That depends on your Post Rick. Normally it is controlled through Control Definition, but if your post is an older one that was converted to X, you might have to changed it directly in the post. Also, you might want to go into System - Config and set your toolpath tolerance to .00001. That way your toolpath is more accurate. HTH,

Hi Guys, Mastercam and most other CAD software does not have the ability to edit STL files directly. There is a piece of software that will let you edit these files. It is called "Magics RP" and is from a company called Materialise. Magics STL software I just found out about this software myself and just pushed the purchase through our management. We tried a demo of the software and it ROCKS!!! I was able to fix and heal 100% of our problem models. We export STL models of our fixtures and parts to both Virtual NC and VERICUT. HTH,

Ask and you shall receive. Verisurf Hole Axis Chook - X2 Compliments of Ernie from Verisurf. Thanks,

Thanks Ernie!!!!

Hi Guys, We are looking for a better video driver for our Dell M90 Laptops. We tried running the install package for the newest drivers off the Nvidia website and the install package just aborts with a message about "no compatible drivers found". The current driver that shipped with the computer is 84.29. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks,

Remember that you can disable buttons too...

Hi Roger, Would you be able to help with the creation of "Mask Linker"? I'm a bit of a computer programming Noob, but I'll help in any way I can. Thank you,

Mark, The left column of gray fields are the default names of the buttons. As you read down the column there is a white "Text entry field" to the right of these names. By typing in the text entry field you are renaming the button in the toolpath parameters dialog pages. If you type in double quotes ("") you will disable the button in the toolpath parameters dialog box. HTH,

In the Configuration dialog box, Colors, turn your "select color" to something other than your screen background color. You might want to go through all your color settings. HTH, Colin Gilchrist The Boeing Company X2

There is nothing quite as funny as when someone asks me what my "Chewbacca" button does. For me, its my "Reference Point" button.

I've had my fair share of those moments myself.

Mark, In the Control Definition, Text section, the Mill Path Parameters page gives you the ability to rename or disable all of the buttons that are listed. For example, if you click in the text entry field next to "Planes" and type in "WCS-G54" Mastercam will rename the Planes button to "WCS-G54" in any toolpath. You could also rename "Canned Text" to "M-Codes/Macros" which is something I do on my system. If you put a set of double quote marks ("") in any of the text entry fields you can actually disable certain parameters in the different toolpath dialog boxes. Head # is a good example of this. I disable the "Head #" section so that it is grayed out on all my toolpaths. HTH, Colin Gilchrist The Boeing Company X2

Jim, Done. I'll send you the bill.

Hi Guys, I am very impressed with the "Quick Mask Manager" Chook by Zerren Gedeon. The only limitation is the ability to bind only one quick mask file at a time to the single button. I would like a new Linker utility, similar to the "ScriptLinker" utility for linking a VB script to a toolbar button. This ulility would let you link a .mask file with a custom toolbar button. Would it be possible for on of the gurus at CNC to create a new utility or share the code for the "ScriptLinker" utility to get me started? I'm just starting to learn Visual Studio, so be gentle. Any help would be sincerely appreciated. Thank you, Colin Gilchrist The Boeing Company X2

Its good to be needed...

r_procko, Macro - no, VB script - yes. You could potentially build a VB script to automatically build a set of toolpath operations. The other option that I would highly recommend looking at is ProDrill. ProDrill will do exactly what you are looking for and more. Call your re-seller for a demo. Colin Gilchrist The Boeing Company X2

Hi Ted, You've got mail. Colin Gilchrist The Boeing Company

When you created your diagonal line, are you sure you picked up the exact endpoint of the box's lines? Open your autocursor configuration and turn off the "nearest" option. Make sure you are in 3D mode and if necessary, use "analyze entity properties to make sure all of your line's endpoints are in the correct position. Both methods (partial and full arc) work just fine for me on a .25 x .25 x .5 rectangular wireframe box with a diagonal line. HTH, Colin Gilchrist The Boeing Company X2

Tazzer, are you sure you are picking the lines that are all on the top surface of the box? I created a rectangle, .25 x .25 with a diagonal line through the middle. Create - Arc - Tangent, select the "tangent to three entities button" and click on the lines (two outside and the diagonal). It works fine with the whole circle and the tangent arc (partial) option. Try selecting your three lines in isometric graphics view to be sure you are grabbing the right ones. HTH, Colin Gilchrist The Boeing Company X2

With Change Recognition in X2 you can merge geometry and toolpaths....

Also, be really really really careful running two sessions of Mastercam at once. Copy your geometry and SHUT DOWN the other Mastercam session. Otherwise you might get to experience the dreaded "0 kbyte" crash where Mastercam dumps your file. I'm just sayin.....

+1 to holding down the control key. If you are in create - line - endpoint, make sure the "tangent" button on the ribbon bar is also disabled.

I'm glad it was an easy fix!

Yes you do. Remember, its like going from version 10 to version 11. Not just an update like MR1 and MR2.

RDot, You may also just be getting "dwell" in the corners of your toolpath if you are driving a full sized cutter into the radius. You might try a smaller cutter. This is a straight bit doing a contour cut right?