Esprit toolpath manager is just opposite to MC toolpath manager. In Esprit toolpath manager, the work flow goes like this: WCS ->Chain feature->Free form feature (check surfaces) -> Toolpath With this workflow Esprit has the following advantage over Mastercam: 1. Need to select check & machined surfaces only once in "Free form feature" and all the toolpaths can be added to that. Suppose if there are 100s of toolpath and if there is a design change, then we need to change the check and machine surfaces only once at the FFF & not at the every toolpath. 2. Operation sequence manager is seperate from Tool manager. The sequence "we see" or arranged is the the operation sequence. In MC, it is not obvious to know the sequence by just looking at it, unless we open the toolpath and check which stock or previous operation is connected. Now Mastercam has the following advantage with its toolpath manager & workflow: 1. We can choose any stock or any in-process stock for any operation/toolpath. This a very big flexibility. In Esprit, the in-process stock flows automatically as per the sequence in Operation manager and if you want to use different stock for any particular operation, then you need to export the stock as STL and import & select in FFF (as you know there will be no associativity in this case). This also allow us carry out independent study on certain toolpath, by copying & working on it, without affecting other toolpath. 2. The toolpath groups allows us to organise the way we want and we can change group / common properties. 3. The Transform toolpaths have associativity with its parent toolpath! Sounds like a simple thing? But it's not the case with Esprit. If anything changes in the parent toolpath, we need to delete all the transform toolpaths and then we need to recreate the transform toolpaths again! MC toolpath manager more functionality and flexibility. If MC has a sequence manager (for milling) and in which if we can see the sequence by arrows or list, then it would be great!

I completed a program for a model with 3d surfaces and it contains lot of toolpath. Now the designer modified the design by little margin (maximum 0.25mm). Now instead of remapping all the machining and check surface to the new model in every toolpath, is there a way to replace all at once? Thank you.

After going through the replies & help file, here I try to answer my questions for the benefit of others: #1 As per the help file, 'Mastercam Outline' tool is used to aid toolpath calculation and the 'Imported Custom tool profile' is used to collision checking and stock simulation. However the diameter value which is used for 'Mastercam Outline' is considered for tool diameter compensation, which is critical not only to 2D toolpath, but also to the 3D toolpath for boundary chain compensation. #2 When we use Custom tool profile after selecting standard tool, we can create Mastercam outline tool closer to the Custom tool profile, since we get more options like shank types & other options as per the standard tool selection. #3 When create custom tool/holder from STEP file, origin of the tool/holder can be anywhere, but the axis of rotation/tool center line should be along the Z axis in the World coordinate system. Thank you.

I suggest to watch this video. If the Swelling is local, then you can create a local patch surface and use it is as Stock with additional offset. You can also control the Maximum thickness engagement during finishing from the stock page.

Hello all! I have few questions regarding Custom Mill tool. 1. What is the use of 'Mastercam Outline' which is shown in the tool preview window? Is it used for collision checking instead 'Imported tool profile'? 2. There is a seperate "Custom tool" option in the tool type selection window and also there is an option to import "custom tool profile" after choosing standard tool type. Is there any difference between these two options? 3. When we create a custom tool from level, there are constraints like the profile should be in XY plane, the axis of rotation should be the +Y and the tip of the tool should be at origin. But I noticed that when importing Custom tool or Custom Holder using STEP format, irrespective of the model origin & orientation, the custom tool gets created successfully & the orientation comes correctly in the backplot & verify simulation. So can we maintain any origin & orientation when we using STEP format or am I missing something? I made few sample programs to understand these points, but am I am not clear. So any explanation will be much helpful. Thank you.

No, I am working with the Standard machine (DMG mori Dmu70 model) Thanks!

I do have a good post from MC. I also have a post which can post vectors instead of direct angles. Oh I know something about that! A about , B about Y , C about Z... That can't be changed.. but the sequence can be changed by selecting the different 'axis by axis' mode' in cycle 800. I am just trying to understand how the Euler angles posted by post is converted to Direct angle by the controller and whether any angle can be reached or not. Thank you.

Is it possible to reach any orientation with 5 axis? We have B-C configuration 5 axis machine with Siemens840d controller. I got a part with a feature oriented to A axis. At first, I thought it cannot be done in our machine, since our machine doesn't have A-axis. But I Programmed orienting to the A-axis. When I check the output NC code, I noticed in cycle-800, in the fields of angles, all three angles (A,B&C with zxy sequence) have values printed (normally only B & C value gets printed with zyx sequence). I decided to check the code in the machine. Normally for 3+2 operations, after the rotating axes gets oriented, our operator checks whether it is matching with the rotating axes values printed in the cycle800 or not. In this case it was not matching!. But we decided to go ahead and it was machined as per the drawing requirement without any problem. When I think in simple terms, say, a hole oriented to A axis, I understand that it can be machined in B-C machine by simply rotating the C axis to 90 degrees and then using B axis to orient. But I couldn't understand how the A axis is replaced with B-C axes combined rotation for complex/all orientations! So is there no requirement for 6th axis and feature with any orientation can be machined with the 5 axis machine? How does the controller calculates the equivalent available rotary axes angles (B-C in this case) by taking all 3 angles as inputs? Any suggestion is much appreciated. Thank you!

The problem is solved with the help of Christopher Pollack from Siemens Industries. The problem was due to the buffer memory size and it has nothing to do with the 5 axis commands. By default my controller reads only 500 lines into the buffer and since the GOTO destination was placed after 500 lines, I got the "Jump destination not found" error, even though the GOTO destination was present with proper syntax. And I got another reason to use Arc/Spline interpolation! Thank you.

Grievous, I don't have any problem using Goto command, frame rotation commands & changing angle values in Cycle800 command in my 3-axis program. But, in 5 axis program, all these are not working. I tried switching off TRAORI command by using TRAFOOF command and I also I tried using ORIWKS command. But nothing works!

Basically I want to skip or goto the particular instance of the rotational transform. Not only goto, even changing the C axis value in Cycle800 is also not working. Anybody have any clue about this problem?

Is there a way or chook to automatically extract all the selected Toolpath and save each tool path as a seperate file?

'Motion between operation' Is it not controlled by 'Multiaxis linking' toolpath?

Here i attached the program. Please check. OPN20_WITHJUMP.MPF

Thanks for the reply. Shortly I will share the code. But here is the quick description: 1. I made a rotational Toolpath transform. There were 21 toolpath after the transform. 2. Since the search block takes time because of program length, I decided to skip the blocks using Goto command. 3. So at the start of the program I gave a label and at the start of each Toolpath I gave a destination. Like following example: Goto Label2 Label2: ... Toolpath codes... Label3: ... Toolpath codes... etc., 4. Now I change the variable name at the start depends on where to jump. 5. This works perfectly fine for 3 axis program. But the same is not working for 5 axis program. It throws up an error with "Alarm 14080: Jump destination not found" 6. I ensured the correct syntax, but still it is not working

Thank you! Can you please tell how does the Mastercam uses the Machine configuration settings? The Machine configuration has all the details of the machine and how it is being used?

Hello everyone! I have no issues in running GOTO command with 3 axis program. But with 5 axis program, the GOTO and GOTOC are not working. Can anybody help to understand this problem better. Controller is Siemens Sinumerik 840d. Thank you.

Thank you very much for such a detail explanation! Cost aside, is it possible to program in Mastercam for any "Millturn machine", with a good post processor from inhouse solutions / Postability and a good CAV software?

Just in the other thread, it was mentioned that Mastercam is non-kinematic based CAM. That is Mastercam doesn't depends on the machines. Then how come MC supports some machines & not support some other machines? By support do you mean only post?

I recently completed MC University 2021 Multiaxis toolpath course. It is very well organized and have some advanced lessons. The courses on Approximate vs Exact method, Clean core, Stock to focus, etc., are very useful & interesting to learn. Youtube channels mentioned by Rekd also very informative. Understanding the Tool axis control strategies and Linking strategies are very important to get good 5 axis toolpath. Most importantly learn the basics. For example, the default tool axis orientation is the normal direction to the surface and any kind of tilt angle is applied to this direction. Moduleworks documentation will be helpful to know the details. One interesting example I like to share is, for Blade expert application, in Esprit CAM software, the default tool axis orientation is 'surface normal to the blade surface' and whereas in Mastercam it is the 'surface normal to the Hub'. Without understanding this, setting a good tilt angle is difficult and using Collsion control without a good tilt angle will make the toolpath calculation long & worse. Atlast I suggest to read the related old threads in this forum. Many are gems!

How good is Mastercam for Millturn machines? I moved from Esprit to Mastercam recently and I am very satisfied with the Mastercam. I am primarily a 5 axis user and I don't know about Millturn functionality in both the softwares. One of our supplier recently purchased a Millturn and during a discussion I suggested Mastercam for CAM. They told that the Machine-tool vendor itself suggested to go for Esprit CAM. The same argument I heard from another supplier who uses Millturn machines. I can list out no. of advantages of Mastercam over Esprit in 2,3 & 5 axis Milling. Simply I can't believe Mastercam is lagging in Millturn. Can somebody please share their experience on 'Millturn with Mastercam'? Has anybody moved from Esprit/other CAM softwares for Millturn/Multitasking machines?

Can anyone tell what is Machine kinematics based CAM programming? Marketing professionals from some CAM companies are claiming that their CAM is based on Machine kinematics. What exactly is Kinematics based CAM? Is it something related to Machine simulation or the toolpath generation itself?

For Table-Table 5 axis machine, since the tool is not going to tilt, why we should worry about tool offset? Instead of using Cycle 800, if we use simply AROT or B(angle)/C(angle), then will there be any problem?

Noted! Thanks for sharing your experience.

I agree. But have you ever found something different on machine/CAV software compared to the simulation in CAM software? I faced problem only when I do some manual edits for loops/repetitions.