Big Files

[KEVCAM]

Hi all,

 

I am trying to program a file that is 98MB in size. When I do screen statistics, it says there is one solid body, 480 lines,and 23,000 splines.

 

I have a 2.4 GHZ, Pentium 4, 80 Gig IDE, Quatro 4 video card, for a computer.

 

My computer acts very sluggish, when I save I wait 5-6 mins. When ex-form rotate, I wait 10 mins, and sometimes pc locks up and crashes.

Screen regenerarte takes a while to. I'm not to sure just how long it will take to actually process a multisurface toolparh on it....

 

 

My question to you guys is there any adjustments that I can make in Mastercams configuration to help improve efficiency while working with a file of this size.

 

NAy help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards

[gcode]

I'm assuming the solid is imported and you didn't

create it in Mastercam.

If that is true, you don't need all those splines and lines. Delete them.

You don't say how much ram you have, but I think

one gig would be a minimum.

If you're going to be doing work like this all the

time, you might want to concider a new computer.

[betts]

+1 to gcodes delete suggestion. Or save a copy of the file and delete the splines from the one you are working with. That way if you did have a need for something in that file, you could get it from the copy.

[betts]

Also out of curiousity, do you have a great deal of 3D toolpaths in this file?

 

Something I do when the toolpaths take the file size over about 60-70 meg is to save a copy and delete the previous toolpaths, so I still have tools etc., then continue on with programming in the new file.

[KEVCAM]

Deleting the splines works for me. Thanks.

 

There is a lot of 3d programming using a-axis for rotational positioning. However the geometry is hexagonal that twists 97 degrees over 26". I wonder if I could apply a flowline toolpath and substitute y fo a in hopes that the tool would stay normal to surface.??? ANy ideas????

 

As well the outside surface that twists is covered with pockets about .300" deep staying normal to the twisted surface.

 

Any helpful hints with regard to the toopathe best suited would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards

 

Kevin

[crazy^millman]

What is your Display setting at for pixels. On big models I may change mine as high as .1 pixels to keep the video card from taxing out which is 99 time out of 100 what is making it slow. I would not have the model shaded for any transform or rotate operation as well. I learned a good trick here that Betts touched on. Do each operation as a program. Keep your tools and stuff straight and keeps files sizes to the needed size. Samll part or small operation that is one thing but the other is not so look outside the box and there is cools thing to see out there.

 

HTH

 

Zip the Model no line, arcs, or splines and put on FTP if you can. I am thinking axis sub or roll die for roughing but might need 5axis curve or 5axflowline as only 4 axis output if all you have is a 4 axis machine for finishing.

[Micromoldmaker]

I like to estabish where my absolute zero needs to be and then create an iges file. Once I read that iges file I can then isolate the surfaces I need to cut and shove everything else into another layer or separate files. And I can always go back to the original solid and created boundary curves and save them in a separate file by "save some" and bring them into my surface files.

Another thing that might help is to save your ops separate from your working file which you can then retrive into another working file so as not to even enlarge an already large CAD file with CAM information from CNC toolpaths.

Rotations and translations are invariably pokey with MC in solids. I hope X takes care of that.

[John Summers]

On a twisted surface, you don't want the cutter normal to the surface -- it will be gouging on one side. Use flowline with lead/lag of 45 deg. or so. The pocket floors sound difficult, because you will have to end cut them. For the flowline toolpath, the post has to find A such that the tool axis is vertical. Y will not be zero.

[Ivan]

That's not unusual for that big a file. I routinely program files about that size and they can be difficult to work with. I use only enough lines, splines and arcs that I need and that helps a lot. When doing rough tool paths you may want to set the total tolerence to about .01 other wise it will take for ever to gererate the tool path on such a large part.

[mold100]

Something I remember faintly, but could be wrong, my MC mind is slipping it has been a while, but under allocations patches per surface?

Not sure but I thinks this made my process go faster.It even says to rasie this number with large files.