To fellow slow leaners

[gary adams]

We have just discovered that on stock set up,the rectangular box with origin indicator, the origin of stock can be moved by simply clicking another part of the rectangle say corner or midpoint.Thats not to bad after only 2 years!

[gary adams]

I meant learners.

[chopsley]

For what it's worth Gary, I've seen long time users finally discover that in astonishment. It should be documented better.

 

[Dinesh]

Thank u for your info

i just learned from here only

[Jason B.]

I just learned that hear, and I've been using Mastercam since 1992. But don't beat yourself up about it too bad. In reality, I'm sure there are many things that are not readily noticable especially to someone who has been using something for a long time and only uses it in a certain way. You get in a "standard" way of doing things and when something new comes along that isn't well documented that might actually help you out, you never even notice it. Especially if it isn't documented very well or even at all. Then I don't know how anyone is supposed to find out about it other than by accident.

 

Of course it doesn't matter much how long you've been using Mastercam before version X since it really isn't Mastercam anymore. Sure, being familiar with Mastercam was helpful, but You basically needed to learn a whole new software and wait 6 months to a year before you could be proficient enough to start making money with it again. (maybe an exaggeration but you get my point)

 

Before, "learning something new everyday" meant you tried a new cutter path on an old setup and found out it would run faster, or you tried a new set of speeds and feeds and your tool lasted twice as long. Now it means you keep finding the "hidden" things that Mastercam can do.

[Ron Branch @ Verisurf]

Well what I started doing many years ago was using bounding box. I would then make my material solid from that bounding box. Then when I go into my material I pick the corners of that bounding box and guess what it is perfect to the origin. Also just so you know you can make any solid you want to represent the material. You can make an STL out of something and use it for material. Once you have defined it in the right place and then go back and use it for the material guess what now in Verify it comes up if you have your setting correct and done and done and you are not having to repick material everytime you go to verify or backplot.

 

HTH

[Jason B.]

Hi Ron,

 

Thanks for the tips.

 

Do you find you have more problems with crashes and very slow going when using STL files that have any amount of detail in them? I have seen many times on hear that people are having problems with using STL files and i myself have experienced this to some degree. And if so, as a beta tester, have you been able to have any input about this or gotten any feedback on it from Mastercam?

[Tyler Robertson]

I thought I knew all the stock tricks, and have blown some people away when teaching and using Verify results as my stock and using Stock Definition in adv. multiaxis to make more efficient paths...

 

 

... yet I never knew you could click that arrow around. Thanks!

[Wendy Fish CNC Software]

This feature is documented (and has been since Mastercam X) in Mastercam Help. Click the Help icon at the bottom right corner of the Stock Setup tab in the Machine Group Properties dialog box. You will find the information under “Setting the stock origin”.

 

You'll also find it in the Mastercam Reference Guide which is located in the /Documentation folder.

[Mark H]

quote:

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This feature is documented (and has been since Mastercam X) in Mastercam Help. Click the Help icon at the bottom right corner of the Stock Setup tab in the Machine Group Properties dialog box. You will find the information under “Setting the stock origin”.

 

You'll also find it in the Mastercam Reference Guide which is located in the /Documentation folder.

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Its a big help file lots to read!

[[email protected]]

quote:

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Do you find you have more problems with crashes and very slow going when using STL files

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I use stl as verify stock prolly 95% of the time and yes it is slower to me, but I find it more proficient for finding gouges and finish passes not cleaning up rough stock.

I rough mold inserts and save the stl as stock for finish programs for parts after h/t

 

I've been using MCAM since v4 on and off at different jobs and have been using it steadily since v7 and I didn't know that you could do that either,!! but I really have never had a use for it. I use WCS faithfully

jm2c

[[email protected]]

edit: sorry, double post

[Jack Neelands™]

We are guys...we dont read things...we just click like mad all over the screen till something comes up that interests us ...Then we get into real Trouble

[CNC PRO]

quote:

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We are guys...we dont read things...we just click like mad all over the screen till something comes up that interests us [Wink] ...Then we get into real Trouble [big Grin]

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That is actually how I found out about this awhile back I figured I was the only one who didn't know about this, so in order not to look like I completely don't know what I am doing, I didn't mention anything here...even though I did a big winning the lottery dance in my office when I found it

[Jayson Kramer]

This was even in V9 guys I used to show my class.

[Jason B.]

Yes Jay I'm sure it was. And as a certified Mastercam instructor I will assume that you probably need to know all the "Stuff" that most of us find by accident. (Please understand there is no sarcasm meant by this) As general everyday users performing basically the same things on different pieces of stock, we don't have the time or budget to go look throught the help files to see if there is something we are missing unless we run into a problem with what is currently happening.

 

Wendy,

 

It's great that they have those little help icons for you to click on. I use them whenever I run into trouble. But if your not actualy having a "problem" are you going to take the time you probably don't have anyway to go read the help file? Yes, I believe we should be constantly seeking to improve what we do and how we do it, but at the end of the day, it's just plain time to go home and leave work behind. Not bring the help file home for homework.

 

It's a tuff balance. As much as I would love to just go "study" Mastercam, it ain't happening. It's too bad someone who has 17 years experience using a software suddenly needs training. Could it be that Mastercam felt their old way was just so bad they needed to completely and entirely transform there software? Even though it was the number one selling software in there class? Or could it be that no one was utilizing there training because there were so many people out there that knew how to run there software so well, they just trained in the new guy on the job?