Drilling and 3d geometry selection

[wdg5555]

I'm guessing this has been asked before but I couldn't find it. If you look at the attached pictures you will see the same drill path but one has circles selected for the drill entities and the other one has solid geometry selected. When the solid geometry is selected the drill does not drill at the correct angle (this is for a rotary).

My questions are,

1. Why does it drill at the wrong angle when solid geometry is used?

2. How does one correct this issue?

3. Is there anyway to select circles only and not 3d geometry when the circle and 3d geo is shown at the same time? In other words I would like the option to not select 3d geometry when selecting entities in a drilling toolpath.

Thanks!

 

 

New Bitmap Image - Copy.bmp

New Bitmap Image.bmp

[mkd]

So i'm assuming you are using 5 axis drilling, since 3x drilling angle is controlled by tool planes, right?

as far as selection of entities, there are a number of way to go about it. Maybe an atl+s to turn shading off so you can pick circles.

more to the point the solid should reside on a separate level and just turn it off momentarily.

[wdg5555]

24 minutes ago, mkd said:

So i'm assuming you are using 5 axis drilling, since 3x drilling angle is controlled by tool planes, right?

I'm using 3x drilling using the same WCS on all toolpaths and the T and C planes set to the angle I am working on. I don't think drilling toolpaths are controlled by the tool planes unless they have changed something since X6. This can be confirmed by selecting a point instead of a circle entity in the drilling toolpath. As far as I know selecting points instead of circle entities will cause issues.

as far as selection of entities, there are a number of way to go about it. Maybe an atl+s to turn shading off so you can pick circles.

Turning off shading still results in the ability to select solid geometry in a drilling toolpath.

 

more to the point the solid should reside on a separate level and just turn it off momentarily.

I don't want my wireframe and solid on different levels.

 

[Guest]

7 hours ago, wdg5555 said:

I don't want my wireframe and solid on different levels.

You like doing things the hard way?

Seriously, the purpose of levels is for exactly things like this.....keeping things in a way that make doing the job easier.....you have over 2,000,000....there's no worry about running out of them....

You also might try turning off the solid selection......

Edited October 25, 2017 by Guest

[jeff]

8 hours ago, wdg5555 said:

I don't want my wireframe and solid on different levels.

 

I used have everything on the same level.

It's 100x easier when you separate stuff and label levels.

Try it for a week or two.

[crazy^millman]

13 hours ago, wdg5555 said:

 As far as I know selecting points instead of circle entities will cause issues.

I don't want my wireframe and solid on different levels.

Lost me with the using points instead of arcs. Do you mean for Circle Mill Toolpaths where you like rolling the dice and hope Mastercam doesn't have another bug where it ignores the arcs and makes the holes all one size like it did with the release of 2018? (Since Fixed) Used points for almost 2 decades with no ill effect so curious what you have seen. Many times I have used arcs it has created issues for me.

When I taught Mastercam to people in a classroom this is what I used to explain levels.

I have 1000 blueprints. I am going to give them to you and ask you to sort them how you see fit. You can either organize your blueprints in order by part number or you can throw them all in a drawer. Now I am coming back to you the next day and now I want this certain blueprint or drawing. You might get lucky and grab that one. Problem is that is a 1/1000 chance. Now if you took the time upfront and sorted everything and put everything in order you could go grab that drawing with no issue. Now I want you to go grab me 10 or 20 different drawings. Now if you used levels with the thought that yes it is some work upfront to organize everything and sort everything, but you can quickly do what you need as you keep coming back to your work then you will see quickly how using your levels is vital to being productive at your work. You got 10 prints throw them in a drawer and you only have a 1/10 chance to deal with and could sort through that easily, but you just described perfectly why levels are needed here.

To each their own, but do you drive across the country without a map? Your asking to machine your part without a map. A map has a legend and many things on it to help someone understand the small things a map can't show in good detail. You are doing the same thing to yourself here not using Wireframe on a different level. Turn off the cluter and focus on the details you are trying to do.

Please understand I have taught well over 400 people Mastercam and been in well over 200 different shops. The programmers using levels are the most productive on complicated involved parts. The ones not are the least productive. I offer my thought to be hopefully well recived and give you some food for thought about a different way to look at levels.

Have a good day.

Edited October 25, 2017 by C^Millman
Issue stated Fixed in Update 1

[Guest]

Ron, you're just crazy 

[huskermcdoogle]

I always start a file with thee best intentions, I even have a number convention.....  But as I get under the gun, it always goes to crap in some way shape or form such that the next time I open the file there are always WTF moments trying to find some geometry for something...

[wdg5555]

I use levels for every job I do. I just prefer to have the wireframe and solid on the same level. 

Can anyone answer my questions in the original post?

9 hours ago, JParis said:

You also might try turning off the solid selection......

Not sure what you are talking about.

[Guest]

Make sure these 2 are not active

When you haver your cursor over it, it lights up to select/unselect

 

 

Terrible preference BTW...to each his own though

Edited October 25, 2017 by Guest

[crazy^millman]

17 minutes ago, wdg5555 said:

I use levels for every job I do. I just prefer to have the wireframe and solid on the same level. 

Can anyone answer my questions in the original post?

Not sure what you are talking about.

Have you tried Quickmask arcs using the only option for selecting arcs when you are doing geometry selection. I have the Auto Cursor and Auto Cursor Lock on my RMB and use it all the time on points when picking geometry. Without a sample file and something to see what you are seeing you are asking a lot to be figured out for your #1 and #2 questions.

I have points, arcs and all kinds of geometry showing on the screen, but do have them on separate levels, but that is just a crazy person talking so take it for what it is worth.

[wdg5555]

6 minutes ago, JParis said:

Terrible preference BTW...to each his own though

I've tried both ways and Its slower to have your wireframe and solid on different levels. Is it alot of wasted time? nope.

[mkd]

to answer your original question, geometry selected is independent of the angle you are drilling at with 3x paths (3+2 included here).

tool plane is the sole determinate of angle. By " wrong angle when solid geometry is used "  you mean you are using the auto-cursor to select  solid edge/ center point when running into trouble? Maybe the short answer is to "stop doing that!!" lol

 FWIW check out the "Hole axis" funtion under model prep menu. It's awesome.

 

[MrFish]

11 hours ago, huskermcdoogle said:

I always start a file with thee best intentions, I even have a number convention.....  But as I get under the gun, it always goes to crap in some way shape or form such that the next time I open the file there are always WTF moments trying to find some geometry for something...

I find the same, something that made a huge difference for me, especially with multi axis work is using viewsheets, awesome how they display and switch everything you need on depending on what you saved to each viewsheet, real time saver and very helpful when you go back to a file months later.

[wdg5555]

1 hour ago, mkd said:

to answer your original question, geometry selected is independent of the angle you are drilling at with 3x paths (3+2 included here).

tool plane is the sole determinate of angle. By " wrong angle when solid geometry is used "  you mean you are using the auto-cursor to select  solid edge/ center point when running into trouble? Maybe the short answer is to "stop doing that!!" lol

 FWIW check out the "Hole axis" funtion under model prep menu. It's awesome.

 

If geometry is independent then how do you explain the video below?

 

edit: nevermind. Just realized you said "3x paths". I don't have multiaxis option btw.

 

[crazy^millman]

10 hours ago, wdg5555 said:

If geometry is independent then how do you explain the video below?

 

edit: nevermind. Just realized you said "3x paths". I don't have multiaxis option btw.

 

Why can't you make a simple example and put it so we can follow along at home? None of us are sitting next to you to see what you are seeing. With a sample file someone might be able to really quit guessing and offering good suggestions to help you and give you the right suggestion. You keep coming back with jabs about the advise, but not giving anyone a real way to assist.

[mkd]

17 hours ago, wdg5555 said:

If geometry is independent then how do you explain the video below?

 

edit: nevermind. Just realized you said "3x paths". I don't have multiaxis option btw.

 

Select no rotation instead of rotary axis positioning

[jeff]

On 10/24/2017 at 10:26 PM, wdg5555 said:

3. Is there anyway to select circles only and not 3d geometry when the circle and 3d geo is shown at the same time? In other words I would like the option to not select 3d geometry when selecting entities in a drilling toolpath.

Thanks!

 

Entities/Only/Points

Entities/Only/Arcs

[DENNIS-]

Entities/Only/Points

Entities/Only/Arcs

Could someone please elaborate on this?

 

[jlw™]

[Roger]

Dennis,  There called "masks"  Hover over them with your mouse, and they will tell you what each one is.  They are split in to two sections the upper half is "only" and the bottom half is "all".  If you click on the upper half of the arcs icon it will allow you to only select arcs, if you click on the lower half of the arcs icon it will select all arcs on the screen. 

[DENNIS-]

Thanks Roger. I appreciate the help. I'm finding this function inconsistent so far but I'll play around with it and figure it out. It keeps reverting 2D wireframe geometry into a solid point in a drill toolpath. If I isolate the 2d geometry from the solid I have no problems but if the solid model is there it always picks up the solid entity.

[Roger]

What version of Mastercam are you using?  Can you share what your working on?  Or an example?