01:08 Time to Process PC is: Dell OptiPlex 790 intel core i5 2400 @ 3.10 GHz 4GB Memory Windows 7 Pro 64 bit Nvidia Quadro 2000D Getting a new PC today so we will see how it goes.

Grant, I leave those parameters at their default setting. I would suggest if you want to play with them click the "?" icon in the spline parameters window for a better explanation than I can give of what each of those settings do. I would also suggest changing one setting at a time to figure out which way works best for you. Each image is different. And as CJep said, a black and white or grayscale image works best. I find if you take the image into Photoshop and grayscale it then sharpen edges you get better results.

Please re-post it if you get it fixed. I would like to try it out.

Brandon, as Colin said you can use the toolpath editor. Have you ever used it? Right-click a toolpath in the operation manager and select Toolpath Editor.

The best settings I have found are 72 DPI and Spline Fit. The higher quality the image, the better the vector generation will be. You also want to work with as large of an image as possible. It's never going to be perfect. I re-trace all of my logos that I create this way.

Brandon, if you have your configuration set to name the NC file according to your toolpath groups then you drag a toolpath from one group to another you will have this issue. I use the Edit>>>Selected Operations on every group before posting. Because I will usually have toolpaths copied from one operation to the next so I run into this a lot.

Install X7, and do not use the migration utility. Set everything up manually. Yes, there are still some bugs - it has crashed on me randomly a few times. But they aren't bad enough to make me not want to use it. And X6 crashes on me almost daily. I wouldn't start programming a 100 toolpath part program in it until you get used to using it. But small stuff I have been using it exclusively. I did just spend 2 days programming a part in X7 that I was a bit leery of at first, but it all worked out great. And the new verify improvements sped things up a bit for me. The only thing is some of my old tools came up corrupt upon re-opening the file. No real biggie though. For now I would suggest creating new tools for any programming you do in X7.

Yeah, using the 5-axis engine fixed it. Thanks for the tip.

The way my old boss handled this was with custom macros. The Haas also has a tool load monitor which he tied into the macro to automatically change out the tool if it reached a certain load. But it did have a touch-off after every roughing tool to check for breakage also. I could ask him if he still has this macro and see if he will share it if you want. It's way over my head but maybe you could make sense of it.

^^^ Good Advice

That's weird. I have only used the dynamic contour a couple times and I never noticed that. I can't get it to ramp either. Maybe it doesn't work in the dynamic paths. I would suggest leaving the finish off and just add a contour path with your ramp settings.

Do a parallel toolpath going across the surface with a .030" or .060" Rad 5/8" Garr 5-Flute - One shot, like .100" stepover and 75 IPM leaving .030" material. Then a Flowline with a 3/4" Ball cutting along the surface. What kind of cycle time are you getting?

OK, now I am having another issue. I have a stock model that has a couple holes put in from two previous operations which also has some contour paths ran. I have created this stock model and have it setup as the stock in the verify settings. The stock in verify is correct except the holes are missing. Here is my stock model and part model And here is what shows in verify

Yeah, I found it

Jay, in your video that is exactly the way I set my program numbers. Thanks for the video clarifying that method. It would be nice if doing that could all be handled automatically in the System Configuration setting. What I am suggesting is in the System Configuration>>>Toolpath Manager page there be a setting for "Program # Start". Then another setting for "Increment Value". It would be tied to the Toolpath Group's Appended value. Then the Program # Appended value would increment the program number for each Toolpath Group you create by the value you enter into this Program # Append value. The only thing is the Program # setting in the Tool Settings tab in the Machine Group properties window would have to go away. Because that is where the default program # comes from. This seems like a really weird place for this anyway.

Oh nevermind I found it. CNC Software - Verify settings is a really weird place to have to enable that! Why can't it be a checkbox in the Verify window in the Visibility section?

I feel kinda dumb. I have watched a few videos on X7 verify and have even been to the rollout. I don't remember seeing how to display the stock model in verify. Can someone tell me where this setting is please? Thanks.

Here ya go man. http://www.emastercam.com/board/index.php?showtopic=72865&st=0

The migration utility is what got you probably. There is a thread about X7 crashing with verify. You might want to read through it because I had the exact same thing happen to me. Uninstalled everything and reinstalled and did NOT use the migration utility (just manually setup X7). And everything is running smooth as silk.

Any time.

Colin, when you select a number of operations and right-click and choose "Edit selected operations>>>Change program #" where is that changing that value? I don't completely understand how software programming works, but you can set a value for each toolpath group to output a different program number for each group. So my OP-1 toolpath group posts out as program O00001, and OP-2 toolpath group as O00002. But I have to manually change these values for all the operations within the group, or before I start generating operations in a group I set the program number on the Tool Settings in the Parameters section. Then the appropriate program number is already used for each operation created thereafter until I change the number again.. So I guess I just don't understand what you are saying about that being handled in the post engine. Why couldn't a setting be added in the configuration in the Toolpath Manager section to sequence the program number the same as the toolpath group? This has always bugged me about Mastercam. I post out 7 programs and each has the same program number. So I have to edit each one to the appropriate number. It would be much better if Mastercam handled this automatically.

Here ya go Thoob... I broke the geometry at the end cutout locations. Set chaining to multiple regions. Chained the two cutout area as the machining region, chained the entire part profile as the avoidance region. TEST.MCX-6

Yeah, I see what you mean.

I am not sure if it matters in stock models, but having your arc/filter turned on in toolpaths makes them verify much faster. Try that with your stock models.

There is a place to enter the program number. It is on the Tool Settings tab. I set this to 1 when creating OP-1. And when I start OP-2 I set it to 2, etc.