background entity creation problem with 5 axis curve command

[Kirk Holland]

Hi new member here.

 

Im running

MC 9.1 router pro

service pack 2

solids

engraving

 

My PC is

3Ghz P4

2Gigs ram

XP service pack 2

 

 

Im having trouble with my 5axis curve command when I use 'plane' as the tool axis control.

 

With any type of entity selected as my curve if I select plane as tool axis control when I regen the toolpath MC will gererate a hidden entity in the background screen color that is a copy of the selected entity except that the new entity is always a parametric spline (even if the selected entity is a line). This in itself does not cause a problem. The problem occurs when I load the file in again. I get the message (X entities in the background screen color) then the choice to ignore which keeps them in the database or to make them a visible color which overlays them on my existing entities.

All of this is not typically too much of a problem either. I can run ram-saver to clean out the background entities or I can bring in the new entities as a novel color and then delete that color.

 

These techniques have been breaking down for me recently though because I have been doing some jobs with a few thousand curves to me machined. Every time I hit the regen button it creates another hidden entity for each curve!! My database size has bloomed to a couple hundred megs sometimes. Running Ram saver takes 5 to 10 minutes!!!

 

This error does not happen under MC service pack 1. I would consider migrating back to service pack 1 but my engraving option does not wrap surfaces properly under that service pack.

 

any help is appreciated

Thanks

Kirk

Pacific Woodworking

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

I have noticed that when opening a pre sp2 dwg in sp2 or later. I just click cancel when it pops up.

[MATT Q]

Can't you pick a color (when the file opens) and then delete that color? That is what I have been doing.

[Kirk Holland]

quote:

---

I have noticed that when opening a pre sp2 dwg in sp2 or later. I just click cancel when it pops up.

---

Thanks for chiming in Jimmy.

Thats been working for me so far but the over hundred meg file size is hard to deal with. I created the same problem in a new drawing in SP2 as well. I can recreate it with a single line assigned to a curve 5 axis path with the tool axis assigned to plane. I have just tried it with all of the options in the tool axis box and it produces the error on all but the surface option.

Kirk

[Kirk Holland]

quote:

---

Can't you pick a color (when the file opens) and then delete that color? That is what I have been doing.

---

Ive been doing that up to this point but my file size causes a major slow down in file load time. Im working with many thousands of entites. Also my saved file size is in the hundred meg range!!It causes no real problem when its a few dozen or so.

Thanks

kirk

[gcode]

This is a problem that was corrected in one of the maintenance releases. I think it was MR0904.

[Kirk Holland]

quote:

---

This is a problem that was corrected in one of the maintenance releases. I think it was MR0904.

---

Thanks for the info Gcode.

We are still on the fence with justifying the maintenance cost.

Do you know if the Sept 2003 SP2 is the last update available for non-maintenance customers?

Kirk

[gcode]

I beleive you are correct. The first maintenance release was MR0304 (March 2004) so the timing seems right.

[Kirk Holland]

thanks

Kirk