WCS Discussion

[MotorCityMinion]

Ron. I've yet to use the WCS yet, but I must say, that was one nice presentation you put on there. This post gets saved to disk.

[crazy^millman]

Motor just trying to help as always.

 

Check out this thread with example file on FTP.

 

2 workoffsets

 

Glad you got something out of it.

[crazy^millman]

quote:

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I think the real misconception here is that the "two line" method is a workaround, which is simply not true.

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Is it a method recommended in the Mastercam WCS help? I see no mention of this method as the best or preferred method in which to use the WCS. So why would the people who make the software not call it out in their help if is not a work around??

[Rocketmachinist]

Crazy

 

Where did you get the vice models from. I checked the ftp site but just can't seem to find one. If you could put one up on the site and tell me where you put it. That would be awesome.

[MotorCityMinion]

Go to Kurt's site. They have a few there.

[Roger Peterson]

O.K. Ron since you brought up the help file, can you post a little text from the help file where it says to use the rotate WCS method to edit an existing WCS? I may be wrong but my guess it will only say to use rotate WCS to create a NEW WCS relative to the current WCS.

[Roger Peterson]

Here's one section from the help file:

 

Rotate WCS

 

Lets you create a new view by rotating the current view about any or all of the axes by a specified number of degrees. Mastercam displays the New View dialog box so that you can name the view and save it to the view catalog. Click here to learn more.

[Surface]

I like to use the two line method. I've found it very reliable and simple to use.

 

I am open to new ideas and would like to use dynamic planes more often. I've played with it a little and probably would use it more if it were part of the view manager.

[Rocketmachinist]

I just went to Kurts site. They had the dxf of the 688 vise and that was it. I was looking for a sldprt but they only have the Heavy Duty vice series. I don't mean to be a pain but could you throw that up on the FTP site.

[Ron Branch @ 5th Axis]

Look in the solids folder I put a file up there called free solids that has a bunch of neat stuff in there.

 

HTH

[Thee Rickster ™]

Rocket

 

Go to downloads at The Site sign in.

 

I was able to dload loacate the vise and dload a .X_T 3-d file for the vise style I needed.

 

HTH

[Dave.L]

FYI, as all other systems I have used, and I stated this before, a WCS, UCS, whatever you want to call it, can be easily manipulated via coordinate system manipulation commands, such as but not limited to rotate. In MC, the WCS origin can be moved very easy and rotation should be no different.

 

We are evaluating Esprit and guess what, rotating what they call the WCS/UCS (workplane) is just as simple as all other systems I have used.

 

If you think creating extra geometry, and then rotating that geometry in model space is not a work around, well then you will just never understand the true purpose of a user coordinate system.

 

Furthermore, I think MC confuses this whole topic by combining what they call a view and a WCS.

[crazy^millman]

quote:

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Furthermore, I think MC confuses this whole topic by combining what they can a view and a WCS.

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I agree 1000% with that statement. Why do we even put (WCS) next to planes I have explained that one more times then I care to talk about.

[Roger Peterson]

I agree, different terminology could be used. And, I am not saying that there is not room for improvement, again you talked about a dialog to edit an existing view, and this has been brought up in the past by others including myself. In the current version of Mastercam the two line method works, is not a workaround, and is extremely simple to edit a view. In the future, if/when there is a dialog to edit a view, then yes the current two line method would be a workaround. what is the difference if you use a rotate/translate command in an edit plane dialog, or use a rotate/translate command to move some geometry, the result is the same. The geometry isn't extra if it is required to have an editable WCS.

[Aeroguy]

I totally agree with you. Outputting to a selcted workplane in PM was so much easier than messing around with WCS in Mastercam. I have been using it for the last 6 months, and I still don't understand the whole views/plans/wcs thing yet. Too bloody confusing.

 

@Joe788,

 

I get what you mean but I still think it's unnecessary.

When I used PowerMILL I had the choice of outputting NC code relative to either the WCS I used to create the toolpath (I'm moving the part) or to a different WCS of my choosing (PowerMILL outputs the angular rotation and the machine moves the part).

Lots simpler IMO and Views/Planes don't come into it.