X8 Backside Selection

[cincy k]

Is there a way to keep X8 from selecting entities that are not visible? I seems on very complex solids and surfaces with lots of wireframe I am constantly getting an entity to highlight and substantially slows the selection process. Any ideas?

[Guest]

Check these

 

 

That's also why I break up my geometry onto different layers as well, I will also use the color solid face function to change the color of solid faces and make their selection easier.

 

From my experience spending an extra 10 minutes doing some geometry prep makes the tool path creating portion much easier many times

[Tinyfxds]

JP, do those icons work with wireframe entities such as curves created around the model?  I feel Cincy's pain here. In the attached picture I tried selecting the top geometry of the part and instead it saw "through" the solid part and picked the bottom wire frame entities.

 

Keep in mind I have the model rotated to demonstrate that it will pick entities through the solid part. 

[crazy^millman]

Tiny, like John said if that button is activated then you will pick the back surface of a feature if it is not activated then you will pick the surface of the solid you want if the face is the option if the whole solid is the option then it becomes a target shoot as to do you get everything or only a face.

 

HTH

[Tinyfxds]

Tiny, like John said if that button is activated then you will pick the back surface of a feature if it is not activated then you will pick the surface of the solid you want if the face is the option if the whole solid is the option then it becomes a target shoot as to do you get everything or only a face.

 

HTH

 

But what if you are doing a 2 axis contour and are trying to pick the wireframe?  Sorry if I'm being a dense here but I don't think those two buttons are selectable when doing a 2-axis contour.  When selecting solids or surfaces I use those buttons frequently I thought Cincy was talking about wireframe geometry. 

[crazy^millman]

But what if you are doing a 2 axis contour and are trying to pick the wireframe?  Sorry if I'm being a dense here but I don't think those two buttons are selectable when doing a 2-axis contour.  When selecting solids or surfaces I use those buttons frequently I thought Cincy was talking about wireframe geometry. 

 

The wireframe is different and then you have to make sure you turn off the solid edge selection. Picking Solid edges was added to some selection abilities in X7, but no way to turn it off. In X8 you now have the ability to turn that off. If you have a wireframe you should get in the habit of putting them on a different level so you can turn off the solid level and then only see the wireframe when picking it.

 

If you have solids and have picked solid as the selection function in the chaining dialog box then yes those buttons will be selectable, just comes down to the process you are doing and using.

 

HTH

[Tinyfxds]

Alright I get it now.  I'll have to play with the settings and see which one I like better.  I've never put my wireframe on separate layers but I'll give that a try as well. 

[crazy^millman]

Alright I get it now.  I'll have to play with the settings and see which one I like better.  I've never put my wireframe on separate layers but I'll give that a try as well. 

 

Tiny when teaching anyone Mastercam one of the 1st thing I do is talk about levels and levels management. I have used this example for years in my teaching. I give you a 1000 prints and tell you to put them into a file cabinet. If you take those prints and just throw them in without putting them in order you are going to get it done quickly. Problem is anytime you need a specific print you will nee to dig through all of the prints to find the right one. Might get lucky and find the one you need very quickly, but if you take the upfront time and organize and structure your process then every time you need to go back and get a print you can do it very easily. Think of levels as the same thing a little upfront work will allow you to sort through and do things a lot easier as you are doing your work. I also teach using colors for things to help sort through stuff.

 

HTH

[BenK]

Ron, I like that example, I might just have to borrow that. One thing I will add is labeling is equally as important. Without a good filing system things will get lost. 

[crazy^millman]

Ron, I like that example, I might just have to borrow that. One thing I will add is labeling is equally as important. Without a good filing system things will get lost. 

 

Yes I didn't say it, but it is implied with that example. Please feel free to use anything I ever say. I am glad to help whoever I can. I have been helped by so many over the years so I am glad to give back.

[Tinyfxds]

Tiny when teaching anyone Mastercam one of the 1st thing I do is talk about levels and levels management. I have used this example for years in my teaching. I give you a 1000 prints and tell you to put them into a file cabinet. If you take those prints and just throw them in without putting them in order you are going to get it done quickly. Problem is anytime you need a specific print you will nee to dig through all of the prints to find the right one. Might get lucky and find the one you need very quickly, but if you take the upfront time and organize and structure your process then every time you need to go back and get a print you can do it very easily. Think of levels as the same thing a little upfront work will allow you to sort through and do things a lot easier as you are doing your work. I also teach using colors for things to help sort through stuff.

 

HTH

Very good point.  I use levels a lot actually.  I'll put roughing boundaries on a separate level than my finishing boundaries.  I have setup text / instructions on separate levels for each setup on their own layer.  Roughing and finishing surfaces all have their respective levels too.  These are setup specific too so each item I described above will have separate layers for each setup.  I try and use 10-19 for setup one - 20-29 for setup two and so on. 

 

I was always taught that the wireframe stays with the model but I guess I never asked why (this was at my old job).  It's just something that I did and followed thru with into this job.  The one thing I've learned since joining this forum is that I will learn better and more efficient ways to write tool path.  I'm definitely not one of those people who are stuck in their ways.  I appreciate every tip I'm given and try to integrate it into every day work scenarios.

[crazy^millman]

Very good point.  I use levels a lot actually.  I'll put roughing boundaries on a separate level than my finishing boundaries.  I have setup text / instructions on separate levels for each setup on their own layer.  Roughing and finishing surfaces all have their respective levels too.  These are setup specific too so each item I described above will have separate layers for each setup.  I try and use 10-19 for setup one - 20-29 for setup two and so on. 

 

I was always taught that the wireframe stays with the model but I guess I never asked why (this was at my old job).  It's just something that I did and followed thru with into this job.  The one thing I've learned since joining this forum is that I will learn better and more efficient ways to write tool path.  I'm definitely not one of those people who are stuck in their ways.  I appreciate every tip I'm given and try to integrate it into every day work scenarios.

 

 

I went into one shop years ago and the programmer put everything on one level. He use to blank and hide things as he was programming and always made a point to make sure everything was showing in every file when it was closed so no one could easily figure out what he was doing. He considered it job security. I always want someone to be able to follow my work and be able to do the job without me even when I was not doing contract programming for people who must be able to follow my work. I guess working in all the different place and being on my death bed more than once makes me think that way, but I got nothing to hide and if anyone can learn something from what I did then I consider it a good thing.

[Thad]

If you have wireframe and solids/surfaces on the screen and you only want to pick wireframe, you can click the wireframe quick mask, then Alt+E. This will leave only wireframe on the screen and takes about 1 second. Make your selection and when you're done, Alt+E again to bring everything back. You could also right click the wireframe quick mask, which makes it into an "only wireframe" selection and then the solids/surfaces will be ignored when picking.

 

I agree, levels are a must, but depending on how many you have visible at the moment, it can be more time consuming to turn everything off, make your selection, then turn them back on than it is to use the method above.

 

Many ways to do things fast. You just have to explore all of them.

[crazy^millman]

Thad, yes something else I always made a point to teach with the Right and Left click options in Quick Mask. Still amazes me how many people do not know there are right and left click abilities to many functions in Mastercam.

[cincy k]

It doesn't seem to make a difference whether I have the backside selection turned on or not. Say I have a rectangular part 1 x 2 x 3 that has four holes in it, it's drawn as a solid. I want to create a line from corner to corner on the top (shown) face. I have the part skewed on the screen at a slight angle to see it in three dimensions. My snaps still pop up for hole center (on the backside hole edge) no matter if the backside selection is turned off or on. Any one else getting this same result?

[Tinyfxds]

Cincy that is exactly what I'm talking about.  From what it sounds like, there isn't a setting that will "fix" it to where it won't see thru the part.

[The Cathedral]

I have the same problem, and it drives me nuts.

[crazy^millman]

cincy, on the solid selection there is the edge option that I can see if picked in your session. Click it off and see if that fixes the issue you are seeing. This one has drove me crazy since it was put into X and the whole time I was thinking I have lost my every loving mind. Problem is it does not stay and will have to be turned off every time you fire up Mastercam, but at least in X8 we now have the ability to turn that selection ability off that we did not have when it was introduced into X7.

 

HTH

[cincy k]

I turn off the solid edge selection and still get snaps to the center, midpoint and quadrant of the backside circle.

[crazy^millman]

I turn off the solid edge selection and still get snaps to the center, midpoint and quadrant of the backside circle.

 

I cannot duplicate this behavior and I have tried on many different solids. I do get this behavior when I use the solid edge and I do not when I don't use the solid edge. I have run out of idea to try to help so time to escalate it to your dealer and an email to QC to see what can be done to make the system useable for you.

 

Let us know what you come up with since others are having the same useability problems you are.