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Screenshots of old Mastercam releases


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Some more oldies but just not to old.

I think I actually still have an "X" mouse pad hanging around here somewhere as well as the one to the right. Way cool. I think I've used 12 versions of MC since 5.5. We skipped v8 and I was running machines from '05 to '08 and been in the hot seat ever since.

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I think I actually still have an "X" mouse pad hanging around here somewhere as well as the one to the right. Way cool. I think I've used 12 versions of MC since 5.5. We skipped v8 and I was running machines from '05 to '08 and been in the hot seat ever since.

Funny thing is they have gotten thinner over the years. the earlier all black one is twice as thick as the ones these days.

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Thanks for posting those images up Aaron. I recall having a good look around that room with Mike Rosa, and the Summers, when I was there in 2009 (in better days :) ). It sure was a blast looking at some of that stuff.

 

I still remember the prompts. Something like "End Program" and then "Do you want to post process? Y or N"

Mike Rosa was here yesterday helping us out. Great guy. :thumbup:

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V3 was the first version I used... in 1992. Then in 1993 went to V4 and followed the releases from their on out. Been Beta Testing since V8.

 

Indeed things have come a long way. Personally the biggest shift IMHO was when the Operations Managet and associativity was introduced.

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Important to notice that since Meghan (Pre-V1) Mastercam supports axis substitution.

 

post-12334-0-42631600-1481561588.jpg

 

I don´t think that was an usual feature for competitor systems back then. There were big boys like like ADAM, CATIA, Cadra, ANVIL, Unigraphics, Cimatron, Euklid... But those were all high-end systems in that period... Hardware + Software supplied by the same vendor... What was going to become Mastercam, was back then, just a tiny tool compared to these systems... and even though it had axis substitution... And we all know axis substitution in Mastercam is very friendly and straight-forward...

 

Just thought it was worth to mention...

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Important to notice that since Meghan (Pre-V1) Mastercam supports axis substitution.

 

post-12334-0-42631600-1481561588.jpg

 

I don´t think that was an usual feature for competitor systems back then. There were big boys like like ADAM, CATIA, Cadra, ANVIL, Unigraphics, Cimatron, Euklid... But those were all high-end systems in that period... Hardware + Software supplied by the same vendor... What was going to become Mastercam, was back then, just a tiny tool compared to these systems... and even though it had axis substitution... And we all know axis substitution in Mastercam is very friendly and straight-forward...

 

Just thought it was worth to mention...

 

Still contains all of the original bugs too  :D

 

Sorry, had to say it before someone else did, lol

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Well I was doing that with pencil and paper before even having a CAM system. I think any programmer should have to go do what we were doing with pencil and paper for a couple years to get the true value and worth of a CAM system. Making roll-dies and un-wrapping geometry without a CAM system was fun. Mapping out the M-Code sequence to a SMW Autoblock and getting the timing down to the mil-second to dwell the control on the CNC Mill while the 4th axis started its movements independently of the CNC Mill. Working out all the math at what distance the CNC Mill  would end up at for the distance traveled on the 4th Axis that was not controlled the CNC Mill. Doing all of that well before using a CAM system. Guess that is why I am so picky about my code because I could spend weeks writing one program for a part. Now I can do the same thing in hours, but it taught me some good problem solving and math skills. Hardest thing to teach anyone is experience because it takes time and pouring years of experience in someone's head just doesn't happen over night.

 

Remember the dealer giving me the Generic 5 Axis post and saying here is the documentation for the posts for a Thermwood. I am no post expert, but I have been able to do what I needed up to a point with some struggles, but again experience I wouldn't trade for anything. Taught me the value of a good post person. I can remember running programs that ran for 170 hours back in the early 00's on a Thermwood cutting 3 Axis and 5 Axis and not once have an issue with a crash, bump and make a good part all without Verification Software. Over 15 years I have been involved with 5 Axis programming. 5th Axis Consulting got started because company I went work for offered me a full time job from a contract position at $24k a year less than I had been making. Told them for that pay would only work 4 days a week and would need to find something the other day. Here I am all the years later taking a forced direction and know able to do it because I want to. Can I say it was only Mastercam that allowed that? No, but it sure has helped.

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I started with Version 3.1 on an IBM desktop like G with a 10 Meg hard drive and 5 1/4 then 31/2 floppies. I met Meghan when she was about 16 in Florida at an ACTE educational show. Before I left the company I was with to work for the Ohio reseller, we had 28 copies of Mastercam running within the engineering group.

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