Metacut comments?

[PE @ IHS]

I have spent a bit of time playing with Metacut and am overall impressed with what I have seen. Thought there have been a few glitches, it is a welcome tool and nice to have available when needed. I do seem to have screen refresh problems, whereas the Metacut icon in the OPS manager seems to stick around when I close the OPS manager. The verification is decent quality and will hopefully get better with each release. To be fair, we can't expect Vericut quality for this price.

 

I hope that true G-code verification will continue to be developed, as it will add an added sense of security when checking toolpath. Hopefully lathe and multiaxis functionality will eventually make their way into the Metacut lineup.

[Zero]

I agree with you 100% Peter. A little glitchy, but a very nice tool to have. 1 thing I have noticed is, espescialy with the flip out window in MC, you don't want to disturb it while it's processing toolpaths (like flip the window back, try to reaload while it's loading, etc, etc) or you might crash it. After that you most likely will have to do a repair install (which only takes all of 5 seconds to do) to get everything working properly again. I've also had problems with files that have a large # of surface toolpaths, like around 30 or higher, when using the flipout window in MC.

 

I've had the full version for a couple of months, and I like it alot. Really fast, with graphical results in seconds, even on the most complicated of my parts. If you go through the tutorials that come with it, you will find it to have some very usefull tools for not only verifying, but code editing as well. The tutorial really show you how useful a tool it is, I suggest everyone runs through it, or at least print it out and see that it's not just a fancy little window attatched to your Operations Manager in MC, it has much more to offer.

 

What I like best of all is that I can verify my posted code and I know for sure this is what I'm gonna get on the machine and something didn't go wrong in the posting process

 

 

I'm crossing my fingers for support of the WCS when verifying NCI files like Mastercam's verify has, in the future.

 

[ 04-17-2003, 11:24 AM: Message edited by: Zero ]

[mold100]

I used the 30 day trial and I liked it and found the problems as Peter and zero but I really liked its verification over mastercams built in due to how slow mastercams works.

[Accu-Molder]

I like the software. But it seems I have to define all my tools again in metecut to be able to verify a part. Takes time when you have many tools.

[Michael Reynolds]

I have a problem with it. Maybe it's me, but when I run the nc program and watch it, then change something drastic, like a z depth, then run it again, I don't see any difference in the verification.?????????

 

What am I doing wrong?

 

Mike R.

[Slick]

My 2 cents is... Any time we as programmers get an opportunity to use software for free, prove to the great "check signer" (i.e. employer) that a product is worth purchsing, is a great advantage! Whether it has some glitches or not, hats off to MetaCut for their software, and hats off to MasterCAM for setting us up with it.

[Greg Williams]

Overall I think that it is a pretty good and usefull piece of software, However I would like to see it be able to use the Mastercam WCS and also be able to backplot 4 axis programs.

[Paul Elliott]

Greg,

WCS in the NCI is working in the next patch, hopefully released today or Monday. We can backplot 4 axis with the NCI, and we can quote a price for G-code for your particular machine.

 

 

Mike,

If you change code, you have to hit the blue arrow at the top of the edit window to refresh the code. At that point, you will have both the new code and the old code easily accessible using the left and right arrows next to the blue refresh button. This feature is a real lifesaver when making a number of changes and you want to make sure something simple like a bad Z change doesn't slip through. Go to the help menu in MCU, then the advanced tutor on "Graphical Edit and Compare" for a very good demonstration of this feature.

 

 

Accu-Molder,

If you installed our default options for Mastercam, any time you use the "Post" button in the Operations Manager, the tools will normally be defined in the posted code. If you still aren't seeing them, your post is probably ignoring the 1005 in the NCI code. You can look at the NCI in MCU to verify that the tools are getting defined, and if they are defined properly, you know there is a post problem, and we can help you with that.

 

 

Peter,

We have basiclathe G-code support (no verify), and we can implement any 5-axis backplotting by quote. We would love to add lathe and 5-axis verify, but we need to have more interest.

 

 

Everyone,

We want to hear about any and all problems, no matter how small. If you have a file that has consistent problems, by all means send it to us.

Also, just to make clear one more time, features like the advanced editing and the verify are the 30 day part of what you have installed with Mastercam. After 30 days, you still have MCU Light, which has backplotting and simple editing. You can still verify in a pinch, but it's not as nice as the first 30 days or if you. . . buy it.

[Accu-Molder]

Paul,

[Accu-Molder]

Paul, woops about the double post but anyway my tools are defined in the posted code but not in the window were you select the diferent paths so when I go to verify it tells me to define tools.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

quote:

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WCS in the NCI is working in the next patch...

---

THAT is HUGE! That's THE #1 reason I'm not using it at this time. I NEED WCS support.

 

Thanks for the update Paul.

[Paul Elliott]

Accu-Molder,

Send us the code around and including where the tools are being defined and we'll take a look to see what is happening.

[Zero]

quote:

---

WCS in the NCI is working in the next patch...

---

Awesome!

[gcode]

Next we need the ablity to define STL files

as stock!!

[Slick]

I would have to second gcode. That would be a great idea.

[Paul Elliott]

gcode,

STL stock: v2.5. We have it working, but a couple minor interface issues need to be resolved.

 

BTW, we have a page that has info on current issues and a link to patches at:

MCU Release Notes

 

We are in the middle of validating our first patch for 2.1, and hope to have it up today.