MasterCAM X6 released?

[dfedwards]

Oh you can't beat IT departments.

I remember when we had autocad R11 - just out and needed 2 meg of ram to run.

The 386 box came in the morning (with a 14" monitor) and the company software manager networked it and loaded autocad.

He then gave the MD a bell and said that 2 meg of ram was in his opinion way overkill for our application.

The MD came running down stairs and the pair proceeded to strip the machine and remove a meg chip, as that chip was deemed 'useful' in the software managers pc (for ms word probably).

I remember pointing out that the minimum system requirements were 2 meg, but they carried on.

Of course the system wouldn't even load, so they had to pull it apart and put it back together as it was.

'Experts', as I said you can't beat them (only with a stick )

 

Took me awhile to convince them that the "Minimum System Requirements" on the Mastercam site did not apply to us. Rarely do we have part files less than 50MB. Our STEP files from our customers are often over 10MB per part. I don't know about anyone else out there, but our management often thinks there is a majic "Program This" button and it magically programs itself.

 

Sorry, just ranting. Time for me to get back to work.

[gcode]

but our management often thinks there is a majic "Program This" button and it magically programs itself

 

 

 

Its easy.. plug a scanner into the machine.. run the B/P though the scanner ... and build the part..

What could be easier

[dfedwards]

Oh, so that's how they've been quoting. It all makes sense now

[PeterM]

"but our management often thinks there is a majic "Program This" button and it magically programs itself"

 

Ditto that. We got an IT guy several years ago who sold management on the corporate model where any employeee can sit at any pc, log on, and voila' its your very own computer. No one bothered to consult with Engineering, or Programming, where we have these neat little things called dongles. That worked well.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

"but our management often thinks there is a majic "Program This" button and it magically programs itself"

 

Ditto that. We got an IT guy several years ago who sold management on the corporate model where any employeee can sit at any pc, log on, and voila' its your very own computer. No one bothered to consult with Engineering, or Programming, where we have these neat little things called dongles. That worked well.

ROFLMAO!!!!!

 

Bet they didn't teach them about those (HASPS/Dongles) in his little MSCSE brownie button course. ROFLMAO!!!!

[Chris In-House Solutions]

If you have a 64 bit computer you will notice great improvements in toolpath calculation times. I had a file which a customer said he couldnt nest on his computer using X5 MU1. I did managed to nest his file using X5 MU1 but it took about 15 minutes. I then saved his fies in X6 and repeated the same process. It took just over 3 minutes to nest the file in X6. I was completely blown away. The preformance improvements alone will make the wait worth while.

[gcode]

"but our management often thinks there is a majic "Program This" button and it magically programs itself"

 

Ditto that. We got an IT guy several years ago who sold management on the corporate model where any employeee can sit at any pc, log on, and voila' its your very own computer. No one bothered to consult with Engineering, or Programming, where we have these neat little things called dongles. That worked well.

 

 

If he'd had his act together he'd have know about net hasps.

Our programmers have their own powerful workstations, but we have Mastercam/Solidworks

installed on many office machines so estimators and planners can check out models and such

[dfedwards]

If he'd had his act together he'd have know about net hasps.

Our programmers have their own powerful workstations, but we have Mastercam/Solidworks

installed on many office machines so estimators and planners can check out models and such

 

Keep in mind, these are the same IT guys that are maintaining our networks where the NetHasp lives. That is why I have kept us using dongles, we have 8 seats, and yes NetHasp would make a lot more sense but I don't have the confidence in our network.

[gcode]

We've got a pretty solid network here.

The only time we've ever lost our nethasp was was when the network went down due to a plant wide blackout.

 

The cool thing about a nethasp is you can VPN into the server and use the company licenses at home

[neurosis]

Colin,

 

As mentioned by a few others, select the tool path in the graphics area and it selects the operation in the operations manager.

 

If we are going to be talking hypothetically here anyway, why not just make it work as selection in the operation manager works. If you click on a tool path in the graphics area, it selects the operation. If you select a different path, it selects a different operation and de-selects the last. If you want to select more than one operation, hold the <ctrl> key.

 

Others have suggested using analyze database in the past, but the problem with that is, some times I have all of my tool path geometry on different levels. Once I get my tool path finished, I hide all of the levels for a cleaner screen. If I want to change something in an operation, I have to take several steps to get the correct operation selected in order to make changes. If you could select via the graphics area it would be a one click ordeal.

 

While we are wishing, maybe a double click on a specific path in the graphics area will open the operation for modification.

 

Neurosis,

 

When 'selecting the toolpath' on the screen, what would you want Mastercam to do? Select that particular operation in the Ops Manager? Would you expect the Ops Manager to de-select all other toolpaths, and only select that one?

 

Give me an idea of what you would like to happen. We are still working on enhancements for X7, and I may be able to get this one in...

[Colin Gilchrist]

Colin,

 

As mentioned by a few others, select the tool path in the graphics area and it selects the operation in the operations manager.

 

If we are going to be talking hypothetically here anyway, why not just make it work as selection in the operation manager works. If you click on a tool path in the graphics area, it selects the operation. If you select a different path, it selects a different operation and de-selects the last. If you want to select more than one operation, hold the <ctrl> key.

 

Others have suggested using analyze database in the past, but the problem with that is, some times I have all of my tool path geometry on different levels. Once I get my tool path finished, I hide all of the levels for a cleaner screen. If I want to change something in an operation, I have to take several steps to get the correct operation selected in order to make changes. If you could select via the graphics area it would be a one click ordeal.

 

While we are wishing, maybe a double click on a specific path in the graphics area will open the operation for modification.

 

I'll certainly ask and see what is possible. Adding a Toolpath as a 'selectable' feature is not necessarily as easy as it sounds.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I'll certainly ask and see what is possible. Adding a Toolpath as a 'selectable' feature is not necessarily as easy as it sounds.

 

 

Yeah, no kidding, you have to actually draw the toolpath motion segments, imagine what a memory and graphics hog that would be.

[neurosis]

I know that Cimatron had graphic selectable tool path way back when you could only purchase it on an Apolo Work Station. It didnt seem to be much of a memory issue back then. That work station only had a fraction of the memory that pc's today have and we were working on Boeing Rotary Molds as assemblies that had tool path that couldnt be touched by most other systems in that day and age. Literally 100's of operations in a single file on top of selectable tool path.

 

I guess my point is, someone is doing it. And had been doing it over 15 years ago.

[MIL-TFP-41]

Let's not overlook I work for a reseller and deal with customers wanting to know as much as everyone else does.

 

It affects me in several ways.

 

With that said, I have zero control over the time frame and even if I know, which at this point I no longer have a date for it, I can't say anyway.

 

Have you considered becoming a Beta tester?

 

With all due respect to the actual "beta testers", it has seemed to me with countless releases that ALL users become defacto beta testers when the product is released. Look through the history of this board....X5 had PLENTY of overlooked bugs till MU1 was released....X4, X3(the windows ME release of Mastercam), ect all has had these issues. I cannot stress that having access to a bug list or a fixed bug list would help eliminate the tension involved in installing a new release.

[neurosis]

X3(the windows ME release of Mastercam)

 

That is pretty damn funny.

[Colin Gilchrist]

JMC,

 

Many people have requested a Bug list. We do have a project in the works that will provide more of that information to our customers. I can't talk about specifics yet, or reveal what we are up too. I just wanted you and the others that have asked to know: we hear you and we take your feedback seriously.

 

Thanks,

[Redfire427]

"but our management often thinks there is a majic "Program This" button and it magically programs itself"

 

Ditto that. We got an IT guy several years ago who sold management on the corporate model where any employeee can sit at any pc, log on, and voila' its your very own computer. No one bothered to consult with Engineering, or Programming, where we have these neat little things called dongles. That worked well.

 

 

There is actually a very simple solution to this. It's called a network SIM where the only dongle is located on the server. We had it at my last shop while using 6 seats of Mastercam with many shopfloor computers.

[omoe]

So it became Christmas

 

http://updates.mastercam.com/X6/release/mastercamX6-x86-web.exe

http://updates.mastercam.com/X6/release/mastercamX6-x64-web.exe

[B.D.]

Is this for real?....not on the Mastercam website yet...

[omoe]

Yes, I am just playing with it...... mastercam X6 of course

[bob flat]

im still using x3.

[Marshal]

Is this for real?....not on the Mastercam website yet...

 

personally, I suggest waiting for it to hit the website

[jason25]

I still have a guy using X4

[BenK]

personally, I suggest waiting for it to hit the website

 

 

+1

[Chris Bell CNC Software]

Don't worry, I took care of the links. It's not available anymore

 

Please be patient, it will be available very soon.