Screen Gview WCS view question

[melliott6]

Can you tell me why HALF THE TIME the cplane shown in the view manager doesn’t match the one in the workspace (attachment)

This is very annoying.

 

Also, why do I have to constantly have to “regenerate display list” to get my entities to show up. Again, quite

annoying and has led to problems because I can’t see geometry and think it isn’t there or I accidentally deleted it when it is there

all along. Just not showing up until I regenerate.

 

One frustrated mastercam user.

[melliott6]

Sorry, I am using MCX-6, MU2

[Jayson Kramer]

Please give us a list of what your computer is. I have seen these issues usually on under par computers.How big are most files. I know Horz work can get crazy with parts and tomb and fixtures.

[cobra95kev]

My computer is not sub par and I see this all of the time too. Been this way for a long time, one of those things that will probably never get fixed, a lot of people that do not have the "Display WCS XYZ axes" checked in their config may not notice this problem. Because I think it is only a problem with the on screen display that does not always match what views you are in the WCS manager.

[Jayson Kramer]

Ok then. I do not usually have this issue on my systems but I do see them at the school. not that it has never happened to me but this not a big issue on my side and I use WCS and Planes ALL the time.

 

I have not seen any thing to fix it at the school.

[Aeroguy]

Buddy, I have not yet met anyone that can properly explain WCS and views to me in a way that actually makes sense. Its just the way Mastercam is, and you get used to it eventully.

[Jayson Kramer]

Aeroguy so you do not use it then?

[Rotary Ninja]

Buddy, I have not yet met anyone that can properly explain WCS and views to me in a way that actually makes sense. Its just the way Mastercam is, and you get used to it eventully.

 

WCS is your "Work Coordinate System". This is simply the location of the origin and direction of the axis. I think some people confuse WCS with views and planes. It is simply where your numbers are coming from. Mastercam needs to know which way is X/Y and Z positive and where zero is for each of these. That is what the WCS tells Mastercam.

 

Gview is just a description of the way you are looking at the model. Gview:Right simply means you are looking at the part from the right side view. You can look at the part from any view you want and still create geometry and a toolpath from the Top. That is why when you use the mouse to rotate the model it says "Gview:Not Saved". Because you are looking at the part from an angle you haven't saved yet. It is just a view.

 

Construction Plane (Cplane) is the side of the part you are drawing on. A plane is "a flat surface on which a straight line joining any two points on it would wholly lie". You can create a Cplane at any angle. When this plane is active any geometry you create will be based on that plane. Your XYZ values will be based on looking at the WCS from that Cplane.

 

Tool Plane (Tplane) is the side of the part your tool will be coming from. It is a plane just like Cplane, so it works exactly the same way, but is relative to the tool instead of the geometry you create.

 

So... here is a silly example:

If you walk outside and look at the front of your home you are in the Front Gview. If you are looking at the front of your home but drawing in the Right Cplane and you threw a paint filled water balloon at the front door you'd actually paint the right side of your home. If you are still looking at the front of your home but your Tplane is set to the Top and you drove a truck through the front door you'd actually be buying a new roof.

 

Hope that all helps a little.

[Reko]

LOL... You called it a "silly example" but it is dead on, correct.

 

Nice explanation, too.

[Rotary Ninja]

Well thank you. I remember trying to understand planes and views and how hard it was. Nobody I worked with understood it so I had to figure it out myself.

[jfranya]

Helped me understand it better, too.

 

Thanks

[rocheey1]

WCS is your "Work Coordinate System". This is simply the location of the origin and direction of the axis. I think some people confuse WCS with views and planes. It is simply where your numbers are coming from. Mastercam needs to know which way is X/Y and Z positive and where zero is for each of these. That is what the WCS tells Mastercam.

 

Gview is just a description of the way you are looking at the model. Gview:Right simply means you are looking at the part from the right side view. You can look at the part from any view you want and still create geometry and a toolpath from the Top. That is why when you use the mouse to rotate the model it says "Gview:Not Saved". Because you are looking at the part from an angle you haven't saved yet. It is just a view.

 

Construction Plane (Cplane) is the side of the part you are drawing on. A plane is "a flat surface on which a straight line joining any two points on it would wholly lie". You can create a Cplane at any angle. When this plane is active any geometry you create will be based on that plane. Your XYZ values will be based on looking at the WCS from that Cplane.

 

Tool Plane (Tplane) is the side of the part your tool will be coming from. It is a plane just like Cplane, so it works exactly the same way, but is relative to the tool instead of the geometry you create.

 

So... here is a silly example:

If you walk outside and look at the front of your home you are in the Front Gview. If you are looking at the front of your home but drawing in the Right Cplane and you threw a paint filled water balloon at the front door you'd actually paint the right side of your home. If you are still looking at the front of your home but your Tplane is set to the Top and you drove a truck through the front door you'd actually be buying a new roof.

 

Hope that all helps a little.

 

Nice, but a little late. My home repair bills are gonna break me

[rickcact1]

That was a great way of explaining it. Thank you!!

 

Now I have a question that should have been asked years ago... Should the tool plane always match the WCS? If not, please explain why not.

 

Thanks,

Rick

[Guest]

Should the tool plane always match the WCS? If not, please explain why not.

 

No, it may not necessarily

 

When doing simple 2D/3D work, your tool axis will always be parallel to you WCS Z axis, so in those cases, yes it will always be equal.

 

When doing positional rotational work, your tool plane "may" be different from your WCS Z axis, here's why

 

When Mastercam calculates the A axis output, it takes the Z axis of the Tool Plane and the Z axis of the WCS, and calculates the difference between the 2, that becomes your A, B or C output. With certain tool paths and the settings used there "may" be times when the the WCS and Tool plane will be the same but rotational output will be created. A path like Axis Substitution comes to mind.

 

When doing simultaneous 4 and 5 axis work in "most" cases your WCS and Tool Plane will be the same, the toolpath and post are smart enough, based on your settings, to know what rotations need to be output

[Rotary Ninja]

That was a great way of explaining it. Thank you!!

 

Now I have a question that should have been asked years ago... Should the tool plane always match the WCS? If not, please explain why not.

 

Thanks,

Rick

 

You are very welcome. And thanks Mr. Paris for your explanation. That helped me too