WCS - aka View Manager

[Ken Erman from CNC Software Inc.]

OK, i'm back with more questions... The information i received when i asked for input on the Operations Manager was extremely helpful.(i think you guys are going to like it when you see it.)

 

So what would you change about the current View Manager, especially the WCS interaction? Give me your top 5 items.

 

Thanks,

Ken

 

BTW - X is moving along nicely, we expect an Alpha in early Februaryand Beta 30 days later.

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

1. When posting let

rotaxtyp : 4

Map any/all coordinates top machine matrix coords regardless of toolplane/toolpath/wcs so I dont have to use the matrix stuff to figure out certain toolpaths (like toolplane drilling)

 

2. Make it to where we can go to op manager and right click edit common parameters and update/change several ops at one time.

 

3. Let back plot rotate tombstones

 

4. When using toolplanes/wcs some times backplot does strange stuff. (especially when changing toolplane origin. Its like it starts from tplane origin of previous op with current matrix.)

 

5. When posting let

rotaxtyp : 4

Map any/all coordinates to top machine matrix coords regardless of toolplane/toolpath/wcs so I dont have to use the matrix stuff to figure out certain toolpaths (like toolplane drilling)

 

I prefer rotaxtyp : 4 cause there are fewer variables and fewer math type situations. Mp does the mapping before hand and I can find the variables I want within a few lines of code in pxyzcalc post block.

 

Thanks

Jimmy

[mayday]

1: machine template setup to load WCS, defalts made for machine specific views

 

2: icon selection rather than multi click to change T/planes once WCS is set

 

3: edit commom parms with abillity to select which opps for edits

 

4: on option to rotate C/plane during creation of a view.

 

5: verify to see if its a vert/horz machine, let part index rather than tool

[Polite Luther]

Make it go away (ONLY KIDDING!!!)

 

Actually, I use it all the time and it's extremely powerful, if you plan ahead for its use and know how it works ahead of time. I like it. It did take some getting used to though.

 

Make the interface simpler, although I don't know how you would do that and still make all the options available.

[kathy]

o Input rotation of the C'Plane using 3 angles (numeric fields)!

o Make the T'Plane invisible. I would say make it go away completely, but I guess there are still a few who use it!

 

Kathy

[Rekd™]

1. Update stock definitions in job setup when changing WCS
   
2. Ensure connectivity between Ops manager and WCS, (i.e. Edit Common Params should be able to update WCS)
   
3. Enable Origin, Name etc to be modified on system views, instead of having to duplicate them to change something, which will also prevent having geometry on one Tool Plane, and toolpaths on another..
   
4. Make it non-modal
   
5. Make it dispense Rum & Cokes
   

'Rekd

 

[ 01-05-2004, 03:57 PM: Message edited by: Rekd ]

[CNCGUY]

quote:

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Make it dispense Rum & Cokes

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Make sure Misc. Int. 10 is set to 1. It works great here.

 

HTH

[Hacsta]

quote:

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Make it dispense Rum & Cokes

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+1000

 

don't forget the lemon

[Roger Peterson]

Thanks for asking:

 

1. Have an associative "plane wizard". By that I mean when I go into the wcs I can edit a planes orientation instead of deleting it and creating a new one. Something that would allow you to rotate or tilt based on another plane or system view. This would update all toolpaths referencing this view which would eliminate the current edit common parameters issue that several people have mentioned. You can currently do this to an extent by moving or rotating entities used to define a view.

 

2. This has been covered already but... Mini job setup or plane setup if you will. Just by selecting a plane I could have it automatically pick a nci directory, group, coolant. A stock setup based on a WCS would be nice. What is in the plane setup is negotiable.

 

3. Have a folder type layout. If I select WCS "A" I have the options of picking A1, A2, and A3 as my tplane. Currently If I have two WCS's for setups for a horizontal and each setup has 3 views for tplanes I then Have eight named views even though only 3 of the views created for use as tplanes are usable for one view created to be used as a WCS. Let me know if I did not explain this clearly. I know we can display views that are relative to another view but the only relative views that can be created are standard views, nothing at an odd angle or for 5 axis.

 

4. Different stock setups for different WCS's. Two setups on a horizontal again is a good example. One setup may be in a vise the next could be chucked up etc...

 

5. As stated earlier in this thread a "better" graphical way of selecting a view.

 

 

Thank you again for asking for input!

[Reece L Gibson]

1.Please make the icon a little bigger or cleaner that shows positive directions of the axis when picking geomerty for new Tplanes or construction planes.

 

2.Maybe a new dialog box when you rotate current or new Tplanes or construction planes.

 

3.Please make the letters bigger or clear when you use the select icon option when trying to pick defined Tplanes or Cplanes.

[Rick McAllister]

1. I would like to be able to have multiple views (regardless of B axis rotation) associated with a WCS Plane whic can be rotated to another plane and automatically change the B axis rotation of the work views accordingly. Our fixtures don't always get set up on the same B face we planned them to. If it gets set up 90 degrees out I would like to rotate the WCS so it matches the actual face on the machine. We are currently using the post to correct this problem. Also we often prove a process out on a vertical machine then tranfer it to a horizontal which requires redefinition of tool planes.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Howdy!

 

I'm with Jimmy on the Matrix stuff. When I'm programming for our Horizontals, I have to create a WCS (which is fine) then I have to create T/C planes relative to that WCS to get my indexes correct in the posted code (PITB) I'd like this to be automated somehow, say when I make a new WCS, make new views realtive to a WCS view but still kicking out my rotary angles correctly. I have absolutely no idea how you would accomplish this ue to the sheer number of variables but you asked what we wanted...

 

Oh, how about in the WCS manager being able to pull a bitmap for a view??? Create Icons for the views. I label my WCS's well, but as the saying goes "A picture is worth a thousand words..."

 

HTH

[crazy^millman]

+100 on all the above.

 

+1 on the bigger WCS

+1 on the Updating of the Stock definitions.

+1 on the rum and coke just in my case - the rum dont drink anymore and we all know I have dyas where I reall need to.

 

Crazy Millman

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

James,

I liked it better with just cplane,gview and tplane. I just started using wcs a few months ago

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I really, really, really, realy, like the WCS. Once you get over the initial learning curve, it is quite powerful. Perhaps a bit on the cumbersome side though.

 

Still need to use T/C Planes if you want rotary output. That really needs to be addressed somehow.

[Hardmill]

Gotta agree with james, once you get a grip on

the WCS theres no turning back.

 

PEACE

[gcode]

I'm going to make a leap and assume the V10

will have dockable toolbars.

If that is the case I hope that the WCS will be included.

I just finished a job that used 3 different WCS's

and about 10 different TP/CP's. It would have been very nice to have a dockable toolbar containing just the stuff I needed.

 

While we're on the subject I have a question.

When you open the Tool Plane/Construction Plane box in a tool path, there are three fields

Tool Plane

Constrcution Plane

and WCS.

Can anyone give me an example of a toolpath

where the T/P and the C/P would be different??

[cadcam]

quote:

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I really, really, really, realy, like the WCS.

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I am with you,I use it about every day but for sure on 98% of the jobs I do.

From 2D to 4th axis.

I tried with 5axis but lets not go there.

[Fig sign]

quote:

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Can anyone give me an example of a toolpath

where the T/P and the C/P would be different??

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A quote from help:

quote:

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You can set the tool plane in several ways relative to your geometry.

Tplane perpendicular to construction plane (Cplane)

2D contour and 2D swept surfaces output XZ and YZ arcs when you set the Tplane perpendicular to the Cplane

 

Mastercam’s coordinate system uses a fixed base position. Mastercam calls this point the system origin. It is the main reference point for all geometry and toolpath creation. The system origin is fixed, but you can set up two secondary reference points. One is for geometry creation (construction origin), and the other is for toolpath creation (tool origin). You set up and operate both origins in a similar manner.

 

The tool origin redefines the Tplane’s reference point (X0Y0Z0). The tool origin always equals the system origin, unless you reassign it.

Note: You must set a Tplane before you can define a tool origin.

Tplane parallel to Cplane

Setting a Tplane parallel to the current construction plane allows you to redefine any 2D plane as the machine’s XY plane. This Tplane setting is recommended for programming tombstone and rotary axis toolpaths.

 

Note: Post processors that support the Tplane automatically output indexing codes when the Tplane changes between operations. Use TPlane, Rotate to define multiple parallel Tplanes for rotary axis applications.

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Perpendicular relation like Tplane -side cplane top I use a lot for slotting kind of jobs

In ver 8 and earlier I used Tplane negative

to Cplane (sorta bottom-top )relation for Undercut milling

In ver 9 it is impossible

Iskander teh

[Fig sign]

I want with a right click an option to select my custom named planes like bottom,corner and so on and named WCS.

I want more simple process of wcs setting and more simplicity in general with WSC related things .

 

Also regarding something a bit O/T- Groups I want with right -click an option to select custom -named groups like select group pockets and so on.

I want a possibility to add with a screen-config custom commands to righ click .

 

Iskander teh imprudent

 

[ 01-06-2004, 04:48 AM: Message edited by: Iskander teh ]

[Fig sign]

I also want to hijuck a thread a bit and to ask for a couple of other things:

a couple of new masking types :

1.ability to place mask on more then one level

2. mask except type sorta select all except levels

2,3,9

3.new type of masking select all visuable with shading on See this thread , please !

4 Select all entities lying ,touching or intersecting the specific plane.

 

Iskander teh

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

Iskander,

 

Aslong as your going to hijack:

 

What about ability to just see geo between certain depths.

[Fig sign]

quote:

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What about ability to just see geo between certain depths.

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Jimmy !

 

It is also related to things I want to be added

to Analize

 

Iskander teh just ask me what I want to be added to analize !

[romer]

quote:

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Barefoot CNC - Make it to where we can go to op manager and right click edit common parameters and update/change several ops at one time.

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quote:

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Mayday - edit commom parms with abillity to select which opps for edits

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Getting this function to work predictably,

consistently and as described in the help files would really be a HUGE time saver on many jobs.

 

Thanks for paying attention,

Romer

 

P.S. Might we see a pre-release version at WesTec?

 

[ 01-06-2004, 06:17 AM: Message edited by: romer ]

[Zero]

WOOHOO!!! Thanks for asking guys

 

 

When I get a chance I'll put in my 5 (If I can think of 5 ), hopefully sometime today. But right off the bat kathy's suggestion

quote:

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Make the T'Plane invisible

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I agree with 100%. Don't get rid of it, because with T/C Planes and WCS you can do some very powerful stuff, but I'd be willing to bet that at least 70% of us don't use the 3 together and it's just 1 more thing you have to check to make sure it's right (which takes a few clicks...). Make the T/C Planes something you can turn off or on (preferably defaulted to off)