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Hollow stock model, STL, imported mesh


CEMENTHEAD
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Save to a pmesh to a level and then use that. Exporting the stl creates this issue, exporting from the stock model to the pmesh doesn't. Also there is a known bug with external stl files. If you ever want to share the file and you have anything linked in the file to user accounts then no one will be able to use the file. The only work around is to make sure whoever you are sharing the files with has the same user accounts on their computer. By linking to level yes the file gets extremely large, but you don't get hollow stock models for verify and if you use them for the stock model process every time you make a change you don't have to regent all the operation just the ones effected up to that point. Also beware of the red X bug in 2017 update 3 making operations dirty. You have a bunch of linked HST toolpaths and operations and you can be eating for some time eating to regenerate everything that was never changed. 

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  • 2 years later...

I'm currently having this problem too using 2018. I just started at this company(and mastercam) 6 weeks ago. I have a lot of experience with primarily with PowerMill and Tebis, but a little WorkNC and Gibbs and some of these simple issues are extremely frustrating. The guy training me has never seen or had this issue before so it is making me look even worse. His method is always the same. Save the STL from the simulation, open the STL separately and orient it accordingly, resave it and use it in stock setup and in stock model. Says he has never had this issue in all of his years. That method worked for me for the first few OPs. But now 160 programs deep on the 4th OP I am struggling with this. I have tried your suggestion as right click > mill toolpath > convert to pmesh. moved the pmesh to a separate layer. But I cant select the Pmesh as stock in stock setup(for simulation). I tried File>save some then selecting it and saving as STL. Same hollow issue in simulation. I select the Pmesh as a "model" in the stock model and combined with the calculation time taking forever for just a few toolpaths it still comes in hollow(which doesn't even make sense to me). 

What am I missing to get these to work properly? Next step is starting the stock models from scratch on all the Ops and re orienting them and seeing if it will work a second time. 

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10 minutes ago, jwvt88 said:

I'm currently having this problem too using 2018. I just started at this company(and mastercam) 6 weeks ago. I have a lot of experience with primarily with PowerMill and Tebis, but a little WorkNC and Gibbs and some of these simple issues are extremely frustrating. The guy training me has never seen or had this issue before so it is making me look even worse. His method is always the same. Save the STL from the simulation, open the STL separately and orient it accordingly, resave it and use it in stock setup and in stock model. Says he has never had this issue in all of his years. That method worked for me for the first few OPs. But now 160 programs deep on the 4th OP I am struggling with this. I have tried your suggestion as right click > mill toolpath > convert to pmesh. moved the pmesh to a separate layer. But I cant select the Pmesh as stock in stock setup(for simulation). I tried File>save some then selecting it and saving as STL. Same hollow issue in simulation. I select the Pmesh as a "model" in the stock model and combined with the calculation time taking forever for just a few toolpaths it still comes in hollow(which doesn't even make sense to me). 

What am I missing to get these to work properly? Next step is starting the stock models from scratch on all the Ops and re orienting them and seeing if it will work a second time. 

Your best bet is to learn to use stock models. There is a lot of topics on these forums on using stock models, this video here i found seems to show the process pretty well so hopefully the video below helps you get familiarized with stock models. not sure who made the video i just did a search online and stumbled on this one but it seems to show all the steps needed to create a stock model.

 

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Yeah that's not my problem at all. I am familiar with creating a stock model. We are machining very complex thin aluminum parts with very thin windows.

For example: 

Op 1: setup, square and machine a slot down the middle for spring

Op 2: flip it over, rough out stock and finish inside pocket where possible. 

Op 3: flip it back over, finish inside pocket first from this side, and then finish ouside 3d possible from this side. Add in holes and taps for next op.

Op 4: Flip back over and 3d finish the outside here on a custom nest fixture I also need to create. 

My issue is going from one Op to the next op, keep flipping the job over and using the same stock reference. We machine one off parts to parts in the tens of thousands for a decade long but always need to be as efficient as possible. 

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Just now, jwvt88 said:

Yeah that's not my problem at all. I am familiar with creating a stock model. We are machining very complex thin aluminum parts with very thin windows.

For example: 

Op 1: setup, square and machine a slot down the middle for spring

Op 2: flip it over, rough out stock and finish inside pocket where possible. 

Op 3: flip it back over, finish inside pocket first from this side, and then finish ouside 3d possible from this side. Add in holes and taps for next op.

Op 4: Flip back over and 3d finish the outside here on a custom nest fixture I also need to create. 

My issue is going from one Op to the next op, keep flipping the job over and using the same stock reference. We machine one off parts to parts in the tens of thousands for a decade long but always need to be as efficient as possible. 

that sounds easy enough, Your not actually flipping the part though right? as long as you don't actually flip the part, use the same part or solid for all 4 ops and use planes to flip the part. So the key thing when doing multiple operations in one file is to not flip the part but rather use a new plane for each operation. is that what you are doing is a new plane for each operation or are you copying the solid and rotating it around for each operation? 

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the mastercam file attached shows what i am talking about above with using planes and stock models. 

If you open the tripleclamp file up attached, then simply click the button to the right of Verify (verify options) then in verify options select operation 2 stock model. Then when you verify you will see the stock from after operation 1 appear. I hope this example file attached clears up any confusion. 

So basically in summary with setting up stock models like this you can just change the stock in simulator options for whichever operation you wish to verify. 

I wont get into details on viewsheets but once you understand what is being done here viewsheets can be created to save even more time and viewsheets can be extremely useful for programming multiple operations in 1 file. 

TripleClamp_2018.mcam

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I have seen this issue when using just a stock model on a very large part a headliner mold, where I run it in verify and before I start it looks great and when I run it, it's like it removes the surfaces and you see a hole like it's hollow, not sure if this is same issue or not but it is irritating. I have never sen this on smaller parts I have done only larger molds like a headliner, or carpet mold, guess it's a bug in MC. 

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21 hours ago, JoshC said:

use planes to flip the part.

if my next op is on bottom, I set bottom as my WCS. leave the stl where it is.

I've always has issues when rotating / translating stl files. 

Changing you WCS to the next op orientation is the key.    I think my issue was the just size of the part. 

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10 minutes ago, CEMENTHEAD said:

if my next op is on bottom, I set bottom as my WCS. leave the stl where it is.

I've always has issues when rotating / translating stl files. 

Changing you WCS to the next op orientation is the key.    I think my issue was the just size of the part. 

Ok great, i have seen people try to use the same plane for every operation and they have to keep copying and rotating geometry around instead of using planes and that can make easy things complicated pretty quickly so that is what i was worried you might be doing that initially. 

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Sorry for the delayed response, I had reached my max posts per day of 3. Yes for some reason(I forget the reason) they want me to use TOP WCS for every OP instead of using the planes. My first couple of days here they just had me playing with the software and I was using the planes how you describe and I was told "no, no, no" Planes need to read "top, top, top" unless 3+2(I haven't gotten to multiaxis yet)

I was eventually able to resolve my issue. The first few Ops I wasn't having any issues then I tried exporting the STL from the simulation(per instruction) and started having the issue. When I went back to exporting the stl from mastercam stock model, it started working appropriately. I think some of my tolerances in the simulation might be wrong because he doesn't have this issue. 

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