Solids

[kathy]

Hello All!!

I'm trying to carve out the side cutouts on my fitting by using a swept curve. I think I'm just missing somthing fundalmental here!And I know I've done it before with other parts.

My chains to be swept is the magenta chain; the swept path is in orange. Is it because I need to have both paths joined at a vertex?

 

Thanks a whole bunch for any help!

Everyone have a great weekend!

Kathy

(Jay thank you for posting the pictures.)

[cadcam]

The pictures of the file that kathyc is talking about are located on the ftp under the jps & pictures folder.

[johns]

If you have trouble working with any profile, use "screen, next menu, comb views" in case there is an arc that is flipped to the normal. I've even had associated dimensioning mess up because of it.

[kathy]

Hey Gang!

I managed tto muddle through a solution. I deleted the chamfers on my path chain and filleted it. (Mcam still didn't like the sharp corners of the rectangle).

Fortunetly, this feature is only a visual on the fitting; I'm modeling the fitting to replace the customer supplied surface model. (It's a size thing!)

But really, what if I had to model the feature as designed?? Can Mastercam solids do it??

Or do I start begging for UG again????......

Kathy

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Kathy, going to UG is not going to solve your Solid Modeling "issue". It's a kernel thing. All limitations/possibilities are set up in the kernel, so your only other option would be to go to software that uses the ACIS kernel.

Here's a kicker for ya, I'm currently doing R&D for a company I tried to create a fillet on my part but I kept getting "blend overflow" errors. Bummer. Tom Shelar - President of the Mastercam Dealer here in SoCal told me to take it into Mastercam Version 7, do my fillet and take it back into 8. Shure enough, It worked great. The reason was that Parasolid (a.k.a. UG Solutions) changed something in the kernel and now it was not possible.

[kathy]

James,

It’s a kernal thing from V7 to V8? I really appreciate explanations.

So I get a little grumpy working all day Saturday, and Sunday too!!! (I had something else going on Friday where AutoCAD was limiting me in what I wanted to do – something that I knew UG would have handled for my beautifully!)

 

And please, don't get me wrong - I think Mastercam is a great product! It has brought us a long way from our Smartcam days. It's got a lot of great stuff and all. It is by far the best machining package in it's class! We are now doing tooling in-house that we were sending out only two years ago.

Are you out enjoying Sunday with you family? I’m working, so if you are around today, please give me a jingle on the phone. I would really like your opinion on this and another software thing!

Thanks, Kathy

[ 08-12-2001: Message edited by: kathyric ]

[kathy]

James, (and all)

I am having another problem with this solid file – I can’t write a good .sat file. When I try to read in the .sat file I created I get this error: missing integer in restore file. I get the same error in both Mastercam and AutoCAD. I tried all the SAT versions when writing the file without any luck. I even wrote the file to a parasolid, and imported the .x_t file into a clean Mastercam session. Tried the SAT export / import again. No dice!

Using Version 7 is not an option – it isn’t installed on this computer anymore! And in the spirit of global world peace, I surrendered my disks to the MIS.

Thanks, Kathy

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

There's been times where I have not been able to bring in an exported(from Inventor R2) SAT. I have no idea why. As of now, from what I have heard, Parasolid is the more advanced engine. This was just a few Software Engineers(not from Mastercam) talking shop, so take it with that in mind. Perhaps that file failed because there was an unsupported blend overflow, face definition, who knows. The possibilities are pretty endless.

JMHO

[ 08-13-2001: Message edited by: James Meyette ]

[ProductDevelopmentGuy]

KathyRic,

The "Missing Integer in Restore File" message & the fact that ACAD won't read it either indicate a bad .SAT file. E-Mail it ([email protected]) or upload it and I can check it out for you.

PDG

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

PDG,

Great job on the new stuff! I should have the evaluation done in the next day or two. Keep up the great work.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Kathy,

quote:

---

It’s a kernal thing from V7 to V8? I really appreciate explanations.

---

Actually, it's not the V7 to V8, I believe it's more to do with Parasolid Version 11 to 12.1.

As for explanations, here goes my feeble attempt. All solid body mathematical possibilities/limitations are set up in the Solids Engine(a.k.a. kernel) and are not governed by Mastercam.

Many times to get something to go in solids, I've needed to re-order some operations. Once I do that, it works out.

[kathy]

Good Morning!

Jay has posted my files under the MC8 folder.

Thanks everyone for all your help!

Kathy

[ProductDevelopmentGuy]

I took a look at Kathy's files. We have fixed a couple problems in the SAT Writer since V8.1.1, and when using that new-and-improved (N&I) version, it made a nice clean SAT file. I uploaded the N&I SAT Writer to the MC8 area of PPCADCAM.COM's FTP site for the benefit of all. Now I've got to get our QC group to put it on our Website. It's called SATOUT.DLL and simply needs to be placed in the 'APPS' sub-directory of your Mastercam Install, in place of the SATOUT.DLL that's currently there.

PDG

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Now THAT is what I call service. Where else but Mastercam!

[kathy]

right on mastercam

 

Kathy

[cadcam]

thank you PDG vary much .you just helped me with another customer along with Katyc.