I had done a couple undercuts in MC9 years ago. I had lied as to what the cutter actually was. The undercut I did had an angle in it also, but it worked very well. First I finished the bore straight down, then another path was probably a 2D contour with my form tool I had to make up (don't retract the tool yet of coarse). Then I did a lead straight back out on the Y, then let the tool retract on the Z. If I didn't lie to mastercam it would not have allowed me to cut it on the path I had used. This may be wrong with X2 now but the method I had used was simliar to what I am describing and the results were perfect. Verify didn't show the path correctly since I had used a stepped cutter of coarse. Your circumstance seems somewhat similiar to me the way I understand your post. This is only a suggestion.

There have also been times that I have tried to project geometry onto a surface and had no luck. I've found (just as Randy) to just restart mastercam (after saving the file of coarse) that it will project the 1st time, then some after the fact. I still remember when our reseller told us we should shut down mastercam at night. I almost never do since I prefer not to chance losing my mill3 seat w/solids to someone else. That must seem but it works for me! Oh yeah maybe it's because I'm still in the stone age with windows 2000. Eric are you running windows 2000 by chance?

In a case like that I go into the side or front view and window the geometry as much as possible. It can be tedious. Then I start changing the colors of what's leftover. When possible I chase down the original file. Levels are important and need to be utilized by our co-workers. Can you tell the co-worker to fix it? Good luck

That's all interesting as I took a look at my Mitsubishi FA-Series 4X WIRE.pst and had seen it was set to 2 also.

Mike, I just tried the bounding box in 9.1 I had X,Y,Z set to Zero, Boxes checked: Create lines, center point. and all entities checked. It worked perfect here for me. I hid some entites and it still worked fine. Is there by chance some entities the same color as the background?

dang it man, sorry about the repetition posting. Once it posts you can't delete.

drexen I don't toolpath solids but only surfaces since we don't have many solids licences. So if your still interested in toolpathing a surface start with making surfaces from your solid. Then do a surface rough contour with a stepdown. SAy you have a 1.00" dia cutter with a .02 radius at edge of tool and you make your step down .07 leaving say .005 material. Then perform a surface finish toolpath. It could be a flowline. You could play with the direction and a stepover say .010. watch the verify and see if you like it. This is just a quick start for you but it may help get you on your way. You will probably not be interested since you wish to machine as a solid.

drexen I don't toolpath solids but only surfaces since we don't have many solids licences. So if yourb still interested in toolpathing a surface start with making surfaces from your solid. Then do a surface rough contour with a stepdown. SAy you have a 1.00" dia cutter with a .02 radius at edge of tool and you make your step down .07 leaving say .005 material. Then perform a surface finish toolpath. It could be a flowline. You could play with the direction and a stepover say .010. watch the verify and see if you like it. This is just a quick start for you but it may help get you on your way. You will probably not be interested since you wish to machine as a solid.

Rick, That has never happened to me nor to anyone else here at work. I guess you should take a quick look at some of the code after posting for awhile until you feel confident again. I am taking note that you also just installed X2 MR2. I have no clue if that did something to make it put in the 10000. When you redid the posting did you reload your machine definition in the operation manager for that file? Dude, I just put a new pod XT on layaway until my ebay $ goes into meh account. Should have it by next weekend! I also got 2 new tubes for the Fender.

quote: Is that what check surfaces are?Check surfaces will not be machined when selected in your surface toolpath. It is a very good idea to verify your toolpath lettering. If the top of the letters is Z= 0.0 Then you should define your stock as Z with a positive dimenesion such as .005 at least. This way you'll see the skim cut in verify. So when you set your stock ... In stock origin in view coordinates on lower left set Z to .005, then in the dotted 3D view the Z should be set at a depth more than your machining on the toolpath. That's if top is your origin or Z 0 height. Or you can create your stock by using the entities and expanding them by a certain distance. I do that by going to the toolbar on top and click on create/ then bounding box. Then in

quote: Besides, that was your post #666. Like I'm gonna take that advice... That's absolutely correct. You do not need to take my advice. It wasn't advice it was a suggestion. I hope you understand that You could also set your autocurser for arc center only then you will not need to zoom in.

I am 100% agreeing with Kannon on this. I make electrodes and the top is always Z 0.0

There is an icon for all result in C hooks folder located on the FTP site. Would that help?

Sweet!

Should you be projecting a pocket toolpath to a surface? WHat material are you cutting these letters on?

Just a thought ... in the finish contour parameter page look at the cut depths button. If incremntal is checked try setting adjustment to top cut to .0001 Then adjustment to other cuts try setting it .00005. Your may want to make that a default setting. If you have absolute checked put the depth you are finishing at the max. depth (-.150). You may want your minimum depth set to .005 or a tad higher. HTH Kannon, Yes it is still there as my reply indicates

quote: we use a shop vac as a dust collector when we cut graphite.Oh man that must be tougher than it should be. I wonder if the machine sale company has a micro dust collector. It may be on the web. We have heavy duty dust collectors for the surface grinders along with the CNC MIkron. (We used to grind all our electrodes). You must not cut much graphite if you use a vacuum. Look at the MDS sheet on graphite. It's not safe after many yrs. of exposure.

I guess I work different because I would make that a surface and offset the distance I want. Even trim it if I needed to so it doesn't wrap around the whole part. Anotherwords if the letters are .01 deep I would offset the surf. .01 and project a 2D toolpath onto the new offset surf. Your verify will look good. Just another way I suppose.

So no matter what, you can only approach this from one side of the part? It's not a tube is it? I take it as a retangular or specially shaped part not hollowed but with an intersecting hole .047 at the bottom 2" depth of hole. I would maybe 1st try to size the hole @.045 with a reamer, especially since a reamer has straight long flutes. Then size it to .047 with another reamer if it's that fussy. Just an idea.

Uncheck rapid retract? Change to retract to absolute?

If this what your pertaining to.... set your tool comp to tip.

Just a shot in the dark here.... You could also try to change your filter tolerance to .0002 total. Are you finishing it in a circle flowline or vertically up and down. I'll bet your finish will be better vertically. You could change your scallop height to .00007 or to accomodate the cutter dia. by using distance. It may finish machine faster vert. Something to try anyways. After reading the post above mine I don't know if your pertaining to the actual machined part or verify. I thought you were talking of the actual path on the part.

Graphite will need many, many redresses on the electrode. Copper in much better. Copper impregnated graphite will also work. Copper tungsten may be the best. I only make electrodes, and I don't use them, but copper is a great way to go. I think you need to burn with negative polarity? HTH

I tried the easiest of the 2 suggestions and took Johns suggestion. The status bar is back! Thank you very much!