Has anyone found a solution to the "NTVDM is missing" problem yet? Or has everyone resigned to pressing enter to move on past the error . . . I know a few users with the problem and even if they do get it fixed, it is only temporary, it always comes back again . . .

Figured it out - It's "Middle Click" But now it does not zoom/unzoom about the location of the cursor . . . Any suggestions? Oh, restarted X5, Now it zooms/unzooms about the cursor . . .

Is there a function I can select for the wheel button that will get it to do the dynamic rotation in MC?

You MUST have more tolerance in the arc filter than the toolpath to get arc output from the filter. Set it so you are using 40% of the total tolerance for toolpath and 60% of the total tolerance for arc filtering. Even 50/50 will most likely yeild no arcs.

My laptop has a Quadro FX Go 1400. Running WinXP. Hardware Acceleration is set to full. Using accelerations nothing disabled. No problems here.

I was told on 10-6 that the SW2005 translator is in the works. Written but waiting for QC approval. Hopefully a patch/app soon.

My ProStar laptop has the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700. If I have the accelleration control all of the way up, Mastercam won't even start. Crashes before it opens. Set the acceleration control down to the point it shuts off the Directdraw and DirectX accelerations. In most situations that has solved the problem. [ 10-08-2004, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: Dennis at CAD/CAM Consulting ]

Using Mastercam V9 you should be able to select File, Convert, Autodesk, Read file and under the file type pull down select from DWG, DXF, IPT or IAM. IPT would be int Inventor part file. This should bring in any points, arc, lines, splines or solids you created in Inventor. If there are problems you may need to download/install the latest translator updates. Hope that helps...

More specifically; http://www.shopfloorautomations.com/cabling.php Grizzly Cable has solved many "mystery" problems for me...

Your program looks like a simple 2D contour and that your chain contains multiple segments of lines and that the arc motion generated is the tool rolling over the corners or intersections of the lines... On the Contour parameters page, Try setting the "Roll cutter around corners" option to "None". That should get rid of all of the arc moves, if they are not part of the chained geometry.

If you only want to decelerate into and accelerate out of corners you only need to set the finish pass options. Highfeed will only reduce the feedrate from the programmed feedrate. Make sure you set the minimum feedrate to something acceptable. I usually adjust the "Look ahead" to about 200% and turn on the "Accelerate to smooth feedrates and go with the default setting of about 2%. I usually change the "Maximum feedrate change per block" to about 5% and the "Recombine segments" to about 4%. The most important thing to be aware of, It does not function correctly if you turn on cutter comp. In v9.1sp2 and 9.1mr0304, If you set the compensation type to Control or Wear or Reverse the results will not be what you would expect. Usually mostly it does not decelerate into the corner. But it does drop the feedrate at the corner and accelerate out. Use "Computer" comp for best results. If you want to cut at 100 inces per minuet and slow down to 50 or something in the corners just program the whole thing at 100ipm and set the "Minimum cornering feedrate" to 50. The look ahead is the distance from the corner at which the machine begins to slow down. Something else. The operation is locked after running highfeed. If you need to change it you have to unlock it, make your changes, regenerate and run highfeed again. To really gain optimum performance you need to cut the test circle. If you can't do that then just backplot with the "Show Coordinates" and "Verbose" mode turned on and you will be able to see the feedrate changes as you step thru the program. You can unlock, regen and Highfeed again until you get what you wanted. Hope that helps,

Tazzer, I found a "harley davidson.mc9" in the MC9 portion of the ftp but cannot open it. It locks up Mastercam after displaying what appears to be the logo on the side of the fuel tank. I found a "harleyg.mc8" which is a pretty nice 2D file of a girl on a Harley. I'll start with that if I cannot come up with anything better. Chip, even though that motor is nothing like what I am looking for. THAT IS COOL! CNC SW had a air cooled cylinder and head on their literature/books I think it was in V7. anyone know what that was? Ref; ftp://www.ppcadcam.com/Mastercam_forum/Al...'s/collage2.jpg

I'm just looking for something 3D that looks like the motor. It's for a giveaway trinket for a machine distributor's open house...

Does anyone have a CAD model of a Harley Davidson motor they would like to share? Thanks

You will need to increase the "end-of-line delay" time. The Prototrak control is very slow. Without and extended end-of-line delay your computer begins sending the next line before the control is ready to receive it. This is especially true with newer faster computers. I would bet if you use Mastercam DOS mode communications and a .02 eol delay it will solve communication part of your problem... If you can add an eol delay to Multi-DNC, that will probably work as well. Hope that helps,

Andy, This is interesting and it bring up a few questions. Are you re-selecting the same tool from the tool library and adding it as another tool to the same job? Are you selecting different tools (different diameters etc)but using the same tool number? How does your machine handle tool changes and tool length/diameter offsets? Why would you want all of the tool to have the same tool number? I have had a couple of Mastercam users tell me that they always program for 1 tool only and always change tool 1's length offset. I have had them tell me their machine is broken and thinks it always has tool 1 in the spindle. I have not found a way to suppress that message in V8 yet... ------------------ Dennis Neil email: [email protected] http://dennisne.home.netcom.com

Tony, Earlier we took out the # pbld, n, pfxout, pfyout out of ptlchg0 by putting the # in front of it. Try this instead, " if c <> prv_c, pbld, n, pfxout, pfyout" This way the x and y are only output if the rotary position is changed. I'm not sure how this might work with toolplanes changing but, it should... ------------------ Dennis Neil email: [email protected] http://dennisne.home.netcom.com

Andy, You are right, in version 8.0 you have to create that extra geometry. Version 8.1 will have that fixed so that you can select the option to use the stock left by the previous tool(s) to determine the area to machine. ------------------ Dennis Neil email: [email protected] http://dennisne.home.netcom.com

Gary, I would really like to just send you the post that I have because I want all Mastercam users to be satisfied with their systems, but, because I represent the Mastercam distributor in Southern California, I have some rules I must follow. Because your local dealer might be in progress in resolving your problems or, Because your local dealer might be withholding support for lack of payment or, Because you might not have a registered copy of Mastercam. I cannot send you my post processor files until the local distributor has had his say in the matter and will allow me to help you or him. ------------------ Dennis Neil email: [email protected] http://dennisne.home.netcom.com

Toby, The null toolchange ptlchg0 is also forcing out the x and y positions at the end of ptlchg0. Put a # in front of the last line of ptlchg0 to look like this # pbld, n, pfxout, pfyout That should get rid of the redundant XY output. BE CAREFUL WHEN RUNNING THIS!. Someone probably put those things in ptlchg0 because of a problem somewhere else. I haven't found it yet but I am sure you will. Hope that helps, ------------------ Dennis Neil email: [email protected] http://dennisne.home.netcom.com

Gary, 1st ask your local Mastercam dealer for an updated post, the one for Fadal that comes with 7.2c needs a lot of work. If you want to edit it yourself you are going to have to edit the PCIR line to replace "I, J, K," with "arcrad," then you will have to format arcrad so search the pst file for tldia, this should bring you to a line which reads "fmt 2 tldia" create a new line in front of that which reads "fmt 1 arcrad". Then, because the Fadal wants a negative sign on the R in arcs with a sweep greater 180 degrees, you will have to search for "breakarcs" and change it to yes. By breaking the arc output into quadrants we output a few more lines than we really needed but we avoid outputting an arc with a sweep greater than 180 degrees. This way we do not have to add logic to determine whether the arc's sweep is greater than 180 and change R to R- which would take more effort than I care to type here. If you give me an e-mail address, I'll give you one that works. BUT CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL DEALER 1ST! Hope that helps, Dennis [email protected]

Tony, 3rd line up from the bottom of ptlchg0 put a # in front of it. You don't need it. # pbld, n, pwcs, e That shold get rid of the extra G54s. Hope that helps, Dennis

Toby, Oh, Where to start!?! The biggest improvement in v8 over v7 is the addition of associativity in the surface toolpaths. To be able to remachine the model or change parameters or tools without having to re-select the surfaces is a blessing! If you are not doing surface machining then there is the remachining in contour, What a PLUS! And ramp contour, you couldn't even do that in any of the previous versions. Multiple groups in the operations manager makes it easier to manage your toolpaths. Drafting/Dimensioning is much easier and faster. Have a look at http://dennisne.home.netcom.com/v8prev.htm for a more detailed list of "What's New in V8". Hope that helps, Dennis

Savtav, It's annoying isn't it? In Mastercam versions 3,4,5 and 6 when you used the Hardcopy function the X axis was along the 11" length and the Y axis was along the 8.5" width of the paper (landscape). In version 7 and 8 someone decided that the output should be orientated the other way. Wouldn't it be nice if we could select the orientation in Mastercam so we would not have to change the configuration of the printer for different applications? Maybe this will help. Instead of File, Next, Hardcopy try Screen, Next, Plot. If you have a inkjet or laserjet printer you can usually plot to it. Go to Screen, Configure, Plotter Settings, check the "Use Windows Driver" option and select your printer. This also allows you to control the scale of the drawing(Hardcopy does not). You can set the drawing's rotation in the Mastercam's config settings but you will not have to change it to get the landscape output you want. Hope that helps, Dennis