Who draw their parts in MasterCam

[Josh T™]

I use Pro-Engineer or UG NX-5 to do all of my modeling. We are getting into Solidworks but I'm most comfortable with Pro-E.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Lately mostly importing. SolidWorks, CATIA, STEP, UG, Pro/E, Parasolid and Inventor make up 99.999% of the CAD I see. Up until about 7 years ago IIRC I drew all of my parts in MC. But the nature of my job has changed which affords me the opportunity to almost demand CAD Models. I mean if someone wants to pay a sick amount of cash for me to draw something they already have a CAD model for that's their business, but usually once they see the cost, they usually "find" the CAD Model.

[Josh T™]

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but usually once they see the cost, they usually "find" the CAD Model

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Isn't it amazing how those mysterious CAD models seem to appear when the cost is over budget???

 

[Ken Erman from CNC Software Inc.]

This is a very interesting thread from my point of view...

 

Of the pieces of Mastercam Design that you do use, which area should get more development attention from us?

 

1. Wireframe (Lines, arcs, splines)

2. Surfaces

3. Solids

4. Drafting

[Ron Branch @ Verisurf]

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3. Solids

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Ding Ding Ding Ding we have a winner!!!

 

Oh I don't know maybe handle assebmlies and allow window renaming of solids in the tree. (Example to rename a solid now you have to right click then rename and then you can rename. This works totally different than anything else in Mastercam or windows for that matter.) Come up with a hole wizard like every other Cad software out there. Parametric would be nice, but so use to the method we have now not that big of a deal. Allow axis for rotation of solid in addition to lines.

 

You asked.

[BBOwen]

Solids, most definitely. Solids in MCAM-X4 is only good for primitive type models.

 

The dynamic x-form and dynamic planes was a dig step in the right direction for CAD in MCAM-X4.

 

I can get surfaces to do almost anything I want but drawing the geometry to build them can a real pain.

[Goldorak]

i was 50x faster in our old ez-mill 9.1 to draw a 2d shape than in mastercam

[ostie01]

I'm use to work with SolidWorks and what I miss the most in MasterCam is the ability to switch plane to draw new sketches. IMO, in MasterCam, this is a real pain for me, I don't like the view manager.

 

And that's true, would be great if it could let us build assembly.

 

Jeff

[Tony35]

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Of the pieces of Mastercam Design that you do use, which area should get more development attention from us?

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i hear "mastercad" coming

 

solids

[t smith]

Be able to use colors in solid faces!

[spade117]

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I use Mcam design for anything I create but import from a number of formats if models are available.

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Ditto.

[MLS]

I draw only simple fixtures/tooling and import the parts.

 

Rarely do we have to draw an actual part, but when we do it is in CATIA.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

One thing that would get me "high" on drawing in MC again when I do draw is to make MC parametric. That's a feature I REALLY like about CATIA.

 

I know the trend in the industry is toward Synchronus Technology but I still hold parametric modeling in high regard because I am not a designer for the most part. I believe Synchronus Technology fits better within a Design environment as opposed to my world; taking a Blueprint and making a CAD model, or reverse engineering a part.

[MotorCityMinion]

"Of the pieces of Mastercam Design that you do use, which area should get more development attention from us?"

 

I would say none. Too many other issues to be resolved with the actual machining side of things.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

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quote:

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"Of the pieces of Mastercam Design that you do use, which area should get more development attention from us?"

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I would say none. Too many other issues to be resolved with the actual machining side of things.

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Like most companies, they have different departments. There are people that are there that only CAD Stuff, QC, Technical Writing, people that only to surface machining stuff, people that only do lathe stuff (that must be the smallest department in the house ), etc... and I would imagine, typically they don't crossover much if at all. You would rather the CAD department sit idle? No thanks, work on the CAD.

 

JM2C

[MotorCityMinion]

My previous post was just an opinion. Long days and numerous grievances with my current employer leave me with little or no manners some days.

[mpeterson]

I used to draw everything in MasterCam because I had to.

 

Now we get STEP or X_T file for everything from many different CADs. Now I just draw fixturing to support machining.

 

What little I have used Solidworks, I completely liked that at sketch you can just select any face for a sketch plane and it just defines that plane instantly.

 

Mastercam you have to create a WCS view per that face. Kinda alot of screwing around. If Mastercam wants to make a new WCS to draw, make it more automatic during sketch. That wouldn't be too bad.

 

cncmike

[connormac]

Any drawing I do is in MC. I import customers step files a lot now. Then I fill in the areas I needed for machining with mastercam .

[Chris Rizzo]

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You would rather the CAD department sit idle? No thanks, work on the CAD.

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move the cad dept to the cam dept

[RandyN]

I have used mastercam since v3, and have designed molds and dies using only mc for many years. In the last few years I have moved into full time tool design, and now use solidworks, but mastercam was always more than capable to draw anything I needed, and has saved my xxxx a few times when I couldn't get something converted or cleaned up in solidworks.

[ostie01]

That's what I'm afraid of, spend time doing the cad drawing and not being able to import it correctly into MasterCam.

[MLS]

Drawings are a different beast as I never have much luck with them converting well at all.

 

However, with the .step conversions, CATREAD, parasolid conversion etc. the latest and greatest that I have dealt with are pretty darn good with just the solid model. I think the converters have gotten FAR, FAR better. In fact I haven't had to tinker with a model once I convert it from CATIA or UG for a couple years. Alot of them are going from .model(Catia V4) to .catpart(Catia V5) to Mastercam too.

[Müřlıń®]

Let's face it. In our business, the end result is a machined part of sorts. whether it be a die, mold, part ect...

 

Most of these "parts" start out as either a blueprint, where you must create everything, or some sort of geometry that you have to modify. add too, take away from ect.

 

So my CAD-CAM system needs to be able to do it all.

 

MC fits the bill and is the best Cam package hands down.

 

However, from a designing point of view, it is very adequate but not the best tool for the job.

 

My sentements echo What James said about parametrics.

 

After designing everything entirely in MC for many, many years, then learning a parametric modeler, I have come to the conclusion that parametric is the best way.

 

Why?

 

Well being human, I tend to make mistakes from time to time.

 

A parametric modeler allows me to be able to easily change my model.

 

Customers sometimes change their minds and want things modified right in the middle of everything and Mastercam is a PITA to go back and fix/change your geometry.

 

Now everything is fine and dandy if you have built everything in solid form.

 

But, in my business, that is impossible. the geometry is far too complicated for that.

Surface tools MUST be used to complete the task at hand.

 

Where Proe get's it's strength from, is having parametric surfacing.

[Cad-Camr]

The Engineering Departments for the last 2 companies I worked for use Solidworks. We are directed to use Solidworks for design work such as fixturing so It can be relayed back and forth. Although when pushed for time I still use Mcam. It seems to be a good partnership between the 2 and I see the Solidworks-Mastercam Combo at a lot of companies. I can get it done faster in Mcam.

[j.nguyen]

Ron-

 

"Oh I don't know maybe handle assebmlies and allow window renaming of solids in the tree. (Example to rename a solid now you have to right click then rename and then you can rename. This works totally different than anything else in Mastercam or windows for that matter.) Come up with a hole wizard like every other Cad software out there. Parametric would be nice, but so use to the method we have now not that big of a deal. Allow axis for rotation of solid in addition to lines."

 

That's right on the money!!!!

 

- A sketcher would be nice

- Full parametric drafting

- Assemblies to keep file sizes down

- A tree that is intuitive

- Maching axis system that is associative

a solid

- Associative faces to use as maching planes

rather then incremental distances

- Design table for creating families of parts

 

There have been many times when I have a family of parts that come to me as a dumb solid. I have remodel a single part in Catia or Unigraphics

then updated the sketch or solid and all my manufacturing updates for a different part of the family....as long as it was remodeled and programmed right. Drafting a fixture can take time with many simular conponents. If MC had associative drafting you could update a sketch and all the drafting would update saving you alot of time going back to a system like Solid works. All this would be nice especially if you are a company that has a product that constantly changes. I am guessing those guys just re-drive the new geometry every time....which is good for overtime and job security ......Mastercam could capitalize on more of the market if it had a better modeling kernal and I would spend SOME time modeling in Mastercam then Catia or Solidworks.