I sure wish someone had told me...

[Harryman]

Now that a few folks have started using X. Please post golden nuggets of advice here that us X noobs can read before installation.

 

Things like configuration tips, default settings, etc. Anything that you wish you had known day one with X.

[Guest]

After you update your posts into X.

 

Go thru them one at a time and make sure you have all your setting for them the way you want them.

Many things that were handled singularly by the old config file are now machine/control def controlled.

 

You tool, libraries, and op libraries, as well as your posting directory are all handled by the machine/control def files.

 

If you are a hit ALT + A every few minutes kind of guy, then remap your ALT + A to actually do a file save.

 

As you go thru and start to see which commands you use regularly, add them to your mouse right click.

 

So far from what I see this system is configurable to your tastes. Once you get used to the new interface and where things are, much of the system functions in the same way.

 

There are some differences but I think time and seat time and experience will negate to out of the box lag.

 

Happy Camming

[Storkman]

I used to use a lot of macros for repetetive procedures but now i find it just as easy to make a custom toolbar with the functions I need, in order, and drag it onto the screen when I need to use it. Works great.

[jeff]

Has anyone else updated their posts and found that the V9 post has a billion $'s???????

Not cool!

[?Mark]

quote:

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V9 post has a billion $'s???????

---

That's nothing,

My updated post has missing G1 before linear move which is bad if last line had G2/G3

 

Mark

[Guest]

The $ sign is a new addition for a system variable in a mcx post.

[jeff]

But why did it change my V9 post??

[Guest]

What did it change?

 

The only changes I noticed of mine was it adds the .txt to the end of the v9.pst file and sets all system variables with a $ at the end, so it is now one .pst file.

 

I used the MPmaster for my original pst.

[Richard Thomas - Mastercam UK]

Jeff,

 

Lets say I updated an old V9 post called "fred.pst". Once I updated the post, the new version is still called "fred.pst". The original has been renamed to "fred.pst_v9".

 

So are you saying that your equivalent of "fred.pst_v9" has a load of $ symbols after each of the variables? If so then that does sound bad and I think needs to be reported to CNC asap - because the original should not have been touched at all by the update program.

 

 

Sorry to go off topic guys - back to the thread!

 

In your operations manager, you can right click on the NCI line of an operation to go straight into Verify, I like that.

 

In backplot, you can expand the settings window, then expand a single operation (i.e. pocket) and then backplot one cut at a time. Useful for troubleshooting.

 

I find myself accidentally drawing selection windows all the time so I go to the General Selection ribbon bar, and set the selection mode to Single.

[Lumpnut]

Hey Harry ,

 

I say we take a trip down to ProtoTek and sit in Robs' office until we get our X. I bet we'd have it by the end of the day.

 

[Harryman]

Rob sitting on top of a huge pile of CDs throwing them in the air saying "mine, all mine."

[jplecan]

I put all my v9 post in a folder called "outdated" then ran the updatepost.dll then moved all the new X posts to a folder called "updated" . That messed up all the machine and control definitions looking in the "outdated" path for the post. Big headache trying to straighten that out.

 

Jim

[Guest]

jplecan,

 

If your posts were written into that outdated directory then you must have changed your target folder for the update.dll to write them.

 

I pulled mine straight out of my v9 post directory and everything went right into the x post directory where it belonged.

 

If you're not to far into your set up of X, I would just rerun the update utility and make sure you write everything into the correct directory right from the start.

[jplecan]

Thanks,

I'm mostly straightened out with the post paths, working on other areas of machine and control definitions wondering why this functionality was put it hoping maybe it will lead to a new post processor interface?

[Glenn Stephens. from CCCS]

When running the post updater, DON'T copy your old post into a new directory. The updater does that for you. Just tell it what kind of post it is (it automatically sets the target directory for you), and pick your old post out of your old directory. It doesn't touch your old post except to copy it into the target directory and rename it to XXX.PST_V9 (in the target directory).

[Mike Mattera - TFM]

The updater works pretty good if you dont try to "fool it" . If you do it might fool you back.

 

I guess I just dont understand . Why play with moving files around anyway?

 

Mike Mattera

[Mike Mattera - TFM]

But Back To Golden Nuggets.

 

I like the new chaining option.

Example: XForm - Rotate

Move your cursor over the chain you want. Hold the Shift and pick an entity. It select it as a chain.

 

Creating Geometry: Want to lock the Rad, Dia, Length value? While your cursor is in the # box press Alt and the letter of the item (R D or L). It Activates the "Lock" function.

 

Mike Mattera

[kinglouie V]

quote:

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My updated post has missing G1 before linear move which is bad if last line had G2/G3

---

I had this problem in helix bore only so far and it's probably a good idea to run this w/o comp and leave material for a follow up circil mill op to clean up. HTH

 

more nuggets tomorrow when it's in front of me.

took the day off to recover from dentist.

 

when you run into a problem come here and run a search. many of us have posted and recieved many good explanations to our minor issues. some with illustrations by users and CNC. Try it.