X4 2D pocket and contour.

[rsbeadle]

I know this is not is not a bug but I wish it would be changed in the MU1 or later versions. I would like the first window that comes up after I pick geometry to be the tool selection page. I picked contour, I wanted to make a contour toolpath, so why ask me if I want a contour or a pocket or a slotmill on the first popup window. This is not worth sending to QC, but I hope it can be changed or customizable in future versions. If any of the CNC folks are reading this please send it to the proper department or the suggestion box for me. Thanks.

[Mic6]

It's just one of those things you'll have to get used to. What if you are doing a face or pocket operation? You'll need that page. Besides, it only takes 1 click to get to the tool page.

[Richard Thomas - Mastercam UK]

Eventually I think the seperate toolpath choices in the Toolpaths menu will be replaced with a single entry - called something like "Standard Wireframe Toolpaths" (or something quite a lot catchier sounding )

 

Right now I believe there is an overlap between the "old style" menu and the "new style" toolpath interface. So I imagine it will stay this way it is until the Toolpaths menu is updated and the first page you see now is in fact exactly the page you need to see.

[rsbeadle]

I always thought the point of updating software was to be able to do the same job with fewer clicks or less hastle. I have said before it seems that CNC is "dumbing down" the software to make it easier for the beginner programmer. I might suggest 2 versions, one for beginners and one for advanced users. I don't need a picture of a cutter going around a part to know what a 2d contour is or what lead in - lead out is doing. I do like the pictures when doing something I don't use much like 5-axis work, but after a few runs they just use up valuable memory. Just my 3 cents.

[Roger Peterson]

Don't focus on individual clicks, focus on what the functionality gives you as a whole. How many hundreds of "clicks" are eliminated by having the ability to copy a toolpath and switch a pocket toolpath to a contour, or a drill to a circlemill, etc...

 

 

There are people that don't use 2d contour very often and for them the pictures are an advantage, everybody uses different toolpaths differently. For someone who uses curve 5 axis all the time (anyone doing 4 axis trimming) they may not like the pictures there...

[BenK]

I like the pictures. You know what you have at a glance and its a quick way to double check your work as you go.

[gcode]

The whole idea behind this is you can create

many different kinds of toolpaths with the same geometry.

spot drill some holes

copy paste

now drill the holes

copy paste

finish to size with a helix mill toolpath

copy paste

chamfer the holes

copy paste

thread mill the holes

 

to do all this you only chained the holes 1 time..

 

this is very useful with the high speed 3D

toolpaths.. geometry selection can get complex..

 

you can select some geometry

rough it

copy paste

finish

copy paste

pencil the remains..

etc etc etc..

[rsbeadle]

I just wanted to drop a bug in the ear of CNC Software. Please don't lose sight of the fact that simple is not always better that fast. Five clicks on the same page is faster than five clicks on different pages. I am coming around to the tree style toolpaths (hoping they get all the bugs out soon) and I am seeing some improved calculation speeds for toolpaths in X4. I also am concerned that with all the different pages inside the toolpaths more things are being missed by my programmers than would have been if they could see it all on the same or a couple of pages. I understand that Mastercam is evolving into the windows based environment, but I don't think it should take 20 years to get it right.

 

I am a "true blue" Mastercam programmer with no intention of ever switching to another CAM software. I am sorry if I offended any of the Guru's with this , but sometimes this stuff needs to be said. Those of us who are not beta testers have no input into what we would like to see in the future other than forums like this one. I hope the old timers in here don't cause posts like this one to be ignored by CNC software.