I do this somewhat infrequently and just tried it again to make sure I'm not yet insane. Mastercam X3. I wrote a 2d pocket with multiple depth cuts and helical entry and projected that toolpath (nci) on to surfaces using Surface -> Finish -> Project and the helical entries and depth cuts did not get flattened onto the surfaces. Without checking 'add depths' in the surface toolpath params the whole toolpath, depths cuts and helical entries, get flattened onto the surfaces. It has worked this way since projecting toolpaths onto surfaces was made available in Mastercam. That was version 5 or 6 to the best of my recollection. Hence my original post is, indeed correct. You're welcome!

Add depths.

quote: I do a lot of 3D toolpaths. So do I, for big molds. Having several computers at my disposal and Mastercams ability to run batch jobs saves a lot toolpath crunching time. However, toolpath verification is mildly painful at best. I haven't seen decent verify performance since before CNC Software yanked NSee in, if I recall correctly, v7.

Now if Mastercam were a 64bit application vs just being compatible with 64bit hardware and operating system.... my hourglass might be able to take a well deserved break once in a while!

At the moment I have a 1GB MCX file with well over 3000 faces on a single solid loaded in X3 and am crunching more toolpaths on it. Windows task mangler reports mastercam.exe*32 has 8 threads. So Mastercam is indeed multi threaded, what seems to be the problem ? ! In the end it is probably the beta testers fault, eh?

Appears that your network is well set up and administered. In that case, using file permissions IS the thing to do.

Use file system permissions to set the files read only. Windows Explorer (or My Computer)-> Right Click on the files -> Security tab. If your users are logged on to your computers with administrator privileges you will need to correct that first by moving them the Users group then changing the file permissions accordingly.

quote: Constructive critisism is always welcome.. but when you start if off with personal attacks its not going to acomplish much and may get you banned.. There was no personal attack. Just a few people loudly over reacted to an innocuous observation to make it look like one. Typical gang mentality is all. If that gets me banned? Ohhh...wow...rah rah rah, you really showed me... Pbbbbt.

quote: This discussion alone is in the wrong forumDo feel free to post on topic or not read it at all. quote: Kinda waiting for ideal tool capable of everything.Actually, I'm 'kinda' waiting for Mastercam to work like it's supposed to. *Finishing* X2 before spending resources on X3 would be a huge step in the right direction. quote: Bob have a good day and sorry it seems like you lost your job.Thanks, my day is going good. No need to be sorry though, I'm gainfully employed, always have been. quote: as far as the fanboi remark.. wasn't Anubis some lame villan in Stargate.. ??Egyptian mythology - Anubis - the jackal headed original god of the dead. Don't read anything into that, it's just a pseudonym and I'm an atheist. quote: Many things you like about Mastercam are the direct result of my inputFair enough. Whose input is responsible for the poorly designed interface, crashes & corrupted files from keystrokes at the wrong time, and toolpaths that don't work correctly when WCS's are being used? When things like this are complained about here it gets dismissed by the usual subjects. Sorry, I don't drink the same koolaid they do and never will. Don't like the chain, view or level managers obstructing geometry on the screen? Go buy a dual monitor setup is the mantra! How about fix the horribly broken interface for cripes sake? Any pop up / window / dialog box which has a function of selecting geometry and gets in the way of selecting said geometry is just plain effing stupid software design. Period. Files corrupted? Backup backup backup is the mantra! Oh yeah, and don't press the escape key to back out of drafting functions. More poor software design. Key presses, be it inadvertent, bad timing or whatever shouldn't cause software to crash or corrupt files. This is incredibly basic stuff folks. How the heck does it escape beta testing and make it into production releases? That's a dead (no pun intended) serious question.

I'm throwing tantrums? Huh? Suggest get yourself some new reading glasses and take a look at recent posts by your pal Ron Teh Crazy Milltard. *Those* are tantrums. Again, maybe the poor current condition of Mastercam doesn't have anything to do with beta testing or programming at CNC Software after all. Perhaps the marketing department is running the show and forcing beta quality software to be shipped to us end users? Is it really too much to ask for X2 to be finished before resources are spent on X3?

If the one liner wasn't jammed in between an idiotic oversize Jaguars logo and your large screen shots I probably would have saw it. So exeffingscuse me, xxxx.

quote: In Solidworks, like this?Yeah, go buy another $4000 worth of software then spend the next few days learning how to use it to create variable fillets. Uh huh, that really helps the poor guy get the job done in Mastercam! Don't you just love people who are eager to spend your money for you?

quote: Does it have bugs yes. Do we point them out yes!!!!!!!!!!!!one Is it our responsibility to make them fix them no!OK then. Perhaps I'm wrong about the beta testers. Unlikely though, but a slim possibility. So what you're really saying is that the programmers at CNC Software are incompetent. It's certainly plausible. Would explain things like key presses at the wrong time corrupting files or crashing Mastercam. I mean like, what kind of bumbling dolts would let code like that escape beyond concept then let end users deal with it? Yeah, that has to be it. It couldn't be the beta testing fanboi's working around age old bugs instead of getting them fixed to play with their new toys. Could it?

quote: I heard on the grapevine that there is a huge WOW factor with X3Indeed. It goes something like this: All the bugs which have been around since the initial release of version X are still there along with some new ones. WOW! And that wow factor will remain until CNC Software decides to quit using Mastercam fanboi's as beta testers.

Z zero of the tool path you're projecting is what gets projected onto the surfaces when add depths is checked and you're not using any positive or negative stock to leave on the surfaces. If using depth cuts above or below Z zero, it's still Z zero that lands on the surfaces. If you're trying to engrave lettering onto surfaces used for finishing (vs projecting onto surfaces representing the bottom of lettering), then the tool path you're projecting needs to be below Z zero by the depth of the lettering. Be warned that this method will work satisfactorily on near horizontal up to maybe 20° shapes. As shapes get more vertical you will need to use other strategies else the lettering will become distorted and depth will be inconsistent. Word of caution, I've had problems with project not working correctly when using work coordinate systems. Enough that when I need to project tool paths, I first make a copy of and translate the geometry to world coords. Saves much aggravation. Is yet another Mastercam feature I'm looking forward to in X3. Feh.

I aways comp to tip, never center. There was a time when Mastercam couldn't do anything but comp to center but those days were gone long ago. For spherical orbits, I use negative stock only. For continuous (2d) orbits, I use negative stock for spark gap only (typically .001 to .002 thou) and cheat the cutter diameter (bull nose) for actual orbit amount. In any case orbiting never nets "perfect" shape even if the electrodes are dead nuts to size. There are a few exceptions, round hole - round trode, etc) Almost aways you end up "steel safe". If working to very close tolerances (e.g. shut offs on an injection mold for nylon or polypropylene which will flash in a half thou gap) it is suggested to make a couple extra trodes to either straight sink or use a very minimal amount of orbit.

quote: Does selecting (or deselecting) that icon do anything for you?Nope. That just displays toolpaths in the configured colors effectively turning off what color looping there is completely. No biggie. I'll just reduce myself to eagerly looking forward to more broken functionality and the same tired old bugs in X3. Should be easier not to get annoyed that way.

X2-MR2-SP1 In backplot options I set "Color Loop" to operations and expect the same behavior as in version 9 and that's each separate operation to backplot in a different color. Now color changes only when operation type changes. Been this way since the first version of X was released IIRC. Am I just missing something glaringly obvious? Any way to get the old (pre vX) color loop per operation behavior back?

Kyle, Suggest also post your advert on the Usenet newsgroup "alt.machines.cnc" and the "Practical Machinist" web BBS. You'll likely catch many more fish, so to say.

I've had random semi-responsive alt key weirdness too. Random enough that I haven't been able to pin down the sequence of events which cause it. Until today that is. After using my middle mouse button to pan (I don't do it often 'cause it's hard to press the scroll wheel like a button, requires much more pressure) I couldn't use the menus at all with the alt key, only the mouse. Exit Mastercam and relaunch and all was fine until panning with the mouse again. To hear that CNC Software is talking about the up coming X3 when X2 is still riddled with bugs is rather disturbing. Feh.

Suggest fixing all the bugs in the current version before introducing more in the next.

Settings -> Configuration -> CAD Settings -> Update Cplane and Tplane when changing Gview

I prefer using a single buffer / slave / dnc computer for each CNC machine (I know some guys still using 486DX pc's daily, you don't need much of a computer or any fancy software for such a simple task), having them networked, posting to them over the network, and using Mastercam's mcomm.exe from the command line for communications. I've got an old copy of Autoplot around that has come in handy on occasion too. The only thing better than that AFAIC, are Fanuc controls with data servers.

For sphericaly orbited burns, yes, using negative stock is usually the best method for making the electrodes. For continuous orbiting (where Z is held (more or less) constant and the orbit pattern is an XY spiral), a combination of negative stock for the primary spark gap, and cheating the tool diameter for the orbit amount is typicaly the best and easiest method. Square / vector orbiting may require some additional thought depending on the shape. I don't do it often, but in most instances the electrode needs to be re-modeled with orbit included by *translating* (NOT offseting) the sides in, then cut with just primary spark gap (typicaly .0005 to .003"). If you're working for a dinosaur shop that doesn't have EDM machines with orbiting capabilites, you're reduced to making roughing, semi-finishing, and finsihing electrodes, and they need to be made with negative stock.

Give Michael Gailey a jingle at; http://www.microsystemsgeorgia.com he's got access to a pretty good size Komo router.