I have not had a chance to test what I will write, but here are my suggestions: a) Before you post, select the operation and right click, selection "Options" -> "Select NCI destination and give the name that you want the .nc file to have. Try to use Job Setup to import your operations from a simular job. c) Start with a mc_ file that has the operations you want but has no geometry. Merge in the gemometry and apply the toolpaths. I like to select a group or all operations and pres regenerate path. The program will ask you to select each geometry that is missing. This is faster than going into each operation and adding a geometry manually. I hope that I have been helpful. The forum has been a grat help for me.

I wanted to let you'se know that I found the problem. If you plunge and run, the path is as expected. If you ramp-in, then the path will only roll around corners. Like it or not. The forum is great and has helped me a lot. Thanks for your input.

We will do our best with planning. Sometimes we have enough operations to keep a fast mill busy for 8 hours on a side. When there is a design revision, it is nice to be able to splice. Same thing for a model change.

If I save toolpaths in a library, how do I reconnect them with the geometry of a merged part?

We often machine several parts at one time from a flat plate. I would be a great help to be able to merge parts with the toolpaths. Is there any way to do this? (PS: The forum has been a great help to me and I have not always expressed my thanks. Thank you)

Where can I find the wait option?

i am trying to make a groove with fingers but the tool rolls around corners like this. Which looks like this: I tried turning off "Roll cutter around corners" but it did not have an effect. Do you have any suggestions?

Characters got lost: The first line should say: screen/configure/nc settings.

I was working with the screen/configure/nc settings to make my posted names default to the operation group. Now I get two files when I post an operation group with some operations in one, the rest in another. The first .nc file defaults to the name of the original file that I used, the second is named after the operation group. Anyone know what I did wrong and how to fix it? I would like to be able to post selected operations into a single .nc again. Thanks, Bert [ 02-07-2005, 09:51 AM: Message edited by: CADin & CAMin ]

Thank you for pointing me in the direction of the NCI path. I have made some experiments with mixed sucess at this point. It seems that I get an extra post that I didn't expect, When I post more than one operation group at a time. I do get multiple files and this would be a huge help. The posts seem to have a tool change at the beginning. Maybe they expect to be loaded in sequence. One thing is sure, when I try to do a number of repetative tasks and have any distraction, I make mistakes. This and some other great tips i have found in the forum help me to organize and automate. It makes CAMin fun.

When I post jobs I often produce as many as 8 nc files. The default file name that MC starts with may be set to the drawing name I started with, or a different job if I merge files. Is there a way that I can select the default name used for a job when saving nc files?

Thanks, If I use the adjust arc feed in the job setup. Will it apply to all tools? We use groove tools that do not need to slow down. Only external cuts.

I am using a contour and setting a ramp value. I have not had a chance to try new values so I am using the 3 degree default value.

I need to slow down my cuts around corners. I am cutting glass. When I make radiuses on the corners there is a lot more material and the material is prone to chip. I have been running 1/10 speed around the corners. Is there a way to do this? If I want to put a factor into my post that when I set this variable to a non zero number, the feed will be divided by this factor. I can see where I would enter this number in the "misc values" of the operation parameters. I do not know how to reference the number in the post and I would need to make sure mastercam knew that I changed the feed so that it would output for the next linear move. Would appreciate your help

This simple numbers are 15 lb/in^2 holding force at 30 in of vaccum. If you are getting 15 in of mercury vacuum, you will get about 7.5 lb/ square inch of area you are holding. The gasket you use can help also. If you are pulling 10 square inches, you get 75 lb of clamp down force. Next is the question of how slipery is the surface you are pulling on. We use a seal around a rubber surface that is less likely to slip.

I am cutting glass and need to use a helical path to cut holes. Since my control does not allow true helical cuts, mastercam makes line segments. Is there any way that I can select the length of the line segments to reduce the file sizes? Thanks,

I am cutting glass and need to use a helical path to cut holes. Since my control does not allow true helical cuts, mastercam makes line segments. Is there any way that I can select the length of the line segments to reduce the file sizes? Thanks,

Thank you Glen,

Thanks for your reply James. In the opening of my g-code I have two intialization sections, one for each of the two machines we have. Part of this section sets variables specific to the machine. The V23 is a variable factor to calculate the different z speeds. My reseller in Huntington Beach is very knowledgeable and has been helpful when I have ocntacted them. My problem is that I almost never have time to work on my post processor during the day. Thanks, Bert

I have two machines that have different z feed speed requirements, when I do not ramp. The controlers will do math and can use variables. If I have a linear move that is only a Z move, I want to include a multiplication to the feed. This is the code I have tried. It does not work when there is only a Z move. Can anyone help me fix this code or give me a better way to do this? Thanks in advance. Bert :confused: if (xabs<>prv_xabs) | (yabs<>prv_yabs), [ pcan1, pbld, `sgcode, sgabsinc, pxout, pyout, pzout, pcout, feed, strcantext, e ] else, if zabs<>prv_zabs, [ pcan1, pbld, `sgcode, sgabsinc, pzout, pcout, *feed, "*V23", strcantext, e prv_feed = -9999 ]

I know it sounds idealistic but we are doing it already with some products. All of the products we are producing this way are simular to each other. I have a library of tested operations that are called out in the drawings approved by the customer. Then we import the operations and asign them to the features. We have very skilled people programing and running our conventional machines producing conventional parts.

We bought our system from Cad-Cam Consultants in Huntington Beach, CA. The HASP # is 80251. The reason I am playing with the post-processors is that the area I work on is not our conventional machining. I am involved with product lines that need to get toolpaths in minutes and onto the machines with a minumum of effort. The people running these programs are also not machinists. My last project was to cut glass on some old homemade machines with 20 year old Anorad controllers. There I was able to make the codes run on two incompatible machines and have function keys to set the front to back offset. I also include a routine to touch the tool off of a dial indicator and set the Z offset. Two axis are reversed. Our dealer is helpful, and we have paid for traing and support but I don't want to put too much burden on them with the unusual requests.

Thanks for your response. These macros are only valid for 6 tools located in a tool holder. 101,102,103,104,105,106. The machine is a Thermwood which is really a router. We want to test the capability of the machine for some product lines which are simple and will not need many tools. It would be best to have a test, if tool is specified with a number higher than 6, then a pause command would be inserted.

I could use a little help with generating a code in a post processor. The toolchange on the Thermwood I am programing for uses an "M" code to change tools tool 1 is "M101" tool to is "M102" an so on. Can anyone give me an idea how to format the "M" code to include the tool number in the last 1 or two digits?

I am writing post files for two old Anorad controls. The controls do not support the rapid command so I force a G1 with a higher feed. The Z rate on each machine is also different. The controls support variables and math. I would like assign each machine the variables that they need and include the variables in the commands instead of a fixed feed value. Following are lines that I would like passed directly to the machine. I have tried three ways. As I want it. Making a string variable sv1 that is assigned value V1 and breaking the line into multiple quotes. "V1 = -17", e "sv1 = 300", e "sv1", "=", "100", e Even though the variables are in quotes I get a variable is not defined message when I post process. Another challenge I have is that I want to have a different vertical feed for one of the machines. The machines support math so I can have the feed speed multiplied by a variable in the controller. I need to be able to make a different line when I am dealing with a "Z" motion. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. Bert Ohlig