Life after X9 a.k.a. Mcam 2017

[Gracjan aka Pullo]

Basically this is a re-run on  the gem thread pertaining to X9 , only now we are talking Mastercam 2017.  it will take some time to gather all my stuff into an  answer here, so I'll do it later myself , but here is the heart of the matter.

For all of us old timers ( me Mastercam v3 when .ge3 was a thing ) we have had to adapt to 2017. How did You do it ?  . A few screen shots documenting the general  outlook (QAT + RMB)   and some explanatory text .

 

Gracjan (TBO)

[gcode]

I put all my favorite commands in the QA tool bar and minimize the ribbon bar

[Gracjan aka Pullo]

screenshot plz

Gracjan

[Gracjan aka Pullo]

I mean that thing about a pic being more than 1024 words is still viable

Gracjan

[gcode]

screenshot plz

Gracjan

http://www.emastercam.com/board/topic/88454-different-button-sizes-in-the-ribbon-bar/#entry1071914

[crazy^millman]

Here is mine. Recent used is shrunk down on the right like the old MRU toolbar I use to have in previous version was. Levels manager and toolpaths manager are on the right screen.

[Mjölnir]

i too started with mastercam using v3. 3.21 to be specific, in 1992. when i finally switch to 2017, which will not be any time soon, i'll do it the same way i went from V9 to X2. (i totally skipped X, might do the same with 2017). that is i'll use it for at least two months in its default configuration before i start making any changes. a lot of work and thought went into the new interface and i don't think it is wise to make changes based on knee jerk reactions right out of the gate. i think it's better to learn it as is and make changes only after having a good grasp on it and you can only do that by spending time in the saddle. ymmv.

[Gracjan aka Pullo]

1. As I could not turn off the new QMs . I made them invisible. My QMs are on the Quick access bar.  Besides , Named groups is missing and I have yet to encounter a curve on a surface ...with a 32" screen the QM stuff is just in my blind spot....

2 A lot of toolpaths were missing so Toolpaths were turned off and I created  new tabs : 2d , 3d , and 5ax . The rest of the stuff is very superficial so I won't mention it.

3. The word  Xform has been totally burnt into my brains, Transform had to go

4. As the QAT is so small , I had to increase the Windows font size... to 149 %  . use the 150% and everything else on your machine becomes really ugly. 

5. My first day with 2017 and I had the attributes panel at the bottom of the screen ...of couse! It's been there forever...and then I bid it  a farewell.  Unnecessary clinging to the past. 

 

 

Gracjan

 

 

 

 

 

[jeff]

Here are 2 pics of mine. 

I tried to put my most used functions up top.

Sure it looks like a complete clusterf**k but unfortunately that's unavoidable.

 

 

[Leigh @ Kodiak]

Here's how I have mine

 

 

[Gracjan aka Pullo]

Slightly off topic , but not much :

Things that are better in 2017 , but were not mentioned anywhere as major improvements:

1. One can finally use shift for selecting adjacent , tangent faces in a solid for drafting the faces selection

2. Auto cursor lock arc center. One can finally manually choose arc centers from a solid for drilling with a 100% success rate . 

3. Single letters for keyboard shortcuts. This is both a boon and a curse.  I use T for Trim/Cut/Edit, but now I can't use the letter T in naming a plane , as Mcam will jump out of   text mode and offer me the possibility to Trim /Cut /Edit.  I hope the next 2017 update will make simple text entry "numb" to that.  (QC? )

4. This one was actually corrected in X9 , but never bothered to check it until I noticed it works in 2017 and went back to see only to notice that you can do it there too. You   can now  go into a 2d -toolpath and change it from  2d profile to pocket or facing . 

 

Plz chime in with your  observations.

 

Gracjan

[ahaslam]

I like the ribbon but I can't seem to fully customize it. I want to trash the default and setup from scratch. Any ideas? 

 

Edit: Okay, now I feel kinda dumb. I ended up just renaming tabs. That's all I really wanted

[Gracjan aka Pullo]

You can't delete the default ones , but you can turn them off and build your own .  Just click in the quick access bar area with your right mouse button and choose customize the ribbon or customize the quick access bar, they both lead to the same place.  And off you go customizing. 

 

Gracjan

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

You can't delete the default ones , but you can turn them off and build your own .  Just click in the quick access bar area with your right mouse button and choose customize the ribbon or customize the quick access bar, they both lead to the same place.  And off you go customizing. 

 

Gracjan

 

That sounds like it might make 2017 usable for me.  What about the top level, where the "toolpaths" menu access is set to "JM"?  Can that be changed?

[gcode]

In the hidden gems department

 

People frequently complain that the chaining arrows are too big and intrusive,

especially when chaining small entities

 

so

 

System Config/Chaining

 

You can now change the appearance of your chain arrows

 

small, medium, large ... and translucent

[Gracjan aka Pullo]

 I have not seen any place where you could change the "JM", are you thinking of using the graphical interface using keystrokes ?  I will refrain myself from judging you and answer your question, I searched  thru the file (mastercam.workspace)  for a JM string and did not find it, so I think that these ALT + letters and numbers are assigned via some mystical Microsoft system.... You'll have to ask someone from CNCsoft. maybe they will answer here.  But if you turn off the Toolpaths and make your own tab , you'll get a new ALT + something to work with , although I think you'd like to assign it something of your own accord... then we need help from the CNCsoft  guys.

I started this chain in the hope of seeing other people's screen so I can see some new idea or a neat  tweak , so when you get your stuff in order send a few screen shots Mat . It took me a week and a half , an hour here,  two hours there to get into a comfy place with 2017...

 

 

Gracjan

[Jayson Kramer]

For me left the install just as it is, and have not gone and modified it. getting real used to using like this. But I remember the change to X series a lot folks fought it and wanted for a long time to be just like V9 and tried to make look just like it. I agree it was kind of tough just like now.

there sure has been changes over the years sense I started to Mastercam or (aka called in California as Quick silver) and I am sure everyone will get used to the new interface.

For me the hardest has been the change in Keystroks that I have used for many , Many years. getting used to the new format is hard as I usually use the keys and icones and drop downs a few different ways.

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

 I have not seen any place where you could change the "JM", are you thinking of using the graphical interface using keystrokes ?  I will refrain myself from judging you and answer your question, I searched  thru the file (mastercam.workspace)  for a JM string and did not find it, so I think that these ALT + letters and numbers are assigned via some mystical Microsoft system.... You'll have to ask someone from CNCsoft. maybe they will answer here.  But if you turn off the Toolpaths and make your own tab , you'll get a new ALT + something to work with , although I think you'd like to assign it something of your own accord... then we need help from the CNCsoft  guys.

I started this chain in the hope of seeing other people's screen so I can see some new idea or a neat  tweak , so when you get your stuff in order send a few screen shots Mat . It took me a week and a half , an hour here,  two hours there to get into a comfy place with 2017...

 

 

Gracjan

 

 

Yeah, I've been using Mastercam by keystroke since '95, and by the back of the envelope have around 40,000 hours of seat time in.  That's a lot of habit to try to retrain.  Plus pretty much every Mastercam programmer who's watched me program has commented on how fast I can do things.  I used to work adjacent to a CAD guy working in Solidworks, and when I showed him how I could type my way through commands instead of hunting and pecking icons with the mouse he said "Man, I wish Solidworks worked that way!"

 

So yeah, by crippling the keystroke interface (again) they've crippled my throughput (again).  I'm just looking for a way not to loose too much ground.

[Gracjan aka Pullo]

You'll have to wait until some whiz kid answers from CNC here ....

 

Gracjan

[Newbeeee™]

You'll have to wait until some whiz kid answers from CNC here ....

 

Gracjan

Or not...

[Thad]

Or not...

 

They've pretty much kept out of the 2017 topics here.

[Gracjan aka Pullo]

Well I sent the Usability folks this : Can we get control over the alt + something  in 2017 ? There’s a guy who does not use the graphical interface but uses the keyboard and he’d like to e.g. change the alt + JM (toolpaths ) to something he is more used to .

 

Gracjan

[FROZEN]

so how do you save your work space in 2017????

[gcode]

so how do you save your work space in 2017????

there is only one

it's named mastercam.workspace and when you make edit's to the interface, it gets saved to that file

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

It seems Microsoft (that CNC appears to be emulating) does allow them to be customized in at least some of their applications:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc295432.aspx