Conceptual Overview of Planes in MCX2

[Ricalsin]

I'm coming from the world of SolidWorks and major assemblies and trying to help a machinist friend of mine better use Mastercam. (He's taught me the incredible world of real-world machining.)

 

He's using x9 and creating dxf 2d images of the tool plane and then programming the 3D info (depths). (Isn't that ridiculous or am I missing something?) However, I'm stuck when importing a SW file and then can't get it to rotate and lay down the way I want to machine it. I'm beggining to understand xform rotate, WCS and views within MCX2.

 

Question: Am I incorrectly concerned with the xy coordinate system in the graphics view? I'm thinking the Gcode would be confused if the part is not laying in viewer as though it were to be machined. Then, to reposition for machining on another surface, is it a matter of rotating the part or changing the WCS or simply selecting antoher surface for the TPlane?

 

Some direction on the big picture would be greatly appreciated - I don't expect to get the dirty details as I will be reading, but right now I'm cloudy in the head (and it's raining outside).

 

Rick

[Jayson Kramer]

Ok start with this download and review:

 

www.mastercam-cadcam.com/sample1.zip

 

this is a zipped file. unzipp and watch I am going to get you another PDF to do more.

[Jayson Kramer]

Then review this PDF that will work with X2 too.

 

http://www.mastercam-cadcam.com/tool_plane_tutorial_x3.pdf

 

Hope this gets you started.

[Ricalsin]

Awesome. Thanks for your time.

[Scott Lundin Shopware Inc.]

Nice job Jay!

 

[ 02-08-2009, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: Scott Lundin @ Shopware Inc. ]

[?Mark]

Jay,

Nice video. I'm curious as to whether you used either spacepilot or navigator for moving the model around. It seemed as the model manipulation was exceptionally smooth.

[MotorCityMinion]

In SW, the front plane becomes the top plane in MC. Draw the view you want to machine 1st in the front plane, then bring it into MC. That's the quick fix. Ultimately your only going to want to draw the part one time. Xform, rotate, in MC then becomes your friend. See this post for valuble tips.

 

http://www.emastercam.com/cgi-bin/ultimate...1858;p=1#000000

[Ricalsin]

MotorCityMinion, I read your link. Thanks.

 

To me the solution is in Jay's video. Knowing how to manipulate the part into different coordinate planes and then proceeding into the various milling operations is the answer. It would seem that setting the part's alignment by way of SW construction would be merely one step above creating 2D dxf files per setup. (Am I missing something here?) Plus, from a design perspective, I tell everyone to design the SW part in relation to how it fits into the assembly. This makes the parts easier to fit and edit within a major assembly that can easily have hundreds of parts. The last thing I want them to do is design with a machinist's needs in mind. As for xForm translate, I am not sure. At first glance, it would seem to be manipulating the extrusion to affect a different alignment. If so, that would seem cumbersome since the solution presented in Jay's video keeps the part's construction intact which would prevent possible errors during the manipulation of the extrusion (and subsequent features).

 

Please let me know if my understanding is out of wack. In the meantime, thanks for the comments. I really appreciate it.

 

Rick

[gcode]

quote:

---

In SW, the front plane becomes the top plane in MC

---

SolidWorks also has a function caled

Co-ordinate system.

They have no effect on the model is SolidWorks,

but when you Save As (X_B,X_T,STEP,IGES or STL)

you can use the co-ordinate system to define the

model's landing in M.astercam

This is very useful for bring whole assemblies

into Mastercam and especially useful for orienting STL files to use as stock in Verify.

[Ricalsin]

Gcode, interesting, but still doesn't solve the need to re-align the part in order to perform another operation on a different surface. You wouldn't re-import the SW part file using the "co-ordinate" system you mentioned just to create another TPlane, origin and coordinate system - would you? It seems Mastercam has the answer and Jay's video clearly shows it.

 

It does seem to me that Mastercam's help files really lack clarity. I'm surprised that such a deep program has such unclear documentation on some of their more important concepts and abilities. Does anyone else feel this way or is it only me?

[Ricalsin]

...and I don't think you can "bring whole assemblies" into Mastercam. Mastercam can only take part files - not assembly files. Again, I'm very new to Mastercam so please let me know if I am misunderstanding something.

 

Rick

[gcode]

It depends..I may do 4 or 5 different operations

on small simple parts using WCS in one file

Most of the stuff I do are very large parts running 200 -500 toolpaths..

Multiple operations on a part like that are just too much. In a case like that I'll have as many

SolidWorks co-ordinate systems as needed in the required orientaions and start a new MC file for each operation

[gcode]

quote:

---

...and I don't think you can "bring whole assemblies" into Mastercam. Mastercam can only take part files - not assembly files

---

try Save As and choose X_B as file type

[Jayson Kramer]

Ricalsin please review the picture below.

[Jayson Kramer]

I use the WCS for just about all files except when doing Complex Multi axis file in 4th ot 5th axis.

this is me.

[Ricalsin]

I can see your need Gcode and it makes perfect sense. It's more of a need for organization. When you're running numbers through one setup why bother with other setup information. Got it.

 

I can see the importing possibilities. I take it drawing files will get you the 2D information where you can manually enter the z information. The concept of importing a parasolid assembly is interesting.... I guess someone might prototype different versions of a "part" by manipulating it's geometric construction as an assembly. Not sure if that's "creative" or simply lacking knowledge in using SW's "configuration manager." Or, is there another benefit of using SW .asm files within Mastercam?

 

Again, thanks guys. Great information.

PS. Gcode, you're not too far from me. Is that Riverside I see?

[Ricalsin]

Jay, what kind of a learning package do you have for sale?

[Ricalsin]

Actually, I know the answer to the assembly question now. I'm good.

[gcode]

Yes its Riverside.. I used to live in Anaheim

till my neighborhood turned into a combat zone.

I use SolidWorks configs all the time.

I'll have a part with 6 operations, lathe and mill.. I'll start with the stock and do a config for each step in the manfacturing proccess

Config 1 becomes the stock for OP2 , config2 is the stock for OP3 etc etc..

Assemblies go into Mastercam with stock, finished models, holding fixtures and clamps.

[Ricalsin]

Ahhh. Nice. I didn't think of or know that could be done. I have a lot to learn. I sent you an email at your profile email address. Thanks for the help.

 

Jay, do you have learning videos that show what gCode describes using assembly files in MC?

[Dan@home]

Ricalsin, I don't know if this has been said but you would need the soilds add on to manipulate any solid part inside Mastercam (Xform, rotate ext). If you don't have the solids option you will have to do it the way Jay shows you.

 

What helped me understand WCS, was that when I created a plane and made it the WCS. It was like taking the part out of the machine and reloading it back in the machine as WCS as top (always top). If you go to Isometric view it will show you your new orientation of your part.

[Ricalsin]

Dan, nice "visual" explanation. Mastercam should hire you guys to help re-write their Help files.

 

Rick

[gcode]

quote:

---

I sent you an email at your profile email address. Thanks for the help.

---

back at you

[machinehead]

quote:

---

SolidWorks also has a function caled

Co-ordinate system.

They have no effect on the model is SolidWorks,

but when you Save As (X_B,X_T,STEP,IGES or STL)

you can use the co-ordinate system to define the

model's landing in M.astercam

---

i thought there must be something like this.

one of our designers uses this feature on every part. sucks for me because if i have any need to check the part out in the mold configuration, i have to xform it all over the place to get it back where it should have been in the first place. i can't save it there either, because if something changes on the part and he re-issues it, it comes back in the wrong place.

so i have asked him numerous times not to do this, but he adamantly refuses to change his m.o.

what an aho.

just a rant, but otherwise some great discussion here of the wcs.

[gcode]

all he has to do is build a co-ordinate system for YOUR workspace and use that when exporting.

It might take 3 minutes.. my guess is he doesn't know how.