accurate signature. 

Problem lies with the core program being used like windows and CNC Software adopting ribbons for Mastercam when the Development process clearly states for more complex programs the GUI should use Toolbars and no ribbons. Ribbons won the deciding direction and here we are all the years later stuck with that process. I spent years doing Excel, Word and many other ways making setup sheets and tool lists and they all error prone, cumbersome and labor intensive. Once done in Mastercam I make my screen images using Verisurf screen capture. I crop in paint and then save to the Customer/part number/setup sheet folder. I direct the dialog to use that folder and away I go. I want to print a Forrest I turn that on. i want to limit to just tools using operations I use that method. EDP, MFG names and so much more is output and done. I don't have the luxury or being available anytime of the day when someone has question because the process is not defined enough when done. It has to provide as much information needed to be followed without needing to ask me questions. I program for enterprise deployment and have to cross every t and do every i. When I don't I have to go back stop something else I am doing and correct it. Yes I am human and make my share of mistakes. Not prefect by any shot of someone's imagination. I just try my best and hope at the end of the day it is good enough to keep getting work. 

[Jake L]

2 hours ago, Jobnt said:

Does it still open full screen? 

      /asking the tough questions  

Windows Key + Down Arrow minimizes the active window

[byte]

37 minutes ago, Jobnt said:

And here-in lies the problem.

Lazy (ignorant??) software programmers often think everyone uses the software the same way they do so they don't take into consideration that what works for them might not work for their "customers" "users" or whatever you want to call them.

So yeah, my hill, my battle, my sanity and my very accurate signature. 

Just for fun let's say you wanted to add a little process to resize the active reports window when it opens' you could cut and paste this code into the NetScripting Add-On and resize it using the windows API

 

#TESTED in Mc2023

Tap the escape key repeatedly to kill the process

 	
    [System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("user32.dll")]
    private static extern int GetWindowLong(System.IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex);
    
	[System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("user32.dll")]
    private static extern bool EnumWindows(EnumWindowsProc enumProc, System.IntPtr lParam);

    [System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = System.Runtime.InteropServices.CharSet.Unicode)]
    private static extern int GetWindowText(System.IntPtr hWnd, System.Text.StringBuilder lpString, int nMaxCount);

    [System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("user32.dll")]
    private static extern bool SetWindowPos(System.IntPtr hWnd, System.IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int X, int Y, int cx, int cy, uint uFlags);

    private delegate bool EnumWindowsProc(System.IntPtr hWnd, System.IntPtr lParam);
  	class MsgBoxApi
	{
 	[System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = System.Runtime.InteropServices.CharSet.Unicode)]
    public static extern int MessageBox(System.IntPtr hWnd, string text, string caption, uint type);	
	};
	
	[System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("user32.dll")]
	[return: System.Runtime.InteropServices.MarshalAs(System.Runtime.InteropServices.UnmanagedType.Bool)]
	private static extern bool ShowWindow(IntPtr hWnd, int nCmdShow);
	
    private const uint SWP_NOSIZE = 0x0001;
    private const uint SWP_NOZORDER = 0x0004;

    private const uint MB_OK = 0x00000000;
    private const uint MB_ICONINFORMATION = 0x00000040;

	
    private const int GWL_STYLE = -16;
    private const int WS_MAXIMIZE = 0x01000000;
	
	private const int SW_RESTORE = 9;
	
    private const int SW_MAXIMIZE = 0x0003;
	
 	[System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("user32.dll")]
    private static extern short GetAsyncKeyState(Keys vKey);

	private static int GetWindowState(System.IntPtr hWnd)
    {
        int style = GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_STYLE);
        if ((style & WS_MAXIMIZE) == WS_MAXIMIZE)
        {
            return SW_MAXIMIZE;
        }
        return 0;
    }

        bool isRunning = true;
        Console.WriteLine("Press Escape to stop the task...");

        // Start a continuous Task
       System.Threading.Tasks.Task task = System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Run(async () =>
        {
            while (isRunning)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Task is running...");
                await System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Delay(1000); // Simulate some work

        EnumWindows((hWnd, lParam) =>
        {
            System.Text.StringBuilder windowText = new System.Text.StringBuilder(256);
            GetWindowText(hWnd, windowText, windowText.Capacity);

            if (windowText.ToString().Contains("ActiveReports Viewer"))
            {
				  // Check if the window is currently maximized
                        int windowState = GetWindowState(hWnd);

                        if (windowState == SW_MAXIMIZE)
                        {
                            // Unmaximize the window
                            ShowWindow(hWnd, SW_RESTORE);

             			  // Resize the window as needed (e.g., set new width and height)
              			  int newWidth = 500;
             			  int newHeight = 500;
               			 SetWindowPos(hWnd, System.IntPtr.Zero, 0, 0, newWidth, newHeight, SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOZORDER);

                        }

                // Show a message box to indicate the window was found
             
            }

            return true; // Continue enumerating windows
        }, System.IntPtr.Zero);
                // Check for Escape key press using GetAsyncKeyState
                if ((GetAsyncKeyState(Keys.Escape) & 0x8000) != 0)
                {
                    isRunning = false;
                }
            }
        });

        // Wait for the user to press Escape
        await task;
  // Show a MessageBox when the task stops
  MsgBoxApi.MessageBox(System.IntPtr.Zero,"Task has stopped.", "Task Stopped", MB_OK | MB_ICONINFORMATION);