a dumb question

[pumarage321]

Hi all...

am new to mastercam as well and just this week i received the master cam books that i ordered. seeing how good most of u are here makes me feel jealous. but i'll catch up one day. which is making me hesitate to ask this question but i will anyways. i drew the first drawing 'tutorial one' and i got the toolpath all done. however i was wondering how do i copy the drawing i made while preserving the toolpath too. meaning if i wish to make a copy of the drawing at 1.5" away... how do i do it? using mirror didn't keep the toolpath operations... any help plz?

thx.

[Bunny McRabbit]

Use this :

quote:

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Transform toolpaths copy and change the orientation of previously created operations. You can use this function to translate, rotate, or mirror operations. You must create an operation before using the Transform function.

The Transform toolpath is associative. If the transform function is used on any operation and the operation’s information changes, the transformed operation that is linked to that toolpath is also updated.

Transform toolpaths are available in Mastercam Mill and Lathe by choosing Main Menu, Toolpaths, Next menu, Transform. For more information about transforming wirepaths, see Transform wirepaths.

 

Note: You can also translate, rotate, mirror, or scale operations using the Edit NCI C-Hook, but the resulting toolpaths are not associative.

1. Create a toolpath.

 

2. Choose Main Menu, Toolpaths, Next menu, Transform.

 

3. Select Translate from the Type area.

 

4. Enter the Transform Operation parameters.

 

5. Select the Translate tab and enter the translation parameters.

 

6. Choose OK. The translated toolpath is added to the Operations Manager.

 

Notes:

 

¨ You can also copy a toolpath to a new location by choosing Toolpaths, Transform from the right-click menu of the Operations Manager.

 

¨ If the original toolpath is changed, the translated operation that is linked to the toolpath is also updated.

 

¨ From the Transform Parameters dialog box, you can select a transform operation and transform it again (i.e., create a transform of a transform toolpath).

---

[pumarage321]

Thanks alot man.. i'll try this out but really thanks i appreciate it.

[cadcam]

So you want to move the model but leave the tool paths were they were before you moved the model and not wanting it to "X" out the paths becuase of the change?

 

Is this more of waht you are asking?

[pumarage321]

hi again..

nop cadcam, what i was trying to do is duplicate the drawing to the side of the original one with the toolpath as well. When i did that, i was able to copy the drawing only but the toolpath didn't copy.

thx alot for the hints again, i'll try to apply them as soon as i get some rest. i hope it works.

 

peace

[cadcam]

In this case use the Toolpath Transform say polar would work well.

[pumarage321]

hey Guys..

ok really thanks alot for the instructions it worked almost perfect.. one thing is bugging me like hell though. i want to group the tools operations. i don't want the same tool to come down twice it should come down once and finish everything. to make myself more clear let's say the drawing i made is A. so now that i finished the toolpath for it and all. i transfered as u people told me and now i have A B C D. AND IT'S perfect really thanks. However, when i regenerate toolpath and verify. all the tools in the toolpath come and machine only part A first and then afterwards say center drill comes and operates for A B C D then Endmill cuts for A B C D. this last is what i want but how do i make the toolpath ommit running A totally at the beginning before restarting it and maching the rest of B C D. is there a way other than manually deleting the toolpaths and tools for the original drawing? hopefully i made sense!?!

thanks alot and i hope i'm not bothering u guys with those questions

[Bunny McRabbit]

in Operation manager select operations ->right click ->sort ->by tool number

 

Take note ->

In most cases this is no way back action ,so before doing it you better backup your file to the other file name

 

HTH

[Bunny McRabbit]

~~~~~~~~~~

is there a way other than manually deleting the toolpaths and tools for the original drawing?

~~~~~~~~~~

yes.close it for postprocessing right click ->options ->posting -off

 

HTH

[pumarage321]

hi.. ughhh man.. that was more than simple i feel soo.. lol.. really really thanks alot man i soo appreciate your fast help. thanks a million times.

peace out.. really thanks again.

[Bunny McRabbit]

My pleasure.

BTW,ask MC specific questions in the Mastercam main forum and you`ll get much faster and better help

 

 

HTH

[JayMan]

The instructors are going to love you for that remark.....ouch...

[Bunny McRabbit]

Why ,all the instructors are there !

[pumarage321]

hi again... i'm starting to feel rather annoying but when i give up.. i have to turn to you guys am really sorry. copying the toolpath worked fine and i actually got the chance to try it. But one thing i noticed that bothered me. the duplicated toolpath change the direction of machining! say in my origin part i was machining climbe milling... in the copied toolpath the contouring actually went conventional!!!

why did it do that?

[Bunny McRabbit]

looks like you checked in reverse toolpath setting and used mirror instead of translate

in transform operation

[pumarage321]

when i first noticed this.. i though i did the mistake u named yes. but i double checked.. no.. i did translate and not all toothpath operations changed direction. only 1 of them did!

[Bunny McRabbit]

It can be anything else ,like you changed geometry direction or toolpath compensation side or direction (unintentionally )

I never met such a bug and I suippose it can be aome mistake .

Nevermind ,it can be easily corrected

HTH