Mastercam won't recognize curved pocket.

[RayHolt]

Hello all,

 

New here on the forums. In the process of learning Mastercam X6, and I'm getting stumped by a simple part.

 

I made a part just to test milling a curve-bottomed pocket. It has a square and a circle too, and those are recognized no problem. If I use FBM, those get recognized, but the curve-bottomed pocket is ignored completely.

 

So, I've tried doing it without FBM, by going to Toolpaths -> Surface Rough -> Parallel/Contour. The problem here is that when asked to select a drive surfaces, I cannot select the curve-bottomed pocket individually. When I click on ANY line/surface, it selects the entire solid (showing 20 drive surfaces).

 

The model I'm working from was imported from SpaceClaim. I'll include a screen cap so you can see the "curve-bottomed pocket" I'm talking about.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks. **Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, wasn't sure. Move it as necessary.**

-Ray

[Guest]

FBM, is for 2D features only.

 

3D toolpath cutting is not supported by it

[Guest]

Moved to the correct forum

[TheePres]

Try surface rough pocket

[Colin Gilchrist]

When you are prompted to select the drive surfaces, you need to activate the 'Solid Selection' button on the General Selection toolbar. That will change the options that are available on the toolbar, and will display buttons that let you change the solid selection options. You need to disable 'Select body' and only turn on 'Select face'. That will let you pick just the curved face you would like to machine.

[RayHolt]

Thanks all for the replies (and the move)

 

Colin, this is getting me closer. When I have "Select face" chosen, I can highlight that curved bottom.

 

Now, the new puzzling thing, is that I get it selected, go through the process of choosing my tool, setting offsets and such, and click "OK"... and I can see it create the toolpath, just for a second, and then the toolpath disappears. I see a red line generated, then it goes away, and when I verify, nothing happens.

 

Any idea what I'm doing wrong with that?

 

Again, thanks so much for all of the help.

 

-Ray

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hello Ray,

 

It's pretty hard to tell you what is going wrong without being able to see your work. Can you put a copy of your file on the forum FTP so someone can take a look and help you?

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

[RayHolt]

Hi Colin,

 

Absolutely! I uploaded the file to the "X6 Files" folder on the FTP. File is "RAYHOLT_PART_UPDATE"

 

Sorry for the old file, that one didn't have a machine specified or any toolpaths.

 

Thanks again,

 

Ray

[RayHolt]

Bump...

 

Anyone have any ideas on the "red toolpath shows up for one second then disappears" problem?

[Guest]

I don't see a red toolpath and what I do see is exactly as I would expect

[RayHolt]

I don't see a red toolpath and what I do see is exactly as I would expect

 

Yeah, but the problem is that pocket with the curved bottom also isn't being milled or even recognized at all. I only get the red toolpath for about one second and it is when I try to use Surface Rough->Parallel toolpath. And it disappears and continues to not recognize that front pocket.

 

Is Mastercam just not capable of cutting this pocket?

[Guest]

Is Mastercam just not capable of cutting this pocket?

 

I said that back at the beginning

 

Posted 07 June 2012 - 03:13 PM

FBM, is for 2D features only.

 

3D toolpath cutting is not supported by it

[Colin Gilchrist]

Surface Rough Pocket is capable of cutting many 3D shapes, including that pocket.

 

My guess is that your 'Maximum stepdown' is too large, or you do not have a Containment Boundary selected.

 

When you are using a Surface Rough Pocket toolpath, you need to include a Containment Boundary in addition to your drive surface(s) or face(s). This boundary tells Mastercam what the shape of the material is.

 

Can you post that example file to the FTP site? It would help in diagnosing your specific issue...

[Jayson Kramer]

Ok what is the biggest fillet on the sharp sides?

[Guest]

removed my own dumb a$$ post

[Guest]

and it would help if I actually had some reading comprehension

So, I've tried doing it without FBM, by going to Toolpaths -> Surface Rough -> Parallel/Contour. The problem here is that when asked to select a drive surfaces, I cannot select the curve-bottomed pocket individually. When I click on ANY line/surface, it selects the entire solid (showing 20 drive surfaces).

[Colin Gilchrist]

Ray,

 

I should also mention that there are many other Surface type toolpaths that could be used to rough and/or finish this pocket. You could also use a variety of tool types to accomplish this, but a Ball endmill would be the best for finishing.

[Guest]

When you're in Select Drive surfaces, click on this icon, that is the Solid Selection

 

 

Then choose to be able to select ONLY faces and not the entire body

 

[Jayson Kramer]

is this waht you are looking foe Ray and how?

[RayHolt]

Jay, yes that is what I am trying to do! I think what I am missing is the containment. When I click the button to choose containment I can't select the walls. You're saying select the walls of that pocket?

 

Actually, I just got it so it selected the top chain of that pocket as the containment. But then it only cut one small sliver at one end of the pocket. Going to try selecting the area around the pocket next?

[RayHolt]

Alright... I made it happen finally! For some reason, when I went to Surface rough -> pocket and just selected the whole top surface as the drive surface, it cuts every pocket. The only problem was that it cut everything with a 1/4 flat end mill, so I put a surface finish pass on the curved pocket and it smoothed it out.

 

The only annoying thing is that I tried doing separate toolpaths (so the square&circle would cut with the flat bottom and the curved pocket would just use the ball end) but when I do surface rough-> pocket and select the square and circle individually, choose a 1/4 flat end mill, set the stepover to half the tool diameter, it says "No cut found- check tool, etc." every time. When I do this, I select the bottom face of the square and round pockets as the drive surface. Is this the problem? Whenever I try to select just the top edge, it selects the entire surface which leads to it cutting all of the pockets in one shot.

 

But, overall, just really psyched that I got this piece to cut!

 

Thanks to all for your help, and more importantly your patience!

[Jayson Kramer]

Ray do you want my X6 file?

[Jayson Kramer]

the two other pocket should be done as 2d pockets not a surfacing paths as they are standard 2d profiles.

when you use the surface rough pocket pick the hole model.and you will get the picture.

[RayHolt]

Thanks so much Jay. I got the two pockets to cut as 2D pockets.

 

When I try to do surface rough for the curved pocket, I'm not sure what to select as the containment. No matter what edge or face I pick, it just doesn't create a toolpath.

 

The odd thing is that if I choose Surface FINISH -> parallel, and don't even choose a containment, it makes a toolpath for the curved bottom no problem.

 

 

Thanks again for all the help. Monster computer rig you're running!

[Jayson Kramer]

Ray I will post the file with the boundry I MADE so you can see it.give me a min please.