Axis rotation/change

[Guest]

Hello to everybody here. I am new to Mastercam and i would like to ask something. I have designed a mold in CAD (CATIA if this makes any sense) and i want to generate the codes for CNC turning. I attach a link of a CAD image to let you understand the geometry of the model.

 

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/1504/diska.jpg

 

The geometry is quite easy and it's really straightforward to just write the codes manually on the CNC machine rather than getting the codes from CAM software, but i really want to compare my program with Mastercam's "opinion".

 

Problem is that in CATIA the part is designed with the Y axis where the Z axis should be in order to be machined on a lathe.

Result is that when i import the model in MasterCam and i try to make a stock, the result is wrong... Stock is made around axis Z of the model...

How can i convert/rotate the axis in MasterCam? Is it possible to do it or i have to make this job in CATIA or design it again? Thanks for any help!

[Hardmill]

Xform rotate will move it where you want.

Pretty straight forward, email it to me

if you have trouble.

 

 

PEACE

[Steve Biehl - Cimquest Inc]

echidna,

a couple things.

 

In Mastercam the axis the part should be in to get XZ lathe output is in the 'Top' plane. Which is really the XY plane of MC. So your lathe Z is MC X and lathe X is MC Y. You then can put MC in a D+Z+ plane to get the right axis display.

 

To put your part in the correct plane, use the Xform functions. You may need to do a combination of Rotates and Translates.

[gcode]

You don't say what version of Mastercam you are using, but its basicly all the same.

While in the Top construction plane, rotate

the model about the Z axis counter clockwise 90°

The command to do this is Xform/rotate

[Jayson Kramer]

looking at the picture and the axis layout you need to Xform rotate from the top plane 90 +

[Guest]

Wow, that wes really fast and so much feedback. Thank you guys! I will check it right now and let you know!

[Guest]

Hi again. I tried Xform Rotate in Mastercam but i can't find out where you choose the axis by which the rotation will be made. Please look at the picture of the link.

 

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3613/capturexfc.jpg

 

Software by default rotates the part along X axis, something that is not what i need. I need to rotate the part 90 degrees along axis Y. How this can be done? Thanks in advance.

[Guest]

Mastercam rotates around the Z axis of the active C - Plane

 

 

If you need to rotate about the Y, change your C plane, on the bottom status bar to Front and then do your rotation.

 

hth

 

If you still have trouble, if you can send me your file I can complete the rotations for you

[Guest]

That's it!

Thanks a lot!

[Guest]

quote:

---

echidna,

a couple things.

 

In Mastercam the axis the part should be in to get XZ lathe output is in the 'Top' plane. Which is really the XY plane of MC. So your lathe Z is MC X and lathe X is MC Y. You then can put MC in a D+Z+ plane to get the right axis display.

 

To put your part in the correct plane, use the Xform functions. You may need to do a combination of Rotates and Translates.

---

Really helpful post. Thank you very much Stephen!

[Superman]

When opening a new session of Mastercam, there are planes pre-defined ( TOP, RIGHT, FRONT - these 3 are your best friends )

 

Until you change it, the construction plane (C-plane) is set to TOP, so any transformation ( rotate,mirror,scale etc ) is done in the XY plane, so changing the C-plane to the FRONT uses the XZ plane

 

If you wish to rotate items around the Y-axis then the C-plane must be set to the FRONT, same goes for rotating around X-axis ( C-plane = RIGHT )

 

By default the rotation poimt is the datum, use the "multi-direction arrow" button above the angle input area to pick a different point of rotation

 

The othe guys have mentioned that a lathe setup is a little different to a milling setup

 

WCS=TOP is the XY milling plane, for a 3 axis machine

WCS=D+Z+ is the XY milling plane converted to turning, Y+ milling direction is actually X+ diameter lathe axis

and the X+ milling direction is the Z+ lathe axis

[gcode]

quote:

---

but i can't find out where you choose the axis by which the rotation

---

The rotation will be about the axis of the active

construction plane.

In you case you want to set the contrurction plane

at TOP and rotate - 90° then change you conscrution plane to +D+Z for lathe toolpathing

[Guest]

How to change the construction plane to +D+Z?

[Guest]

I add a link of my model in .stp format

I am bit confused in lathe machining in MasterCam, so if anyone could make the NC code for me, i would be really grateful.

 

http://rapidshare.com/files/220528458/tapsi3.stp.html

 

I would really like to ask for a step-by-step process to, but i think this is too much of a request. Thanks anyway!

[Guest]

up

[gcode]

what version of Mastercam are you running?

[Guest]

any chance of getting your mcx file instead?

 

you could email it to

 

j dot paris at cncprogrammingsolutions dot com

[Guest]

Thank you John, email sent.

@gcode, MCX3