If you look at the generic 5 axis post, it has a 'work shift' baked in to the post. You can set it to post either way using a miscellaneous integer. Do you guys have any posts that are set up this way?

Maybe with the right post? Why does he have an issue with leaving the origin at the center of rotation?

Change your arc filter settings.

If you really want to be pissed off, compare the hardware specs of the cards, and then the price for a similarly hardware speced Quadro vs GeForce. On the upside, the outrageous price of the quadro cards help pay for RnD so...

When I have a lot of stock models, or multiple stock models for a machining operation, this is what I started doing as well. I wish there were an easy button inside of the interface that just allowed you to disassociate the stock model with the tool paths after generating. I also wish you could unselect all paths used to create the model easily inside of the interface rather than having to do the <ctrl-click> dance to unselect them.

We migrated 'off-topic' over to a separate forum because the o/t on this forum was shut down for the reasons (and maybe more) that Colin pointed out. It's still going but with a much smaller crowd.

They bought that thing in probably around 2002 - 2004ish. The computer that came with it died years ago and has been replaced. They keep nursing that CMM along.

I think we still have one of those.

Go in to the selection area of the config. You should find it there.

I literally just installed it yesterday and started using it myself so I'm not going to be a lot of help. I just wanted to point out that I too am already frustrated with several things.

When I was coming in to the trade it wasn't uncommon to get screamed at by the foreman or shop owner until their face turned purple. If you even raise your voice to someone or make a sarcastic comment these days you have to worry about someone needing personal days in a safe space for being verbally assaulted.

I've never run a Mazak so anything I ask about them are out of pure ignorance. I assume that you guys are having to set your tool lengths when you set up a new job? When you say that "other people used my programs they might encounter problems", if you're programming with your compensation type set to wear, there is no difference in the code other than turning on/off your diameter offset compensation. It is just giving you the ability to regulate the change in tool diameter without having to make a change to the program and re-post. Another thing I'll say, and this is also out of pure ignorance as I don't know anything about the shop you work in; I can't think of a single shop that would have someone running their machines that didn't understand the concept of tool offsets so I have to wonder where these guys learned the trade. You're really doing yourself a disservice not learning how to use them. Anything else I'd have to say JP has already covered.

We have six verticals and one horizontal and I've been the only programmer at this shop for 20 years. Over half of our work load is new jobs and a lot of those are one off parts so there is a constant stream of programming going through here. I don't know what type of work you do or what the quantities are, but if I were a shop owner with 9 mills, unless we were running all molds or prototype work, I couldn't justify 7 seats of Mastercam and 7 programmers. That sounds like a strange precarious environment. I'm surprised that nobody at the shop you work for has taught you how to use tool offsets? I'd love to be a fly on the wall in that shop for a few weeks. Good luck to you. You're getting some good advise in here.

I would also guess that software had to be written to recognize the emulator.

I had that issue with the first PC I ever bought. I was pissed.

What kind of material is it? I would probably use a different approach for aluminum than I would for Titanium.

It's crashing for me too.

That looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. Post the results when you get this one figured out. :D

Anyone else curious to find out if he was able to build that fixture?

You'd likely have to edit your post. If you're going to try to do that, make a backup just in case. This is one of the easier post edits. Search through your post for something that looks like this. It should be self explanatory after that. Edit: I should probably add that I'm using the MpMaster post. The ease of fixing this could depend on which post you're using and how it's set up. # Coolant M code selection sm09 : "M09" #Coolant Off (Use sm09_0 through sm09_2) sm08 : "M08" #Coolant Flood sm08_1 : "M12" #Coolant Mist sm08_2 : "M50" #Coolant Tool sm09_0 : "M09" #Coolant Flood Off sm09_1 : "M09" #Coolant Mist Off sm09_2 : "M09" #Coolant Tool Off scoolant : "" #Target for string

See if this helps. It may be more confusing than helpful? T10-450-43-Final-Knockout.zip

I usually create planes around the fixed geometry rather than rotating the part. It's easier. I would use your surfaces to create a solid Then create a vector using the hole. You can project that vector to a plane to get the number for your rotation angle, Or, just create a wcs using the projected vector. Once you have that rotation angle, the tilt angle is easy. Project the vector to your new plane and check the tilt angle. I know that I'm not explaining this very well. I'm not a good instructor by any stretch. What version of MC are you using?

It looks like the engineer has already given you the angle you need. Can you use his numbers to set your first angle? You can do the same with mastercam by creating a vector in the hole or one of the corners of the pocket. I can't explain very well the process to do what you need so I'm not going to try. I do this all the time for compound angled holes that we have to set up on our angle plates. I rotate our vises to get the first angle and then tilt the table for the second. When I'm lazy I just pull the file in to TopSolid and create a dummy drilling cycle and it will give you the rotations. I've never tried that in Mastercam but it would probably work the same.

We have a couple of older machines that the paths just don't work as well on. Once in a while we can hit a sweet spot on them but more often than not, I have to use older machining methods. Or sometimes I'll still use the dynamic paths but with more conventional speeds, feeds, step overs, etc. I still get better tool life this way. Most of our newer equipment does very well. I've figured out over the years, and this could just be me putting limitations on myself, that they don't work in every scenario.

LOL. I do like how this forum has the little "16 years later" note above the reply. :-)