I think I care, since a file with solids that I don't use takes up 33MB and one with surfaces that I don't use either takes up 6MB. The simplify idea does seem to be the only way to get arcs and not splines.

Thanks Pete. I learn something new every day.

Another interesting discovery! If I import the file as Trimmed surfaces with edges, then I get all my wireframe and the file size is only 6MB. Since I really don't use solids anyway, I think this might be the way to go from now on.

Well, so much for the file size advantage, importing only solids. The file went from 33MB to 30MB. Seems a lot easier dealing with wireframe than solids. Especially for analysis.

Well, I just discovered that there is a "Solid mode" in the chaining box. News to me. I took my basic training when I bought version 9, so I was led to believe that you couldn't do much with solids without the solids option. Consequently I was never shown how to use this mode when creating toolpaths. This is something I should explore further. It's a bit harder to see the model details with the wireframe turned off.

Well, that's news to me. I don't quite get it. How can I chain solid edges if there are no wireframe lines and arcs on them? I tried turning off the layers with the wireframe and I could not select anything when trying a contour toolpath.

If I import only the solid, I have to re-create all the wireframe geometry to drive the 2D toolpaths. Seems like a waste of time, if I can just import them from the original file. Also, I have tried chaining some of these splines and the part comes out with faceted corners, instead of smooth radii. I do notice that the file size is absolutely HUGE. This particular part I'm now working on is 33MB! I' have way more complicated SolidWorks assemblies that are only half of that (as SolidWorks files). Why are MC files so huge?

So then I would have to creat all the geometry I need. That's convenient.

Does that mean it will only import the solid?

I have X3 MU1, level 1 and import a lot of SolidWorks parts. Often, arcs come into Mastercam as splines. This mostly happens on filleted edges, but can happen anywhere. I know about the "simplify" tool, but was wondering if there is a setting that will fix this automatically. It gets pretty tedious on busy parts to manually fix each instance of this every time I import a part.

"Peckerhead" is not an official name. It was what my cutter guy called them when he made me some last time. Anybody with a surface grinder, a Spin-Dex and a narrow diamond wheel can make them for you out of existing end mills. Call a tool and cutter grinder.

I use helix bore all the time. The confusing part is that they designed this cycle around a line of tools that many of us have never heard of, which require that the finish pass comes out of the hole, rather than into it. I use this with "peckerhead" endmills, which are simply a regular 3 or 4 flute carbide endmill relieved by about .010-.020" so that only about 30-50% of the diameter of flutes remain at the end. I also like to put a small radius on each corner for a longer lasting tool. The relief keeps the tool from rubbing, which prevents tapered holes. To make Helix bore work right, just uncheck the box for "finish passes" and do 2 "roughing" passes about .0002-.0005" apart. The tool will then only spiral INTO the hole. Check "Perpendicular entry" so your radius comp will work correctly and use a 45 degree entry/exit arc sweep for a smooth blend in and out. If you use the "peckerhead" tools, you won't have to make a complete pass around at the bottom of the hole. I usually set the "rough pitch" to about 20-50% of the tool's "head" length, depending on the material and the rough stock amount. For small holes, I check the "start at center" box. I had a whole bunch of these endmills made for different size holes and they work great. I can bore holes down to about .120" dia. at up to 5X depth and control hole size to less than .0001", consistently, from hole to hole, without playing "reamer roulette" on expensive parts.

I use X3 Mill Level 1 (haven't done MU1 yet) and have noticed a couple of bugs so far. One was mentioned above by Bullet Bob, regarding a program with nothing but G54s being re-posted, only to find random tools using G55. Same thing happened to me and I couldn't get rid of them. I tried "edit commom parameters", misc. values and setting the field for work coordinates to "2". Posted it again and they were still there! I gave up and sent the file to CNC Software, who advised me to regenerate the ops and it was fixed. I never thought to regenerate non-dirty ops. Even though the fix was simple, there was still no explanation of why the problemm occured in the first place. The other bug happened Friday when trying to edit a contour toolpath chain's start point. The "edit start point" box popped up for half a second and then disappeared. I couldn't edit my start point! I saved the program and exited Mastercam. Re-started Mastercam, re-opened the file and tried again. Then it worked fine. That never happened to me with X2. Seems like each type of user (Level 1 or Level 3) has different complaints about these upgrades. Seems like most of you level 3 guys with the big, hairy parts have verify or other graphics crashing issues, yet many of us Level 1 users seem to find more problems with really simple user interface problems that should not be malfunctioning this far into the X product life. Does anyone else notice this? In light of the fact that a bug fix list is not available for MU1, I am hesitant to install it, for fear that more problems will be created than solved. As I recall, this was also the case with X2, SP1.

I have had the same problem. Tried static IP addresses with no help. Everything (SolidWorks, etc.) else works fine and saves fairly quickly except MCX2, MR2, SP1. I also have another issue when MX launches and doesn't use proper data path settings in the config file. On the 3rd try, it works fine. Submitted to CNC Software. No reply yet.

This reminds me of the problems that the AutoCAD community had after r12 & r13 came out (DOS to Windows). Lot's of bugs! Didn't get worked out until ACAD 2000. I still think that CNC Software should focus on existing customer concerns and bug fixes rather than try and introduce new features with each release.

I too agree with those above that a "bug fix only" MR needs to be released. NO NEW FEATURES (even though different S & F on contour finish cut would be quite nice), just bug fixes. Many of us have submitted bug reports. Some major ones have been addressd, but many simple ones still exist from way back. I think CNC Software would do well in listening to existing users rather that marketing for at least one maintenance release. After all, ISN'T THAT WHAT WE PAY FOR?

This has been one of my pet peeves since X2, MR1. Originally, X2 gave you the option to append or overwrite the tool in the library. Since MR1, it no longer gives that option and just adds the tool to the library. So, you have to remember to open the Tool manager, delete the old tool and save the library. I reported this bug months ago and it has yet to be addressed by CNC software. Seems like a pretty simple thing to fix to me. There used to be a way to save the library to a text file, edit it and save it back to Mastercam format in v9.1, but I'm not crazy about this method either. Very tedious. I'm not even sure you can anymore. Hopefully CNC Software will give the append/overwrite option back to us on X3?

Installed X2 MR2 SP1. Fixed 2 bugs that were bugging me. (1-Prompt for NC filename and 2-Backplot non-modality) I see a lot of fixes for the 3D folks too. See readme file. Anything is better than nothing. Thanks to CNC Software!

Looks like 1 or 2 bugs have been fixed. I guess I'll install it. Thanks Rickster.

Chris, Does this SP fix any of the bugs I've described in my post: "Can you go back to X2 MR1 from MR2?" that I posted on 12/29/07? I won't be able to read the "readme" file until I install it. I don't see a "what's new" file on the MC website either. The "info" button at the download page doesn't go into much detail. At this point, if none of my issues have been addressed by this SP, I might as well go back to MR1 or just wait for X3.

Thanks Pete. I believe you were the guy I discussed that with. Any news on an MR3, or will we have to wait for X3?

gcode: Thanks for the input. You sound like a knowledgeable guy who has probably been using Mastercam for way longer than I have. (I started in v9.1) Let me clarify a few things. 1. STL files. I too save them to the job folder where the NC & MCX files are saved. You mentioned you have to browse anyway, but I have the NC files path in the configuration set to the “Mastercam X work” folder on the office hard drive, so I only have to browse one folder down from there (customer job folders are subs of this). I mapped a network drive, so both machines use the SAME pathname. Same used to be true for STL files, but they took the option of setting that path away, so now it takes longer to browse there. Seems petty, but when you get used to something that works well and then it’s gone, it’s bothersome. 2. NC filename: I used the “append” option in the configuration to add the OP number (my operation number, not MC's) to the MCX filename, so I can easily identify and examine the NC files at a later time, without launching Mastercam. I had the “Prompt1st operation onlyLast operation’s NC file” boxes checked, so that when you create your first operation, you are prompted for the filename and can edit it if you want to (I often do, depending on the name of the file and circumstances). I also used the “Append values” feature, so each subsequent op would have -OP2, -OP3, etc. at the end. Saved me from having to remember to do it on the first op and so on. One of the nice features that X introduced, but 9 didn’t have. Update: Apparently, the “Append values” box for NC files miraculously became unchecked after installing MR2 and was not appending as I described. However, it still does not prompt you for that first op. This is what CNC Software verified as a bug. I’ve seen other posts describing the same problem, so someone other than me liked that feature too. Enough said. 3. I don’t use open pocket much either. Sometimes it came in handy, so you didn’t have to create a closing boundary with extra geometry (old school?) I wasn’t crazy about it cutting air at the open end, but since I only do prototype work, I lived with it. Now I have to live without it. Old bugs: 1. Updating tool libraries on the fly. I use the “from tool” method for my speeds and feeds and use different tools of the same type for different cutting conditions. Often I have to correct some of the values in a tool’s description after I bring it into the program from the library and want to save it for future reference. This way, my tool library has the most accurate information. When X came out, it now gave one the opportunity to either "overwrite" (replace) the tool of the same name in the library with the new information, or "append" the library, by adding it as a new tool. I used the "overwrite" option a lot, since I often discover new speeds & feeds in different situations. With X2 MR1, this option went away, and it went back to the way it was in v9.1, meaning it would only ADD the tool to the library, under the same name. Now, I have to remember to go into the library and delete the old tool that I wanted to replace. Otherwise, I have 2 or more tools of the same name listed, when retrieving from the library, and I can't tell which is which without examining its parameters after I bring it into my program. One more thing to do in my busy day. CNC Software admitted this and said they would fix it. If you have a workaround, I’m open for suggestions. 2. Verify graphics: I too set the tolerance to .001 by default. This helped a lot, but sometimes I have to set it to the absolute minimum (.0001) or bullnose tools still seem to overcut. This, as you know, slows the whole thing down and makes the STL files bigger. Nonetheless, CNC Software did mention they were working on this. I guess it’s taking longer than they thought. It’s an old bug for me, so I’m used to it, but had to vent. 3. NetHasp. Sounds like I’m doing the same as you are, but every so often, working on a file in the shop, things go crazy. I’ve been over this in great detail with CNC Software and they are stumped too. My best solution so far is to keep a backup copy of all my known working config files, so if something goes wrong, I can overwrite them and get back to normal with minimum down time. I wouldn't mind so much if Mastercam simply warned me that it was having trouble with my network and I should save the file and fix it, but it has this default thing kick in and overwrite my config file.

OK, gcode, here are the new bugs I've noticed since MR2: 1)Configuration/files no longer has STL path setting, so when saving to STL from verify, you have to browse to where you want the file saved to. Confirmed by CNC Software. 2) When creating the first operation in a new toolpath group, MC no longer prompts you for the NC filename, REGARDLESS of settings. Now, I have to remember to specify the NC filename for each operation in the group myself. Confirmed by CNC Software. 3) Open pocket toolpath doesn't always start from open end of pocket anymore. Confirmed by CNC Software. 4)MR2 install lost my toolbar and right-click menu customizations, even though I respoded YES to the backup option. CNC Software advised me to save a copy of my old "mastercam.mtb" into config folder to fix this. (lucky I had one) Install should have taken care of this. Old bugs: 1)Saving a edited tool to library still doesn’t give the option to overwrite or append like it used to. Now, I can no longer update my tool library "on the fly". Was OK before MR1 and was supposed to be fixed in MR2, but wasn't. 2) In verify graphics: bull nose endmills sometimes seem to overcut, even with "quality" slider at max. CNC Software told me in 6/07 that they were supposed to be re-doing verify interface. 3)I have a NetHasp with MC on two machines on a network. I only run MC on one machine at a time. I save all my work to the machine in the office. I also use my tool libraries from that machine. Sometimes, on the shop machine, MC sets all my Configurationfiles paths back to the factory defaults (in the middle of a programming job) for no reason. Then I have to stop and re-copy my backup) config files back into the config folder to get everything working properly. I have never gotten an adequate explanation for why it does this. Not sure if the NetHasp has anything to do with it either. Don't get me wrong, I think Mastercam is a great product, especially since X came out. About 80% of my Mastercam pet peeves were addressed with the release of X. I think the intended structure and user interface are really useful concepts. I just wish CNC Software would take the time and fix the older bugs before rushing to introduce new features that only the higher-end customers can appreciate (new 3D toolpaths, dual monitor op. mgr. docking, etc.). Sometimes I feel that us Level 1 users are regarded as 2nd class citizens. The bugs I complain about are things that cause ALL OF US to waste time during programming, and those of us small shop owners that bought Mastercam to SAVE TIME get a bit ticked off when these simple, yet annoying bugs are introduced in virtually each "maintenance release".

I've had it with X2 MR2. I've gained at least 3 more bugs, on top of the old ones that they didn't fix from MR1. I can see only one useful feature that I can use (for level 1), which is the new climb/conventional option for facing. I'm sure they have focused on adding even more new features to X3, rather than fixing the bugs I've been asking about since v9.1. How would I go back to MR1. Will the files I created with MR2 still work on MR1?

Ay Carumba! I know what you mean. After installing X2 MR2, I have 3 new bugs (confirmed by CNC Software), still one old bug (confirmed by CNC Software) and only one useful new feature, so far. I was better off with MR1. I totally agree with grantman! Make the next MR only for fixing the bugs! As for speed, I do notice that backplot is way slower, or is it just my imagination?