WCS Issues

[NeilJ]

I spend most of my time working with imported Pro/E IGES files. Today I imported an IGES file into Mastercam X2 that had its origin way off in 3D space and not on the part. I had to try numerous spots on the part to get the WCS gnomon to appear properly. I finally used a hole diameter and that worked and I was then able to create the bounding box I needed and move my WCS gnomon to the corner of the bounding box I wanted. This got me thinking that I really wish that I didn't have to toggle through numerous WCS gnomon choices and try difference areas of the part to get the WCS gnomon to appear like I need the part to sit in the machine. I started thinking that it would really be nice if WCS creation were more direct and less arbitrary. I'd like to be able to click on the WCS gnomon and directly manipulate it like you can do in SolidWorks when moving parts. I would much rather do this and have direct control than cycle though all the choices that Mastercam thinks I might want. I also don’t like having to guess where on the part I need to try to get the WCS gnomon to appear correctly in the cycle of choices. Anyone else feel like I do and think that Mastercam WCS creation should be a lot more direct and easier than it is now?

[Hardmill]

Create your bounding box first.

Draw a couple lines and create a WCS with those

lines. Pretty simply takes me all of about 2 mins.

 

 

PEACE

[Jayson Kramer]

This is Why I use Rotate WCS about 85-90% and I like geo then solid face. Do you know most of the ways to set WCS or just one or two?

[Hardmill]

Hey Jayson :waving:

How u doing buddy ??

 

 

PEACE

[NeilJ]

Rotate would have helped me locate the WCS how I needed it faster. I kept getting the Z axis 180 degrees out of where I wanted it to be. I now think I see a major reason why you like Rotate so much.

[gcode]

Draw 2 lines that define the X and Y axis of

your desired WCS.

One defines the X axis the other the Y axis.

The intersection will be the origin of you WCS

Select Planes/Geometry

Click the X line first, the Y line second.

Check the Make WCS box.

Give it a Name.. you are done..

These 2 lines are associative..if you delete them

you will kill your WCS.. if you move them your WCS will move..

[NeilJ]

When I create WCS's I always uncheck associative, as I don't want Mastercam making decisions for me. For some reason I have to uncheck it twice. Once when I'm creating the WCS in the new WCS creation dialog and again in the WCS main dialog (View Manager dialog). I would love to find a way to keep associative unchecked all the time.

 

I think I like the idea of using Rotate on the WCS to get what I want rather than drawing geometry but I'll keep an open mind and try what you posted above as well. As always, I appreciate your help.

[Kannon]

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As always, I appreciate your help.

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best forum around.. isnt it NeilJ

[Guest]

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Anyone else feel like I do and think that Mastercam WCS creation should be a lot more direct and easier than it is now?

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This is one of the few places where I like NX over Mastercam. The WCS/MCS system in NX is phenomenal.

 

Pick it up, place it where you want it, grab a handle and rotate it or type your angle. Everything about it is interactive.

[Colin Gilchrist]

*cough* ACS *cough*

[Guest]

I 'll believe it when I see it released

 

Not a moment sooner

[Colin Gilchrist]

Well thats always the trick isn't it...

 

How long did we wait for X again?

 

The demo I saw of it was pretty cool though.

 

Hopefully we'll be beta testing X3 MR1 soon...

[Guest]

quote:

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Hopefully we'll be beta testing X3 MR1 soon...

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fanboi

 

 

Just Kiddin'

 

[NeilJ]

"best forum around.. isnt it NeilJ"

 

I seem to recall reading just that on a blog somewhere.

[Hardmill]

quote:

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fanboi

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Look on the bright side, at least he didnt call you

a "clique idiot"

 

 

quote:

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on a blog somewhere.

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Gotta watch that, theres some real A-holes out there.

 

 

PEACE

[NeilJ]

"This is one of the few places where I like NX over Mastercam. The WCS/MCS system in NX is phenomenal.

 

Pick it up, place it where you want it, grab a handle and rotate it or type your angle. Everything about it is interactive."

 

I would greatly prefer this but in the mean time making the best of what's available and using Rotate should make things much easier for me.

 

I still struggle with understanding why this kind of basic functionality lags behind something like Feature Based Machining.

[Guest]

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I still struggle with understanding why this kind of basic functionality lags behind something like Feature Based Machining.

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The WCS works. Maybe not the most intuitive but it DOES work. I will agree, as you posted from my comments above it does need updating.

 

However, there is more demand for the additional functionality the FBM/FBD to be added, so the squeaky wheel gets the oil first.

 

Just because you don't see discussion here does not it is not being discussed. Not all users or resellers use this forum.

[Storkman]

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Gotta watch that, theres some real A-holes out there.

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Got that right buddy.

[NeilJ]

"Maybe not the most intuitive but it DOES work."

 

One of the things that might make it more intuitive is having a button for the Rotate command in the View Manager. It would certainly be fair to state that I can't comprehend why what seem like pretty simple changes like this don't get implemented much sooner.

 

It is nice to know that I'm not the only one here who has a preference for interactive tools.

[Guest]

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I can't comprehend why

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I know

 

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what seem like pretty simple changes like this don't get implemented much sooner.

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Because in many cases backwards compatibility has to be maintained. Changes to the "core" functionality must be undertaken carefully.

 

Adding new functionality while of course not simple, is cleaner. write it, plug it in, test it, adjust it. re writing existing "legacy" code is a bit more tricky.

 

That's why eventually you'll see the WCS changed, not rewritten. It needs to be updated and CNC knows this.

[NeilJ]

Adding a button to the View Manager for the Rotate WCS command, which already exists but is accessed in another place, doesn't strike me as new functionality. It strikes me as making something more intuitive. I actually knew about Rotate WCS as it had been mentioned to me in a phone conversation a few weeks ago but I forgot about it. Perhaps I forgot about it because I use the View Manager almost exclusively and the Rotate WCS command can't be accessed from the View Manager.

[Jayson Kramer]

[NeilJ]

I'll add Rotate WCS to my context sensitive menu (right click menu) first thing Monday morning when I get in.

 

Perhaps the reason I didn't really comprehend why Rotate WCS was so important was I had not run into a part model like I ran into on Friday where I had so much trouble with getting the WCS gnomon to orientate like I needed it to. Now that I have run into this problem perhaps I won't even bother to toggle thru the WCS gnomon choices and will just accept a presented option that's close and then use Rotate WCS.

 

If "a lot to people lack the knowledge of its use and what to use it for" this to me says a documentation problem exists on how to really best use the WCS. Perhaps a comprehensive WCS video should be made on how to best use the WCS that includes Rotate WCS, using Relative, creating lines for a WCS with the point made about what happens if the lines are deleted or moved as gcode mentioned in his post.

[Thad]

I have no problems using the WCS. I find it very intuitive and am surprised others don't as well. Typically, I use geometry and the axes point the right way the first time every time. In and out in about 10 seconds.

 

Thad

[Verisurf - Ernie Husted]

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Anyone else feel like I do and think that Mastercam WCS creation should be a lot more direct and easier than it is now?

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YES

 

Sounds like another free chook

 

 

Ernie