For a pocket with square corners, wouldn't you need to have your stepover set to a maximum of .726 using the tool you described. Otherwise, in the corner you would get a cusp because the distance at the 45 would be 1.4142 times your stepover. Or am I thinking wrong?

Wow, and more than one!! I always loved programming, just never got that deep into it. I mainly toyed around with high level progamming languages. I always regretted not getting more into the lower level ones. I guess it's never too late. At 43 though, the old brain just doesn't tick quite as fast as it used to.

quote: I tell my computer to transform into robot mode and it just sits there

Wow, there are still assembly programmers in the world!!

I thought I was just not remembering how I did it in X2 because I don't transform often. I had the same thing happen except my issue was with transforming rectangular and creating new geometry and toolpath instead of mirroring. It duplicated the original geometry and path as well as create the new one.

Don't take me wrong. There's only been a couple of time's it would have REALLY come in handy so it's not a major inconvenience. I just always wondered why. I never really gave it a lot of thought. Thanks for giving us the insight though as to the reasoning behind it.

That's one thing I have never understood. Why don't they save toolpaths as well if none of the "new version" features were used. I can't imagine it would be that difficult to do and if a new toolpath that wasn't backward compatable had been programmed a msgbox would popup saying so. Oh well, I'm sure they have much more important things to worry about.

Normally to simplify things here for assembly type models, our engineering department turns the iam assemblies into a "derived component" ipt. That way it imports as a single model instead of several small models. It also makes things easier with just one solid model ipt vs. several ipt's and the iam as Todd said.

Thanks Pete, I'm curious as to why X2 will load it and X3 won't.

I had our engineering dept save the file as a step and it pulled in fine in X3. I'm guessing it has to be something in the IPT that isn't allowing X3 to pull it in even though X2 will. Thanks all.

We installed the inventor view from Mastercam's website (X3 Translator Update - AutoDesk Inventor View 2009 x86) and still a no go for this file. I would think there was a problem with the model file but it pulls in fine in X2. Has anyone successfully pulled in this file with X3?? Any other suggestions? Could it be a problem with the file that would prevent it from opening in X3 but allow it to open in X2?

I didn't realize that. I thought you only needed to update inventor view when you updated inventor to add support for the new inventor formats. And since we had been loading IPT's in X3 without the update until this one, my thought process seemed legit... Obviously not though I'll get the file installed and see what happens. Hopefully all will be good then. (Did the file load ok for you?)

We have the converter for the version of inventor our engineering department uses. They are currently using inventor 2008. They are planning on buying some new computers and don't want to install 2009 until they get them. We have inventor view 08 installed and have had no problem loading files in X2 or X3 until this model. For some reason it will load in X2 but not X3. It is somewhat large. Did you get this to load sucessfully in X3?? Would the new version of the converter read an inventor 08 ipt differently?

I have an IPT solid model that I tried to load in X3 and it freezes and will not load. My coworker tried to load it on his computer with X3 as well and it froze at the same point. The model loads fine in X2. I uploaded the model to cadcam's FTP in the solids directory. The name of the file is 5894.IPT. This model is an updated model from a job I programmed about a year ago. At first I was going to open the old Mastercam program file delete it's model and import the new model in. When I did this I got a Parasolid error of no virtual memory. I then tried loading the model by itself. No go. So next I tried loading it in X2. No problem it loaded fine. So, I saved it as an MCX, and then I could load the MCX into X3. It's a work around but I don't know why it wouldn't load in X3 from the start. Any Ideas?? I couldn't find a memory setting for the Parasolid kernel. I wanted to ask here before I submit this as a real bug. I just want to make sure it's not me. Rick

Yeah, I don't think the email would handle that. Oh well, I guess I wait a couple more hours for our IT person. I really wish they would just let us have administrative rights on our local pc's here so I could do it myself. Thanks for the effort though cobra.

I'm still waiting on our IT person For anyone who has done the install, How big is the documentation folder? Is it small enough someone could zip it up and e-mail it to me or put up on the FTP? I'd like to start reading on what is needed to make the move from our current X2 install to X3. Thanks, Rick

Thanks Chris. I'm eagerly awaiting our download to finish. Now if we can just get our IT person out here to do the install...

I too loved all the lathe enhancements.

quote: This is obviously a Senior Citizen thread. Hey, I resemble that! quote: Once you're use to RPN, nothing else will do.. I agree completly. For some reason, the guys here just can't grasp it.

quote: Cool, it even has RPN as a real calculator should have. ( HP fan ) There's someone other than me who likes RPN! And I thought I was the only one. No-one else at the shop here can understand why I like it like I do. Keeps people from borrowing my calculator though!! And when a new guy askes to bororrow it, I have to admit, that it does give me a bit of enjoyment seeing the frustration build in their faces as they can't figure out why it won't work for them. HP48GX at work HP48G at home and lovin' it. Rick

Have you tried regenerating all the toolpaths after you change the group name? Just a guess on my part I don't really know if that would have anything to do with it or not, I'm just throwing out thoughts.

You are probably wondering why I am reviving this old topic. I have searched the forum and this was the only time I actually saw a reference to the question I had. After going through the setup for my part again, it dawned on me that it would be nice if I could just set my jaw size as a default value so I didn't have to enter it each time. I can't seem to find any way to do it. I was wondering if someone could steer me in the right direction. Running X2 MR2 SP1 TIA, Rick

I hope people didn't take me wrong. I would love to be a beta tester. I understand the process. I wasn't saying there should not be experienced end users beta testing, just that there should be a mix of green newbies in the program as well. Being someone who has written code for computers, the novice computer users are generally the ones that find the bugs in the wierd places the experienced user would never find. I think that is mainly because experienced people don't follow the thought process the novice does. Of course, the novice will find "bugs" that aren't really bugs simply because they don't know how to use the software as well. I have the utmost respect for the programmers at CNC as well as the beta testers. I apologise if I mislead in my earlier statement. Rick

quote: The logical tester is one who has the skills to push it to the limits and find it's weak spots. To be that skilled at something typically means you like working with it.The other logical test group would be those new and green in mastercam. Those people tend to do things quite differently than the seasoned veterans. People who have used the software for years have developed habits that may circumvent known issues of the past and, as a result, never find that issue in the current beta. Whereas the newbies may find them because they don't have that past knowledge. Their input may also provide a different logic on how to go about performing various tasks that would otherwise continue as the status quo simply because "we have always done it that way". I don't consider myself an old timer nor do I consider myself a newbie. I've been using Mastercam for a little over 2 years now. I know I still have a lot to learn though as it is a never ending process. Personally, I would love to be a beta tester. My company will not allow the beta program however, they are afraid it would effect productivity. JMTC Rick

This forum Welcome... Rick