No problem. I have my screen layout like yours now. It works great. Things are a little tight but I think I'll get used to it. Thanks again for posting your screen shot.

BCW, I'm gonna give your layout a try. I only have one monitor and I never thought about putting the Planes and Levels on the right side so they are always visible. Thanks to all of you for posting screen shots. Something so simple may vastly change the way I work. Just curious BCW, what size monitor do you have? I have a 26" and it looks like it may work.

I have two open sessions of X9 that I'm working on right now, one is a mold plate and the other is an electrode. Been doing this in X9 for a long time. Doesn't seem to cause any trouble here.

Maybe a typo, supposed to be "Evenly"?

I use them occasionally. Sometimes I create a quick check surface when a toolpath doesn't behave the way I want, or use check surfaces when I don't want or need to chain a complex containment region. It's nice to be able to use them when you need them.

There is a setting for that. I have mine set at 10 minutes.

I use the free version of a program called ManicTime. It tracks everything you do on the computer. I can see exactly what time I started and finished a job, how much time I spent in each software package such as SolidWorks or MasterCAM, and how much time I spent surfin' eMastercam. Works very well for me. It's a big help in filling out time sheets.

They quoted me! That's me, Eddie Higginbotham of ASH Industries, in item #13 talking about templates. Huge time saver for me. Lots of good stuff in there.

Crazy^Millman, I see your point, "for the average user". But I think if the option to lock a Toolpath is available, so why not the stock model? If I crash something because of a locked stock model or toolpath the fault would be mine, not the software. That seems to be an issue of training. For me locking the stock model would be a great option. Sometimes I don't want the stock model to update. Returning to the Solidworks equivalent, Lock External References, I use it all the time. The mold designer designs a mold, I design all the electrodes for the mold, then I lock all the references of the electrodes to the mold. If the mold designer changes the mold, maybe to a new rev, my trodes do not automatically try to update to the new rev. Those original electrodes are frozen in time to Rev 1 of the mold. Before I started using "Lock External References" when the mold would change revisions my electrodes would generally crash and I had to decide what to do with them - either suppress them, or try to rebuild them. Sometimes with 20 or more trodes for a mold I would just suppress them. Now with "Lock External References" when a mold changes I HAVE THE OPTION of unlocking those references to see if the electrode would update correctly. If they do I up the Rev and do a "Save As" with new rev number. If not, I reopen the assembly file with all the references locked and intact and I create a new electrode. Crazy, when you Verify and save out that STL, you are essentially doing the same as "Break External References" as that STL is now frozen and will not update. From reading what Kenneth wrote above it seems like they are not too hot on STLs. So I am just saying, why not have the option to lock (or even break) the references of a stock model? Then I am able to control the associativity for my situation.

^^ I agree about locking a stock model. Really a pain to regenerate a stock model(s) for something that has no real relevance to the model. I also use them sparingly for this reason. What about if you could, like in solidworks, Lock All External References or even Break All External References? That would really be useful, to me at least.

Go to Settings >> Configuration >> Screen >> and check "Reverse Mouse Wheel"

When you are making your tool list, make sure TL # is highlighted in the Selected Fields dialog box.

You're welcome.

Move your part to the edge of the screen so that the edge of your screen intersects your part where you want the section to be, then on the Verify tab select Accurate Zoom. Move your part away from the edge of the screen to see the section.

Good luck!

With an assembly file. I have a blank assembly template file setup with a coordinate systems and some custom properties that show up on my drawing, such as company name and job number. I bring in my plate, insert, etc. (which also has a predefined coordinate system) and mate coordinate systems. Then I create each electrode (in its own display state labeled Trode 1, Trode 2, and on) and bring it into the assembly, giving each x and y dim the same label (Trode 1). I create the needed geometry, do a check with Interference Detection, then bring the assembly file into an assembly drawing template, show dims of each trode in its display state (one trode per sheet), and done.

I have a sheet pretty much like yours except I don't have a table with the burn locations. The EDM operator just uses the dimensions on the print for burn location and depth. I don't like having something double dimensioned - seems like every once in a while the dimensions won't agree, then I gotta start digging to find out why. When I create my electrodes in Solidworks I give the associated x and y locating dimensions a label - such as "Trode 1" (in the Dimension Text box). Then when I create my drawing and do INSERT, MODEL ITEMS, ONLY ASSEMBLY, the dimensions with those labels show up. It serves as a check for me and the operator.

Move the part to the edge of your screen as if the edge of the screen were going to cut through your part, then do Accurate Zoom, then move your part away from the edge of the screen and you will see the section.

Another way is Analyze, Number/Database, Database, then select the entity and it will tell you which toolpath it is associated with.

Saw a notification at the bottom of my screen, installed the update, now running SP2.

In verify click on "Verify" tab, pick "Compare", then in Compare window all the way to right of the screen, click on "Browse" and then pick your STL.

Your blue area to cut is only .250 wide while your tool is .750. You need either a smaller tool or a larger blue area. Since you are cutting 1.5 deep I guess going with a larger cut area (the blue region) would be best. Also, why are you using Dynamic Core? Try Dynamic Area mill instead to cut out the area. Use the Dynamic Core to cut material from the outside in to leave a standing core - doesn't fit with what you are trying to do. I would also up the stepovers as 2.6% is pretty small, and watch out for your Tip Comp - you have it set to Center. Also notice you have the Back Feedrate set to 0.0. Set it to at least your programmed feed of 30.

The problem has been fixed. I don't remember if it was in X5 or X6 that it was corrected.

Mike I believe what Brian means is that he has default files set up with viewsheets the way he wants them and then just merges the geometry into the file. I do the same thing with my files. I have default files for all of my mold plates with viewsheets corresponding to different ops and orientations. Just merge the geometry from Solidworks and I'm good to go. But I still have to turn off levels in existing viewsheets when I create geometry on a new level. Very frustrating.

GCode, you may have been misinformed. It seems some bugs were fixed, along with some enhancements added. According to the Info box on the download page - "Mastercam X6 MU3 includes many bug fixes and enhancements, including support for SolidWorks 2013 files, SolidEdge ST5 files, Rhino v5 files, R23 of the ACIS format, and the following list:.."