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Losing surfaces when converting to IGES in 9.1 MR0304

stanektool

By stanektool,
in Industrial Forum

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P_Scott Newbie

P_Scott

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stanektool,

 

Why on Earth would you want to convert from Mcam into Work NC when you have the best CAM system in front of you already? headscratch.gif

quote:
This is not a good thing and could make the determination between sticking with 9.1 and going back to 8.1.1. Maybe I will contact MasterCAM on this one.

Going backwards is NEVER a good thing. First of all, follow Thad's advice here

quote:
Do you have the latest converter updates?

The IGES converter was improved for Mcam and released at the end of May of this year. That converter update is for anyone using V9.1 SP2 and any of the Maintenance releases. Secondly, talk to your reseller and find out from them what your options are. You've already made an investment in the software, now make that investment work for you. HTH cheers.gif

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stanektool Newbie

stanektool

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quote:

Why on Earth would you want to convert from Mcam into Work NC when you have the best CAM system in front of you already?

As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. But I really don't want to get into a debate. MasterCAM just isn't robust enough to make the kind of cutter paths we make with WorkNC.

 

quote:

Do you have the latest converter updates?

We have the latest updates from our MasterCAM rep. as of a month or two ago (9.1 MR0304 with a couple of patches). I will check and see if there is something newer out there.

 

quote:

That converter update is for anyone using V9.1 SP2 and any of the Maintenance releases. Secondly, talk to your reseller and find out from them what your options are. You've already made an investment in the software, now make that investment work for you

I know it's easy as a rep for one piece of software to say, "Make sure you software is up to date" but it can be rather time consuming when you have 15 billion other software products to keep updated as well.

 

Three suggestions.

 

1) Group ALL of your updates into one package. Make the package determine what software is installed and then install the appropriate updates. That way I don't have to waste an hour on your web page asking myself, "Hmmm, do I need that update? Can that update install without installing this update? Do I really need this update?"

2) Give us an MSI wrapper for your software and software updates (Both Wise and Install Shield offer options to do this). That way we can add it to automatically install and update in active directory, saving all of us a lot of time running to each station that has the software to update.

3) Give us an automatic update option in MasterCAM itself. That way MasterCAM can keep itself updated for those of us who don't have a no Internet policy on our shop floor.

 

I am sorry to sound a bit off but I get this same schpiel from every software manufacturer. They seem to think that their software is the ONLY software being run on a companies computers, so they think the entire IT staff can dedicate 100% of it's time making sure their software is up to date. Well we can't, and the easier you make it for us to make sure the software is updated the more up-to-date your software will be on our systems.

 

BTW, thanks Thad for the suggestions, I will try them out.

 

-Craig

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stanektool Newbie

stanektool

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We're doing Z-Level Finishing and we set it to cut two inches down. We decide we only need 3/4 inch down. In WorkNC we can Draw a window with the mouse from 3/4 inch down on the side view of the object and "boom" everything from 3/4 down is gone. Can we do that in masterCAM without having to go through any menus or dialog boxes?

 

MY guys say that is just one of the reasons, they gave that example because it was easy for me to understand. I am IT, not programming or design.

 

-Craig

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P_Scott Newbie

P_Scott

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stanektool,

 

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MY guys say that is just one of the reasons, they gave that example because it was easy for me to understand. I am IT, not programming or design.

How familiar with Mcam are your guys? If they are as familiar with it as they claim to be, then the answer would be just as Iskander suggested. He could simply limit the toolpath to a particular depth by using the Depth Limits button within the operation parameters. Maybe they need a refresher course of Mcam from your rep. It's possible they're unfamiliar with recent improvements to the software. The latest release of Mcam for Maintenance users is V9.1 MR 0904.

 

I know it's difficult to keep track of the updates for Mcam. As a reseller of the software, we know what the latest updates are and what is applicable for a user's system. That's why I suggested to contact your rep and ask them. It would be easier to have an "auto-update" feature in Mcam. So far, that hasn't been an option because it is currently not a Windows application. The next version is. I'm not saying that "auto-update" will be part of the next version, just that it will be easier for them to implement something of that nature in the future.

 

Have a demonstration performed at your facility with your programmers and purchaser in the room with a qualified Mcam rep. Then they can ask all the relevant questions and have a demo of the latest capabilities of Mcam using your parts. If they still wish to use Work NC after that, that's their decision. cheers.gif

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stanektool Newbie

stanektool

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quote:

How familiar with Mcam are your guys? If they are as familiar with it as they claim to be, then the answer would be just as Iskander suggested. He could simply limit the toolpath to a particular depth by using the Depth Limits button within the operation parameters.

You're aboxxxxly correct in that respect. My guess is that my guys know WorkNC much better then MasterCAM, at least on the Mold side of our shop. But, if you've had any experience working in a shop, you'll know that switching software, no matter how much better it is, can cost a company more money then they're sometimes willing to pay. When you have a guy billing out $56/hour and he has to be unproductive for 3 days to weeks because he has to learn new software, that can cost a ton of cash in lost productivity.

 

Antomatic updates are not necessary. We would appreciate it if you'd wrap your software and updats into an MSI package, that right there would save us a lot of time. The software that MasterCAM uses (Wise Package Studio) has a tool (Wise for Windows Installer) that allows a Wise install to be packaged in an a Microsoft Installer format. With Active Directory in 2k and 2k3 server we could install the software and/or updates once administrativly on the server and have it push them down to the workstations silently.

 

But it's not keeping track of the updates that's the problem. Imagine this, a company has 20 seats of MasterCAM. You push out an update and we have to make sure that update goes to all twenty machines. That can take 15+ minutes per machine. That's a lot of time running around to all the computers just for one little patch. How often do MasterCAM patches come out?

 

quote:

[Head Scatch] ...and you can't keep up w/updates?

Sounds like out IT guy [bang Head]

Trust me, it's not the software.

Now imagine if we had to do all that I mentioned above for; OS, virus, local firewall, other CAD software, office software, spyware, e-mail, hardware drivers, firmware, all the software that runs that the user doesn't see like Backup, enterprise security, e-mail (Notes or Exchange), Database servers, Web Pages, Programming, etc.... That starts to take a lot of time. And we have to accomplish all this while we're attempting to keep the servers and network hardware running smoothly (this is no simple task mind you), putting up with complaining users because their printer doesn't work the way they want it to work or they've installed some stock ticker program that now crashes their computer, keeping ourselves up to date in the ever changing technology race (otherwise how could we keep you in hardware that allows you to run your software), programming little applets and macros for users because they're to lazy to click 4 times, explaining to users what "Returned Mail: mailbox limit reached" means every 5 minutes cause they have no short term memory, etc... It's not an easy job. Show some appreciation to your IT guy, 90% of the hard work he does you will never see.

 

-Craig

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Guest CNC Apps Guy 1

Guest CNC Apps Guy 1

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...Imagine this, a company has 20 seats of MasterCAM...

I don't have to, we have more seats than that company and it is difficult to say the least.

 

James teh I feel your pain...

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Fig sign Newbie

Fig sign

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I am teh moldmaker and started to make molds after self-learning Mastercam for day and the half .

My first electrode was rather complex one and it came right !MAstercam is an easiest program to learn ,simple ,yet robust and mighty .

What I heard from people using both systems ,workNC strong side fast toolpath calculation ,but Mastercam maintenance release

Toolpath calculation speed was boosted dramatically and I doubt it is less than WorkNc now.

WorkNc lacks so much in 2,5 axes that I doubt you`ll use it as stand-alone at all or so fast as I use Mastercam .

I can limit depth cuts in your example with three additional simple ways ,that`s a beauty of mastercam you have a lot of options

Mastercam 9 toolpathes ability is superb and if it lacks something ,you can do it 10 different other ways .

I would not trade my MC seat for no other program first of all because it is solid made ,simple and mighty program ,something with a Tiger Grace .

As for updates I doubt you need to update for Iges ,Iges is static format hardly changing at all .

This is your programmer problem and if he wants to work fast and make good parts ,let him in and we will help him < wink.gif

I answer for myself at least ,as a moldmaker and guy ,that like to help .

Best regards.

 

PS .I am not an IT man ,but this stuff I do as unofficial addition .

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Müřlıń® Apprentice

Müřlıń®

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quote:
MasterCAM just isn't robust enough to make the kind of cutter paths we make with WorkNC.

bonk.gif

 

Mastercam is only limited by the one using it.

It will do anything WorkNC can Plus much, much, more..

 

How many diffrent toolpath algorythm combinations are there now in MC.......bout 50????

 

j/k but seriously, There are some slight annoyances that you have to deal with....like any software....kinda like loosing surfaces with your translator rolleyes.gif

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