X5 files on the network?

[Smit]

I know this question has probably been answered but it's difficult to find because there is so much info here.

 

I'm just getting to configuring X5 now. Is it still possible to keep the cnc machines, the post files, the operations defaults, the tool libraries, and the Mastercam files on the network like we used to be able to do?

 

I'd very much like all the programmers using the same files if possible.

 

Thanks!

[spade117]

Yes, you just have to reassign all the paths for them though.

[Smit]

Super, Thanks!

[CJep]

One thing to be aware of is that when you send the posts, machine & control defs to the server all of the file mapping is absolute.

I found out recently that these files are tokenized, when you change the default location that tokenization is broken.

[MIL-TFP-41]

One thing to be aware of is that when you send the posts, machine & control defs to the server all of the file mapping is absolute.

I found out recently that these files are tokenized, when you change the default location that tokenization is broken.

tokenized??? tokenization????

 

gotta say I have never heard of these terms....I can also say that I have had machine and control def's and post on our network since X first came out and have never had an issue. It makes things like managing them easier....rather than going to 5 seats to update a post or a definition, you do it once. X5 maps just fine to the network location.

[Smit]

Thanks or the replies gents.

 

One further question...

 

A couple machines have Windows 7 and a few more have XP. I guess that doesn't matter, but since the Mastercam install is now in the program files directory and the config files are in your personal directories each machine will need to be configured to look on the network for the files individually?

 

Used to be you could just copy the config file between machines when the install was c:\Mcam. But I don't think that will work any more?

[CJep]

The guys in the post dept could explain the tokenization issue better than I can, but I did have an issue with a set of lathe machine & control def files.

 

I keep all my custom files in another location other than the default CNC_Machines folder in the root install. The issue I was having was linked to the control def. It was explained to me that even though I had setup a dummy directory that matched the root install, by moving that file into the dummy directory it had disrupted the token and had become an absolute.

 

To fix the issue I put the Machine def and post back in the default locations and made a copy & renamed a default control def, reassociated the files and the issue was gone.

[CJep]

A couple machines have Windows 7 and a few more have XP. I guess that doesn't matter, but since the Mastercam install is now in the program files directory and the config files are in your personal directories each machine will need to be configured to look on the network for the files individually?

 

Used to be you could just copy the config file between machines when the install was c:\Mcam. But I don't think that will work any more?

 

Smit,

You could config one of the computers in McamX5 then share the config within the McamX5 program, you would probably need to config the Win7 and XP separately because the default file locations are mapped slightly different. Check out page 17 of the McamX5 Transition Guide in the documentation pdf.

 

Something that some users seem to forget is that all the Mcam users will need to be mapped into the sever using the same network drive address.

 

Yes, you can bring over the McamX4 config file and use it in the McamX5 install ***However*** due to the differences in file mapping between the two installs there is some back end work that needs to be done. The merging process of the config files starts on page 21 of the McamX5 Transition Guide.

 

The problem is most folks are trying to use the McamX4 config file as is and get extremely frustrated when it doesn't work, then blame it on the software.

[gcode]

We've got both XP and Win7 x64 machines here, 2 of each

All out Machine/Control Def's, Posts and Tool libraries are

on the network.

Its very simple to set up.

The main folder is names

X5 Posts and has 2 subfolders

CNC Machines and Posts

each of these contains a Lathe and Mill folder

All the Machine and Control Defs

are in CNC Machines/Mill or Lathe

and the Posts are in Posts/Mill or Lathe

5 axis posts have there own folder

to keep the pst and psb files organized.

 

Once you've moved the files where they belong,

you open up the Machine def and select the Control Def

in its new location... then open the Control Def

and select the post in its new location.

 

Then on each computer

Machine Type/Manage list and populate it with all

the new network machine def's.

It makes no difference whether the computer is XP or Win7

We've got 20+ mill posts and a dozen lathe posts set up like

this as well as dozens of different tool libraries

and a couple of hundred custom tool definitions.

 

Once it's all set up, everyone is using the same posts and

libraries and you'll never notice you're running

off a network.

 

 

[peon]

Gcode, I finally decided to move the CD's, Posts and Tool libraries to the network since I'm sick of updating three seats every time I make a change. I followed your directions but ran into one problem. When I select the post, all of the Control Definition parameter reset. Is there a way to select the post without having to re-enter the parameters?

[peon]

Sorry for the post, I found what I needed in the help file. Search for "network" on the help page and you will find "Moving machine definitions, control definitons, and posts to a network" All the info is there and it is very easy to do. I've been fighting this every time I upgrade to a new version.