free posts not for everyone.

[Allan Brown]

I think the resellers are pretty focused on helping out legit users. The whole bit about contacting your reseller just ensures that the user is legit, and that the reseller is looped in. This post request procedure can put a quality free post in the hands of the user within hours.

 

We exchange plenty of free posts with dealers and those posts end up being passed on to users. We also charge for multi-axis work due to the complexity of the work, and the resulting need to employ talented post developers.

[medaq]

I to kinda agree their should be no big deal. But I do understand some people do put alot of effort to make a better post as a product. But it is not my decision to share posts on this forum, it is the guidelines of the forum and I will respect that.

 

But I think this must be said. And please do not take this as a flame to mastercam or what not. It is just a observation on my end.

 

You have to remember the major guys who participate and help others on this forum ( which I do appreciate the help you have givin me )Are not the average programmers.

 

Mastercam does not provide any literature on how to tweek a post. Yes you need to buy another book on the side to get this information. But when I have spent the price of a large suv on multiple seats of software. Why do they keep one book that costs less than $5.00 to produce? Allowing me the end user to better utilize my software, I never understood this.

 

I wish mastercam or someone would make a program to help the non elite computer user to help tweak a post. Like how you want your tapping cycle, high speed machining, headers or what have you.

 

Now I can edit posts basicaly to my liking and get by. But there are people who will never be able to learn how. I say that even though it is not to hard to make some good judgement calls for a post edit will get you by. But people like my dad, will never be able to figure this out. Does this make him a lousy machinist? Nah he is probably in the top 50 in california, Since he has such a wealth of knowledge in him. But he is old and set in his ways.

 

Anyhow just another viewpoint

 

Jim

[Fig sign]

There is a disk with Mastercam post related info .

Ask your dealer

BTW ,do you know some literature existing about how to write Cimatron posts , for example ?

[Frank]

Hey all: I've been lurking here for a long time, and read all the valuable information. I've also bought the older version mastercam post processors book, and have got the CD basic MP post programming loaded on my pc. I've even spent time at home learning the basic's of HTML. When I have time,(not very often) I read. I'm still lost, I have made some small adjustments in my post's, but have a long way to go. With my reseller there is no charge to adjust my post the way I want it, but it takes them a lot of time to get to it, and e-mailing back and forth would seem to take forever. What I need is a class or someone to actually sit down with me, and teach me the basics, then maybe the book and CD would make more sense. I'm always impressed at the help, and knowledge of the master's on this board, and keep reading the messages, but post work seems like Chinese to me. I also respect the rules of this board,and the people who have spent their time revising their own post and would not ask for a post from anyone. But since it is a free service from my reseller, why is it a big deal to the Mastercam people, it would seem to free up more of their time, if we all shared.

 

Thanks,

Frank

[crazy^millman]

I will add that this place has been my best place to get post information. I have 100's of pages of stufff off of here for editing stuff in posts. I see soemthing I like I copy it to word and print it for my book. The disc is good but as far do this to that to get this result that just come from experience.

 

HTH

[jeff]

quote:

---

and I'm sure at least a dozen members have a post that I worked on [either for me or for them]

---

I'm one of them,Thanks Chris!

 

I also have the Post CD,but when I open it up and try to learn how to modify a post,I just stare at the computer blankly,like a monkey trying to do long division! LOL

I consider myself a pretty intelligent guy,andcan learn things rather quickly,but when it comes to the posts,I just don't get it.....yet.

Maybe I should take it home and try it on my own time where I don't have the boss leering over my shoulder wondering what I am doing.

[Tim Johnson]

quote:

---

I also have the Post CD,but when I open it up and try to learn how to modify a post,I just stare at the computer blankly,like a monkey trying to do long division!

---

That's what I did too for the first few weeks. What started me was searching a few threads for some simple changes, try to find it in the cd, made some changes in my post, scratching my head wondering why it didn't work and tried again. After some weeks of doing this it starts to come together.

[Bpin]

I have to add my two cents. I really like mastercam (I also like to bitch about cost) and have been using it since ver 3.1. I work out in the shop and am about 4 layers from the front office. I wouldn't know our resseller if he walked up to me. Maybe I've seen him doing a walk through tour but I don't get to talk to salesmen and the like as I have chips to make. So all my tweeking is trial and error. Lucky for me there is a couple "kids" here who understand the info given out here on the forum better than this old guy and they help me when they have time, but they too have work to get out so talking to your resseller is something not everyone has the liberty to do.

[chris m]

I am glad I'm not in that type of situtation because the contact I've had with our reseller, Services 4 Automation, has really helped with our post development and Mastercam abilities. I am involved in a lot of areas here [from buying the machines to running them] so I get to know who everybody is on a personal basis; if you can't get that far into it I'd at the least try to get the email addresses of the tech guys at your reseller's place so you can fire them a specific question sometime when you need to

 

If you ever have a specific problem I'm sure noone would object to helping you out by direct email [i'd certainly help if I knew the answer to your question]; there are a lot of guys out here with many different machines, controls, posts, etc...

 

 

C

[jeff]

I can do the simplest od changes,but what gets me is the fact that I don't know what things like "sav_coolant : 0 #Coolant saved " and pdiamspc # Creates spaces based on diameter offset number

if tldia<10, " "

mean.

The terms I am unfamiliar with.

[palser]

Any body got any free posts?????

 

Only kidding!

 

I have been using MC for about 3 years now in the UK and have only just started to get to grips with the very basics of the post side.

 

All the Best

[Storkman]

quote:

---

I think the resellers are pretty focused on helping out legit users. The whole bit about contacting your reseller just ensures that the user is legit, and that the reseller is looped in. This post request procedure can put a quality free post in the hands of the user within hours.

---

I soooo agree, my reseller is Optipro and Chris Parish has always gone overboard to help me with problems. Which by the way have been very few lately. Maybe I should call him just to say hi. He might be missing me.

[Hardmill]

quote:

---

He might be missing me.

---

NOT!!!

 

 

PEACE

[Steve Biehl - Cimquest Inc]

Storkman,

call Chris and say hi. Sometimes, as a dealer, you get the feeling that the only time anybody wants to talk to you is when they have a problem. We tend to hear the bad news all the time and never any good news.

 

Say hi to Chris for me also.

[cadcam]

Ok every one on the board call this # and say Hi

978-728-0009 tell them Cadcam sent you.

[Steve Biehl - Cimquest Inc]

thanks Jay, I need the love

[billystein]

cadcam,

sounds like we could put our heads together and come up with a fadal post better than both of ours. This is my point. I bet 90% of mastercam programmers have to edit their tapping cycle. I know shops that are "top" Mastercam shops and they still edit their tapping cycle.

I know this is a small thing but at this point why does mastercam supplied fadal post still not output a proper tapping cylce.

Why don't they replace mpfad with your post.

then the new guys wouldn't have to edit the damn tapping cycle.

[cadcam]

I here you mine works great for tapping to.

Billy we will talk soon.

[crazy^millman]

Yeah well tapping cycles is about the easiest thing to modify in a post and if you use MPMASTER just a couple of switches. Have your dealer get the MPMASTER_FADAL post and you will be happy with it. Our post has all of the FADAL sub routines in it. It will do rectangle, engraving, circle rough, and it also have a rigid tapping cycle with a floating tapping cycle as well. I am currently getting the bugs worked out on a 5 axis fadal post that is MPGEN5AX, MPFADAL1, MPMASTER_FADAL, and alot more going and if all goes well will be our only post for all 4 fadals we have here. Our Kitamura post handles, pallets changes, high pseed machining, rigid tapping with pecking tapping opition, works on the verticals or the hortzonial and all 3 with Fanuc 16i-M controls. Posts do take time to figure out and yeah alot of places just hand edit problems but for lets say $500 if a post cost that how much time is a place wasting by not having a post do what they need. Kills me how places spend 100,000's dollars on equipment, toolling, then go drop a large chunk on Cam software then complain when they may have to spend alittle on a good post makes no sense and never will but such is life and such is the decline of manufacturing in America. Penny wise and 100 dollar dumb will always bite you in the long run!!!!

[cadcam]

Steve any time.Now let me know if any one actully calls..

[DaveR]

To address some comments I've read in this thread...how come CNC does not enforce the "licensed users only" nature of this forum. I haven't been asked my SIM # since I joined and there seems to be concern that there is a lot of pirate users here asking for handouts. How about clearing out the riff raff so we can exchange info (like posts for those that want to) more freely. Perhaps all those who despise new users for fear they are using a pirate version if they ask for something could relax a little.

[Steve Biehl - Cimquest Inc]

DaveR,

forums by their very nature are hard to regulate. Besides, a lot of us dealers suggest a prospect come here and see the wealth of info and support for Mastercam.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

quote:

---

...complain when they may have to spend alittle on a good post makes no sense and never will...

---

The value of a "post and run" Post Processor is HUGE. When you have to hand edit even simple stuff... the words "Time is Money" comes to mind. I'm with Ron, my posts are dialed in like a MoFo! Tool Breakage Detection, Rigid Peck Tapping, High Speed Machining functions, offset checks (macro call to make sure that the spindle tool matches the height offset), a Probing Cycle, etc... etc... etc... and I'm adding stuff as I think of it.

 

JM2C

[DaveR]

I disagree, a forum can be set up overnight to exclude non licensed users. Just have everyone re-register and require the co. name and owner name + SIM number.

 

Read through this thread, sounds like the benifits of keeping out pirate users would outweigh the benefits of letting potential customers have free reighn here.

 

 

And....if thats a real concern just give ligit customers a temp password to let them browse the forum for a day or two.

[Rekd™]

I haven't always had MC. I change jobs from time to time. I still come back. If eMastercam required you to be a licensed user, I wouldn't have been able to be here for many months out of the years I've been here.

 

Just because I wasn't working with it didn't mean I wasn't interested in it.