MC to Pro E convertion

[lou]

Good Morning all,

 

In my company we sometimes have to use a Mastercam to go to Pro/E for Cutting. (Not me personally) . The problem is that it does not go into Pro/E that well. What I was wondering. Is there either a converter to go from MC to Pro/E or a good method that I could use other than IGES to get a cleaner part in Pro/E? Does anyone else have to do this in their company?

 

Thanks For Your Help,

[cadcam]

Try contacting www.cadcam-e.com and see what they may be able to offer.

[crazy^millman]

Well we do parasolid if it is a solid if going from Mastercam to Pro-E. If going from Pro-E to Mastercam I go Step to Solidworks then to Mastercam. They have a step converter for mastercam but wouold have to aks your dealer what that cost.

 

Crazy Millman

[iowajim62]

from web site :

 

quote:

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Our offshore services include software development as well as engineering services.

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Jay,

you know this is outside ths USA ?

[steve f]

quote:

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Our offshore facility will use the most efficient combination of automated and manual methods to perform the translation exactly to your specifications, often on an overnight basis.

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iwojima62,

 

I think the reason it's done off shore has more to do with the "overnight" lead time than anything else.

 

just my guess (JMG?)

 

steve

[lou]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I think personaly that Pro/E should get off there butts and make a Mastercam translator.

 

Thats my 2 cents

[Müřlıń®]

Try setting the tolerances as tight as you can get them. The surface tolerance, system tolerance, ect.

 

You have to set them on everything from the start of a drawing, not just when you go to export.

 

I have run into this. As long as I set the tolerances on all entities to .0001 or better, the guys in Pro-E could stitch surfaces with my IGES.

 

But If you build your model with the tolerances set to .001, it won't be good enough for them and there will be too many surfaces to repair.

 

 

Murlin

[McRae]

quote:

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I think personaly that Pro/E should get off there butts and make a Mastercam translator.

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This is like saying that Mastercam should write a translator to write to a Smartcam Release 3 format - why would PTC take such a step backwards??? A model in Mastercam doesn't contain enough information to use Pro/E to its potential. Sure you could import an IGES or some other surface standard, but your access to the useful solid model functions within Pro/E would be limited.

 

This is why translators for the most part are unidirectional.

 

[ 09-24-2003, 08:19 AM: Message edited by: Andrew McRae ]

[cadcam]

I am not sure of the problem but here is the office locations:

 

Michigan Office : 28124 Orchard Lake Rd.

Suite #101

Farmington Hills, MI 48334

U.S.A.

 

New Jersey Office :

6 Arrow Road.

Suite #208

Ramsey, NJ 07446

U.S.A.

 

Sounds like you do not have to call off shore.

I have talked with them many of time as per interaction with them in the past.

 

I use a few of ther translator's

[lou]

Hey Murlin, I will try to tighten the tolerance to .0001 I do have it set to .0002 now. I thought that would be tight enough. Thanks!!!

quote:

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This is like saying that Mastercam should write a translator to write to a Smartcam Release 3 format - why would PTC take such a step backwards???

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Hey Andrew, I guess I was lashing out about Pro/E just because there is just one Pro/ MAN seat in the company and when one of the 17 mold makers design up the mold in Mastercam and then decide to use the Pro/E guy for cutter path it turns in to a big Problem. And it is never "how can we fix Pro/E?" it is "How can we fix Mastercam?"

 

I know that is a step backwards for Pro/E….Just it seems like Mastercam has nice translators to read in to Mastercam. It just would be nice to see a solids package to read in a native Mastercam file….that’s all

 

Thank You all for all your help. I will contact my dealer and see if we can get it working better.

 

Thanks,

[RandyN]

I'm suprised the pro/man guy hasn't had an accident yet.

[lou]

HEHEHE!!!!! he might soon...

[P_Scott]

lou,

 

Why on Earth would you need to convert a file BACK to Pro-E for producing code? That's like saying to NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon "OK, you've been driving our #24 car really well for us in the past, here's a YUGO for you to drive. Go win some races." Why not just use Mastercam and be done with it. Just curious.

[lou]

Hi Peter,

 

I know it is a strange request. Kinda a long story. We have one guy here that still ONLY uses Pro/E for programming. If he starts that job himself then he is ok. But, if he runs out of work and helps someone else then he has to use there design from mastercam to help them. (Here is the rub....)

 

Pro /E wants everthing to be water tight. Most of the guys in the shop on Mastercam are not the best surfacing guys. So, there is a lot of fixing that the Pro/E guy does to be able to turn it into a solid before he can cut it.

 

My way to fix it is to send the Pro/E guy to Masterecam class and get it over with.

 

But there are to many politics there

 

so, thats my problem. I have already told management that there is no fix to this. So, they will have to deal with it the way it is.

 

Sorry for the long story.....

 

Have a good day

[P_Scott]

lou,

 

If you purhcased the Solids module for Mastercam, you could "stitch" any surfaces into solids, or just create a solid part in Mcam. Then you could send the Mastercam part as a STEP file with the STEP converter license in Mcam. It may seem like a lot for now, but your Pro-E guy would have a solid part to use in Pro-E instead of an IGES that he has to fix before making toolpaths. That would save him time and he might gain more respect for Mcam in the long run. HTH

[lou]

Hey Peter,

 

Thanks alot!!

 

I do have 6 solid licences on a nethasp.

 

I will give that a try.

I will let you know how it goes.

 

Thanks again!!

[P_Scott]

YW lou. Glad I could help. Talk to your reseller to see when he can demo the STEP translator for your company. It may be worth it if every time you use it saves the Pro-E guy lots of time.