V9 Files - Again

[dan.w]

Hi,

 

I know this has been covered multiple times and I have read some of the issues on other posts but I was hoping someone could help explain what is going on so I have a better understanding of how Mastercam works;

 

I have a V9 file - simple turning on a 2 axis lathe.

 

I open the file up with X8 and it assigns the default lathe with the MPFAN post.  All of the operations are good so I post the code and other then some formatting issues it looks almost identical with the code generated with V9.

 

I then regen all of the operations and post the code with the same everything - and when I look at it the results there are some differences.  One rough turn operation looks like the z depths are different by .002".  I will also see this same behavior if I save this file as a X8.  When I reopen the file all of the operations are dirty and have to be regenerated.

 

I looked at the settings in this one particular operation before regen and after and they appear identical.  So I look at the nci file and it shows the differences. The pre-regen .nci code looks like something for V9.  

 

Yes I wish the .nci was identical but overall I'm surprised everything is as close as it is considering the number of version changes.  The finish code is identical and I feel it would make a good part, but my question is where did this initial nci output come from? Is there a copy of this initial .nci stored within the Mastercam V9 file?

 

Thanks for any explanations,

 

Dan

 

 

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hi Dan,

 

Yes, there was a copy of the original NCI data stored inside the Mastercam file. Regeneration causes any of the old operations to be updated to the new NCI structure.

 

You will notice some differences, especially for features that have been improved in the later versions of Mastercam X. There are a ton of improvements over the V9 product, especially for Lathe work.

 

The difference in your roughing operation could be something as simple as "Equal steps" being used for the Depth cuts, or maybe the minimum cut depth is causing it.

 

I would always recommend forcing a regeneration on any old part files you open in the newer version. That way you can backplot, verify, and check what the toolpath is going to do.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Colin

[dan.w]

Hi Colin,

 

Thanks for verifying that for me. I was a little surprised to see things change without really modifying anything. The V9 files are just something someone gave me to look at.  I agree it is probably the equal steps causing it.

 

Appreciate the guidance,

 

Dan 

[Jayson Kramer]

Dan are you moving from V9 to X8 at your company?

[dan.w]

Kind of - 

 

Most of our users are on X8 or moving towards it.   We won't allow anything but Windows7 on the network so it is making V9 an issue.

 

And as Collin pointed out - we hope there are some improvements in the previous 9!!! versions. 

 

I was looking at the file to see how X8 would handle it and try and match some of the formatting on a updated post.  I was encouraged that is seemed to open seamlessly, but a little confused by the different NCI files I was seeing.  

 

Overall everything is really close - but I don't think I am ready to drop all of the legacy files in a migration folder yet.    

 

Any Suggestions?  

[Jayson Kramer]

You don't have to convert them all just do it as you need to work on earlier files. for a while you will be able to still open old legacy V9 files. eventually you will want to move them over , as at some time the option to convert them over should sunset away. But I can say you are safe for at least another year.

I was asking as I was working with a customer yearterday on Cimco communications yeasterday that is inside of X8, They had just moved from V9 to X8 no stops between. That is a big change. I was wondering if that was your company.