Thanks John, I need to add you to my christmas present list, you always seem to be right there and willing to help. I made the mods the thread you linked sugested. I will see what kind of horsepower it has tomorrow. Again Thanks Dennis (teh zeon lover)

Hi Colin, I just did as you instructed and received 300+ hits for Nvidia, 300+ hits for Quadro, and 224 hits for Nvidia Quadro. I searched for Quadro 4600 before I ever initiated a new thread and didn't see Colin anywhere. I did get the new drivers installed and working but would like to know more about the configuration you speak of but I don't want to put you out since you have already "covered this numerous times". I will start reading the rest of the threads my search revealed. I only have 823 yet to read. Thanks for the direction Dennis

Thanks for that Jeff. Installed the drivers and the level manager still takes forever to open. Anyone have any suggestions? BTW Jeff, is that you dancing, or are you programming on one of those step on keyboards? Dennis

Hi all, I am loving my new Dell 690 quad zeon. Only one problem, lately maybe for the last two weeks when I open the level dialog the computer locks for a few seconds to a few minutes. I am about to install new Nvidia drivers to see if that helps but I can't understand some of their terminology. One driver sais SDI ready the other says SLI ready. These are terms I am unfamilure with. Can anyone offer clarification? TIA Dennis

Ok I got the trim function to work. I was getting confused, after you choose the line to mitre them at it then prompts you for a plane and it didn't make sense. I just green arrowed past it and it worked. Thanks for the help, I still have a hard time accepting that a supposed "inferior" cam package (Artcam) can do this and mastercam can't. I can just open up Artcam and create the solids the fast way then export them. This will still beat the time it takes to "make" mastercam do what is needed.

Thanks Kannon and John. In solidworks I also do the same, start with a square or rectangle and make the changes out of the initial sketch. I havn't done the same in mastercam and maybe I should, just seems like it will be a little more complicated than that. Unfortunately the shape I am working with (the across) is a spline and would be impossible to do that with. I had tried to do as Kannon suggested and got stuck on choosing the plane to trim it to. I will have to take another swing at that. Thanks for the help Dennis Kannon, I love the kid with the cobb, simple pleasures huh? I asume that's your pistol (mini kannon)

Solid guru's, I need on a continuing basis to sweep a chain into a solid that follows a path that has a 90deg turn or more. Question is: can this be done and how. I would like it to mitre each corner so I don't have to create individual solids then cut the ends at 45deg and then join them. TIA Dennis

Jay, I got my spaceball last evening and found the same problem. Does anyone know why the tilt and spin would choose a pivot point in the next county so those two functions are almost unuseable? TIA Dennis

I started on a P4 @ 3.2 ghz, it took sometimes 30 seconds per mouse wheel click to zoom in or out and to dynamically spin, maybe 1.5 min to update with shading turned on. I gave up on the project until the Zeon came in. When I resumed, to dynamically spin, it makes fluid motions. Totally smooth. To process the tpath, maybe 5 seconds on the Zeon (parallel surface). I love my new Zeon ('s) ( a double cheers on this level of computers and CNC software) Doing normal stuff, the computer is finished with one task before I can think up the next. Makes my mouse button finger and my brain sore. Dennis

Ok I'll bite. I just bought one on ebay, spaceball 5000. I used one of these back in the 90's and the demo they had was cool (funky chicken or something) but I never found a practical use. Do you use it in place of the mouse, also I generally use my left hand on the keyboard, will this take the place (after reprogramming the buttons) of the keyboard or since I'm right handed should this go by the mouse? Dennis

quote: But if you get a chance to use one of these So what the heck is it? It reminds me of a spaceball (3d pointing device). Dennis

HAHAHAHAHAAAA, you kill me

Cadcam, what is the device on your left hand? Dennis

CadCam, I think your system is broke! Everytime I try to select the assembly on your left screen so I can zoom in it doesn't select. I have also tried to change XM stations on your right one and it's broke also. I got tired of Big Tracks and couldn't change it. WTF Dennis

What is this "dual view" of which you speek? Also I have found that sometimes with multiple mcam sessions one will use one core and one will use the another. Are there any plans to multithread mcam in the near future? Dennis

"B" I just completed a mold very similar to this (spooky really) and I made the negative of the part to sharpen up the corners. I only have a 3 axis currently or I would have done as Crazy suggested. Keep in mind MDF will only hold a radius of about 1/16 anyway. You will prolly have to move to a more dense mtl to hold sharp. My customer spec'd sharp no radius. We cast the parts anyway and he loved it. Hope you have the same luck. Dennis

Thank you, this did it Dennis

I had a similar problem with a different file (w files actually) on install. I navigated to the problem files and tried to open them with the installer still in error. On some of the files I had to do this 3 times. When I double clicked them I got another error that another app was using the file. I percevered and it finally installed ok. Dennis

Help if you can, I have a CAD dept using autocad that continues to send me files with text. The trouble is I can't pick notes to machine and when I try to superimpose "letters" on top of the note text the font isn't the exact size of the original. In addiion, the font they use (arial) imports as some kind of sarif font not the sans serif like arial. Question is: can I change note text into Geometry and how do I import dwg-dxf with the text as original .ttf text? Thanks in advance Dennis

Ok The boss and me bit the bullet (the bosses wallet, my credibility). Dell prec. 690 Quad Xeon @ 2.33G Quadro FX4600 4G ram 2 15,000 80 gig mirrored HDs Two 20" hi def wide screens and a bag-o-chips Seems to rock with the couple of files I have tried on it. IT hasn't put it on the domain yet so I havn't put it to work as of yet. I'm still recovering from the back pain of toting the cpu to my office. (I know grammers are always out of shape with the exception of Jonny bravo who is also in hiding from this subject). Any help configuring the box will be appreciated, as well as any benchmark databases anyone has they want to try lets get r done. So far I can only get the processor screens (4 each) to go to 25%. The ram only goes to about 690 mb. The solids manipulate lots faster but the verify isn't one bit faster. I'm not fully sold yet, sure wish CNC had weighed in on this important purchase. Maybe they will come out of hiding to help me utilize this monster. All it does is run Mcam (ok maybe a mail app and the internet occasionally. I still havn't found the memory allocation page like v9 had. Dennis

Thanks. Here we go, screams is something I like. Shame CNC is hiding today or is it from this issue? Dennis

Thanks Gcode, have you used one of these? These are the ones I was looking at. I don't know if the Zeon dual core or quad core would be best, do you have any experience. Also 32bit or 64 bit. What is the fastest HD I can get without going flash media? Thanks

Thanks Cadcam for the pointer, It looks like the systems that were tested were custom built systems. I would prefer to buy an off the shelf like a dell. If I was building one for home I would build a custom like I have two of already although they are not built for Mcam. I had hoped to have CNC weigh in on this, I wonder what happened today. Must all be on vacation. "crickets" I looked on their website and was unable to locate a recommended HCL. Dennis

I will look at the benchmarks, have to kick out a program right now. have spent 1.5 hrs this morning to cut a simple radius 36" long and still don't have the program out. I think I will bring my slide rule tomorrow maybe use notepad to program in.

Okay, siggy updated, Yes cnc can you?