Import operations from other part files?

[neurosis]

yesterday I decided that since I was making a part that was very similar to one that I had made previously that I would just import the tool path operations and redefine the geometry so that I didnt have to go through the trouble of re-defining the speeds,feeds, path settings etc etc. Well, when I started to try to edit some of the operations after importing them mastercam would crash. It would only allow me to edit one operation and when I would try to select the next operation down to make some changes it would just crash. I had to deal with a crash for every operation in the path. Is something that I may have done wrong or is this just a bug?

[cobra95kev]

I have done this quite a bit lately and have not run in to this.

 

Did you import the geometry also with the ops or just the ops themselves?

 

I having not been bringing in geo when I do it.

 

Maybe you could try saving and closing the file after the importing then reopen and try again?

 

Good Luck,

[3R!< W3NG3R]

That sucks. Change recognition would prob work better for you though.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Neurosis,

 

Try this:

 

Import the operations from the other part file. Save your current file. Select all operations in your group, right click, edit selected operations, change NC file name.

 

Go into your Machine Group Properties Files page, do a "replace" on your machine group.

 

Save file again, then run RAM-Saver.

[Thee Rickster ™]

Neurosis

 

This also plagued me to day.

 

Go to files and reselect your control definition.

 

(Ram saver killed a file for me once and it never

will again.)

 

quote:

---

Maybe you could try saving and closing the file after the importing then reopen and try again?

---

this just makes your hair turn grey

[Ployd]

Just got done doing it a few times without problem. I didn't import geometry or toolpath group. Just the ops I wanted.

[Jim at Gentex]

Yep...I do the same thing as Ployd and I never have had a problem.

 

I just import the ops I want, then pick the new geometry and regen. Saves lots of time.

 

Colin's idea is a good one too.

My post is finicky about different nci/nc file names sometimes, so changing that would probably help.

[Cjones]

Hey how do I purge the list of tool ops in the import tool operations tab. I've exported so many ops the list is huge. Sometimes when I go back to import a list I can't find the correct list under the tree, because it's so long. Anybody know what I'm talking about? Or am I just not exporting/importing correctly?

TY,

Chris

[Jim at Gentex]

Chris,

 

I believe I know what you mean.

 

Whenever I import operations from another file, I always seem to get a duplicate tool list that comes along with the import. It's probably something we can change in the import parameters, I just never bothered to figure it out. My tool lists are usually short (3-4 tools at most), so I always just leave them as is because the duplicate list doesn't bother me at all if it only goes from 4 to 8 tools.

 

If you wanted to delete the excess clutter caused by a larger tool list, I think you can just go to the tool manager menu and delete the ones you don't want.

 

btw...welcome to the forum!

[Thee Rickster ™]

Neurosis,

 

i have been working on this problem of ours

and so far this what I got.

 

i noticed that this only happens to me when I bring

in a path created in X2SP1, and import into an

X2MR2SP1 file.

 

And when it does happen, Colins method is the fix

for me.

 

(also i have been exporting the tool paths from MR2

to eventually rid of the X2 ones)

[neurosis]

Rickster, Now that you mention it, I think that the file that I imported operations from was a x2sp1 file. Now I am using x2mr2sp1! go figure. Thanks for the input.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

What I usually do in this case is to import the new model into the file with the ops I want, save the file as the new name, destination, etc... position the new model, re apply the geometry, re-gen and I'm done.

 

I used to use the Import method but it seemed like more work in the end.

 

HTH

[Thad]

quote:

---

Hey how do I purge the list of tool ops in the import tool operations tab. I've exported so many ops the list is huge. Sometimes when I go back to import a list I can't find the correct list under the tree, because it's so long. Anybody know what I'm talking about? Or am I just not exporting/importing correctly?

---

Chris, your terminology is confusing me, but I'm sure we can get it figured out.

 

You mention tool ops. I'm not sure what you mean by this. Are you importing the tools or importing the ops (machining operations)?

 

From what I can tell, you're exporting operations from a MCX file and then importing them later for a similar MCX file. Am I right? Here's my take on it.

 

You have 2 options (besides James' method) of using similar operations on multiple files. The easiest way would be to import operations from other MCX files. That way, no library is required. The problem with that is that you can't always remember what other MCX file you used the operation that you now want to import. That's where operations libraries come in. Now you don't have to remember what file you last did a particular operation in because it's stored in your ops library. My ops library consists of pocketing, contour, finish contour, reaming (spot, drill, stab, ream), tapping, etc for all the different tools and sizes that we use. All step overs, lead in/outs, step downs, etc are all set up based on the tool diameter for that operation. I import about 98% of my programming. Occasionally, I'll get a part that is just like the last one. Then, I'll import from the MCX file. Otherwise, I import everything from my ops library.

 

 

quote:

---

Whenever I import operations from another file, I always seem to get a duplicate tool list that comes along with the import.

---

Jim, there is an option to get rid of those tools not being used. I just read about it in the help file a couple days ago. There is a right click option that says something like "Delete tools not used." I'm not sure if it's in the tool manager or the white box on the first parameters page. Anyway, it won't actually delete any tools from your library, it just cleans up the list of tools in your MCX file.

 

Thad

[Justin Beebe at Folsom Tool]

When I have similar parts I do it like CNCApps. I copy my old file and rename it. Then I import my new model, re apply the geometry with any changes then regen.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Thad/All,

 

To get rid of the extra tools, open the Tools manager, Right click in the part section (not library) and choose the "delete unused tools" function.

[Jim at Gentex]

Thanks Thad and Colin.

 

As I said, it's not a big deal for me because my tool lists are ususlly only 3-4 tools.

 

But if it's that simple to reduce the clutter, then I will do that from now on.