MetaCut

[YNTO]

I'm sure this has been coverd, but does anbody use MetaCut? We bought a Company, and all their programs were done with Pro-E. Or I should say, an off line post with Pro-E files. These programs are huge. And to re-do them in MC would take about 40 hrs per part.

So I'm looking at MetaCut to be able to make changes much easier. Any thoughts?

 

Jim.

[YNTO]

Anybody? Anything?

[mayday]

why redo them?

bad programs??

[McRae]

Jim,

 

We are all wondering what you are trying to achieve. Do you want to optimize, verify, make changes, or what. Surly the company that you absorbed used Pro/E to generate the tool paths and so I would assume that you have those seats of Pro/E available to you.

 

Can you not use it as is?

[Tony]

He want's to Filter the Long pro e Gcode

With Metacut to reduce there size?

 

[ 08-07-2003, 11:47 AM: Message edited by: Tony ]

[cadcam]

So he wants to use the tool path optimize option in the Metacut pro.

[Müřlıń®]

YNTO.....use Section.dll

If the programs wont fit in your buffer.

 

edit

 

HRM....that wouldnt work would it...heh

 

edit

 

Murlin teh stupid!!

 

[ 08-07-2003, 02:56 PM: Message edited by: Murlin ]

[Tim Scott]

You may also want to check out

Cimco Filter.

[YNTO]

Sorry guys, I’m way to busy and haven’t had time to get back till now.

Yes I do want to reduce their size. And if there is a Rev change. It would be nice to pick the feature and know where it’s at in the program and what tool is doing what. And Yes we do have a seat of Pro-E and a programmer came with it. The problem was he liked to start at 9:30am and sneak out around 2:30pm. Well, that didn’t go over with the management. he lasted 2 weeks. And I know nothing about Pro-E.

[Müřlıń®]

I was gone but I'm back now.... .

 

If all that Pro-E code is just point to point,

then it might be easy to reverse post it and then use Section.dll.

 

Murlin teh Plan "B".....

[YNTO]

ok, clue me in. How do I reverse post it and then use Section.dll? Never done that with MC.

 

[Müřlıń®]

Some one correct me if I am wrong.

 

The reverse post will create an NCI file for you

by using the NC code.

 

Section.dll works off the NCI file to split up a program into pieces so it will fit in your buffer.

 

Run Section.dll after you get an NCI and split up your code.

 

I use Section.dll every day, but I have never used the reverse post.

 

Someone else might be able to get a reverse post to work for you.

 

This is all just theoridical, of course

 

 

Murlin teh always a workaround just have to find it

[Müřlıń®]

Ynto....there is a guy named heeler in the post about back plotting an NC.file.

 

He says he reverse posts all the time.

 

If you get him to help you on the reverse posting, I would be glad to help you with section .dll.

 

Section.dll is easy to use, just go to c-hooks and run it. You can then go into the pulldown menu and import all the sectioned NCI files into ops and look at them, and run your post on them.

 

 

Murlin

[Allan]

I really do not see where section.dll fits into this. Section.dll is for breaking up nci files into smaller files so that P.O.S. machines without DNC ability can do jobs that should be done via DNC.

 

I would try to muddle your way thru the Pro-e, better yet get them to send you for training.

 

The metacut will work for what you want to do, but you will be editing the code manually with graphical feedback.

 

HTH

 

Allan

[Müřlıń®]

Allen...contrary to popular belief, there is alot of work getting done on P.O.S. machines with small buffers.

 

Not every one has 1 gig program storage, only a couple megs, or even less.

On some machine tools with DNC capability, you just cant stop in the middle of running a part and set the tool depth. You need the program in memory to do that.

 

quote:

---

Yes I do want to reduce their size. And if there is a Rev change. It would be nice to pick the feature and know where it’s at in the program and what tool is doing what.

---

I must have misunderstood.....

 

Murlin

[Allan]

Murlen, DNCMax will do mid program restarts. DNCMax will also send bite sized progs for those machines with a small memory and no DNC ability.

 

In my experience not too many have a Gig of storage, most are less than 128K but over 95% of controls are DNC capable. What control do you have on your mill?

 

Allan

[YNTO]

oK, FANUC will be here next Tuesday to up grade memory to 256k. For a cost of about $1200. Not bad really. But I like the idea of getting some training on Pro-E.

 

Jim.

[McRae]

quote:

---

But I like the idea of getting some training on Pro-E.

---

You are going to love the control and freedom that Pro/E will give you. Granted tehre are about 1000 more decisions and variable that you will have to make/set but the way it works is sweet and I think more reliable than MC for severe higher level applications. If you are just going to drill a few holes and make a few posckets then stick with Mastercam - if you want to flex the models and have the code update - make the transition to Pro/E.

[crazy^millman]

Hey Allan look the the machines with the windows controller. yeah I hear some people say what they want but could run 120mb files no problem on machines I have used with them. The last was a 5 axis router so not your CNC Milling machine by any means but, I was not limited by file sixe had some 120-200mb toolpaths on parts 56" x 101" with full mold finish requirements with very complex surfaces in one program. Where I am now we run 20mb DNC cause of the machines but working on getting more up to date machines than the machines that we are using. Hoping to atleast get machines that have controls the comapny didn't come out with in 1988 and still some stanrdard today.

 

Crazy Millman

[Müřlıń®]

quote:

---

If you are just going to drill a few holes and make a few posckets then stick with Mastercam - if you want to flex the models and have the code update - make the transition to Pro/E.

---

Have a look at allpictures/forgedie.bmp on the ftp site.

 

Drawn in Mastercam solids, machined with Mastercam.

 

This is half of a die that I designed and engineered from an IGES of the part I got from the a customer that was using Pro-E. (note the variable fillets around one set of impressions)

 

I used Mastercam to manually split the part to come up with the offset-parting line required for forging dies.

 

Mastercam works just fine for me........

 

 

Murlin teh using Mastercam for everything

[Dan_AKA_ROY]

I design and program with Mastercam exclusively. I've made some wild looking designs that got machined as well.

 

When the company comes up with an idea, I model and machine it using the King of Cadcam

[Müřlıń®]

One more thing Andrew...

 

 

From a drawing and machining perspective, I cannot think of anything that Pro-E can do, that cannot be done better in Mastercam.

 

I mean, having to machine on a watertight model for one, has to be a huge disadvantage.

 

If you look at it solely from an engineering point of view, then Pro-E has alot of good things going for it.

 

But as you can tell in my drawing, quite alot more can be done with Mastercam than cutting pockets and drilling holes....

 

I'm sure you could model that up in Pro-E just as I did in Mastercam, but I did it a hellovalot cheaper

 

 

Murlin teh Mastercam Rulz!!