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I can't believe I need to ask this.... Manual tool change


jaydenn
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Seriously.... Does mastercam not support a manual tool change out of the box?

Do I have to do all the coding by hand to get this to work? Do I need to use a precious misc. value, and develop a post to support this?

I know mastercam is bad, but is it really this bad??!??

J

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7 minutes ago, gcode said:

What do you need, Rapid to a home position? It's easily done

Not really....

You need to empty the spindle of the current tool,

Call the "manual tool/empty pocket" into the spindle,

go to a fixed tool change location and then M00,

Do the work....

Return to fixed position and M00,

Then carry on.

 

Mastercam doesn't even have the facilities to add a M00 AFTER an operation(BUT before the toolchange!!!!)... I just can't believe it.

J

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3 minutes ago, jaydenn said:

Mastercam doesn't even have the facilities to add a M00 AFTER an operation(BUT before the toolchange!!!!)... I just can't believe it.

that would be done with a manual entry operation.

easy

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Just now, mkd said:

that would be done with a manual entry operation.

easy

That's not easy... It's disastrous if you forget. It's a total catastrophe waiting to happen.

The software needs a radio button to specify that a particular tool is "Manual only", then whenever you select it, the post processor will complete the tool change safely, based on that value.

Anything else is a hack job.

It's clear. The answer is that I need to develop a post to do this safely.

Thanks,

J

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I commonly add an M00 after an operation.  In the Misc Values page there is an option to add an M00 before operation.  I simply toggle this to yes at the operation AFTER the desired M00 location.  This will add the M00 with a G53 Z0. Y0. between ops.  Add in a Manual Entry toolpath and you can accomplish exactly what you are asking for.5b100f1d4fb57_shot1.thumb.png.224a006ea96cd208550ceef7be0d2017.png

Now perhaps this is something that exists on our post.  But with a manual entry any combination to G code, M code and comment can be added to any desired location.

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11 minutes ago, jaydenn said:

That's not easy... It's disastrous if you forget. It's a total catastrophe waiting to happen.

The software needs a radio button to specify that a particular tool is "Manual only", then whenever you select it, the post processor will complete the tool change safely, based on that value.

Anything else is a hack job.

It's clear. The answer is that I need to develop a post to do this safely.

Thanks,

J

i see your point. And a post hack maybe your best solution if your dead set against manual entries.

I guess a manual tool change is thought of as a rare and special circumstance not rising to the level of software infrastructure.

I'm thinking having manual operations explicitly populating the ops manager, before and after the manual tool, would be more visual and safer than (forgetting) to check misc int or something complicated buried in parameters.

 these manual ops with manual programmed text, can be imported into new MC files to prevent having to type it for every file.

2 cents

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Why would to not want a post catered to EXACTLY how you want a tool change to happen. This is a simple post mod, and You never have to worry about it again. 

It’s not a hack. It’s having a cam system do exactly what you want it to do. 

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1 hour ago, jaydenn said:

Seriously.... Does mastercam not support a manual tool change out of the box?

Do I have to do all the coding by hand to get this to work? Do I need to use a precious misc. value, and develop a post to support this?

I know mastercam is bad, but is it really this bad??!??

J

Wow that is your definition of BAD would hate to see what your reaction is when someone gives you a $250k part and you need to program it in Mastercam. Oh wait been there and done that already with 85 tools all manually changed 14 of which were RAH tools without the 1st complaint from a company that sends parts into space, but you right it is BAD because you don't have a radio button for you.

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Dude, this is less than 15 minutes of my time.

Send me a zip 2 go file and let me know how you want the code to look. This is really simple stuff you are asking for. You can literally run a 5 Axis machine with zero hand-edits needed, if you have a properly configured Post Processor. Outputting a manual tool change is cake in comparison. 

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16 minutes ago, ihsDavidM said:

Jaydenn I see you are from Ontario, Canada.  If you send In-House Solutions a Zip2Go of your Mastercam file along with marked up code showing exactly how you would like to see the post output we can have our post department take a look at it.  Send it to [email protected]

I will be doing this. For sure. But, it all comes down to time. I'll get my posts updated for the "next job"... But I need this absolutely right now. You know how it is in this industry!

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15 minutes ago, Colin Gilchrist said:

Dude, this is less than 15 minutes of my time.

Send me a zip 2 go file and let me know how you want the code to look. This is really simple stuff you are asking for. You can literally run a 5 Axis machine with zero hand-edits needed, if you have a properly configured Post Processor. Outputting a manual tool change is cake in comparison. 

I know. I can do it too, but it's all time. I just never expected that a CAM software in the year 2018 wouldn't have this ultra-basic feature.

It's tough to update a post at the same time you're training the staff how to run the new machine!

I'll get it all done, I just expected it to be much easier than this!

J

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8 minutes ago, jaydenn said:

But I need this absolutely right now. You know how it is in this industry!

You have had an offer to do it quickly, and I second that offer.  Post up a file if you can and what you want the output to be and many others would probably help as well.  If not, a zip2go via pm works as well.

But I am more concerned with the short sighted frustration of Mastercams capability.  There are many ways to accomplish what you want.  All of which are dead simple if you care to become slightly familiar with the general process flow of how the software is designed to be used.  Yes post edits aren't the simplest things all the time, but if the slightest thought and time was put into it when purchasing the software, the dealer would have helped configure the "simple" posts for you gladly.  They all strive for customer satisfaction, but at the end of the day they are only going to help those customers who request help.  If you don't tell them what your needs are when you buy the software, they can't help you.

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5 minutes ago, jaydenn said:

Looks like I've upset the fanbois... Sorry I ever mentioned that Mastercam may in some way be flawed! Long live Mast3rcam!

My most humble apologies.

I never said it wasn't flawed, and IMHO, all software written for the masses has flaws in the eyes of the users.  Everyone has an opinion on how things should be done.  Different CAM systems tailor to different thought processes or business needs.  They each have been sculpted into what they are by years of user feedback.  I have used a few different systems over the years, and have my fair share of frustrations every day using Mastercam.  I fully understand the need it now attitude, and I have a boss that breathes down my neck every day.  At the end of the day, the more you learn about the tools you have, the more you learn to configure them for what you do,  the faster you can get.  Refusing to stop and fix a few little issues now snowballs into a bigger issue later.  Stop and fix is a basic lean principle.  Take the time to fix or learn how to get around these little issues, and you will find yourself being in less of a need it now situation.

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13 minutes ago, jaydenn said:

Looks like I've upset the fanbois... Sorry I ever mentioned that Mastercam may in some way be flawed! Long live Mast3rcam!

My most humble apologies.

:P

No sir Mastercam has it flaws and if you seen my emails and comments about things you know how much I am not happy about things, but it is about prospective and from your prospective Mastercam is the worse software on the planet because it doesn't have a simple thing. To me that fact I cannot program a Triple Turret Nakamura or NJTX in the MT environment are bad. Does it not having this radio button prevent you from putting food on your table? It doesn't me, but if that is the only thing in Mastercam preventing you from putting food on your table then yes please go find the perfect software that has this radio button so you can put food on your table.

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28 minutes ago, jaydenn said:

I know. I can do it too, but it's all time. I just never expected that a CAM software in the year 2018 wouldn't have this ultra-basic feature.

It's tough to update a post at the same time you're training the staff how to run the new machine!

I'll get it all done, I just expected it to be much easier than this!

J

How many CAM Software are you currently using and have at your finger tips?

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