Great idea for Mastercam enhancement

[Bob W.]

I was showing my employee a cool Vericut Ipad app (http://www.cgtech.com/ipad/) this morning and he came up with a pretty good idea. It would be very handy in our shop if an employee had access to Mastercam's tool lists via an app on an Ipad or similar. When doing setups or tear down it would be nice to quickly be able to pull up the tool data from a Mastercam tool list rather than having to get on one of the programming computers to do so. It would just be a viewer used for checking tool data.

[Pitka_Guru]

Couldn't you just open the file in question from the server on a tablet?

[Oscar R.]

Couldn't you just open the file in question from the server on a tablet?

 

I think what Bob is looking for is something to automate the process of putting together all the documents that this App would show.

[Bob W.]

Couldn't you just open the file in question from the server on a tablet?

I don't think it is possible to open a Mastercam tool library with a tablet. I believe the only way to access that is by opening Mastercam.

[#Rekd™]

In NX you can generate an HTML document to send to the shop floor.

[Thad]

In other shops that I worked in, there were computers on the shop floor used to send programs to the machine. We used the .html setup sheet/tool list and put them on the server along with the programs. The operators could then view all of this at the shop floor computer. Internet access is not required to view a .html document, you only need a web browswer.

[RaiderX]

We saved all our setup info in pdf format and could be read on any platform. html is a little bulky file structure wise and graphic resolution can be a problem. this was in a previous job, am working on converting the ways of thinking in current job (html here) have to do seperate print outs cause some of it cannot be read.

[Oscar R.]

We currently save all of our setup sheets in a custom html, but they're printed to send to the shop floor. Not Ideal. Would rather have them accessed through tablets or shop computers.

[Pitka_Guru]

I don't think it is possible to open a Mastercam tool library with a tablet. I believe the only way to access that is by opening Mastercam.

 

True, you cannot open a tool library or DB but you can convert the library to text through MCAM or use the report function. From the report you can save as PDF, excel, txt, html all of which can be read from any android machine. Surely apple has an app for reading these file types? I'm not familiar with apple products btw. 

[kccadcam]

The Tool Manager App can be loaded on any PC (does not need Mastercam)

Maybe an app along those lines to open tool lists??

[Jayson Kramer]

if you use a windows based tablet you can load the "Tool Manger" app and copy the tools from your mastercam to the tablet and they would be able to open and view all aspects of the tools.

 

or share the tool library on the network and the tablet could get them from there.

[Pitka_Guru]

Jay, where can I find this tool manager app you are mentioning?

[Colin Gilchrist]

Jay, where can I find this tool manager app you are mentioning?

 

Tool Manager is installed as a standalone App, starting with X7. Go to your Programs folder, find X7 (or X8), and there will be an icon to launch the Tool Manager application.

[Bob W.]

The Tool Manager App can be loaded on any PC (does not need Mastercam)

Maybe an app along those lines to open tool lists??

Do you know if the tool manager app would work on a tablet? Those run Windows or a stripped down version of Windows, correct? I don't own or use a tablet so I'm a little in the dark on this.

[Pitka_Guru]

Bob, if it is a windows based tablet the tool manage app from mastercam will work. Apple or android no chance unless someone makes an emulator. 

[Bob W.]

So it sounds like this enhancement already exists :-) Too bad the Vericut app works on an Ipad and the Mastercam app works on Windows.

 

Edit: There is a Windows viewer for the Vericut app... I need to pay closer attention to these types of developments. They are really handy for sure.

[Mick]

Why not output the tool list as a PDF? That is easily viewable on an ipad.

 

I have a customised tool list I output out of Vericut, that lists the tools, and calculated minimum tool stick out. I save the report as a PDF, and put it on the ipad or server location (depending on how I feel ). Works a treat. I even put it on my phone once when I left the ipad at home.

[The Cathedral]

Why not print it on a piece of paper? Then it's accessible even if you don't have an Ipad 

[Jayson Kramer]

 

Why not print it on a piece of paper? Then it's accessible even if you don't have an Ipad 

 

 

 

DOPE Wish I had thought of that.

[Mick]

_{Paper? The same stuff used to make the punched tape that we feed into our machines?}

 

 

[Bob W.]

Why not output the tool list as a PDF? That is easily viewable on an ipad.

 

I have a customised tool list I output out of Vericut, that lists the tools, and calculated minimum tool stick out. I save the report as a PDF, and put it on the ipad or server location (depending on how I feel ). Works a treat. I even put it on my phone once when I left the ipad at home.

What I am really after is employee access to the (Mastercam) master tool library without interrupting the programmer on the workstation PC. The library access is important because the tools contain the manufacturer's tool numbers and it makes identifying tools easier when setting up jobs.

 

We currently output Vericut tool lists in pdf format and print hard copies for the floor. When an employee is looking for an IMCO 3/8" tool that is new in the sleeve it is much easier to identify by its IMCO tool number than reading the fine print on the package and matching the description. To get the tool number he has to open the tool library, then look in the parameters for the tool in question.

[Newbeeee™]

What I am really after is employee access to the (Mastercam) master tool library without interrupting the programmer on the workstation PC. The library access is important because the tools contain the manufacturer's tool numbers and it makes identifying tools easier when setting up jobs.

Bob,

As Jay said  'or share the tool library on the network and the tablet could get them from there.'

Cheap laptop on a bracket in your toolsetting area that's on your network? Won't this do?

[Bob W.]

Bob,

As Jay said  'or share the tool library on the network and the tablet could get them from there.'

Cheap laptop on a bracket in your toolsetting area that's on your network? Won't this do?

Yeah, I think this would do just fine. I was unaware that Mastercam had an app that would allow a user to get into the tool library without Mastercam open. Pretty cool.

[FROZEN]

Check this app out form solid works

 

http://www.solidworks.com/sw/products/edrawings-mobile.htm

[Colin Gilchrist]

What I am really after is employee access to the (Mastercam) master tool library without interrupting the programmer on the workstation PC. The library access is important because the tools contain the manufacturer's tool numbers and it makes identifying tools easier when setting up jobs.

 

We currently output Vericut tool lists in pdf format and print hard copies for the floor. When an employee is looking for an IMCO 3/8" tool that is new in the sleeve it is much easier to identify by its IMCO tool number than reading the fine print on the package and matching the description. To get the tool number he has to open the tool library, then look in the parameters for the tool in question.

 

Hi Bob,

 

This may be a silly question, but why would they need access to the library, if they already have the Tool List? It is pretty easy to create a .SET file that will launch automatically when you post your NC program. That .SET file can generate a Tool List, and include all the data you may need, including the assembly length, and stickout length of the tool, and all the tool/manufacturer info you could want or need. Rather than having your employee have to use an application to access some stored data, wouldn't it be better to just output a more complete Tool List? Since the .SET file is really just a post processor in the background, you could also output a simple tool list, and a separate, more comprehensive tool data sheet to go in the job folder.