cutter comp. in toolpath display

[AshM]

Hi all,

 

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to make the toolpath display show the cutter compensated tool centerline all of the time? What i mean is that whenever i generate a toolpath such as a standard contour using "control" for the cutter compensation, mastercam displays the toolpath with a standard blue toolpath line around the geometry i chained but it also displays a purple tool centreline toolpath showing where the tool will actually go when the cycle runs.

 

This purple line displays on screen until I begin working on another toolpath or select another operation or do anything like that. From then on the purple tool centreline is gone until I regenerate the toolpath, then it disapears again when I do anything else. Can I make this diplay all of the time?

[Rstewart]

Use WEAR, it will verify correctly.

Don't know why anyone would wanna use control comp.

[gcode]

I don't use control comp... sooner or later it will bite you.. hard..

 

you might try ALT T don't know if it will work as I have zero experience with Mastercam and control comp...

havn't used it since my pencil cam days

[MikronGuy]

+1 gcode

[AshM]

I like to use the control cutter comp because it allows me to keep the machine cutting to size without having to repost my cycles with a new tool size.... my pc is nowhere near the machines.... plus other machinists use the same machines in our workshop so i try not to make changes that only suit myself.

 

When using WEAR for the compensation i'm meant to enter the value of the wear on the tool in the machines tooltable correct? ie. if a 10mm endmill cuts 0.02 oversize i enter the radius as "0.01" as opposed to "5.01".... yeah?

 

Also, i now have two problems with this..... i have 2 pcs which i alternate between to program.... on one pc it will display as i mentioned above, defaulting to the uncompensated toolpath display, and now i have found it be the reverse on the second pc.... i have spent a while searching for a reason for this but i have no idea what the difference is.... there must be a setting but i can't find it.... looks like i am living with this for now.... both will verify and backplot correctly, and the posted output is thesame, its just that when the toolpath is first generated it will always show blue lines for the programmed co-ords that output in the nc code, AND purple lines showing the toolpath the tool will actually take.... I guess this is really just a visual preference of mine to be able to see both, but i am getting used to it now.

[gcode]

Launch Backplot

Click on the "!"

There is a check box that says

"Simulate Cutter Compensation"

checked, it backplots center line path

unchecked it backplots the comped path on the part.. set it to suit your preference

You can set it permanently by going to

Settings/System Config/Backplot and setting it there..

 

I won't beat the dead horse further, but after some time in the school of hard knocks

you will start using wear...may as well start early and avoid the unneccessary pain.

Control comp WILL betray you