X9 latest version Triangular Mesh Toolpaths Broken?

[cobra95kev]

I don't know if I am missing a setting somewhere or what but I can't get any tool axis tilt at all in any of the various types under triangular mesh. It seems to be stuck at 001 tool Axis.

 

 

Has anyone got any tilt using these toolpaths since X9 came out?

I hope it is just something I am missing in the settings but I don't think so.

 

Thanks,

 

Kevin C.

[crazy^millman]

It was answered on the Mastercam forum as indeed a bug all the way back to X7.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hey Guys,

 

I really don't think this is a "bug" per se. The "Triangle Mesh" tool paths were kind of a "clever" way for Mastercam to take the 3 Axis Tool Paths from Moduleworks, and add them to the Mastercam Interface, without showing everyone that they were "3 Axis" paths.

 

The term "Triangle Mesh" is really kind of misleading. The TM paths (Triangle Mesh), are really mostly "planar", with a few that do allow some form of Tool Axis Control. (I think they kind of run the path through the "convert 3X to 5X" to accomplish this.)

 

The Triangle Mesh toolpaths work by using a Plane (Tool Plane, defaults to TOP), and then "meshing" the surfaces that you are cutting, at a given chordal tolerance. That produces the "resolution" of the "volume" of surfaces that are being cut by the path.

 

Please keep in mind, these are just my own opinions, and may also be incorrect. This is just some stuff I've been able to glean over the years.

 

If you look at the "Pattern" on the "Cut Pattern" page, you'll see that there are actually 13 different tool path types that have been "hidden" inside this single tool path menu. Some of them have "multi-axis" capability, but most are actually 3 Axis paths, that just duplicate other tool path functionality that exists elsewhere in Mastercam.

 

So "Constant Z" is really just like Waterline. "Flatlands" is like SHS Horizontal, "Pencil" is like, well, Pencil, and so on. I almost consider it the "dumping ground" for some of the extra Moduleworks tool path technology. I don't know if they plan to integrate these paths into the rest of Mastercam. It wouldn't surprise me if they were doing that "behind the scenes", as they work on integrating the Moduleworks technology into the Mastercam interface.

 

So that said, it does confuse people to have tool paths available under "multi-axis", that aren't really Multi-Axis capable.

[crazy^millman]

Hey Guys,

 

I really don't think this is a "bug" per se. The "Triangle Mesh" tool paths were kind of a "clever" way for Mastercam to take the 3 Axis Tool Paths from Moduleworks, and add them to the Mastercam Interface, without showing everyone that they were "3 Axis" paths.

 

The term "Triangle Mesh" is really kind of misleading. The TM paths (Triangle Mesh), are really mostly "planar", with a few that do allow some form of Tool Axis Control. (I think they kind of run the path through the "convert 3X to 5X" to accomplish this.)

 

The Triangle Mesh toolpaths work by using a Plane (Tool Plane, defaults to TOP), and then "meshing" the surfaces that you are cutting, at a given chordal tolerance. That produces the "resolution" of the "volume" of surfaces that are being cut by the path.

 

Please keep in mind, these are just my own opinions, and may also be incorrect. This is just some stuff I've been able to glean over the years.

 

If you look at the "Pattern" on the "Cut Pattern" page, you'll see that there are actually 13 different tool path types that have been "hidden" inside this single tool path menu. Some of them have "multi-axis" capability, but most are actually 3 Axis paths, that just duplicate other tool path functionality that exists elsewhere in Mastercam.

 

So "Constant Z" is really just like Waterline. "Flatlands" is like SHS Horizontal, "Pencil" is like, well, Pencil, and so on. I almost consider it the "dumping ground" for some of the extra Moduleworks tool path technology. I don't know if they plan to integrate these paths into the rest of Mastercam. It wouldn't surprise me if they were doing that "behind the scenes", as they work on integrating the Moduleworks technology into the Mastercam interface.

 

So that said, it does confuse people to have tool paths available under "multi-axis", that aren't really Multi-Axis capable.

 

Here is what I read from the product manager for the same question.

 

http://forum.mastercam.com/Topic9661.aspx

 

 

That's it.  It is broken, but apparently no one has reported it for a while as I just tested in in X7 and it's broken the same way there.

 

Coincidentally, I just saw your other bump on the Project 5 thread after reading the email from QC, and that's the same issue there.

 

Man, that leaves us with no good options for projecting that toolpath down. I'm thinking in the example file you sent in to do a Parallel style toolpath (which mimics the zigzag motion of your roughing pass) and then using 2d containment.  I'll experiment with it more tomorrow and get this defect logged.

 

[Müřlıń®]

I don't get it...I created an rectangular STL and used a 5 axis constant z triangular mesh set at 30 degree tilt and it looks like 5 axis path to me...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[crazy^millman]

I don't get it...I created an rectangular STL and used a 5 axis constant z triangular mesh set at 30 degree tilt and it looks like 5 axis path to me...

 

 

mesh.JPG

 

 

 

path.JPG

 

 

Try using a Bull Endmill like he did. That is where he ran into his problem.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Good to know Ron, thanks!

[Müřlıń®]

Hrmmmm...didn't see he was using a bull...but ya it don't work lol....

 

works great with a ball and I wouldn't call it broken....

 

It is a great set of tools that will let you machine STL's and I think that was its purpose...