Backplot question

[Philcott]

I am trying to help out one of our mill guys backplot a toolpath of a pocket. In V9 we used to be able to watch the cutter move along the path and leave a shaded swath behind it. In X2 I can't find if or how to make this happen. As ours is set, we can see the whole shaded path at the start of the backplot or we can see the end points.

 

Is there a setting to all this to shade as the tool moves?

 

Thanks.

 

phil

[keith mc.]

quick verify does this.check the box

[3R!< W3NG3R]

Phil, there is a button for quick verify. Did you try that one? Try toggling that and the endpoints one (right beside it).

[Philcott]

Thanks guys but that doesn't do what I want.

 

The quick verify will show what will be cut when the tool path is finished but I want to be able to watch the tool move along the path and have it shade the area it has just cut.

 

Any more ideas?

 

Phil

[3R!< W3NG3R]

go into the backplot options menu and select interpolate instead of endpoints. Then give it a value of .1 to start. I think this may be what you are talking about.

 

PS. The options menu is the button marked with a !.

[Robert Bell]

I believe the quick verify button in the backplot dialog box is what they are referring to and it does what you are after, the quick verify in the verify dialog box shows all at once.

 

HTH

[3R!< W3NG3R]

There is also two buttons beside the play buttons on the ribbon bar. One is for run mode and the other is trace mode. Try to change those too.

[Philcott]

quote:

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go into the backplot options menu and select interpolate instead of endpoints. Then give it a value of .1 to start. I think this may be what you are talking about.

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Tried that and it did not give me what I want.

 

quote:

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I believe the quick verify button in the backplot dialog box is what they are referring to and it does what you are after, the quick verify in the verify dialog box shows all at once.

---

This gets close but as stated above, I see the fully shaded or not shaded at all.

 

quote:

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There is also two buttons beside the play buttons on the ribbon bar. One is for run mode and the other is trace mode. Try to change those too.

---

Tried those as well.

 

Let me try to explain again. I would like to see the path get shaded much in the way a pen leaves a trail of ink behind it as it rolls along the paper. This was the case in V9 but I can't find out how to do this in X2.

 

Phil

[NeilJ]

quote:

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This gets close but as stated above, I see the fully shaded or not shaded at all."

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Phil,

 

Have you tried shutting down your computer and rebooting? I often have to do this when Mastercam X2 MR2 SP1 starts acting weird.

[gcode]

Phil.

there are 2 buttons next to the fast forward button ( 2 arrows pointing right)

one looks like a sideways "S"

the a line with a dot at the end.

 

press the line with a dot button

drag the slider next to it to the middle of its range.

 

On eth Backplot contrl

press the botton that looks like a drill

( second from the left)

and the button that looks like and endmill

with a shadow

 

now hit the the play button ( single arrow pointing right)

[3R!< W3NG3R]

You are right Phil, I can't get it to do it that way either.

[NeilJ]

quote:

---

one looks like a sideways "S"

the a line with a dot at the end.

---

"Line with a dot at the end" is Run Mode. For what you describe you want to be in Run Mode.

 

quote:

---

On eth Backplot contrl

press the botton that looks like a drill

---

This means Display Tool.

 

 

Works fine here, Phil but I've had the same problem and it required me to reboot the computer and refire up Mastercam.

[Philcott]

Did not re-boot the computer as the mill guys have not been able to get this to work since X2 was loaded.

 

I did though, try this on a different computer and I am beginning to think there might be a graphic card issue. On my computer the shading worked on a line by line basis (still not like a ball point pen but better). In other words it shaded the whole line as the cutter got to it (not as it passed along the line).

 

There still might be another way.

 

Phil

[Philcott]

Are you guys (in a pocket routine) able to see your path being shaded AS the tool moves along? Not the whole pocket at once, not a single line at a time but AS the tool moves along it's path like a ball point pen leaving ink on the paper as it rolls along?

 

If you answer, please take the time to draw up a quick pocket, apply a tool to it and back plot watching for how the shading is displayed and not just rely on memory.

 

Thanks. Phil

[gcode]

Yes it works fine and always has.

make sure the sideways "S" button is not set

[Jayson Kramer]

Phil is this what you are trying to do?

Sample of what I thing you want.

[NeilJ]

quote:

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Are you guys (in a pocket routine) able to see your path being shaded AS the tool moves along?

---

I am.

 

quote:

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Not the whole pocket at once, not a single line at a time but AS the tool moves along it's path like a ball point pen leaving ink on the paper as it rolls along?

---

Yes, I am able to see this.

 

quote:

---

If you answer, please take the time to draw up a quick pocket, apply a tool to it and back plot watching for how the shading is displayed and not just rely on memory.

---

I did exactly as you requested. I did not rely on memory.

[gcode]

Phil check your email

[3R!< W3NG3R]

Shows line by line here. The entire line or arc shows up all at once.

[Philcott]

Thanks to you all for your efforts.

 

Jay, that is exactly what I am looking for. Did you do it in X2 SP1? Do I have something set wrong?

 

More importantly now is how did you make the cool video?

 

It must be a graphics thing.

 

Phil

[Philcott]

Jay,

 

I noticed you are running X2 MR2 SP1 and I am running X2 SP1 do you think that is the difference?

 

Phil

[Jayson Kramer]

I just got back. so I do have X2 SP1 loaded I will check for you.-

[MotorCityMinion]

Phil, I've seen it run like that in version X as well.