Productivity+ Mastercam add-on, work well?

[Bob W.]

I am considering adding this module to my Mastercam license and I was curious how well it works. Bug free? Stable? Easy to use? Major post modifications? In short, does it work as advertised or would I be better off buying the stand along Renishaw version even though it is more expensive?

[Sticky]

I haven't actually been able to use it yet. But I've been trying to since the beginning of X6, which is when it was supposed to be released. I don't think it ever really worked in X6, then they tried to push it again for X7, but it only worked in the top plane, which is no good for most hmc users. They they apparently got it to work in the front and other planes as well, but there were problems with transforms. Not sure where its at these days. In house was going to have a webinar last month for productivity plus, then it I thought it was moved to October, but I just looked and its actually November.

 

I still want it. But its taken 3 years so far, and In House has told me that it will need work and debugging to work for me. Which wouldn't be the end of the world if I had the time. I just don't really understand what the big deal is, the productivity plus macros are over 20 years old, and they haven't really changed in that time.

 

Maybe they have it together for X8? I'd love to know. I do think there is some sort of progress happening being that they are making a webinar for it.

[Zoober]

I use the custom post that has the custom drill cycles probing. I also have enhanced reporting available. Does all I want with respect to probing and reports. The only downside is verify and backplot. Shows as a dril cycle would - a single hit and retract.

Doe the add in verify properly?

[Mick]

I just set up custom drill cycles for probing. Works great.

 

All it cost was a little time

[GoetzInd]

Bob,

    IMO I would just build in the drill cycle functionality. Like Zoober said, the only down side is not being able to verify anything other than where the cycle starts. But you have vericut for that anyway. I've used stand alone prod + and it's nice but if you have a handle on the inspection plus macro family, you will be wasting time IMO. 

 

Mike

[YoDoug®]

I asked our Mcam dealer a few years ago about it, They said it was Renishaws responsibility. I asked Renishaw and they said it was Mcam deal. I gave up and use the standalone. It works great and the post config and support is great.

[Mick]

I asked our Mcam dealer a few years ago about it, They said it was Renishaws responsibility. I asked Renishaw and they said it was Mcam deal. I gave up and use the standalone. It works great and the post config and support is great.

 

I asked about the standalone. The local Renishaw agent I spoke to had given me a price a few months previous (for the standalone). It seemed pretty fair. When I asked again, a few months later, he said he had made a mistake, and told me the real price.

 

I almost

 

Hence, the drill cycles.....

[crazy^millman]

My thoughts on this are here.

 

http://www.emastercam.com/board/topic/78667-creating-surface-normals-for-probing/?p=940600

[YoDoug®]

I asked about the standalone. The local Renishaw agent I spoke to had given me a price a few months previous (for the standalone). It seemed pretty fair. When I asked again, a few months later, he said he had made a mistake, and told me the real price.

 

I almost

 

Hence, the drill cycles.....

 

The capabilities of the Renishaw standalone go way beyond the basic inspection plus macros. I think if you really use it for all its capable of the price is fair. It is also incredibly fast. I can import a model and probe 20-30 features on a part, post and be at the machine in 20 minutes looking at a report from the inspection.

[Bob W.]

I spoke to a friend earlier today and it sounds like custom drill cycles are the way to go. What I have done so far is set up some of the basic routines, but I have tweaked them to set DFO offsets and they will be further tweaked to set my WSEC offsets when I start implementing that. I also set it up to set measurements into specific macro variables, etc... and it was my understanding per the conversation that this would be more difficult to do with Inspection + because it is pretty closed off to this sort of thing. Any thoughts?

[Mick]

The capabilities of the Renishaw standalone go way beyond the basic inspection plus macros. I think if you really use it for all its capable of the price is fair. It is also incredibly fast. I can import a model and probe 20-30 features on a part, post and be at the machine in 20 minutes looking at a report from the inspection.

 

That is good to know YoDoug In the end, for what we needed, the drill cycle functions work fine. But I can understand the advanced capability, and it is is worth it if needed

[Zoober]

I spoke to a friend earlier today and it sounds like custom drill cycles are the way to go. What I have done so far is set up some of the basic routines, but I have tweaked them to set DFO offsets and they will be further tweaked to set my WSEC offsets when I start implementing that. I also set it up to set measurements into specific macro variables, etc... and it was my understanding per the conversation that this would be more difficult to do with Inspection + because it is pretty closed off to this sort of thing. Any thoughts?

That's the nice thing about the custom drill cycles. Basically, the sky's the limit. Want to pass to a certain variable or offset? Add it. Want a custom report? Add it. Math? Add it.

I knock MCX vs partmaker for mill turn, but nothing beats MCX for post and cycle customization. Including probing.

Let me know if I can assist you in any way, Bob

[crazy^millman]

That's the nice thing about the custom drill cycles. Basically, the sky's the limit. Want to pass to a certain variable or offset? Add it. Want a custom report? Add it. Math? Add it.

I knock MCX vs partmaker for mill turn, but nothing beats MCX for post and cycle customization. Including probing.

Let me know if I can assist you in any way, Bob

 

Yes I agree very powerful stuff. We worked together years ago and think we came up with some pretty good functionality. Call me crazy, but think it preforms better than Productivity Plus for Mastercam. Am I crazy Zoober?

[The Cathedral]

I spoke to a friend earlier today and it sounds like custom drill cycles are the way to go. What I have done so far is set up some of the basic routines, but I have tweaked them to set DFO offsets and they will be further tweaked to set my WSEC offsets when I start implementing that. I also set it up to set measurements into specific macro variables, etc... and it was my understanding per the conversation that this would be more difficult to do with Inspection + because it is pretty closed off to this sort of thing. Any thoughts?

 

Absolutely not at all difficult. That is part of the reason the software was built. Setting alignments, storing sizes and variables, math, logic, passing information to a computer for logging, rotating, nutating, adjusting cutter comp, remachining, etc. Working with solids, working with just basic dimensions, calculated dimensions--that's all why the software was built. It's only "difficult" in that it's another piece of software to learn. We had the software up and running and were probing parts within hours, no modifying posts, creating drill cycles, etc.

[Zoober]

Yes I agree very powerful stuff. We worked together years ago and think we came up with some pretty good functionality. Call me crazy, but think it preforms better than Productivity Plus for Mastercam. Am I crazy Zoober?

Yup!

In a good way. We've done some crazy good stuff!

[Aaron Eberhard]

If any of you guys are going to be at ITMS next week, I would be happy to run you through the P+ integrated product and answer any questions you have on it. 

[YoDoug®]

Absolutely not at all difficult. That is part of the reason the software was built. Setting alignments, storing sizes and variables, math, logic, passing information to a computer for logging, rotating, nutating, adjusting cutter comp, remachining, etc. Working with solids, working with just basic dimensions, calculated dimensions--that's all why the software was built. It's only "difficult" in that it's another piece of software to learn. We had the software up and running and were probing parts within hours, no modifying posts, creating drill cycles, etc.

 

+1. The constructed features go way beyond what is easily accomplished with Mcam Drill cycles.

[THEE THAINZ™]

Bob,

Do I remember correctly and your located in Newberg Ore.?

[Bob W.]

Bob,

Do I remember correctly and your located in Newberg Ore.?

Yes

[THEE THAINZ™]

 Bob,

Dave Grey is the Regional sales manager for Renishaw, he is going stop by my work place the week of the 15th after returning from IMTS. Here is his contact info (he's also on vacation right now) <[email protected]>. He has been a great help to me to date. You maybe able to set up a visit with him on the same day if he's available. Or if your going to IMTS look him up.  

       Tim Hainz

[J Barnes]

Ron,

do you know how to get the probed xyz points out of Productivity + so that I can import them into Verisurf.?

James Barnes

[crazy^millman]

James shoot me an email and we can discuss it.