I've sent the MC9 file to the ftp site. It's under MC9 folder named viper test 3. Could someone look at it? Thanks, Roger

Our shop just got in a used lathe (Viper) with live tooling c-axis, I'm the programer here and also have to run the parts. I've never used a lathe with live tooling and have been playing with this one now for a couple of days. I'm using version 9 mastercam the control is a Fanuc 18T. The post that I've used is MPLFAN.pst When I tried to engrave the on the face it was cutting the letters mirrored i.e VIPER was cutting REPIV. Also trying to use wear comp on the face of the part I can only use positive values. If I use negative values it errors. Can any of you send me nc examples briefly explained. I have more question to come. PLEASE HELP!!!

I forgot to mention that the files are in the MC9 folder.

I've sent two files to the ftp site in a folder named punch and die folder. The material is going to be A2 I would like some advice on speeds and feeds, other ways to machine these two parts using level 1 mill, which milling cutters to use to get the smallest scallop height. Basicly any help on doing this would be great!! I usually do simple programing drilling holes, milling countours, pockets, etc.

Have any of you programed one of these? They have the dual turrets, (front turret for turning tools, back turret for boring bars, drills). I need to know how to change the post, so that the front indexes to position 1 before indexing the back turret, and the back turret indexes to position 21 before indexing the front turret. Also changing M13 to M03 and the M codes for chuck open and chuck close. I've got the Mastercam book on post processors, but don't understand much of this part of using MC.

The company I work for just built a Abrasive waterjet machine. The controller is a Dynapath delta 20. I need some advice on how to program this machine with Mastercam mill. Countour is the only toolpath that I will be using. I sit all Z heights to 0, and use a tool that is the diameter of the kerf, and 0 for spindle speed. What I need is a program that rapids to position, turns on the jet, next line turns on the abrasive, next line dwells, cuts the countour, turns off the jet, and abrasive, dwells and then rapids to the next postion. etc. etc. I'm using mastercam version 9.1 post processor is the MPDYPTH for dynapath delta 10 & 20 controllers. (9)M03$ Turns on the jet (9)M08$ Turns on the abrasive (8)L2$ Dwell for 2 seconds (9)M05$ Turns off both the jet and abrasive Anyone out there have any suggestions on this. Please help....I'm having to use copy and paste in the editor. And it is very time consuming. Heaven forbid I should miss turning off the jet between countours.....That would be costly.

Thanks again Matt. You saved me alot of time, I will need to run toolpaths on these parts. And all I had for opening them was a cadkey viewer program. Which isn't good for much. My hasp is at work, so I'll have to wait to open them. Once again, THANKS!!!

Matt, SAT would be great. I have uploaded the files to the FTP site. They are in the folder for files for CNC inc. Listed as folder cam 1, and cam 2. I was trying to put them in the files to be converted folder, oops... Many thanks!!!! Roger

I have afew cadkey files that I would appreciate converted to MC9 files. If anyone is willing to do this just let me know what I should do with the files. Send them to the FTP site?, email them?. Thanks, Roger

Roger Martin is correct. 1 ft. =120.00146 bytes If you have The machinist toolbox software, look under conversions. It has all of this. 1 character = .96025 bytes

I'm a big fan of the "Tour" Back in my teens and early twentys I use to race as a catagory 3 USCF rider. A crash I had while on a training ride (without helmet) kind of changed my nerve on going fast down hills. So now I just sit glued to the TV from day one, to the end of the tour, "Lance is the man!" This year his nearest competition (Jan Ullrich) is not racing in the tour do to injury, and Lance is saying that this year he has "gotten even stronger". Spin Lance, Spin your way to another Tour Win!!!!

If you have several chains in a toolpath and one or two are on the wrong side of the contour, how do you "change sides" without effecting the other chains? I have tried highlighting the "bad" chains and right clicking and clicking on change sides, but it effects all the chains in the geometry window.

If a person was to have their legal MC hasp duplicated, would this violate the license agreement? Or be legal? I WOULD NOT BE USING IT TO MAKE ANY KIND OF PROFIT! I use my hasp at the company I work for, and sometimes I like to practice programming at home. (This is a pain in the butt! Unplugging MY hasp from the computer at work, Crawling under my desk at home to plug it in, and then remembering to take it back in to work with me. There is a web site that can make duplicates for I think it was around $70. [ 06-02-2002, 10:02 PM: Message edited by: Roger ]

I would like to add my $$ worth. About five years ago, I decided to learn mastercam and took some classes, and even purchased my own seat, mill level 1, and lathe. I don't have a company, I made this purchase so that I could use MC and learn more to get a better job as a programer. Currently the place I work has MC level 7.2 mill entry, and 7.2 lathe. I have been writing programs using my seat for this company. And I have been buying (with my own money) the upgrades since version 6.13 (my first seat). I received the email offering 1/2 solids and worked out a deal with my employer where the shop will buy me solids. Some of you might think that I'm crazy spending my own money on MC, But how many shops out there will hire a programer with no experience? So you that complain about the cost, I ask you, who is buying it? The company (which makes money, by saving valuable time in programing) or is it coming out of your pockets! Just my $$ worth.

Peter, what you say is true. I have been programing a lathe for about a 1 1/2 years now. We have a bar puller so we can use up to 48" long stock. When I set up the lathe I will write down each tools position before programing, including which one sticks out the farthest from the turret face. (usually a drill, boring bar, or the bar puller.) This measurement is taken with a tape, in that it doesn't have to be that precise. I use the mpfan post, since the lathe has a fanuc controller. I then edit the NC file removing the move to home, and replacing it with GO T0004 (longest tool) Z1. (1 inch is enough clearance) I also figure the number of parts I can get from the 48" and use a subprogam to call the main program that many times. So I can be running or programing the mills, while the lathe is running. If there is a better way please! let me in on it. As I said before, by limiting the distance the tool turret moves before indexing saves hours! on cycle times. Thanks for your replies. I'm still new at this and I'm trying to become as efficient as I can at programing.

I was saying that tool four was the longest tool. Peter, maybe in version 10 they could incorporate this as a feature. Having a window that you could select your longest tool, and the distance to move away from your parts face. They could put it in the job setup, so that when your defining your part, chuck boundaries etc., you could also choose this as your "tool index position" Thanks for the replies!

I just posted a question about mill, when I remembered one I had with lathe. Is there a way to set up lathe ver. 9 to index the turret a set distance from the part zero of the longest tool in the turret? G0TOOO4 Z1.0 T0606 I have been editing the NC files to get this in my programs. It saves alot! of time.

Is there a setting in mill ver. 9 to have the machine index to the next tool after a tool change? And post it this way. T8M6 T14 (NEXT TOOL) G0X0.Y0.Z.1 etc. So that it is in "stand by position" after your tool path,so you don't have to wait for it to index. Or is this a post modification?

Hello, This is my first post to this forum, I've been a member for some time now. I've been reading the other post and learning a lot about using mastercam. I took classes at a local college about six years ago, and even purchased my own seat of mastercam, (mill level 1 & lathe version 8.1.1) I think I started with version 6. Anyway, I work for a small company programing their 2mills, and a lathe. Simple 2 1/2 axis stuff. And soon a AWJ machine we are building. That's about it. Just another happy mastercam user.