Job setup defaults

[Thad]

I have 2 reoccuring problems with job setup settings. First off, I don't use job setup. Lately, for no apparent reason, "assign tool numbers sequentially" has been checked when I didn't check it. The default setting is unchecked, but sometimes I notice that it assigns them sequentially anyway. I then go into job setup and uncheck it and I'm good for that session. If I go into Screen-Config...etc, it shows it unchecked. The other problem is in the tool offset area, "add" is checked and there is a value of 40 in the diameter field. My defaults are to get info "from tool." I thought to fix it, I would go into Screen-Config, check it, change the value to zero, and then uncheck it again. Now if it checked itself somehow, at least it didn't modify my diameter. I did this and as soon as I went back into job setup again, it was still set for "from tool" but there was a 40 greyed out in the diameter field.

 

The only thing "out of the ordinary" is that on the PC in question, there are multiple sessions of MC open and they are using different config files.

 

What would cause these settings to get flipped? Where is MC getting the "40" from?

 

Thad

[Rick Damiani]

quote:

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The only thing "out of the ordinary" is that on the PC in question, there are multiple sessions of MC open and they are using different config files.

 

What would cause these settings to get flipped?

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Job Setup's defaults come from the operation defaults file, usually DEFAULTS.OP9 for inch-mode. Different config files may be pointing to different versions of this file, or versions of it located in different places.

 

quote:

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Where is MC getting the "40" from?

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Excelent question. For reasons known only to CNC Software, the OP9 file that shipped with V9.0 had 'Add' set, and was adding 1 to length offsets and 40 to diameter offsets - a near-certan crash if you didn't look at your code before you ran it. When you set it to 'From Tool' that dosn't change the values in the Add boxes, but it does make them ineffective. That's why they are both grey and wrong.

[Thad]

Rick,

 

Are you saying that if only one session of MC is open (using "my" config file), this shouldn't happen?

 

 

I should also note that:

 

In ALL config files, 'number tools sequentially' is unchecked and dia settings are 'from tool.'

 

The 'other' config file IS stored in a different location and called the same name (mill9.cfg). It was recently noticed that the reason this 'other' config file wouldn't work properly with moldplus is because it was originally created for V9 and was pointing to the V9 folder instead of the new V9.1 folder.

 

Thad

[Thad]

BTW, this 'other" config file is used by another user so MC defaults to his tool library, ops library, etc.

 

Thad

[crazy^millman]

Thad I will be shot down for this but if you have more than one folder for Mastercam 9.1 you are going to keep having this trouble and if you are on a network and storing the cfg file that wya you might be gettign a conflict that way that is giving you this trouble. I recommned and this is just me speaking have only one version of Mastercam installed in one place. I had all kinds of problm like this and things just not doing the right thing. I then backed up everything uninstalled everything turned the computer off again to me inportant and the reinstalled wit hthe 9.1sp2 disk and have not had any problem since i did with the computer at work. I have it dont different at home and have 2 different installs. Mcam9 and Mcam91 and it does fine but od it on a limted bases at home so cant really say if having the same probelm cause it also not on a network and dont do mulit session of Mastercam at home either. Well I would also check that if you do have different folders you dont have backup in any place in the Mcam foler put like in a temp or even burn a Cd and erase them all off that are not needed that are cpoies or extras. Again these are just from what I have done here and they have helped me 1000%.

 

Crazy Millman

[Rick Damiani]

quote:

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Are you saying that if only one session of MC is open (using "my" config file), this shouldn't happen?

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It shouldn't happen even if you have more than one session open, provided they are all using the same config file.

 

However, any files that were created with a 'bad' operations file *will* retain those 'bad' settings, as will any of the toolpaths in that file. Remember that the ops library stores *default* values. Once those defaults are accepted (by not changing Job Setup, or by creating a toolpath) they become the current settings.

 

Example: Joe is using V9.0, the initial release. Joe dosn't use Job Setup (or at least he dosn't *think* he's using it), just dives right in and starts contouring, pocketing, drilling, and having a grand old time. After the second shift rapids a drill 5" into the fixture ('cause T1 was a drill, T2 was a stub-length 1/2" EM about 7" shorter, and Joe didn't realize that his T1 op posted with that killer G43 H2 bit in it), you get to fix Joe's program.

 

You open his MC9 file in your copy of V9.1SP2, which is using a version of DEFAULTS.OP9 that you have already fixed. First thing you do is go into Job Setup. When you get there, you notice that it's all screwed up. 'Add' is selected, it's adding 1 to all the H offsets and 40 to the D offsets. You fix it, regenerate the toolpaths, and shatter *another* drill because all of Joe's toolpaths have already 'accepted' Joe's offer to add 1 to H and 40 to D. As they now have settings of thier own, they don't have any further use for any default values you might wish to assign them.

 

Note: Joe didn't have to have any toolpaths in his .MC9 file for *your* toolpaths on his .MC9 file to get all farged up. All you have to do to get farged-up toolpaths is open his file and not look at Job Setup until you hear a *bang* followed by lots of cussing drift over from the shop floor.

 

Moral: ALWAYS check Job Setup before you do any toolpaths.

 

quote:

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I should also note that:

 

In ALL config files, 'number tools sequentially' is unchecked and dia settings are 'from tool.'

 

The 'other' config file IS stored in a different location and called the same name (mill9.cfg). It was recently noticed that the reason this 'other' config file wouldn't work properly with moldplus is because it was originally created for V9 and was pointing to the V9 folder instead of the new V9.1 folder.

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Here are a number of suggustions and the like that might help. As with any advice, remember that it is often worth exactly what you paid for it:

 

1) Job Setup settings are not stored in the .CFG file. They are stored in the .OP9 file called by the .CFG file. Good .CFG on a network + bad .OP9 on a workstation = bad Job Setup, bad .MC9, and shattered drills showing up when you least expect it.

 

2) Multipule copies of MasterCAM in multipule directories leads to madness and damnation. Before installing a new copy of MasterCAM, rename the old MasterCAM directory and install the new copy fresh. Copy over anything you need from the old MasterCAM directory after you have a good install. Or just fix the new one (reccomended, as point releases and service packs often include new features that your 'old' OP9 and CFG files don't know about). The excelent set of add-ons avalible from this very site (on the patches page) is a great way to start, as nearly all of the gotchas have been gotten.

 

3) If you are going to use network-based CFG files, point the network-based CFG files to network-based support files so that if anything is screwed up, it's at least screwed up in a uniform way. That'll save lots of mad dashing from computer to computer trying to figure out what's wrong.

 

4) Maintain as few .CFG files as you possibly can. Having a seperate icon for each different machene/controller combination is one of those ideas that looks good on paper, but can be more than a little limiting in practice. Especially if you have to post a job written for one machine so it will run on a different one.

 

5) Try to 'normalize' your posts so they all support, as much as possible, all the various features in a uniform way. Drill cycles need special attention here. This will minimize the need for seperate configs for machines that are substantally similar (i.e. you may want a seperate config for the multi-axis mill-turn center, but you may not really need one for each of the different makes of 3 axis machines you have)

 

6) Consider using templates (kinda like Word or AutoCAD) rather than seperate configs. Yeah, I know that MasterCAM dosn't have templates. Dosn't mean you can't use 'em. You just got to be creative about it. To make a template, do this:

- Select File|New

- Fix Job Setup just the way you like for the particular machene/control the template is for. Don't forget to assign the post.

- Set up any named views you might need for this particular machine/control combination.

- If you have some 'standard' geometry that you'll always need to have for that machine (i.e. a tombstone for a horizontal, the trunion for a two-axis rotary, the chuck and tailstock for a lathe - whatever you'll need) go ahead and put it in there.

- If you have a particular levels scheme you like to use, go ahead and name the levels, too.

- Once you have it all set up, save it to a template directory with a useful name (i.e. HAAS HS1 - OCTOGON TOOMBSTONE.MC9).

- After you save the file, right click on it in the Explorer and set it to Read Only. That way you can't overwrite it by accident.

- When you need to generate programs for that machiene, select File|Open, open the template you created, and start contouring and pocketing and drilling and having a grand old time.

 

Hope that helps a bit. Let me know how it all works out.

[McRae]

Thad - Operations Defaults are just that - settings that appear with a new session of MC. These defaults can be changed and are saved within the MC9 file after they are modified.

 

Legacy files with settings other than the default will make you think your defaults are wrong, but you need to go and change them to what you want, then do a quick save. Those two files will then never be a problem again.

[Thad]

What I don't understand is that if in Screen-Config, I have 'number tools sequentially' unchecked and 'from tool' checked, then how do they get changed without me changing them?

 

In reply to others, the config file is not on a network. It is on the C drive of each PC.

 

We still have V9 SP1 installed but it's in a different folder altogether.

 

Jim may have 1 or 2 sessions open with his config file, and I have 1 or 2 open with my config file. Jim's config file is called mill9.cfg and is located in C:Jim while mine is called mill9.cfg and is located in the normal MC folder.

 

Am I missing something here? Maybe I'm confusing what gets stored in the .cfg file and what gets stored in the .df9 file.

 

Rick - I'm currently reviewing your suggestions.

 

Thad

 

[ 11-05-2003, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: Thad ]

[foolsh]

you can try to change it in the default.op9 file

[Thad]

I did some playing and here is what I found.

 

Anything set in Job Setup, when accessed through Screen-Config, is saved to the .DF9 file, not the .CFG file. I believe this because if you go into Screen-Config and work your way to Job Setup, make some changes, when you exit you do not get prompted to save the changes to the config file. That's because it didn't alter the config file, it altered the .DF9 file. Screen-Config is the way to access the .DF9 file the same way that Internet Explorer is used to access the internet. As long as you don't go into Toolpaths-Job Setup and make changes, your settings will stay the same. If you do, those changes will only be in effect in that session of MC. Open a new session and you get your normal default settings back.

 

I ran into another issue while messing around. I copied mill9.cfg and called it thadmill9.cfg. I set up my shortcut to MC to access that new config file on startup. I then opened MC and went to Screen-Config. It said that my current config file was mill9m.cfg. This is not correct. I know this because the settings were different between mill9m.cfg and thadmill9.cfg. (I had made some changes to test it) The settings indicated that thadmill9.cfg was the current config file, although it listed the other as the current. If I clicked the drop down menu, I could select thadmill9.cfg, but when I saved it and went back to Screen-Config, it said mill9m.cfg was the current config file. Is this a bug?

 

I think for the time being, I know what to look for to keep this in check, but I still don't understand why the settings got changed (original question) and I don't understand why Screen-Config would not list the correct current config file.

 

Any comments for or against this?

 

Thad teh I hope that wasn't too confusing

 

[ 11-07-2003, 08:01 PM: Message edited by: Thad ]

[crazy^millman]

Nope Thad been there done that I had a rondefaults.cfg and seen the same thing happen so I did like what you said. I was doing this for toolbars I have mine done way off to anything normal but I like it this way so cool. I had to take the origainl save it in a temp open my ron then save it as the origianl so make it default to what I wanted. I did find these problem were more of a pain when I had a Mcam9 for V9.0 sp1 and when I had a Mcam91 for V9.1 sp2 gave me all types of fits. Like I said when I did a fresh install with the 9.1 sp2 disk on my computer it work all things solved but hey that is just me.

 

I think I will keep only one cfg and lucky cause it is just me and only me on my computer and dont have the sharing problem.

 

Crazy Millman

 

[ 11-07-2003, 08:21 PM: Message edited by: Millman^Crazy ]

[Thad]

quote:

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Like I said when I did a fresh install with the 9.1 sp2 disk on my computer it work all things solved but hey that is just me.

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Millman,

 

It just might have to get to that. Now that everyone is aware of the problem (6 people share 4 seats), we'll see if it goes away.

 

Thad