Digitized text in MC X

[masnart39]

I have a digitized surface saved as a .txt file. I would like to open this in MC X as lines, and modify the shapes of some of these lines.

 

I have done this in MC v9 by doing the following:

NC utility > post process > reverse > run > NC utiliy > backplot > display > save as geometry.

At that point, I have a 3d line drawing, and I can edit the lines to the desired shapes.

 

Is there a somewhat simple way to do the same thing in MC X ? It seems as though this should be a basic process, but with the change in screen layout, I'm having a very difficult time trying to figure this out.

Thanks in advance for any help !

[Guest]

Welcome to the Forum

 

 

See if this thread helps you with the importing question. Particularly the last response from Pete Rimkus

 

Linky

[masnart39]

Thanks for the welcome, John.

 

I have been able to open the file using the ASCII(.txt), but it opens as points, and I haven't been able to figure out how to convert them into a line.

 

To be more specific...

The digitizing probe starts at an x,y,z point, and moves across the x axis, sampling and recording changes in the z axis. At the pre-determined x position, the probe moves in the y axis .100", and begins back down the x axis in the opposite direction. For my purposes, it is one continuous tool path, except that it is a series of points .100" apart. We are already cutting with this file. The machine loads the tool, and cuts the path. I want to keep it as one tool path(x,y), but modify some of the protrusions (z axis). It seems easiest to have this toolpath as a line, and delete some of the protrusions I'd like to eliminate, and replace them with straight lines.

 

I hope I've explained what I'm trying to accompish a little more clearly. I'm just in the process of learning mastercam through an online video course, which doesn't explain how to do this..

Thanks again,

Mike

[Cuda84]

If you have the points, you can creat automatic spline. Select fisrt 2 points in a line then the last. With multiple lines close together you may have to seperate them to different levels first.

[Allan]

In the file open box (when you choose ASCII) there is an options box; choose lines for the entity type and you should be all set.

 

Allan

[masnart39]

Thanks Cuda84,

I'll give that a try.

 

Allan,

I've tried choosing lines and splines before asking here.... both resulted with nothing on the screen. After looking through the help topics, it seemed that this would have been exactly what I was looking for, but to my surprise, no go.

 

Thanks,

Mike

[Allan]

What does your file format look like?

I just tried something simple like:

X1.313774 Y0.4931055 Z0

X0.8805456 Y-0.1620204 Z0

X0.7854466 Y0.3909622 Z0

X0.1232764 Y-0.07748801 Z0

X-0.19372 Y0.3909622 Z0

X-0.8136241 Y-0.0598771 Z0

X-1.007344 Y0.4790168 Z0

X-1.310252 Y0.232464 Z0

 

Chose lines in the options and I got lines.

Let see what your file looks like.

 

Allan

[masnart39]

Here's some of the code. I left a blank line where I skipped some of the code to show the x move, and change in direction. I have tried loading it without the G code as well.

 

Something I began to think about, was that for whatever reason, maybe it's going to a different level when I try to open it as lines, and the level isn't visible. I'll have to check that later and see if that's the case.

 

 

G17G40G49G80G90G54

T3M6

G0G90X2.100Y-9.035S3100M3A135.

G43H3Z3.5F42.

G1Z3.5

 

 

X2.1000Y-9.0350Z2.6970

Y-8.7499Z2.6970

Y-8.7249Z2.7244

Y-8.6999Z2.7489

Y-8.6749Z2.7714

Y-8.6499Z2.7915

Y-8.6249Z2.8096

Y-8.5999Z2.8263

 

Y-3.4749Z3.0814

Y-3.4499Z3.1047

Y-3.4249Z3.1288

Y-3.3999Z3.1529

Y-3.3800Z3.1704

X2.1500Y-3.3800Z3.1176

Y-3.4050Z3.0929

Y-3.4300Z3.0679