Mastercam Handbook Volume 2

[Charles Davis]

Just a heads-up to everyone that the Mastercam Handbook Volume 2 for Mastercam X has been delivered to the publisher, and should be available for purchase by clicking on the emastercam.com Books link (above) soon.

 

This book is over 300 pages long, and has hundreds of illustrations and lots of sample files.

 

It covers 3D surface modeling and machining, including the new Mastercam High Speed machining functions.

 

If you are new to Mastercam X, 3D Machining, or just want to learn all there is to know about surface modeling and machining in Mastercam, you may want to check this out.

 

This book can be used as the main course manual for a college level class in Mastercam, as a self-study guide, or as a ready shop reference.

 

For you instructors, a curriculum is available that includes hundreds of PowerPoint slides, quizzes, and other things that will make your life easier and allow you to spend your time with students rather than creating training materials.

 

I'm really proud of this book, and think it is, by far, the best work I've done yet. I am now working of Volume 3, Multiaxis Machining and have some other goodies in the works.

 

Thanks everyone for your support and kind words. If you use the books, I'm really open to input about content, corrections, etc. Just email me at [email protected]

 

 

 

Here is what one user said about the Mastercam Handbooks:

 

"I feel that the MasterCam Handbook series for X is the best technical training aid that I have ever used.

 

The books take you from zero knowledge of Cam in steps right through to 5 axis modeling and machining.

 

Well written, and I think the power of these books is in they make sense to the machinist as well to the Engineer programming for the first time."

 

Matt McCormick

Prototype Instrument Maker

Eye Concept Lab

USC Keck School of Medicine

Los Angeles CA

[Steve Zirtzman]

Charles,

I also feel that you do a great job writing these training manuals. Your new Handbook Volume 2 will surely become part of my library.

[elraiis]

Charles Davis! lol.. just now someone was suggesting me i buy your book.. and here i find you. Thx for your effort and i guess i'll give it a try.. but can u please tell me is the Handbook vol 1 takes me from zero and gradually up. MCX is confusing the living hell out of me.. i know 9 fine i'd say... So would the manual be good enough to start with or should i also purchase the beginners book and so on?

 

thanks in advance.

peace

[Charles Davis]

The Handbook Vol 1 takes you from ground zero and covers 2D wireframe, solid modeling, and 2D toolpaths, including spline machining.

 

Hang in there on X. Once you get used to it, you WILL NOT want to go back to v9. It is a far friendlier work environment with so many nice conveniences.

 

You just need to quit trying to do everything in X the way you did it in v9. Approach X as if it were new software. Many of the old terminology and ways of doing things do transfer from v9 to X, but it's best to back into those.

[Thad]

Charles' Handbooks are top notch!

 

Thad

[elraiis]

I hear you man.. thanks for the advice... i'll try to get ur book as soon as i get the chance hence everyone is praising it... i think its a must. i donno about MCX that much though... i mean everyone's been telling me to learn it i should leave MC9 and not touch it... but work requires that i touch MC9 or else machines will freeze.. and when i get the chance to touch MCX at work... do u know how frustrating it feels. lol.. but i think u're right... i should forget its mastercamX and just deal with it as if its just a new programming software and try to learn it without thinking about MC9.

[crazy^millman]

Well I had a sneak peak at the 1st volume and it very well written and has alot of pratical examples that will help the greenhorn to the expert learn something about the software. I would think the 2nd is just as professional written and done and anyone would benfit from using getting it.

[Jimic]

How much is the book Cost $$ ?

[Charles Davis]

The books cost $120 Canadian (since they are distributed via In-House Solutions in Canada). This works out to about $98 US.

[Thad]

quote:

---

This works out to about $98 US.

---

And worth every penny!

 

Thad

[elraiis]

mmm.. one last bothering question.. Handbook1 deals with mastercam aspect lvl 1 and handbook volume 2 deals with mastercam lvl 2 stuff? is it like that a sequence? or what?

thanks

[crazy^millman]

Well most of 3d machining is level 3. Now that 5 axis is a module I am thinking it will be expaned upon in the next book, plus any advanced stuff added and avaiable in the next realease.

[Thad]

quote:

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Handbook1 deals with mastercam aspect lvl 1 and handbook volume 2 deals with mastercam lvl 2 stuff?

---

Not necessarily. (See the website.) This references V9 Handbooks and I only assume it would be similar for X.

 

Thad

[Charles Davis]

Good question.

Vol 1: 2-1/2D Modeling and Machining and basic Solid Modeling.

Covers Mastercam Level 1 and Solids: All the basics of Mastercam, how to draw and machine "prismatic" shapes, 2D Splines and basic 4th axis work.

 

Vol 2: 3D Modeling and Machining.

Covers Mastercam Level 2 and 3: How to create surfaces and machine complex 3D shapes like molds and complex parts.

 

Vol 3: Multiaxis Machining.

Covers Mastercam Multiaxis: Full 4-5 axis machining.

 

Here is the link for Vol 2

http://www.volumesdirect.com/detail.aspx?ID=2877&R=1

[resjun]

can you use vol 1 & vol 2 books for learning x2 when it comes out. i realy don't much about the difference between mastercamx & mastercamx2. thankyou

[John Giess]

I also was wondering how different X2 will be? It must be hard to keep the literature up to date with the given rate of all these updates and new releases!!

[Steve Zirtzman]

Resjun and John Giess,

The interface in X2 is not very different from X MR2. It will be like upgrading from V8 to V9. If you want an early look at Mastercam X2 there are twelve preview videos on their web site. We may see a few changes before the release, but the enhancements you see in the videos are pretty much the guts of X2.

 

If someone was just starting out with X2, they could use the Mastercam Handbooks Volume 1 & Volume 2 to learn the software, they would just be missing the new enhancements.

[88Matt]

will u be publishing revised books with the enhancements or maybe supplements by chance?

[Charles Davis]

Documenting revision changes is always a challenge. I do it full time, and it's hard. I don't see how educators especially can deal with the burden of not only learning what's new, but then creating documentation to teach class, and have any time left over for students.

 

That's why I developed a curriculum to accompany the Handbooks for schools and Mastercam resellers.

 

Vol 2 is current as of a few weeks ago. My next task is to finish Vol 3, Multi-axis machining, for X.

 

The way the books are written, you can keep up with minor revisions by just reading the release notes with the new software.

 

Really, that's the whole idea behind the books. Rather than taking a "monkey-see, monkey-do" approach, I take a comprehensive top-down approach to learning. That way, you develop such situational awareness of what you are doing, updates are not so traumatic. You just know how things work and why, and therefore are well equipped to digest those enhancements easily.

 

Do you think it would be helpful to have a web site where you could download snippets of the book that change? Would you use that service regularly?

[doug44]

Maybe Im slow and confused (slofused) but we have MastercamX2, and I want to buy a Handbook for milling, does vol 1 cover X2? or am i just confused. You all have been helpful to a newbee

[3rdstring]

I believe there is vol 1 & vol 2 for both X & X2. If you look at the books link above you see the X2 versions and further down the page the X versions.

 

HTH