Pitch in your little gems that make mcam life easier

[Watcher]

Ok... This is a helpful information about mass changes in the .tooldb files:

 

Original post: http://www.emastercam.com/board/topic/90019-mass-edit-tooldb/#entry1104793

 

 

Is it possible to do mass changes in .tooldb files?

 

 

 

This is easy to do in the included tool manager..  Open the tool database you wish to edit, then select multiple tools, and any parameters that are displayed can be applied to everything selected.

If something can't be applied to all tools then it won't be displayed.  For example, you have a tap and an endmill selected, so thread pitch doesn't apply to all, it won't be displayed/editable on the right.

 

[crazy^millman]

I need a project boundary of a air foil shape looking down on a part. I cannot share the part, but I can share the process I use to come up with a profile of a shape projected down in a certain view. If you use silhouette boundary from your view you get just that, but if you set a Z value and use 2D before getting started you will get it exactly where you want it. I need to make a roughing model of the part. It will need to go through 6 operations to make a complete part and all I have is the RAW stock size and the finished model. Bu doing this I can create a shape that will leave .100 on the inside of 5 through areas where the air foil ribs come through, but allow enough material to be removed to make sure no stress is left in the excess stock for finishing it. Used this as a chook before it became part of the software and probably one of the most over looked tools in Mastercam.

[DUM1]

IN THE OPS MANAGER COPY TOOL PATHS FROM ONE GROUP TO THE NEXT GROUP AND CHANGE PLANES

[jeff]

AutoCursor settings and having the lines you create snap to more than just every 90deg is a godsend for me.

I have mine setup to snap to every 22.5 deg, and it makes my life a lot easier. 

And don't forget to check Tangent!

[F10Brandon]

AutoCursor settings and having the lines you create snap to more than just every 90deg is a godsend for me.

I have mine setup to snap to every 22.5 deg, and it makes my life a lot easier. 

And don't forget to check Tangent!

 

Nice !!, +1 for that. I won't use it often but when I do!!

[BrianP.]

I like to put notes in my operations. Makes it much easier to find a certain tool path when you need to edit it and also helps me or some else when running the program. Nice to know where your tool is going next. Well sometimes I forget and have to go back into the parameters and then to the tool tab where the note area is located. Discovered a much faster and easier way today. If you double click out in the operations type area it will open up a box like you are changing a name. Type your note in there and your done. It will appear in the note area on the tool tab in parameters. The click can be a little tricky to get used to. I found a slow click works best than a quick double. Works in bothe X9 and 2017.

 

 

[jeff]

I like to put notes in my operations. Makes it much easier to find a certain tool path when you need to edit it and also helps me or some else when running the program. Nice to know where your tool is going next. Well sometimes I forget and have to go back into the parameters and then to the tool tab where the note area is located. Discovered a much faster and easier way today. If you double click out in the operations type area it will open up a box like you are changing a name. Type your note in there and your done. It will appear in the note area on the tool tab in parameters. The click can be a little tricky to get used to. I found a slow click works best than a quick double. Works in bothe X9 and 2017.

Double clicking doesn't work for me, unless I'm not doing it right. But yeah... I always label every toolpath,done that since V8.

Not only does it make things easier for me, my operators love it.

[Guest]

Double clicking doesn't work for me, unless I'm not doing it right. But yeah... I always label every toolpath,done that since V8.

Not only does it make things easier for me, my operators love it.

 

Don't double click quick lie you would starting a program...it's a slower double click and you'll get it to be able to edit

 

Click the OP, count 1...2 click it again

[jlw™]

I always let the mouse hover a second then single click just like renaming icons on your desktop.

[So not a Guru]

I like to put notes in my operations. Makes it much easier to find a certain tool path when you need to edit it and also helps me or some else when running the program. Nice to know where your tool is going next. Well sometimes I forget and have to go back into the parameters and then to the tool tab where the note area is located. Discovered a much faster and easier way today. If you double click out in the operations type area it will open up a box like you are changing a name. Type your note in there and your done. It will appear in the note area on the tool tab in parameters. The click can be a little tricky to get used to. I found a slow click works best than a quick double. Works in bothe X9 and 2017.

That is a great tip. Thanks.

 

I use the tool notes in our X+ setup sheets too, since we output the MC op numbers on the sheets as well, it makes it easy for them to quickly find a restart point.

[Newbeeee™]

Seen it in on one of the threads - for finding rad sizes in models - use Analyse Curvature (thanks Josh).

I'd never noticed it before and it's now on my RMB.

[So not a Guru]

Another really handy tool is Analyze angle. This is especially useful when orienting parts on a 3-axis machine, where you are going to have to machine a part in two operations. You can quickly ensure that all of the draft angles are positive, or within the reach of your lollypop cutters.

[ftorrent32]

I like to put notes in my operations. Makes it much easier to find a certain tool path when you need to edit it and also helps me or some else when running the program. Nice to know where your tool is going next. Well sometimes I forget and have to go back into the parameters and then to the tool tab where the note area is located. Discovered a much faster and easier way today. If you double click out in the operations type area it will open up a box like you are changing a name. Type your note in there and your done. It will appear in the note area on the tool tab in parameters. The click can be a little tricky to get used to. I found a slow click works best than a quick double. Works in bothe X9 and 2017.

[ftorrent32]

I like to put notes in my operations. Makes it much easier to find a certain tool path when you need to edit it and also helps me or some else when running the program. Nice to know where your tool is going next. Well sometimes I forget and have to go back into the parameters and then to the tool tab where the note area is located. Discovered a much faster and easier way today. If you double click out in the operations type area it will open up a box like you are changing a name. Type your note in there and your done. It will appear in the note area on the tool tab in parameters. The click can be a little tricky to get used to. I found a slow click works best than a quick double. Works in bothe X9 and 2017.

I agree comments are very important. For proving out programs and setup there is a nice little VB script gem for printing out, or emailing to your smartphone, a handy little operations sheet that shows each toolpath, it's coinciding tool, and your COMMENTS that you add as well as the operation sequence number. This is nice for large programs with 50+ operations as far as navigating and jotting notes. Without my X7 in front of me, I believe it's in VB script under getjobinformation. If you're somewhat tech savvy you can edit the HTML code to fit you're needs. Check it out!

[toddm]

I agree comments are very important. For proving out programs and setup there is a nice little VB script gem for printing out, or emailing to your smartphone, a handy little operations sheet that shows each toolpath, it's coinciding tool, and your COMMENTS that you add as well as the operation sequence number. This is nice for large programs with 50+ operations as far as navigating and jotting notes. Without my X7 in front of me, I believe it's in VB script under getjobinformation. If you're somewhat tech savvy you can edit the HTML code to fit you're needs. Check it out!

is there a way to have a right click option to add comments to the toolpath? like 3mm ball rough , .25 flat finish C'bores?

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

is there a way to have a right click option to add comments to the toolpath? like 3mm ball rough , .25 flat finish C'bores?

 

Just click on the operation's Parameters and put it in the "Comments" window.  I think that's pretty quick and easy.

 

 

Came across this one today.  Some operations like Surface High Speed Raster really need a containment boundary to keep them from rolling over the edges of the drive geometry (grumble).  I'm working on a model where the main face I'm finishing has four faces, but the fillets around the edge which I'll be cutting in a different toolpath have over thirty faces.  So to create the boundary curves by Create Curve One-Edge would take over thirty clicks with much zooming and panning.  Instead I used Create Curves All-Edges on the four faces, then Delete Duplicates, and since that left the remaining copies of the duplicates highlighted as QM Group, I just hit QM Group and deleted them.  This left just the boundary I was looking for and in much less time.

[JoshC]

I like this Tips and tricks thread! very helpful.

Here is a tip for those of us who setup holders and work with Mastercam 2017 or later. If you setup a holder (for Mill Tools) you can simply right click on a tool, from the tool selection area of the toolpath or in the tool manager and go into Edit Tool Projection, This will allow you to see a live tool on screen, snap the tool into the deepest area of the part that you are looking to cut and then click the holder area and you can adjust the Tool projection live on screen.

http://whatsnew.mastercam.com/2017/tool_projection.html - The example shown in that link is ok but I don't see much need for it on the simple part they are using, where I found this really handy is on some of the 5axis work or any part where we may be concerned about the holder/tool sickout or where I want to see a tool and holder on screen and do live adjustments.

​

[FPSteve]

I know the Alt-E Option has already been mentioned in this thread, and I am another huge fan of this option.

 

I use it all of the time for various reasons, but one of my favorites is; I create a lot of curves from all edges from

 

the solid models we work with. I do this for a few reasons, offset them for tool boundaries, run contours from

 

them etc. Inevitably, I end up creating splines when I do this. I use Alt-E and ask to see "All Splines" from the

 

menu options, then with the Splines shown on the screen, I use the "Break Many" option in the Trim options.

 

I create Arcs using a tolerance. Usually around .002". This eliminates the splines that make my mill run like it

 

has developed a sudden case of parkinsons, and makes editing the geometry much easier.

 

    I also have become extremely fond of the Transform Project option. I create a lot of Curves using the "Create

 

Curve Slice" Tool. "Transform Project" makes it so easy to either Transform the geometry to an equal plane,

 

and/or project geometry onto surfaces. These are probably considered beginners tasks, but I thought I'd throw

 

them out there. I use these pretty much daily. There has been some great info posted by others in this thread.

 

Thanks for taking the time and sharing. It's sometimes like winning the lottery to see someone else hit that one

 

button or option You had no idea was even there, to make You life so much easier in the seat the next day.

 

Steve

[jeff]

Most dropdown boxes can be easily circumvented by using the mouse scroll wheel.

For example the cutter comp box: If you hover the cursor over the box,you can quickly scroll from Computer to Wear to Off etc..

Same thing for coolant on/off

[ahaslam]

This post is getting sooooo long. I don't think anyone else has mentioned this but a new gem I have started using is setting up your quick access tool bar. Most power users (that I have seen) keep their left hand near the alt key on the left of the keyboard for easy access to a list of functions, most notably top view (alt+1). With the quick access ribbon, you can add a few quick functions by tapping alt (not alt+) then hitting a number key.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, ahaslam said:

 Most power users (that I have seen) keep their left hand near the alt key on the left of the keyboard for easy access to a list of functions, most notably top view (alt+1). With the quick access ribbon, you can add a few quick functions by tapping alt (not alt+) then hitting a number key.

Nope, left ring finger on the ESC button on my Space navigator...I drive the interface 90% via RMB..very little extra mouse movement and quick.....as I have used this setup since the inception of , I know the menu and where things are located and can just move my cursor and be where I want....

Rarely if ever, do I use the ALT key

[So not a Guru]

2 minutes ago, JParis said:

Nope, left ring finger on the ESC button on my Space navigator...I drive the interface 90% via RMB..very little extra mouse movement and quick.....as I have used this setup since the inception of , I know the menu and where things are located and can just move my cursor and be where I want....

Rarely if ever, do I use the ALT key

About the only time I use the alt key is to type ascii characters

[ahaslam]

22 hours ago, So not a Guru said:

About the only time I use the alt key is to type ascii characters

 

22 hours ago, JParis said:

Nope, left ring finger on the ESC button on my Space navigator...I drive the interface 90% via RMB..very little extra mouse movement and quick.....as I have used this setup since the inception of , I know the menu and where things are located and can just move my cursor and be where I want....

Rarely if ever, do I use the ALT key

 

I stand corrected. 

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

I use the <Alt> key at the beginning of every command.

[So not a Guru]

On 3/23/2017 at 11:54 AM, ahaslam said:

 

I stand corrected. 

To be fair, I've only been using MC for about 2 years, so I don't even know all of the keyboard shortcuts that are available. I've used the icons (and now the ribbon bar, #@%$!) and an extensive right-click menu.

I'm sure I could benefit from a wider use of the keyboard shortcuts.