Setting Up Multiple Stock Models

[Rotary Ninja]

I have a horizontal part that is mounted on a tombstone. There are two operations mounted on the same face of the tombstone. I want to eventually merge both operations into one program to save on tool changes.

 

Is there a way to setup multiple stock models? Op-1 is just a square piece of stock. Then for Op-2 I have created a solid to represent the finished Op-1 part. But how do I use it in the same program so both ops can be verified simultaneously?

 

Thanks.

[Joe788]

Verify is only gonna let you select one, so you need to make it so everything you want to verify, is one entity. Easiest way is to make your tombstone, fixtures, and stock into solids, and boolean them into one solid on a separate level.

[Eric@HorsepowerInc.]

Just an Idea, but couldn't you just save a block and the part in the correct position as a STL file. Then use that file to verify from?

[Smrk]

What about to do it via stock model. Select stock model for first op, than convert result into P-mesh. And for second Op select as a stock model converted P-mesh and solid. But not sure if it works select multiple solid for stock model.

[Rotary Ninja]

Verify is only gonna let you select one, so you need to make it so everything you want to verify, is one entity. Easiest way is to make your tombstone, fixtures, and stock into solids, and boolean them into one solid on a separate level.

 

I thought about this one Joe. But I didn't think to make the fixture and everything else part of it all. I was thinking if I just made a small connection between the two I could do that. But I really like your way better.

 

Just an Idea, but couldn't you just save a block and the part in the correct position as a STL file. Then use that file to verify from?

 

Another one I was thinking about but every time I mess with STL files Mastercam gets flakey. I haven't tried this since we got the Quadro 2000 video card though so I may try this idea as well.

 

What about to do it via stock model. Select stock model for first op, than convert result into P-mesh. And for second Op select as a stock model converted P-mesh and solid. But not sure if it works select multiple solid for stock model.

 

I have yet to play with the stock model toolpaths. Is there a demonstration of this being used on the what's new cd?

 

Thanks for the ideas guys.

[Jayson Kramer]

I do joe788 way most of the time.

I have also done Erics way. as for the last one have not taken all the way on a toombstone yet.

 

And for your last question the answer is NO sorry.

[Chris Rizzo]

Save the entire assembly as a stl, and use that for verify. A bit safer because you are not modifying anything what so ever with your existing solids.

[Oscar R.]

I've used both the Solids approach and the STL approach, they both have their pros and cons.

Solids will take a little longer to setup and you'll have to basically use a copy of your fixtures or part on a seperate level as mentioned above. On the other hand with STL you just save what you need as an STL and go, but if you have a large part with many features it's going to weigh down your MC file. I use the Quadro 2000 8g and I find that it's choppy with large STLs.

 

If you have to make adjustments to either one of these after they've already been made it's a PITA. I usually stick with the solids if I'm still in the testing stages of tooling or workholding. It's a few steps less in the process as compared to the STL IMO.

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

This should help a little bit:

 

http://www.emastercam.com/board/index.php?showtopic=71445entry830551

 

-Josh

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

You can save both the stock models out separately as stl's then open one stl, file merge the other then save as one stl....

[Rotary Ninja]

Awesome. I remembered seeing that before. But I couldn't find it.

 

Thanks Josh

[Wondermill]

All this trouble because.... "  ! Boolean add operation would result in a disjoint body.  "

cmon...really now.   

I've been doing it a silly way, but for me its no more time consuming than saving stls and importing.  I just create a .010 circle cross plane to each of my solids and boolean add.  Messes with collision detection though, so I wouldn't recommend for a surfacing operation that would interfere with the construction portion of the solid. 

[Wondermill]

Sorry.  More information is needed. 






The top part has different features than the bottom part.  This is operation 1 on B0
B180 these parts will be flipped (About B axis)  into soft jaws and rotated 90 degrees about their respective Z axis ( Center Stock) 

Then the Parts will be clamped together on B90 with a shared feature for OP3.  

Obvioiusly,  creating stock models and manipulating them via Plane Rotations would be time consuming and a waste of time. 
Best to save as STL and import to a level....which is fine if i'm in Mach Sim and I can define stock by level.

But what if I want to just quickly use "verify"?  Which does not allow you to define stock by level.

Then I have to export all of these as stock models and combine them somewhere else (Solidworks, Gibbscam, etc.)  and import them as one 
STL....all because Mastercam will not let us combine solids that do not physically share space in any way.  And on that note; if I need to move something
like say just a single station, I get to start all over again, instead of being able to split and rejoin by booleans. 

 

I suppose the common sense answer is....only use verify for single operations.  But it loads so much faster, and in many cases its worth the extra time to 
combine the bodies.  Either by exporting, joining and importing, or by connecting the solids with a solid web which can usually be done with a quick swept profile.  MachSim has to render the post, the machine environment all of that.... it takes quite some time.
 

[Aaron Eberhard]

I know this is a necro thread, but do know that things are better since 2013, but definitely not perfect!

You can now define meshes as a single body even if they're disjointed.  Use Mesh from Entites and make sure that "Combine selection into a single mesh" is checked.

 

 

[crazy^millman]

27 minutes ago, Aaron Eberhard said:

I know this is a necro thread, but do know that things are better since 2013, but definitely not perfect!

You can now define meshes as a single body even if they're disjointed.  Use Mesh from Entites and make sure that "Combine selection into a single mesh" is checked.

 

 

Question is will they still become hollow if you do it this way in Verify or Machinesim?

[Aaron Eberhard]

8 minutes ago, crazy^millman said:

Question is will the still become hollow if you do it this way in Verify or Machinesim?

I haven't tried it with MachSim, but I remember that it worked fine with Verify when I tried it.  I'm assuming that you have to start with a solid, though, that's what I did it with.

Unrelated, I hope Rotary Ninja is doing well, I haven't seen him around for a while, and I remember he was looking for a new gig a few years ago...