Newbie needs help

[Hurtig]

I am very new to the programming game, but have been running 4 and 5 axis machining centers for about 5 years now. My question is this: is there anyway to scan a basic countour, save and then bring it up on MC? Also, can ayone help me understand IGES files? Thank you.

[Dan Bedore]

what are you going to scan with?if you use your mill you could use a reverse post and then backplot and save as geometry.

[Hurtig]

I have a probe on the machine,but I was thinking of the normal scanner for the PC. If that will not work could you explain a little more on how to probe it? I am very sorry but I am what they call computer illiterate.

[crazy^millman]

Well yes you could scan a print and bring it in to Mastercam but you would need to have Raster which is a add-on for Mastercam to do that. The other way is to take and make a NC program of the X,Y,Z coordinates and run the Reverese post to get a NCI that might be read into Mastercam. Reverse post has been covered alot lately so do a search I think you will be suprised what you find.

 

 

Also Welcome to the Forum.

[Hurtig]

Thanks alot guys. I will read up all I can on it. Gonna try it tonite and see what happens. Probobly need more help, but I will try.

[Racer X]

What kind of info are you wanting about .IGES files??

 

If you are asking because you have an .iges file of the same part you are looking to scan, Mastercam can bring it right in. Just go to file/converters/iges then locate your file and boom your in.

 

IGES stands for International Graphics Exchange System (sometimes also .igs). It is an older and pretty generic format that files are saved as in order to be read into other cad systems. I don't know of any cad systems that do not have .iges converters in them to both read in and write out files. .Iges is capable of saving surfaces and splines unlike the .DXF (Drawing Exchange Format) of the same time period. .Iges still works pretty well, however there are much better formats out there now.

 

Maybe someone better informed could jump in here.

[Thad]

Correction. IGES stands for Initial Graphics Exchange Specification. You can read more about it here. It's not a favorite of most people.

 

Thad

[Racer X]

Oops, that's what I meant. Musta been typing faster than I was thinking.

[Fig sign]

And come here to read this WINTOPO

[Code_Breaker]

Welcome to the forum Hertig and to the wonderful world of programming. One piece of advise--"there are NO perfect programs."

 

These is always more than one way to do something and the best way is the easiest and quickest way that a programmer can do the job. Find what works for you, stay open to change and read the info in the forum. You'll just great.

 

 

Hey, GP, for about a grand, you can buy an iges converter for AutoCAD

 

Before AutoCAD 2000, it was part of the package, but then, "mo' money" came into play.

 

Anyway, I always wanted to know what "iges" meant. Thanks for the info.