Inserting Machine & Tool groups

[So not a Guru]

Is it possible to insert a new tool group, and or new machine groups, between established groups? As it is now, I go thru a convoluted process of creating the groups at the end of all ops and copying & pasting things about, to get my files organized into the order I want,

[Guest]

Click on the machine group or the tool group and right click >> Groups >> New Toolpath group

[crazy^millman]

Be very careful as they will get inserted at the top of your operation group even through they should go to the bottom. It's real fun when you have several 100 operations and then decide you want to add groups. It can feel like you are playing ping pong with the operations manager sorting it all out. The operations will jump around and the order they were in will get lost. I have not done this exercise in 2017, but it has been a issue for many releases. I take screen shots of my operations and make sure everyone is labeled before even thinking about doing what you are suggesting.

[jlw™]

I always save a backup before major stuff like this.

[AMCNitro]

Why not make Toolpath Groups as you go?  I dont have nearly as many opps as you guys, but I make a Toolpath Group for every opp

[Guest]

This is how I use them when programming on an HMC

[crazy^millman]

Why not make Toolpath Groups as you go?  I dont have nearly as many opps as you guys, but I make a Toolpath Group for every opp

 

I never know how many I am going to end up with. I normally make up my operations as I go. I do my best to think ahead, but sometimes you just can't see things until you are in the middle of it.

[AMCNitro]

This is how I use them when programming on an HMC

 

 

I never know how many I am going to end up with. I normally make up my operations as I go. I do my best to think ahead, but sometimes you just can't see things until you are in the middle of it.

I see, Ive just never done anything with 100s of opps.  I usually just try to group them by the WCS on which Im on.

[Guest]

I see, Ive just never done anything with 100s of opps.  I usually just try to group them by the WCS on which Im on.

 

Anything less than a 100 ops and I feel like I'm on vacation  

[AMCNitro]

Anything less than a 100 ops and I feel like I'm on vacation  

Il call myself an amateur then 

[Guest]

Il call myself an amateur then 

Nope, not everyone programs the same stuff..

 

[crazy^millman]

Il call myself an amateur then 

 

Nope you not getting off that easy. I have seen your work and you do good job. Like JP said just because it may not have as many operations doesn't mean more is better. I like the 40 or 50 operation parts they are a nice break, but it is still work and still requires the same amount of care and expertise the couple 100 or even 1000 operations do. Thing is you may do 10, 20 or 30 of those small jobs a week. That is about the same amount of work just not all in one file. 

[AMCNitro]

Nope, not everyone programs the same stuff..

 

Good point.

 

Nope you not getting off that easy. I have seen your work and you do good job. Like JP said just because it may not have as many operations doesn't mean more is better. I like the 40 or 50 operation parts they are a nice break, but it is still work and still requires the same amount of care and expertise the couple 100 or even 1000 operations do. Thing is you may do 10, 20 or 30 of those small jobs a week. That is about the same amount of work just not all in one file. 

 

Thanks Ron!  Im starting to want to do more programming and less work at the machine, I must be getting lazy 

[JoshC]

Groups are great to say the least. I love organization, I don't use them much on simple stuff but complex stuff can be way too confusing for me if I don't group things out with some labels.

 

I only wish that the groups could be controlled by Viewsheets. Hopefully one day, it would be nice to be able to hit a certain viewsheet and have grops open or close based on how the Viewsheet was created.

[crazy^millman]

Groups are great to say the least. I love organization, I don't use them much on simple stuff but complex stuff can be way too confusing for me if I don't group things out with some labels.

 

I only wish that the groups could be controlled by Viewsheets. Hopefully one day, it would be nice to be able to hit a certain viewsheet and have grops open or close based on how the Viewsheet was created.

 

Josh ties back to my request to have levels work like the operation manager where we can collapse groups of levels. Viewsheets are great concept and on simple stuff serve a good purpose, but on files that may have 20 or 100 groups and 100s of levels then not so much. You can either clutter the screen one way or the other. If the view sheets has sub groups where you can have one parent view sheet and then click on a plus and get sub view sheets that would be awesome, but if levels works like operation groups then where do you focus development efforts?

[AMCNitro]

I would like the operations to indicate in which level its geometry is.  Ive had to work on other people's files that had geometry from different parts, geometry that wasnt being used on that file, it was a nightmare finding the geometry for a particular opp.  I ended up having to turn on all levels, pick the chain that I was looking for and finding which geo was getting highlighted.  Needless to say the original programmer wasnt very organized when it came to levels... 

[jlw™]

I would like the operations to indicate in which level its geometry is. Ive had to work on other people's files that had geometry from different parts, geometry that wasnt being used on that file, it was a nightmare finding the geometry for a particular opp. I ended up having to turn on all levels, pick the chain that I was looking for and finding which geo was getting highlighted. Needless to say the original programmer wasnt very organized when it came to levels...

Ditto that, holy crap I'd like to be able to do that.

 

I know that I can turn them all on, then click only show associated geo and click my path. I'd like to see an "info" button like in plane manager. I also wish the info button in plane manager have OP no instead of comment.

[crazy^millman]

Ditto that, holy crap I'd like to be able to do that.

 

I know that I can turn them all on, then click only show associated geo and click my path. I'd like to see an "info" button like in plane manager. I also wish the info button in plane manager have OP no instead of comment.

 

Yes it would be awesome to hover your mouse over the plane and see operation 2, 6, 7, 85, 99, 587 are using said plane. Of course the problem with the planes manager and larger file comes into play. Get a couple 100meg file open and leave the levels manager up. Delete something from the Mastercam file. Look in the right hand corner and watch the NCI % go though it's search. Can take as long as 30 seconds before it goes through all the planes in the planes manager to erase that object. The more planes the longer the wait. Close the planes manager and doesn't do the same thing. Falls back to the file size and the work you need to do. Simple 10 to 30 operations files with basic planes you never see the same issues as people who do the more intense and complex work see. Patience has to become your friend on some of the files. Thing is other programs all act the same way when you start working with these huge files. Some better than others, but you past a certain point everything just slows down.

[So not a Guru]

Be very careful as they will get inserted at the top of your operation group even through they should go to the bottom. It's real fun when you have several 100 operations and then decide you want to add groups. It can feel like you are playing ping pong with the operations manager sorting it all out. The operations will jump around and the order they were in will get lost. I have not done this exercise in 2017, but it has been a issue for many releases. I take screen shots of my operations and make sure everyone is labeled before even thinking about doing what you are suggesting.

That's been my experience as well.

[So not a Guru]

I always save a backup before major stuff like this.

Oh yeah, I save it beforehand, all kinds of crazy stuff can happen!

[BenK]

I would like the operations to indicate in which level its geometry is.  Ive had to work on other people's files that had geometry from different parts, geometry that wasnt being used on that file, it was a nightmare finding the geometry for a particular opp.  I ended up having to turn on all levels, pick the chain that I was looking for and finding which geo was getting highlighted.  Needless to say the original programmer wasnt very organized when it came to levels... 

 

Forget levels, I would like my geometry to be stored inside the operation much like how a parametric CAD software uses sketches.

[crazy^millman]

That's been my experience as well.

 

Can't be I have been told many times I am crazy and it has ever been seen before. Watch it you might get crazy attached to your name. :laughing: :scooter:  

[crazy^millman]

Forget levels, I would like my geometry to be stored inside the operation much like how a parametric CAD software uses sketches.

 

Ben I just don't see Mastercam ever getting to that level. Great suggestion. 

[So not a Guru]

Can't be I have been told many times I am crazy and it has ever been seen before. Watch it you might get crazy attached to your name. :laughing: :scooter:

As long as I don't get called late to dinner, I'm good.

[jlw™]

Forget levels, I would like my geometry to be stored inside the operation much like how a parametric CAD software uses sketches.

It kind of is. You can drag from one OP to the next. You can even see it if the level it's on is active. I just want it to tell me what level/levels it's on.