Multiple work offsets in one post and other questions.

[Kampfzentrum]

I'm being thrown in the fire at my job and really just running MasterCAM by myself so excuse me if these questions seem a bit novice, but I have to ask.

 

1) I want to run two offsets in one post G54/G55. How do I define these in the operations/parameters? 

 

Right now my company uses CHICK plates and have the entire plate in the session. So how do I create multiple work offsets in one session? How do I define?

[Guest]

Offsets are set in the plane manager. -1= auto increment, 0=G54, 1=G55, 2=G56, etc... 6=G54.1P1, 7=G54.1P2, etc...

[SlaveCam]

I just don't understand why you can change the work offset in the toolpath operation, which will then change the work offset in every operation using the same work plane. It makes no sense.

[Kampfzentrum]

OK, so everyone who is in the know on this seems to respond arrogantly when trying to explain this, but for me it remains a mystery.

 

So I've written two separate operations that I'd like to combine and run together in a single G54/G55 program. I've imported the second operation in and tried to distinguish it as G55 in the WCS manager - no luck, all operations still stay dirty. So what now? What I love to do in MasterCAM is keep the gnomons visible so I get an axis reference, but how do I establish all of this for the operations I've imported in? I just don't see it, please break this down in terms that make sense, it appears that most people just laugh at those like us who are seriously asking. 

 

BTW, I'm not a MasterCAM guru, my company has literally shot me into this software and expects me to run it like a top, so I'm completely lost. Thanks for the help in advance.

[jlw™]

Can you share a file?  I would be happy to help.

 

Let's say you want to use to planes equivalent to TOP.  I rarely use TOP even when I can.  I create a plane called "G54" and set the offset to 0.  Then, I create "g55" and so on until I'm done.

 

Maybe this pic will help:

 

[jlw™]

0 = G54

1 = G55

2 = G56

3 = G57

4 = G58

5 = G59

6 = G54.1 P1

7 = G54.1 P2

etc.

[Newbeeee™]

OK, so everyone who is in the know on this seems to respond arrogantly when trying to explain this, but for me it remains a mystery.

 

^^^???

 

Are you using WCS and the plane manager?

If you're just doing side 1, flip, side 2 parts, just use 'TOP' and 'BOTTOM'.

Treat your WCS as an individual set-up so your first operation will be TOP, and WCS and T/C PLANES will set together for 0 (which will output G54).

For side 2, use WCS BOTTOM and set your T/C PLANES to BOTTOM and set to 1 (which will output G55).

This will then verify correctly all together, and also post correctly.

 

Training is your friend where this is concerned. WCS is VERY powerful but will take a while to get your head around it.

[Kampfzentrum]

jlw, PM sent.

[BenK]

OK, so everyone who is in the know on this seems to respond arrogantly when trying to explain this, but for me it remains a mystery.

 

So I've written two separate operations that I'd like to combine and run together in a single G54/G55 program. I've imported the second operation in and tried to distinguish it as G55 in the WCS manager - no luck, all operations still stay dirty. So what now? What I love to do in MasterCAM is keep the gnomons visible so I get an axis reference, but how do I establish all of this for the operations I've imported in? I just don't see it, please break this down in terms that make sense, it appears that most people just laugh at those like us who are seriously asking. 

 

BTW, I'm not a MasterCAM guru, my company has literally shot me into this software and expects me to run it like a top, so I'm completely lost. Thanks for the help in advance.

 

If you consider the response you got arrogant that your going to have a real bad time trying to get help on anything. What your asking about is a very simple task that if you have any knowledge of Mastercam you would have understood from the very first reply. Have you had any official training in Mastercam? If not I would say that is your companies failing and you need to push back and tell them to contact the reseller in your area to get you some. 

[Kampfzentrum]

If you consider the response you got arrogant that your going to have a real bad time trying to get help on anything. 

 

I apologize that you were unable to view some of the responses I received (not on here). Have a good day.

[gcode]

I apologize that you were unable to view some of the responses I received (not on here). Have a good day.

all the same,... this is not "other places"

there are plenty of people here more than willing to help

[Kampfzentrum]

I was just stating how generalized the responses I got were. I cannot help that my company has not trained me, this is why I am here. I'm really not trying to stir up anything, I would just like some help and didn't appreciate the attitude that I've gotten from others (in "other places") for being a newbie at this. So far everyone has been pretty helpful and friendly, I'd really like to keep it that way as I will probably be utilizing this forum regularly.

 

My original question still stands.

[jeff]

 

My original question still stands.

I believe it was answered at least twice already. Are you doing something different?

[BenK]

I was just stating how generalized the responses I got were. I cannot help that my company has not trained me, this is why I am here. I'm really not trying to stir up anything, I would just like some help and didn't appreciate the attitude that I've gotten from others (in "other places") for being a newbie at this. So far everyone has been pretty helpful and friendly, I'd really like to keep it that way as I will probably be utilizing this forum regularly.

 

My original question still stands.

 

You do understand you can't hold us accountable for the actions of other right? You will get what you give. Keep that in mind.

 

On your original question, look at Foghorn's response, that is what you will need to do. If you don't understand what he is saying just say so and we can go into further detail. Or explain what you are looking for in further detail so we can gain a better understanding of what you are after. Either way leave the attitude at the door and you will get the help you need. 

[gcode]

I was just stating how generalized the responses I got were. I cannot help that my company has not trained me, this is why I am here. I'm really not trying to stir up anything, I would just like some help and didn't appreciate the attitude that I've gotten from others (in "other places") for being a newbie at this. So far everyone has been pretty helpful and friendly, I'd really like to keep it that way as I will probably be utilizing this forum regularly.

 

My original question still stands.

can you share a file

[Machineguy]

I'm just 60 miles east of you.

We have the same MC vendor. Shopware Inc. 888-222-7126

CALL them. Tell then who you are, company, and  your Hasp #. Ask for some help to get you started.

if you have permission from the IT guy at your work, Shopware can set up a 1 time only log into your computer and they can show you what's going on.

Get the code for learning software and download it.

 

If You set up your email in your profile, I'll contact you and give you a hand if needed.

[crazy^millman]

Mastercam will not keep Gnomons visible on the screen. You can use the F9 to see the origin and the Alt-F9 to see the System Gnomons. Here is something I shared years ago that might help. https://www.dropbox.com/s/4yjrt7wxertbxt4/5th%20Axis%20Gnomon.MCX?dl=0 It is a Solid Gnomon that you can place on your different origins to help you. Like others have suggested get some training and Shopware is an excellent group so I think you would be surprised if you called them how much help you would get. I am self taught like many others on this forum and I was thrown into the fire in a 5 Axis shop over 15 years ago. No formal training in Mastercam, but I can get the job done. This forum is invaluable and you might want to rethink your attitude a little bit. We all have wadded through the mud to get better in life no different than you might think, but thinking responses are arrogant is just silly. We want to help, but work offsets are the fundamentals of using Mastercam. The the ones you do have to watch in 2017 with this auto-magically hoping to help you scrap a part new process so get away from that and use the old tried and trued method of Manually setting them. I personally like to set them in the planes manager before ever making the 1st operation, but you can do it after the operations are recreated. Be aware they may not update. 2017 seems to be about the best at updating them.

 

Best of luck and welcome to the forum and hopefully you come back with a little different idea of what helping and getting help is all about. Have a great day.

[huskermcdoogle]

Is it possible he has lock on first wcs activated?

[Machineguy]

Yea. There are many way to use WO's.

Take time to know how to use them.

 

Be kind to this guy. When was the last time you got thrown into the deep end of the pool?

[crazy^millman]

Yea. There are many way to use WO's.

Take time to know how to use them.

 

Be kind to this guy. When was the last time you got thrown into the deep end of the pool?

 

Yesterday and I got my hands dirty and got the job done.

[Machineguy]

Here, have some popcorn !

[huskermcdoogle]

Yesterday and I got my hands dirty and got the job done.

 

Ditto, nothing like walking up to a machine with AICC I that has no parameters setup and trying to do a high speed rotary cut.      

 

Sink or swim folks.  If we programmers and engineers don't get challenged progress will never be made.

[Guest]

Ditto, nothing like walking up to a machine with AICC I that has no parameters setup and trying to do a high speed rotary cut.      

 

Sink or swim folks.  If we programmers and engineers don't get challenged progress will never be made.

 

 

I hate when that happens. Fortunately I have resources at my disposal that makes that situation not nearly as painful as it could be.

[Kampfzentrum]

I'm chewing on what you guys said, but also working. Thanks for the response. I'll keep you posted.

[Kampfzentrum]

OK, so I took some of the advice you guys gave me and also some other information. I managed to create a G54 and G55 planes using the numbers 0 and 1. I have two problems:

 

1) Upon posting it seems to want to post to two separate programs. This is because I imported these operations from two separate programs and I can see in the TOOLPATH section (in the operation details) that the two groups have different names for the .NC file. So how do I alter them to post to the same program?

 

2) Being unable to post both of these programs together, I am unable to see what the coordinates will be for each one. But (if you look at the image) it appears that G55 is related in absolute coordinate to G54. This would be fine if I had a CHICK style vice plate were work offsets were static, but these operations will be run between an indexer and table vice, so is this correct?