Correct me if I am wrong but Isn't this location handled under system configuration/ files/data paths and look for Mill NC programs and set the path there. This will be your default no matter what definition comes up. Then you can manually change the location to what you want for one machine or the other. OR....can't you take your machine/control definition, copy it and rename the second set to another name? For example Okuma1 and Okuma2. Then open one or the other of the control definitions and select a new data path and save. Now you have two identical definitions with a different data path.

I was able to get the output to behave correctly by going to.... "Linking/ Keep tool down within" and change "% of tool diameter" value to 3000 instead of 300. Not sure exactly why but it worked.

I find that it is group specific...Machine group or toolpath group. If I want the whole machine group to expand, I left click to select the group and everything in it and then right click expand or collapse. Where as if I left click and select toolpath group then right click expand or collapse, only the operations in the toolpath group are expanded or collapsed. I think the key is to select(left click) at the group level you want and then right click. If I just right click and select expand or collapse, I see the behavior that you describe.

Thanks for the heads up. This is very cool. Too bad this doesn't work like this for the levels manager.

I just noticed this with a file that I am currently working on in x9. I brought in an assembly and placed the parts on their respective levels and saved. This save took approximately 7 minutes to save the file. For grins I opened the same assembly in X7 and that save took 35 seconds. Something is definitely going on in X9.

I lock for three reasons: 1.) When I recycle a program and need to update the geometry and I haven't finished examining all of the toolpaths to make sure they are correct. 2.) Place holder when working through large files and I want to remember where I stopped. 3.) When I know the toolpath or the geometry will not be updated for any reason. Sometimes I will associate a tool to a contour or scallop toolpath to get the correct tool profile to show up in verify. (Mostly legacy toolpaths.) I am never going to update that geometry. And then I will also use ghosting to make sure these types of toolpaths do not get posted.

Very impressive to say the least! With that much mass sticking out there and spinning...how would one calculate what is actually doable with respect to length, rpm and feedrate? Are there other variables that come into play? Is there a magic formula or software that you guys are using to calculate this for you? Does it matter or is it safer if the tool is running vertical vs. horizontally? Sorry for the questions but I am fascinated by this and not sure why I never thought about having to reach that far to get a job done.

The new installer worked for me. No issues now. Thanks.

We have Trend but I'll have IT take a look. Thanks.

When I tried to install this nothing appears to be happening. I right clicked and selected to unblock and to run as admin but when I double click the .exe the hour glass shows up and then goes away and nothing else appears to happen.

I would recommend looking at Oneida Air Systems. There is a lot that goes into the correct decision for which system to buy. Inside or outside unit. Size. CFM and horse power. These guys can help you navigate the questions and decision process. There are other companies to choose from but these guys are informative and have a ton of useful information to consider. They will answer any questions that you have and help you choose or design the appropriate system. By the way...I like the system in the link very well and I have used their systems in a couple of places that I have worked in the past.

I have a similar issue as rhettmandel with trying to uninstall the Verisurf X9 tools. The only uninstall file is located under C:\Program Files (x86)\Verisurf Uninstall\X9 but doesn't appear to be the actual uninstall file. Running Windows 7 pro.

Interesting point of view. Thanks for sharing. Currently my system has gotten me through almost 4.5 years. (No complaints at all.) Part of the reason that I am not sold completely on the i7 (it is definitely faster, cheaper,) ...and looking at the Xeon, is my work load. I will process toolpaths for one job and then open an older version of MC and prep another job. Added to that, the number of applications that need to be opened and supported resource wise, (specs, travelers, prints etc.) I figured that the Xeon would handle the processing better. Not that I know for sure mind you but I was trying to make an educated guess based on what I am learning. The other main consideration is how productive can I really be? Toolpath generation and post processing time are the major killers for me. I spend a little over 3 hours a day processing those two items which nearly locks down my current system. Not to mention simulation time. So what is the best way to recover that time? SSD, more ram, a better video card with more ram and the best processor(s) that will get the job done. If it were just toolpaths I am pretty sure I would have chosen the i7 hands down. So I am leaning towards the Xeon just not sure how far I need to go performance/ cost wise. I really appreciate the help and advice that everyone has offered.

Thanks for the link and info. I went down this path initially to double what my current computer could do. My current processor(AMD Phenom II X4 965 Processor 3.4Ghz.) and the video card (Quad FX3800) would get upgraded to an i7 (Intel® Core™ i7-4790K @ 4.1GHz) and a quadro k2200 video card.These two items should almost double my efficiency at a reasonable cost. That started me looking at the Xeon processor due to the ECC ram. There are always "glitches" in how my current system works and after reading about how the type of ram affects the system, I decided to go after the Xeon. This would also allow me to bring in more ram in the event that I needed it. I was also looking for a way to kind of future proof my system. (It is fairly easy to add ram and change the video card, but you are limited with the motherboard and processor.) So I am really looking to understand the processor side of things because that is the one area that I can't remedy and would force the purchase of a new system after a few years if I don't get this right. It would also help the ROI if the rig lasted more than 3 years and I could be two to a hundred times more efficient. At what level do the Xeon processors (even though they cost more,) exceed the i7 processor ability. (this seems to be where the cost becomes a major factor.) And the reason that I was looking for a starting point recommendation for the Xeon.

If someone were to go with a Xeon processor, which one would offer the best value for the dollar spent? I was looking at a Six-Core Intel® Xeon® E5-1660 v2 3.7/4GHz 1C Turbo Boost -15MB Shared L3 Cache-6.4GT/s QPI-130W-Single CPU only 22nm to start with but not sold on it yet. Any recommendations?

Thanks djstedman. I really appreciate the information.

djstedman thanks for the response and the information. Does one processor work better at handling ram and allocating ram better? So while the drive speed is relevant for faster access, please correct if I am wrong here...the processor directs the memory on where, when and how the ram gets used? Would this be where the type of processor comes into play? If the i7 is, in it's basic form, the same as a Xeon, what is the advantage of the Xeon over the i7 or vice versa? Does the Xeon manage ram better or differently than the i7?

Why do you need SSD, more ram, a better graphics card and the fastest processor with as many cores as you can get? How does Mastercam utilize these items when regenerating a toolpath, multi-threading, generating G-Code and saving a file? What purpose does each of these items play in how we get the final product and the amount of time saved? What are the benefits to using an i7 processor or a Xeon processor? Why is each one better or is one chosen for a particular task over another one? Should one consider other processors? What needs to be setup so that Mastercam can utilize each item to its fullest capability? Is it better to spend more money now on a more robust system hoping that you can get more years out of the system or is this a pipe dream? Or…spend less money and get a system that is adequate because in three years you will likely need to replace that system anyway due to changing software and hardware requirements? How does one go about determining the ROI for any priced system?

gcode, did you go i7 or xeon? If I may ask...why did you choose the system that you ended up with? Have you tested the benchmark yet? I am looking for a new box and I am in the process of getting quotes. I multi task, use MC, Solidworks and Catia. I usually have a few windows open to deal with MS office, specsa and adobe pdf. So I was looking for some sound information on the direction to go with the build as there seems to be a split between speed and muti tasking. Speed being the i7 route and muti tasking being the xeon route. I asked all of the big companies for their recommendations. The specs from the 1st company/quote look like this: PCIe Workstation (Base Configuration) 01950 Intel® Core™ i7-4790K @ 4.1GHz Hi-Perf. Sealed Water Cooling Single Fan Radiator 8MB Shared L3 Cache DMI 2.0 Quad-Core 4th Gen. 22nm w/Artic Silver® 5 Thermal Compound 02318 32GB DDR3 2400MHz w/High Performance Aluminum Heat Spreader Professional 4x 8GB 04533 NVIDIA® Quadro® K2200 4GB DDR5 Kepler™ Architecture PCIe 16x 2.0-1x DVI-DL-2xDP-1x Stereo-Dual Head-3D Pro Support-DX11-OGL 4.3- Shad.M 5.0 05015 No Monitor (credit) 03182 500GB Solid State Drive Samsung® 850 EVO™ SATA 6Gb/s 540/520MB/s Seq.R/W <.3ms seek Shock Resistant 1500G. 32150 Optional 500GB Solid State Drive Samsung® 850 EVO™ SATA 6Gb/s 540/520MB/s Seq.R/W <.3ms seek Shock Resistant 1500G. 24002 RAIDMode 1 Redundancy/Mirroring RAID (Requires SATA or SAS Ctrl. 2x identical HD) 17012 HDD Std Ctrl. accordingly to Motherboard and HDD Type Selected Incl. w/ Base 06061 DVD+RW/DL/+R-R/CD-RW Double Media 4.7/8.5GB 18x 09007 On-Board sound accordingly to motherboard specifications Incl. w/ Base 12001 On-Board Network port(s) accordingly to motherboard specifications Incl. w/ Base 13017 No Keyboard 14001 No Mouse 16084 Genuine Microsoft® Windows® 7 Professional Edition SP1 64-bit (32Bit avail. on request) Fully installed, configured and updated, includes original DVD media and COA 21055 Genuine Microsoft® Office 2013 Home and Business Edition License PKC (No Media Included) 20090 Resource Media - contains Diagnostic links & Drivers Incl. w/ Base Computer User's Guide Manual (PDF) Incl. w/ Base 22306 MSI® Z97 PC Mate Intel® Z97 Chipset-Military Class 4-2xPCIe x16 3.0/2.0-2xPCIe 2.0(x1)-2xPCI-DDR3 to 32GB RAM-1xLAN-6xSATA6Gbs-HD Audio-8CH-3/4USB 2.0/3.0-DVI-HDMI-VGA (OC OK to 4.1GHz) Incl. w/ Base 44049 750W Rosewill® 80 Plus Bronze Certified Silent 135mm 2-Ball-bearing Blue LED Fan 87% efficiency Active PFC SLI/XFire ready PSU 27253 Tower RW-LGL 3/4x12cm Quiet Blue LED Fans-Front Grid-4xFront USB 2.0/3.0-Audio in/out- 3x 5 1/4" 8x 3 1/2" bays (4.1GHz OC max on Z97 C.S)- 7.09”x16.54”x18.51” (W x H x D) Incl. w/ Base 18001 Standard Xi Warranty w/Express Advance Parts Replacement, One Year on System, Mfg. on Monitor Incl. w/ Base 47002 NEMA 5-15P to C13 Wall Plug, 125 Volt, 16AWG, 5 Feet. Standard Computer AC US Power Cord or other major countries standard Power Cord (AU/CH/DE/FR/IT/NZ/UK) Incl. w/ Base They chose i7 for speed and the reason for the K2200 was that is the replacement for the Quadro fx 3800 (my current system) which for me was an excellent card. So I am curious to hear what anyone thinks or would care to recommend. I know this has been beat to death in other posts but I am asking because I will have to live with this rig for a few years. I do a lot of aerospace stuff all 3d contour surfaces so crunching through code and post processing are a big deal and I would like to minimize the impact that has as much as possible. TIA

I am also with JP and Zoober on this. I think not moving the part had to do with the validation of the part as the part has to be inspected based on aircraft coordinates versus machine coordinates. Any good Inspection software should take of this though and it should be a fairly easy process to get the "frame" to match aircraft coordinates once it is in machine coordinates. Another reason this could have been started was revision changes. Constantly changing from aircraft to machine coordinates can be a bit tedious at times. So just as a precaution, I'll set three points, all different colors, on a part in unique places and save those points on 2 levels, one level with just the 3 points and then to the level that the part is on. The 3 points with the part will get moved to where ever the part goes to. I will then leave the other three points alone and never move them. That way I can always get back to the aircraft coordinates if I need to.

This would be a helpful feature and I asked QC to add my name to the pool of users who would like to see this added. If everyone else would do the same it could happen sooner than later.

To get the results that you are looking for, set the roughing pass at 1 and for .01 like you want but then set finish pass for 1 or 2 and with a value of 0.00001. The results will be the same. The tool is technically cutting on the 2 passes but not enough to cause any additional push-off and will remove the original push-off that you typically encounter. Used this a lot on 17-4 with excellent results.

It's been a while since I did this so bare with me. You will need the free add-in program that Verisurf has available for Mastercam called Verisurf Tools for Mastercam. Look at the top of the main forum for the link. It has some tools in it. One of which is called Verisurf Pierce or Pierce Point. 1.) Open the part file with the points and surfaces in Mastercam. 2.) Select Pierce Point and click each point. This will give you the Vector for that point on the surface and /or a point at the end of the line. 3.) You can then use Analyze/Entity Properties and select the line/points. This will give you the point information and the vector data. The data shows as XYZ data but you could substitute XYZ for IJK. If your software will import a .csv file, you could do a file/ save as and then select the point data and save as a .csv file that you could read in Excel or use to import. This brought in the point data and then we only needed to deal with the vector info. Or save the offset points on another level. When you select file/save as...select each level individually this will create two separate files that you can then merge(copy/paste) the two files in Excel. The old school way is to offset the surfaces and project the points normal to surface and create a line if you need one. HTH!

Your welcome. I like to help when I can.

In short its the spline/arc geometry that drives the tip of the tool. The reason for the hat sections is that the arcs or splines represent an undercut at each of those areas and the tool being driven to the tip is trying to adjust to follow the drive chain which goes back on itself. Adjust your arcs and splines to taper into the center of the drop(or arc/spline) at the bottom. I am not sure if your part will allow it but if you can it will fix the issue. I placed a file here ftp://mastercam-cadcam.com/Mastercam_forum/X7_Files/CURVE 5AXIS TT_SLOPE TO CENTER.MCX-7 so you could see what I am talking about.