sketch break

[JayMan]

in ver 9 you could break something by sketching a point along any enity, I'm sure it is in X3 but I can't find it, A little help here please.Thanks

[Mic6]

Try the break drop down menu, next to the trim icon.

 

 

HTH

[3R!< W3NG3R]

or you could go to trim, to point, and set it to break instead of trim. Then you can break it at a point or wherever the cursor happens to be. You can even break it at an intersection too.

[JayMan]

I'll try that Eric, But it used to be real simple in ver9.Thanks

[3R!< W3NG3R]

It is really simple in X3. I find it at least twice as fast as V9 for things like what you want to do.

[Guest]

BTW, for those searching for functions from V9

 

There is a pdf available in the documentation folder that will SHOW you where functionality was in V9 and where it is in X

[Jason B.]

Jayman,

You no longer have the option to "sketch" a position if it is too close to an entity. I have tried many times to "Sketch" a point alongside an entity but even with auto highlight and auto curser turned off you have to zoom wayyyyy in so it doesn't "see" the entity. Unless someone knows where "sketch" went or how we are supposed to do this now??????

 

 

John.

Thanks for the heads up on the documentation.

Too bad some of the good ones I want are highlighted in blue and say REMOVED.

 

Plus the fact you can no longer use the one letter that was underlined for very fast use of the commands. Now your just another mouse clicker for EVERYTHING. They even took away the VIEW - BY NUMBER!!! That just SUCKED.

NC UTILITIES - POST PROCESSOR - CHANGE select your post and your done. Now post your file and cut. = REMOVED

NC UTILITIES - FILTER = REMOVED Now you have to

1.) post an NCI file (Make sure to turn off NC)

2.) C-hook the filter option

3.) Go find your NCI file you just created

4.) select it for filtering

5.) select your filter options and run the filter.

6.) Select if you want the filter settings saved

7.) select a name for the new filtered file

8.) go back into your operations manager and select the operation that has the same name of the NC file output you want the new file to have because it automatically renames the filtered file to have the NC name of the operation you just brought it into.

9.) now select that operation that sais Merged NCI file for NC output to write your NCI file. Make sure to turn off NCI) Making sure that you've selected ALL the correct information in your control definition manager because anything that you put into your configuration settings like you've done for years is going to be overwritten by this strange and complicated new feature for version X. Not to mention also making sure you've done the same for your machine definition manager.) Pretty soon we're going to need a manager to manage all the managers in the software.

[JDowe]

Set autocursor to nearest

Select beak two pieces

Select entity to break

Move cursor along entity to any position

click mouse - it will break at that point

[Thad]

quote:

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There is a pdf available in the documentation folder that will SHOW you where functionality was in V9 and where it is in X

---

Unfortunately, it doesn't always show you everything you need to know, such as multiple buttons on the toolbar that need to be pressed, like in this example here.

 

Thad

[Colin Gilchrist]

Jason,

 

You certainly DO have the option to "sketch". Just hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard and it temporarily disables the autocursor. No more having to zoom in really far.

 

You don't even have to enable "nearest". It will pick a spot on that entity, based on cursor position, just like V9 did.

 

Why do you need to filter the NCI file? Don't you just enable the filter in the toolpath itself? Are you trying to eliminate redundant Z plunge moves, or filter the XY arc/lines?

[Colin Gilchrist]

quote:

---

Plus the fact you can no longer use the one letter that was underlined for very fast use of the commands

---

This is absolutely, totally, untrue.

 

You have to press the "Alt" key to enable the hotkey functionality, but all the commands can be accessed this way. Some of the letters you are used to have changed, but once you learn the new letters, you'll be faster than ever.

 

I think you need to spend some time learning about all the features that Mastercam does have, and get used to a new way of thinking. I'll admit I had a tough time for the first month getting used to the interface. Now I'm 2-3 times faster at programming than I used to be.

 

I love:

 

Preselection

Quickmasks

Display only selected toolpaths

Display only selected geometry

The ability to load a shaded, translucent, STL of your verified part into the display.

The new backplot functionality (restricted drawing)

The new HST toolpaths (3D and 2D)

 

The list goes on, and on, and on... You get the idea. Believe me, it will be worth it no matter how frustrating it seems.

 

The one point I agree with you on is the Machine/Control definitions. It is actually really great for 5 axis and multi-tasking machines. It is overkill for anyone doing 3 and 4 axis milling.

 

There are some free utilities that let you just pick a post processor and run though, no need to fuss with a MD/CD...

 

JM2¢,

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

quote:

---

...but all the commands can be accessed this way.

---

Not true! Try getting to your tool manager or material manager without clicking. I also see Save Some, Project Manager, Change Recognition, and File Properties, just under the "File" pulldown that have no keystroke access. Sure you could set up a hotkey for each one, but good luck trying to memorize them all.

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

Okay you can get to the tool manager, but it's not convenient: {alt}, T, {up}, {up}, {enter}.

 

Overall the X style interface requires more keystrokes, more clicking, and more memorizing than the v9 style did.

[Colin Gilchrist]

While true, this is mainly IMO, due to the fact that you have so much more functionality. V9 was simple, but you could only go so far with it. You can do much more in the X series.

 

To each their own though...

 

For true V9 diehards, looks at the AI Utilities. You can get the V9 style menu that pops up from the left side of the ops manager...

[Jason B.]

Colin,

 

I thought before I could do just that. hold down the control key and walla.... it doesn't "see" the line anymore. But sometimes it doesn't work and I'm not sure why? Just like when I tried it before I posted here. No go.

 

I don't know why I need to filter the NCI file? But tell me where the "filter" button is on the SURFACE FINISH LEFTOVER pass or the PARALLEL or any of them and I'll select it. Any of my 3D surface passes I filter come up with 70% or better filtering. Try it sometime and see what it does to your file. Maybe it's just me?

Except for that Coons patch I just used. That NEEDED filtering. But It's been a LONG time since I used a coons patch. (Worked beautiful though.)

 

Quote "I think you need to spend some time learning about all the features that Mastercam does have, and get used to a new way of thinking."

 

No doubt I can always learn more but it's just sad that you have to learn "over" instead of more. When you've worked with a software for 17 years you wouldn't think you'd have to start over and relearn the majority of it to be productive again. Yes, I tried to use the extra alt command for awhile but combined with the missing letters and changed letters and missing features it was not very fun. It seemed less frustrating to go to mouse clicks than to keep screwing up the letter commands. Besides, I do NOT have the time to learn new software and create a new way of thinking, but Mastercam sure thinks so. I don't need to know EVERYTHING that Mastercam can do, Just the things that I use on a regular basis, for the type of work I do. I've had X4 sitting on top of my monitor for a while now and from what I have been seeing here it doesn't look like it is getting loaded any time soon.

 

Don't get me wrong there are many things I like over the old and wouldn't go back, much like the list you give. Save for the machine and control definition debunckle. Sure there are a few independant shops out there that are going to benefit from this feature but I believe most of us would benefit from an option of doing it the "old fashioned" way. So I would be really interested in the free utilities you mentioned. Can you tell me more about them?

[Jason B.]

OK I did a little test......

 

Sketch by hitting the control button, thereby disabling the curser to pick a nearby entity, works if I want to create a line. But if I want to analize the distance between two places it does not work. It will always go to the nearest line if I am too close to one. Plus, once you have picked the first point, and realize it picked the wrong point, as near as I can tell you can't unselect it. And if you hit escape it goes out of the command altogether.

[Colin Gilchrist]

All the toolpaths contain some type of filter. For the Surface toolpaths, it is located in the "Total Tolerance" button. Press the Total Tolerance button and you get a dialog box that allows you to set the filter ratio and the total tolerance value.

 

The filter works like this: First the toolpath is linerized (turned into line segments) based on your cut tolerance (All tolerances are + or -). This "smooths" out the toolpath. Then the "filter" comes into play and does two things, it combines line segments into a single line if it falls within the filter tolerance, and it fits 2D arcs to the toolpath if possible.

 

I found the help file really, uh, helpful in describing how the filter actually works (good picture examples).

 

Also, you mentioned Parallel. There is a "Total tolerance" button on both the Rough Parallel and Finish Parallel toolpaths. I have a suggestion though: Parallel is a very old toolpath technology. I find Surface Rough Pocket to be much better and more useful for roughing. If you are using parallel for finishing, try Surface Finish Blend. You should probably read up on the forum here to get some tips on how to use both, but they are light years ahead of parallel for most applications.

 

It is a rare occasion where Parallel actually gives me a more effecient toolpath (but there are times it is handy).

 

Have you tried the 2D Highspeed Dynamic Mill yet? By far the best toolpath CNC Software has introduced in a while. Do a search on "dynamic mill". There are lots of us who are getting incredible results with this toolpath.

 

quote:

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Besides, I do NOT have the time to learn new software and create a new way of thinking, but Mastercam sure thinks so. I don't need to know EVERYTHING that Mastercam can do, Just the things that I use on a regular basis, for the type of work I do.

---

While I understand your logic here, I think it a bit short-sided. Please allow me to explain. With every release of Mastercam they add more tools. Some of these tools we'll never have the need to use, but there are often some really good ones that people tend to overlook. Example: the new dynamic mill. Sure, your normal "parallel spiral" pocketing toolpath will get the job done, but you can remove 3 times as much material in a given amount of time with Dynamic Mill.

 

What would your boss say if you could tell him, "oh yeah, we were able to save 30% run time on that last job..."

 

So how does a guy stay up on all the new features, and figure out which ones are useful? Personally I read the "what's new" document that comes out with every new release. That way I can figure out which new features might benefit me.

 

Also, I fully expect to be learning new software/tools/processes/requirements until the day I retire or die. It just goes with the job. If Mastercam ever stops being relevant to my job, I'll drop it like a bad habit. Don't get me wrong, I love Mastercam, but I'm not so static in my beliefs that I'll refuse to switch if something better and more effective became the new "tool of choice" for so many of us.

 

I'm not trying to knock you in any way, just trying to point out how you can get the most out of the tool you have.

 

Thanks,

[Colin Gilchrist]

I forgot to respond to your other question. AI Utilities is a free piece of software. It is developed by a great member here named Takashi Sato from Japan. He makes the download available on his website:

 

www.ai-sols.co.jp

 

Do a search for "AI Utilities" and you'll find some threads about it.

[Jason B.]

Colin,

 

Well that just goes to show you when you get into a "routine" some things fall by the wayside. I always have set the Total Tolerance only, based on whether I was roughing or finishing and not going into the radio button at all. (I believe I did back when it first came out but have since gotten "used" to doing it this way.) I set the filter ratio to "off" and set my Total tolerance to .0005 when finishing (mostly trodes). Funny this setting doesn't filter my cutter paths? I then go into filtering the NCI file and it usually greatly reduces my file.

 

I do like and use rough pocket where applicable and not too often do I use parrallel for roughing. Just for finishing. I use it a lot. But I love scallop the most and use that more than most I would guess. It's too bad the High Speed finishing Toolpath Scallop doesn't allow you to save boundries as geometry. I use that often too.

 

I will check out Blend as well as the 2D high speed stuff. (don't do much 2D stuff though)

 

I know your not knocking me. no problem there. My struggles are simply this..... Mastercam is my second software and it gets used maybe 25% of the time compared to my design software. I have driven my company to provide design services more than programming because that is where I want to end up with it. I LOVE designing and I DO CNC programming. And being just one person, it is a struggle to keep up some times. (But that is a good thing. That means I am busy.) I don't get much time to "read up" on new stuff and if I do I need to put priority to my other software that is doing the same thing with updates and continue to grow with that. As you can imagine, it is a struggle to keep up with both and so far Mastercam is losing out. I look on here for opportunities to learn on the fly by looking at other peoples issues and workarounds or solutions.

 

Thanks for all the input. I will continue to find things little by little and your help (and everyone else here) is always appreciated.

 

I will check out Takashi's stuff.