Is it feasible to machine cast aluminum after its been anodized? I'm concerned about the plating chipping. The print says I need to drill and bore 2 holes (.313+/-.001, .187 diameters, .625" deep) after anodizing. Thank you for any help. Brian

quote: would like to have the paths directed to assigned files for different file types I just switched to X2 yesterday and I already miss this function. PLEASE put it back.

quote: it seems to do it when I go from english to metric now that I think about it. Do I need to say my backgrond color in the metric config file also? Yes, you do, I had the same thing going on.

When you load in a good prog. try going into control def via the operation manager (not under machine types at top ). Op. manager>files>machine def (gray ! )>control def. (icon at top 2nd from left)>operation defaults. save the defaults to your default folder, be sure to click on the green checkmark.

Maybe, try switching the mouse to your other hand. I had to do this becasue I was getting bad cramps in my forearm ( from discgolf, not what your thinking ). It only took me a couple of days to get used to and I haven't had any more problems since.

X2?? Thanks, I'll stop scratching my head now.

When I try to open the aggregat.dll c-hook I get the following: "version 9 aggregate toolpaths can not be edited. Please select an appropriate machine definition in your machine group properties and reselect the aggregate tools in the source operations if you wish to make changes." I've been able to set up a right a RAH component and add it to my machine def. but I can't figure out to give it any dimensions for backplotting. I even tried changing the holder settings of the tool I'm using with the head but they don't seem to change. I no longer have mc9 on my system or I'ld try using the c-hook with it. Thanks again, any ideas are appreciated. Brian

Is there a way to draw an aggregate right angle head for backplotting? We have a Mitsi 5-axis with a rah that is basically a 13.5" cube and I'ld like to be able to see if I'm crashing it when backplotting. Thanks, Brian

I was having lock ups with my files with drafting in mr2. I had my settings st to show drafting only in current view and when I transformed geom. it would lock up. I switched it to show drafting any view and its worked fine since.

Thank you for the heads up. I was using a heavily modified older post and the question wasn't in there. After you said that I looked in a new mpmaster and copied everything I needed from it. Thanks again.

I have 1 machine out of 10 that uses a taps pitch as its feed rate.The rest use a feed rate of pitch X rpm.I've almost had a few crashes because of forgetting to change my feedrates when moving parts from another machine to the oddball. Is there a way to call the pitch from the taps tool parameters, so that I don't have to change in settings in my program? thanks, Brian

OK now I'm confused. I have my MMD set for "tool >add to tool offsets> length 0, diameter 0. If I right click on a tool and edit just the tool # to say 25, the diameter and length offsets become 25 + 0 no matter what I have them as inside the tool edit screen. I thought that's what he was looking for. My bad if its not. B.

Another fix is to go into the Machine def. and under tools set it to add 0 to length and diameter offsets. B.

quote: Nice...show the boss we called em an arse!!! I like your moxy! Ask him if you can write the code with pen and paper since you know that won't have any bugs! His pen might leak and ruin the paper. The boss would say his Papermate crashed and was too unstable. Try rock carving it now.

You can rotate your top wcs to the new angle, and then change all your top wcs to the new wcs in each operation. Kinda of a pain if there are alot of ops, But the t/c planes will follow the new wcs and maintain there associativity to the geometry.

I use it quite a bit and 99% of the time I just pick the geo and go. The 1%, I get customer models with a cluster of arcs all with the same center and it would be easier to pick the common center and tell it my desired diameter.

quote: If you pick the entity it grays out, if you want the option you should pick the arc center, the diameter box should then be available. I would like to see it work this way instead of having to create more geometry. brian

My setup sheets name comes from the nc name of the op above the red arrow ( i'm not at work to see if I have any specific settings to make it do that.) Only the tools selected will be output in the set up sheet. So, by placing the Red Arrow inside the group you want and only selecting those ops you should get seperate setup sheets, but they will have to be done 1 at time. AS for the save by default, I have no idea. Brian

A couple years ago my supervisor walked me the bare basics and then let me play with it (umm MC9 that is) for a couple days. After that I did a lot of trial and errortype programming. About a year ago I found this forum and have since tried to wera out the search option. This place is awesome!

If things go to wrong just reset all the fields back to zero and start over. I do this if I pick the wrong points when using transform from pt. to pt.

Did you exit out of xform via the green checkmark b4 trying to undo? I haven't had any problems as long as I got all the way out of the xform window first.

I had that error once and it turned out to be bad insert geometry.

What would happen if you removed the *100 from the "n$ = t$*100" line? It looks to me like the output should currently read "/ N260054".

slight hi-jack/ Since setting a ref. point seems to be the easiest fix, it would be nice to be able to set my operation defaults with a ref. pnt retract of Z5.0mm (abs). However, the ref. pnt box is grayed out in the defaults. Just my 2 cents

I haven't had problems adding notes, but i did have problems with notes that weren't visible when i went to MR2. I used to uncheck the "show drafting in all views". With MR2 if I had notes that weren't being shown and I tried to move my geometry it would lock up.