wcs

[joe racer]

Im new to mastercam and in college to learn it my ? is when you have to flip a part to machine the backside of that part does the tool offset still remain in the original origin you picked eg lets say a simple 3x3 rectangle made into a cube by xform translate entites to a z-3 and the origin is in the upper left hand corner . I've tried the wcs system but it confuses me lets say i move to a new posistion it says my z is now at 3 in my origin and x and y remain the same i tried picking the origin from the wcs screen and when i go to do a tool path it starts in the bottom of the part . any good articles on this ? thanks for your infinite wisdom and if this ? is to stupid to answer let me know. ps when you run a verify for toolpath verification does it flip the part or what happens when i have tried it the tool either comes in from the side or bottom im assuming and i cant see it .

[Reece L Gibson]

Try this

http://www.mastercam.com/Support/downloads/default.asp

They have a tutorial on WCS

[joe racer]

thanks i read that simple ? though lets say the part is sqaure like the tombstone in that tutorial i ran the test the supplied but what i need to know is to set the To for the tool if on my original drawing its in the upper left when i rotate the part 90degress will it still be in the same location providing i dont change the hts or where the part is located ? from what i can tell all you do is go to the wcs right click on the view you want then set cplane and t plane? then if you check a w in the line it will come up in graphics window as a top view is this how most people normally do this ?

[DavidB]

On a cube you would not need the WCS just set the Tplane Cplane in the Toolpath parameters to different numbers to machine the different sides of cube.Eg:Tplane #3 for the back of the cube.Assuming you have a 4-axis machine.

If you wont to use the WCS you can select where the origin is by in WCS manager go to the origan erea and pick Select MC will go to your geom then pick where you want the origin to be.

 

HTH

[joe racer]

the machine i have is 3 axis so im not sure what to do then? simple answer im assuming if what ever pattern is on the part when i rotate it the tool path will have same origin?

[Tim Johnson]

Joe,

 

Are you saying you're starting with the cube in the X,Y in the upper left side of the part with the Z against the parallels (stop) and you want to invert the part and change the WCS so that the X,Y,Z is against the same stop?

[Storkman]

Joe,

Give me an email address and I will send you a file with some simple wcs settings and toolpaths. I can't access the ftp right now or I would put it there.

[Storkman]

Joe,

I put a file on the ftp called storkman under the mc9 folder. See if that helps you at all.

[Fralex_francois]

Storkman, can you send it to me too, I'm trying to learn more about it so I would like to see it...

please

 

Thanks in advance!!

[Storkman]

Fralex,

Check your email.

[Thad]

Joe,

 

Click WCS button, right click in white area, Create-Select menu-Entity. The first line you click will be the X axis and second line you click will be the Y axis. Click Next if needed to change axis possibilities, Save, give it a name, Enter, click the newly created WCS in the "WCS" column and a "W" will appear in that column. The new X0Y0Z0 will now be in the corner you just selected, unless you change it. If you want to change it, in the bottom left corner (Origin), click Select, pick your corner to make zero, OK. You should be all set.

 

Sorry for the run-on sentences, but it's break time and I'm runing short on time.

 

Let me know how this works for you. I'll post more tips when I get a chance.

 

Thad

[Hardmill]

Check out WCS_Tutorial_hardmill.zip in the

unspecified_uploads folder of the FTP. Its a power

point presentation that goes through the motions that thad describes.

If you need help e-mail me.

 

PEACE

[joe racer]

thanks for all your help guys i will try it today ps email is [email protected]. ps tim johnson yes you have hit the nail on the head so to speak that is exactly what i want to do . so what is the most common method of most people doing this? i keep getting different answers to the same question some say use the wcs some say dont .

[Thad]

If you just want to machine the bottom, or side, or any of the standard views, just change to that WCS. If you want to change it to something else, use my method (or tutorial method) to get the WCS that you want.

 

You can't flip the part and use the exact same zeros because what was the top is now the bottom. Pick a zero corner and stick to it.

 

Thad

[joe racer]

ok ive tried it im confused thad i tried what you said i want to make a new x and y coordinate on a part i tried the steps you said the new x and y by drawing some lines where i wanted my new x 0 y 0 and clicked save i followed your instructions exactly how you wrote them seemem to sortof work but when trying to view that part the active grid would keep changing to differnt points. there must be something im doing wrong

[Storkman]

Joe,

I sent that file to your email. It shows 3 different wcs views and some toolpaths in each. It also shows the tool origin for each if you hit the f9 key. The tool path origin is the center or rotation for each view.

[joe racer]

thanks i got your email i think ill send you one back with a simple part and you tell me what the origin will be if i flip the part . i got your email but it confused the hell out of me sorry im not that smart nice work by the way ? just for sake of discussion if you have a square block lets say 3x3 and origin is in the upper left hand corner with z 0 at top of part and you flip the part to machine back side of part will the zero still be at same corner of the vise? Thanks

[Storkman]

Yes, but you can select another corner for the tool origin (your work offset) in your wcs view. When you are in the new view go into the wcs and hit the select button under origin and you can pick where you want the new tool origin to be.

[Storkman]

I usually right click in the wcs and pick select then rotate. I find that the easiest way to get the new view I am looking for is to rotate my original top view. Others might do different.

[joe racer]

when running a backplot how will it show up i think this is the part that is confusing me the most at this point as one tool comes from top then the other comes from bottom but im having a hard time determining the depth for that tool it seems to come from the bottom and go all the way to the top crash tool ?

[joe racer]

ok i think i finally got it with the rotate about y axis and putting a new point in thanks guys now i need my machine to pause on the s54 code in post processor or g 54 as i guess you know of it any suggestions ? you guys have been very helpful its very much apprectiated like they say its confusing till you have done it then its so easy after .

[joe racer]

i have all that working now so when your defining a stock for a little job like this, that is what has been screwing me up if i dont put a stock sz in then the backplot works fine but i guess you may have to redefine stock for each operation ? as in one way it shifts stock down the other way its up etc... im sure others have run into this as well? maybe its not something to worry about and this is just how its done?

[Storkman]

I'm glad you see it now Joe. Keep plugging away and feel free to keep asking questions. That's what the forum is here for.