MCV9 - TNT (TIPS N TRIXX)

[Xtreme Machine]

File Association with restricted user accounts on NT and Windows 2000

 

You may find a problem with Mastercam failing to start properly when you double-click on files such as MC8, IGS, SAT, etc. from within Windows Explorer or an email. The failure has been tracked down to an issue within Windows where a user without administrative privileges cannot properly read the provided registry key. The solution to this problem is to create a registry key, in the Hkey_Current_User. To create this key follow these steps.

 

Select Start, Run and type in "Regedit." The Registry Editor will be displayed.

Navigate to the HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareCNC Software, Inc.Mill8 Key.

From the right hand window, right click and choose New, String Value. Give the new entry the name DIRECTORY.

Highlight the new entry, right click, and choose Modify. An Edit String dialog box will be displayed. In the field named "Value data:" enter the directory where Mastercam is located (i.e. C:MCAM9).

Exit the Registry Editor (the value will be automatically saved).

Double click any file in Windows explorer and Mastercam should start properly.

This procedure is valid for Mastercam 9 and 9.1 and only needs to be performed on systems where the user account has restricted rights.

[heeler]

Learned this back with 8.1.

 

One thing to remember is that it opens to the default config file in the MCAM folder. If you have a different config file setup for yourself, some of your defaults won't be set.

 

HTH

 

Glenn

[Bullines]

To add to heeler's post, you can specifiy your own config file from the command line. Ex:

 

C:Mcam9Mill9.exe myconfigfile.cfg

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

quote:

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER

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Is the wrong approach. I wish CNC would've put it in the "Local Machine" hive instead. Besides, on a restricted user account do you think you're actually going to have access to regedit? Current user sucks for me because if I want to "clean out" the recent files, can't do it.

[Greg McKay]

Thanks X

 

I was unaware of this tip

 

Greg

[Xtreme Machine]

Hey Greg, Lots of Trixx in there I plan on doing a quick Trix guide for Mastercam users but till then here are some of the many features of Mastercam! Talk to you soon!

 

The X man!

[Rick Damiani]

quote:

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s the wrong approach. I wish CNC would've put it in the "Local Machine" hive instead.

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It is in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. The problem is that Microsoft, starting with Windows 2000, changed the default permissions ordinary users have to registry keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE so that lookups there often fail. The permissions ordinary users used to have are now reserved for 'Power Users', making life a little tougher for developers who wish to avoid a forced 'mini-install' when the MSI service has detected a missing registry key, file, or phase-of-the-moon change.

[Fig sign]

A very offtopic not Mastercam but rather WiNdOzE relevant but anyway nice trick that I wanted to share long ago.

Speaking about regestry ,drivers,installs of different programs,viruses and phase of the moon changes...

Many of you I bet more then once saw the window with this message or the Screen of Death message

Microsoft Explorer.exe caused a crash in blah..

blah.. blah... and you can not even start your windows session .

 

What to do if you can not start in safe mode and if it is a windows Nt Family you can not start from last good configuration .

 

Explorer.exe is a windows shell that is very dependent to regestries and a lot of other things .

But you can change it to the other shell , more simple and to uninstall a program,driver that caused a problem ,start regedit and many other nessesary things in it and even run Mastercam.

No need to reinstall windows .

And every one has such a shell in their windows OS ,it is called progman.exe it is an old shell from win3.11!

All you need to do is to open your :windowssystem.ini file and edit in [boot] section

 

shell=Explorer.exe

change to

 

shell=progman.exe

 

 

If you have not this section(win2000,winxp) you simply must create it .

 

[boot]

shell=progman.exe

 

After reboot windows will load the old progman shell and you can do your repairments !

 

After the repairments restore the previous state of system.ini file .

 

Well those of you who have the first partition NTFS can buy NTFSforDOs program or simply put your disk to the other PC with Win2000 -xp and do edit of system.ini it there .

All others can do it from the boot disket or command prompt from ms-dos mode.

 

The emphasis of this long story is that many times to reinstall windows is unneeded operation .

 

Iskander s!z I have more tricks !

 

[ 09-03-2003, 05:09 AM: Message edited by: plasttav ]

[Rick Damiani]

The Task Manager is a better choice for starting recovery effors in NT-based systems. It has a 'Run' option on the file menu, and can be used to start any windows program, as well as enableign you to kill processes. I've even used it once or twice to re-start Explorer after it has crashed.

[Fig sign]

quote:

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The Task Manager is a better choice for starting recovery effors in NT-based systems. It has a 'Run' option on the file menu, and can be used to start any windows program, as well as enableign you to kill processes. I've even used it once or twice to re-start Explorer after it has crashed.

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That`s true , but I saw cases when task manager will not run either !

Explorer crashes are different too.

After the Blue Screen of Death you can not run the winAPI programs including task manager .

The sense of BSOD is that windows can not use the api calls and need to use the Bios EGA mode .

And regarding the win95,98 and ME you can not run programs through run in task manager !

 

Rick , do you know how to install win2000 to the WinXP system been able afterward to run both of them ?

 

Iskander s!z I know

 

[ 09-04-2003, 05:24 AM: Message edited by: plasttav ]

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

NT/2k Trick. Tired of waiting for your Application to die when ending the task??? Change the values of WaitToKillApp from 20,000 to 5,000 this will save you 15 seconds of waiting. Ad change HungAppTimeout to liek 400.

 

This should speed up recovery in crash situations.

 

HTH

[Fig sign]

Nice trick ,James !

 

Only want to add that this values are in regestries (usee regedit )

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Ahhh, yes. Must use regedit!

[Xtreme Machine]

How can I convert from Metric to Inches on the fly?

 

Beginning with version 9.0, Mastercam has the ability to convert from English to metric or vice versa when in the edit fields of most dialog boxes. By typing in "mm" or "in" after the number, the number will be converted to the "opposite" value. If you type a number followed by in, it will convert to millimeters. If you type in a number followed by mm, it will convert to inches.

 

It does not matter which configuration file you are using, English or metric, it will perform the same.

 

You don't have to pull out the calculator if your print is in English measurements and you are drawing in metric or if you're using a metric tool but programming in English. There are also no rounding errors!

[Fig sign]

One more way to cut threads .

 

Ever had a dream to mill a thread with mastercam on a elliptical ,rectangular or any other closed shape,external or internal ,using lead in lead out,multi passes ,compensation and more ?

The one limitation only is the shape must be closed contour and the thread must be through the part or has a releafe .

 

The toolpath that can do this is a well`known contour toolpath.

You select a contour,select contour type -ramp,select ramp motion type depth ,the value of depth actually will be your pitch !

Deselect make cut at final depth .

Those of you who can not make circular interpolation together with z movement can select

lineraze helixes and will get a code only with G1 movements.

All others deselect it.

You can select compensation type ,type of tool ,depth of milling that actually will be depth of thread (recommend 1 pitch more then the actual depth ),the thread is through or releafed ,multi passes and all the other fine stuff that you have in the regular contour.

You must select in lead in - lead out enter on first depth only exit on last depth only and that`s all.

In the backplot you will see nice thread toolpath over any shape contour !

I use this trick all the time for electrodes and other tricky stuff.

Why the thread must be through?

The last cut will be closed with a move on constant z if the helixed toolpath ends before the end of the contour.

Or you need to edit your toolpath by hand !

 

 

Iskander a!k Who can mill a thread over the cone or pyramide ?

To be continued ....

 

[ 09-04-2003, 01:09 PM: Message edited by: plasttav ]

[cadcam]

quote:

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How can I convert from Metric to Inches on the fly?

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Sorry sir this does not work correctly at this time

I went thru this a while ago.

 

[ 09-04-2003, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: cadcam ]

[Xtreme Machine]

And Greg told you how!

[Fig sign]

quote:

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How can I convert from Metric to Inches on the fly?

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Sorry sir thisa does not work correctly.

I went thru this a while ago.

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On the fly

 

You can write in any box 2*25.4 or 50/25.4

 

More tricks .

Create the circle 4 times smaller then existing

Create->arc->circ.point+dia->press D -> select needed Dia before pressing enter add in that window /4 press enter

When you in create mode and MC shoes window for input values write ? you will see all the options with explanation of their meanings

 

[ 09-04-2003, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: plasttav ]

[Xtreme Machine]

Switching Between Setup Sheets

There are two styles of Setup Sheets - Graphical (default) and Post.

The Graphical Setup Sheet displays the part, toolpath, and information about the operation on the graphics screen. The Post Setup Sheet uses a .SET file, which is a generic, simplified post (.PST) to report tool information and calculate toolpath length and cutting time.

 

Sometimes it is handy to have both formats available without having to go to Screen, Configure, NC Settings to change from one to the other. This can be done by keeping the default Setup Sheet option set at Graphical and going direct for the Post option.

 

Graphical Setup Sheet: NC Utils, Setup Sheet

Post Setup Sheet: NC Utils, Post Proc, Change, select the .SET file, Run

[cadcam]

quote:

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And Greg told you how!

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By Phone