Import tool library from edgecam to mastercam

[Crock]

We just switched over to mastercam from edgecam at our shop.  We used edgecam for many years and have a pretty big tool library.  Is there any way to import the tool library into Mastercam or will we have to manually build the entire database from scratch?  

 

Thanks guys/gals

[Guest]

Files do not generally cross populate between CAM systems

 

If you can out the Edgecam as a text file you "might" get some to start with but my best guess is you're starting over

[bd41612]

We just switched over to mastercam from edgecam at our shop.  We used edgecam for many years and have a pretty big tool library.  Is there any way to import the tool library into Mastercam or will we have to manually build the entire database from scratch?  

 

Thanks guys/gals

 

Other than the obvious, what was your company's reason for switching?  We have 4 different CAM packages here, and we're looking for the one size fits all solution.  Unfortunately, Mastercam is not the only one on the list.  Edgecam is on the list, so I'm a little curious as to your rational.  I know of no one using Edgecam, so it would be good to hear from a user, not a website or salesman.

 

You're library: Not sure if this would help, but how about a .csv export.  Then you could re-arrange data columns and concatenate the fields, copy and paste into an editor possibly import into Mastercam as a text file?  I don't know if the newer versions will do that.

[Watcher]

Yes. But it's not an off the shelf solution.

 

Edgecam Tool Store and Mastercam are SQL based.

 

You'd have to write a small app to connect to both databases and move data. Before doing so you'd have to study the database tables and columns and figure out what is what. After that it's a pretty simple task for someone with some VB skills to write an utility to migrate the data.

 

Considering all the money you have invested in building the toolstore in the past years, it's peanuts to develop such tool.

 

[Guest MTB Technical Services]

Yes. But it's not an off the shelf solution. Edgecam Tool Store and Mastercam are SQL based. You'd have to write a small app to connect to both databases and move data. Before doing so you'd have to study the database tables and columns and figure out what is what. After that it's a pretty simple task for someone with some VB skills to write an utility to migrate the data. Considering all the money you have invested in building the toolstore in the past years, it's peanuts to develop such tool.

 

 

Get RazorSQL or a similar tool to interrogate the databases and the table structure for both EdgeCAM and Mastercam.

http://www.razorsql.com/

 

You'll save a lot of time trying to build a translator if you know what the table structure is.

[BCW]

Other than the obvious, what was your company's reason for switching?  We have 4 different CAM packages here, and we're looking for the one size fits all solution.  Unfortunately, Mastercam is not the only one on the list.  Edgecam is on the list, so I'm a little curious as to your rational.  I know of no one using Edgecam, so it would be good to hear from a user, not a website or salesman.

 

You're library: Not sure if this would help, but how about a .csv export.  Then you could re-arrange data columns and concatenate the fields, copy and paste into an editor possibly import into Mastercam as a text file?  I don't know if the newer versions will do that.

I am also wondering the same thing regarding the switch. I evaluated edgecam but found mastercam to be more flexible.

[Watcher]

Get RazorSQL or a similar tool to interrogate the databases and the table structure for both EdgeCAM and Mastercam.

http://www.razorsql.com/

 

You'll save a lot of time trying to build a translator if you know what the table structure is.

One way or another, to do as Tim suggests, you will need ToolStore default password to read the tables/columns.

 

PM me if you want EdgeCam Toolstore´s logon. The user name is 'toolstore_user' (No quotes)

 

Tip: You can use a free tool like Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express to read the databases in order to determine what is what.

 

Ps: I don´t know Mastercam Tool database user credentials.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Mastercam's new '.tooldb' format is SQLite. SQLite is a self-contained, serverless, zero-configuration, transactional SQL database engine. You do not need any log on information to access the data in a Mastercam Tool Library Database. Since there is no "server", you don't need to worry about trying to access the data in the .tooldb file. You just run a fairly standard SQL query against the database, and it will return whatever you ask it to grab from the database.

 

Although you can get a number of tools to access the data in a SQLite DB file, I highly recommend you consider learning and using TCL (Tool Command Language) to create the program that accesses the data.

 

If this all sounds like Greek to you, don't worry. I started learning about SQLite when CNC Software moved over to the new .tooldb format, and it is actually a great tool for creating a Database that acts just like a normal file.

 

When accessing the data in a SQLite database, you run commands against the DB that go and extract row/column information. A typical SQL query might look something like this:

SELECT * FROM <holders> WHERE <holder_name> LIKE 'KAISER' GROUP BY <gauge_length>

In the above SQL query statement, there are SQL Keywords that are used in conjunction with the labels in the DB file to "get" the data. I used the 'SELECT' function to query a 'Table' in this case, the <holders> table. That is not the actual name of the table, so you need to "figure out" what the table names, and column names are.

 

Once you figure out what the names are for the tables and columns, SQLite runs about 95% of standard SQL. So it would certainly be possible to read the data from Edgecam's library, and write it back out in a Mastercam .tooldb format...

[Colin Gilchrist]

It looks like 'TlAssemblyItem' is the table you want to search...

[Mick from CNC Software Inc.]

I posted in the NETHooks/CHooks forum an example of running a query against the Mastercam tooldb if interested.

[guitar]

I also would inquire about the reason for the switch. I like EC more than MC. But MC is showing signs of improvement.

[Crock]

The reason for our switch has nothing to do with EC itself.  We had a falling out with our local re-seller regarding laser/punch software that was quite expensive and did not work as promised.  Our edge cam was about 5 years out of date and decided to switch.  

 

 

 

Thanks Mick...I will check it out.

[guitar]

The reason for our switch has nothing to do with EC itself.  We had a falling out with our local re-seller regarding laser/punch software that was quite expensive and did not work as promised.  Our edge cam was about 5 years out of date and decided to switch.  

 

 

 

Thanks Mick...I will check it out.

 

 

So, this is a case of cutting off one's arm because your finger hurts?

[Guest]

The reason for our switch ... regarding laser/punch software that was quite expensive and did not work as promised.  Our edge cam was about 5 years out of date...  

 

So, this is a case of cutting off one's arm because your finger hurts?

 

What it looks like is something was promised and not delivered and sice it was so far out of date, they would have to basically re-buy it at that point anyway if EC works the same way most softwares are going these days,.