Pitch in your little gems that make mcam life easier

[patsfan1965]

That is good one, time saver for sure.

[SlaveCam]

I like to use Drafting->Note for longer instructions (more complex workpiece setups etc) and put it in its own layer. I haven't found any better place to put comments in (Mastercam is not very comment-friendly IMO) and the machine group comment does not even allow linebreaks.

[maverquip]

Figured this out today:

 

When using dynamic xForm you can switch between "manipulate geometry" and "manipulate axes" using the Ctrl key.  (I had previously mentioned the box near the Gnome you can click to toggle between the two)

 

It would switch between the two when I used hotkeys, to change views, and it was driving me nuts!!

 

****Not sure if this happens on only my computer, but when I switch modes with the Ctrl key from manipulate geometry to manipulate axes, it won't "regenerate" a solid, which makes its it so I cannot select parts of the solid to align the axes.****

 

 

....Ever though about quitting your day job to write New Release tutorials?

 

I used to be in charge of writing work instructions and process control documentation at a previous company and sometimes find it hard to explain things without resorting to old techniques.    I actually found it quite enjoyable and wouldn't mind doing it again, given the opportunity.

Edited April 12, 2016 by maverquip

[maverquip]

-At any time when defining a bounding box, you can change the origin point.  This will change where the size of the bounding box is defined from (I use it mostly with defining stock boundaries). 

 

For example, I will select a solid to define the bounding box and add .050" to the Z Size dimension (default origin point: bottom center).  Then I will change the origin point to the top center and change the Z Size dimension to the actual size of the stock.  This way I don't have to manipulate either the bounding box or the model to position it correctly .050" below the top of the bounding box.

 

This can also be done by clicking on one of the sides of the "preview box" surrounding the selected geometry, and entering the desired value (depending on whether Absolute or Incremental in the Push Pull section is selected and if Both directions is checked).

 

 

-You can also define a plane at the same time you define a bounding box by using the Advanced tab.  The selected origin point will be the origin of the new plane.

 

 

-When defining a rectangular shape on the Stock Setup page (in Machine Group Properties), You can change the Stock Origin point by clicking on one of the corners, or the center, of the box that is pictured.  I find it useful when manually defining, or adjusting, the stock on the fly, but typically resort to using the bounding box method above when defining stock. 

[maverquip]

Two handy additions to X9 are the "Preview Toolpath..." button and the "Hide Dialog" button, located at the top of a toolpath dialogue box (surface and high speed operations do not have Preview toolpath).  Using the preview the toolpath, when modifying a a 2D toolpath, regenerates the toolpath and if you use it before applying or selecting ok, it won't become a dirty operation.

[Kevin E]

1) When surface shading is on, you can only select wireframe that's on outer edges of the part, since surfaces will always highlight first in the middle of the part. If you want to select a few wireframe entities that are not in a chain, without turning shading off do this:

- hold down the SHIFT key as though chain selecting (temporarily turns on a wireframe only mask)

- hover over the wireframe entity you want to select

- once that entity highlights, release the SHIFT key and without moving your mouse click the entity

 

Might sound finicky, but once you've done it a few times and get used to it, I find it to be helpful.

 

2) Use the right-click menu in fields in dialog boxes. For example, when Xform-Rotating, you can right-click in the angle field and click the angle sub-menu to get the angle from a line, two lines, or from points. You can also just type in the letter in the field and hit enter instead of right-clicking, ie. s=distance between points, l=length of an entity, r=radius, etc. I think almost all dialog boxes have this, including toolpaths. Wide range of uses for this one!

[David Conigliaro CNC Software Inc.]

Use the  'ctrl' button to temporarily disable the autocursor when you simply don;t want it snapping to anything.

 

'Shift' click selects a chain of wireframe entities, but did you know it can also select a partial chain? Hold 'shift' select the first entity as if you were chaining to control the direction. While still holding 'shift' click on the last desired entity in your partial chain, release 'shift'.

 

Hold 'alt' to go into vector selection mode. Sketch a string of vectors, Mastercam will select anything they touch upon releasing 'alt'

 

When selecting solid faces in solid selection mode 'shift' will select all tangent faces.

[David Conigliaro CNC Software Inc.]

1) When surface shading is on, you can only select wireframe that's on outer edges of the part, since surfaces will always highlight first in the middle of the part. If you want to select a few wireframe entities that are not in a chain, without turning shading off do this:

- hold down the SHIFT key as though chain selecting (temporarily turns on a wireframe only mask)

- hover over the wireframe entity you want to select

- once that entity highlights, release the SHIFT key and without moving your mouse click the entity

 

Might sound finicky, but once you've done it a few times and get used to it, I find it to be helpful.

 

2) Use the right-click menu in fields in dialog boxes. For example, when Xform-Rotating, you can right-click in the angle field and click the angle sub-menu to get the angle from a line, two lines, or from points. You can also just type in the letter in the field and hit enter instead of right-clicking, ie. s=distance between points, l=length of an entity, r=radius, etc. I think almost all dialog boxes have this, including toolpaths. Wide range of uses for this one!

 

I'm guessing you are not running X9? Or you are using the 'shift' trick out of habit X9 made major changes to selection sensitivity. The 'shift' is no longer needed to select wireframe within a surface or solid face's boundary. In X8 Sketch a rectangle with surface creation on then create a line within the surface edges, X8 will not select the line with shading turned on. Open this file in X9 and you should have no problem selecting the line.

[crazy^millman]

Solids Boolean changed from older version where you could pick Boolean add or Boolean remove. With the integration it has created no add or remove just a Boolean and then will use the last one. For those who still use Mastercam exclusively for Solid Modeling this has created a lot of waiting on big models if you want to do one or the other if different than the default. The way around this is to pick the Boolean and the Parent Solid you want to do the operation with. Then hit okay and you will get the Boolean in the solids operation manager with nothing picked for the Boolean operation for remove or ad. Now you can change the method and then add what you want to be added or removed. On big models this can save up to 30 seconds not having to wait for the last method used to switch to the new method you want to use.

 

Also unshading models in this case will improve the speed by a factor of 10 sometimes on bigger models.

[David Conigliaro CNC Software Inc.]

Solids Boolean changed from older version where you could pick Boolean add or Boolean remove. With the integration it has created no add or remove just a Boolean and then will use the last one. For those who still use Mastercam exclusively for Solid Modeling this has created a lot of waiting on big models if you want to do one or the other if different than the default. The way around this is to pick the Boolean and the Parent Solid you want to do the operation with. Then hit okay and you will get the Boolean in the solids operation manager with nothing picked for the Boolean operation for remove or ad. Now you can change the method and then add what you want to be added or removed. On big models this can save up to 30 seconds not having to wait for the last method used to switch to the new method you want to use.

 

Also unshading models in this case will improve the speed by a factor of 10 sometimes on bigger models.

 

Good point, I'm forwarding that to our Design team. In the meantime under the advanced tab on the Boolean panel you can disable auto preview.

[crazy^millman]

Unshading for setting solid face colors on big models saves a bunch of time as well. Yes you have to shade back and wait, but when doing a lot of faces those extra 10 to 20 seconds per area can add up.

[: Chip :]

U guys use FBM Drill. I want to use it but I have'nt had a oppertunity to load 9 yet alone set this up.

 

 

Figured this out today:

 

When using dynamic xForm you can switch between "manipulate geometry" and "manipulate axes" using the Ctrl key.  (I had previously mentioned the box near the Gnome you can click to toggle between the two)

 

It would switch between the two when I used hotkeys, to change views, and it was driving me nuts!!

 

****Not sure if this happens on only my computer, but when I switch modes with the Ctrl key from manipulate geometry to manipulate axes, it won't "regenerate" a solid, which makes its it so I cannot select parts of the solid to align the axes.****

 

 

 

I used to be in charge of writing work instructions and process control documentation at a previous company and sometimes find it hard to explain things without resorting to old techniques.    I actually found it quite enjoyable and wouldn't mind doing it again, given the opportunity.

Ive actually (prolly) learned more from here (since 2001) 

 

:Chip teh still can't cut a part for sh!t... Ha   Maybe I need a seat of Virtual G

[Jon D Morton]

Drag and drop drill points from one operation to the next.  Really handy after importing operations.  Just click "no" to using current depth so that your linking parameters aren't overwritten. 

[crazy^millman]

Drag and drop drill points from one operation to the next.  Really handy after importing operations.  Just click "no" to using current depth so that your linking parameters aren't overwritten. 

 

Pay attention if you are using Right Click or Left click as each one doesn't something different.

[Valentij]

Alt + 1-7 different views (top front left right etc)

Alt+F1 Fit

F1 - Zoom to selection

Alt+E Hide

Alt+S Toggle solid/wire frame mode

 

Also if you love key binds as much as I do (my left hand goes instantly to WASD as soon as I sit down) you can go into settings customize under the tab key mapping and bind repeatedly used commands and functions to easy to use key binds for ease of access. 

 

Most recently used bar is also great, as well as the mask function. 

 

 Also if you use different colors for solids (or geometry) you can use the Quick mask color selection to grab all entities of a certain color. 

 

One thing I learned later on is Ctrl+mouse wheel will rotate about mouse pointer location, can make navigation a little easier if you work without a space mouse. 

 

One last tip as I've seen people get bit by this before, if you go into your levels manager select "Main level is always visible" I cant tell you how many times after starting on MC that I would draw something and not be able to see it because the level I was drawing on was not visible. 

[BrianP.]

Doing a part with multiple small pockets. Created a point in center of each pocket for a start point. Trying to minimize my wireframe creation so using the solid for pocket geometry. Was having to go from wireframe to solid selection when chaining each pocket. Lots of extra clicks. So I wondered if I just selected all the points first and then chained the pockets if Mastercam would automatically sort each point to the appropriate pocket. The good news is yes it does. So you can pick all your points first then go chain the contour.

 

 

[bensls]

If you want to know the distance between a point on your toolpath and any solids / geometry, go into Toolpath Editor for that operation then do an Analyze Distance.  Mastercam lets you select points along the toolpath when you are in this mode.  You can skip posting the operation and/or doing the math.

[Mr. Dayshift]

Make use the 'save parameter to defaults file' icon in top left of most tool path parameters dialogues. Handy for your favorite linking parameter settings, cut parameters, tolerance Lead in/out settings. I don't know how many years I was making the same settings over and over. In the Moons of Goon, I was the captain.

 

Sometimes enlightenment is only a pointer hover away.

[BCW]

If you want to know the distance between a point on your toolpath and any solids / geometry, go into Toolpath Editor for that operation then do an Analyze Distance.  Mastercam lets you select points along the toolpath when you are in this mode.  You can skip posting the operation and/or doing the math.

 

Good to know! I used to use backplot then save the toolpath geo to a level to get the same result. Your method is much quicker.

[jeff]

Make use the 'save parameter to defaults file' icon in top left of most tool path parameters dialogues. Handy for your favorite linking parameter settings, cut parameters, tolerance Lead in/out settings. I don't know how many years I was making the same settings over and over. In the Moons of Goon, I was the captain.

 

Sometimes enlightenment is only a pointer hover away.

Yes, but they need to add an "Are you sure you want to overwrite?" popup to that damned thing. Can't tell you how many times I've accidentally hit that button.

[Newbeeee™]

For all you mouse jockeys ( ), Logitechs MX Master works a treat (thanks Ben ).

It has programmable buttons and is real nice to use, as well as more productive.

[jlw™]

Logitech G402 is my favorite and it cost less. I prefer a wired mouse. I find the wireless doesn't let go of clicks fast enough and I pull stuff around.

[Newbeeee™]

Logitech G402 is my favorite and it cost less. I prefer a wired mouse. I find the wireless doesn't let go of clicks fast enough and I pull stuff around.

Well I don't care. I like my MX and it's waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy better than my old Microsoft mouse

[jlw™]

Way to go Newb. Enjoy stepping up to the big leagues!

[Newbeeee™]

Way to go Newb. Enjoy stepping up to the big leagues!

It's only taken me 10 years. Don't rain on my parade.