When working with imported surfaces I most always run the C/hook colrsurf.dll which will automatically change all the surfaces to different colors. Works absolutely great to find those small fillets and little patches. Of course I would also like to be able to change all solid colors to a different color with a easy key stroke and not have to individually select hundreds of solid faces. Is this possible to do?

Thanks for the suggestion but it didn't launch the vbs script but rather opened it to be edited. As shown below. '//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// '// '// Author: '// Date: 11/06/2005 06:15 AM '// File Name: DOS_Shell.vbs '// '// Description: Mastercam VB Script '// '// Comments: Fire up the DOS CMD window '// '//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// '///////////////// My Constants ///////////////// ' <none> '///////////////// My Global Variables ////////// ' <none. ' -- Start Script Call Main() ' //////////////////// ' Sub Declaration ' //////////////////// Sub Main() Dim objShell Set objShell = CreateObject ("WSCript.shell") objShell.run "cmd /K CD C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\shared mcamx5\vb" Set objShell = Nothing End Sub

Looking to get a short cut Dos Shell Icon added to my toolbar in X5. This is how I run my batch file to get .mcx and .nc files to our network for the cnc operators to get access to. Has the Dos shell been added to X5 yet? I beleive it was in most versions thru V9. When X came out it was eliminated. Somehow 6 years ago a coworker got hold of 3 files to add to our X installation in order to get a Dos shell icon short cut. Their are 3 files. Dos_Shell.dll , Dos_Shell.ft and Dos_Shell.vbs. the first 2 are placed in the chooks folder and the last file which is .vbs is placed in the vb folder. On each upgrade since 2005 I would always copy those files to the appropiate folder and have my Dos shell short cut. It would put a icon in my Keymapping Category Net Hook folder. Which I had selected for my custom tool bar. Obviously I copied those folders over in X5 to the appropiate folders. But it is not giving me my icons. Seems do to the new X5 file structure it is not working. Does anyone have a solution to get quick access with to a Dos shell prompt while in Mastercam? Maybe a windows key stroke? Why did Mastercam ever remove it in the first place?

Humm after reading all the above I think Brian is offering a decent service. He wants to accumalate a data base of potential candidates "employees" . Then when a employer contacts him with a opening he has a potential person on file for a quick business like response. Make sense to me if I was in Brian shoes. I plan to keep his contact info for the future. At the moment I have no intetions of a new position.

Similar things have happened to us. But the issue was our post forced in a G17 at each tool change. So if you had arc filter on and was doing 3d cutting in a previous tool then had a tool change for a finisher a G17 was forced in and Mastercam doesn't know it. It may suppose to be a g18 or g19?? It takes off in space scarpping the part. Just another idea.

Mark I remember analyze, surfaces, curvature... in Ver 9. Now in X4 I get by fine with analyze Dynamic. I dont recall off hand what the difference might have been.

Interesting I engrave all the time and was never aware of the engraving toolpath. Dumb me. I always used window chain contour. I always created letters using the creat letter option then their is no need to break to lines. Can anyone explain a little more how the engraving toolpath works. At first glance it seems to work as a pocket toolpath. Meaning the letters cant be a stick letter but a box style? Is this true?

I also see the art tab but do not have Art. You should have a C/hook called Rast2vec.dll that will help import pictures into MC. Also their is Freeware called WinToPo http://wintopo.com/ It takes alot of modification once you get it in MC with any of the above.

I also see the art tab but do not have Art. You should have a C/hook called Rast2vec.dll that will help import pictures into MC. Also their is Freeware called WinToPo http://wintopo.com/ It takes alot of modification once you get it in MC with any of the above.

Oh man we use a cylinder square daily in our shop. We are a Die shop so we do a lot of grinding of die blocks of course. the cyclinder square is used to set up a indicator style squareness gage. The indicator base has a carbide tip on the front which is butted up against the square. The indicator is adjustable up and down. Zero out the indicator at the highest possibly point against the cyclinder square. then with your die block standing up on edge on your surface flat check your squareness. What this means is you only have half on the necessary equipment to do this. Your need the indicator base also. KEEP IT

Thanks all. Glenn I did cast my vote. I really doubt it is a computer issue. The reason I say that is I can have a dozen operations for the same part. When I open a contour operation I can have a 2-3 sec delay maybe occasionally over 3 sec. Seems drill operations may have a 1-2 sec delay. But old X3 style paths such as surfacing and swepted 2d open immediately with no delay. Seems to be related to the new style operation parameter page. Seems according to Glens pole 86% of users have experienced slowness with X4. Ok MC lets get this back to X3 speed in X5.

Moments ago I just got reminded how slow X4 MU3 is. Yeah a operator was looking over my shoulder while we did some modifications to the operations on a program which was already programmed. I'm like yeah your right I can sit here and twiddle my thumbs and wait, it sucks. I was only opening up existing operations to view some settings. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE TO SPEED THIS UP ????? How annoying I have a realativly fast computer. Dell Precision 670 workstation with 3.00ghz and 2 gb of ram. My Mastercam Config is set at 70% for memory buffering? Does that sound reasonable with dual montiors and Cadkey open on my other screen? Cadkey is open for die design reference only. I had no complaints on speed in MC X3 its only when I went to X4. Then even in X4 when you do surfacing or use the old wire frame 2d swept in which you get the old X3 style operation parameter page, the speed is fine. Meaning when I reopen these style operations they open up rather quick with no hesitation. WHY DO THE NEW X4 STYLE OPERATIONS TAKE SO LONG TO OPEN UP?? Will it be improved in X5? Do I need to revise my computer settings or something? Has everyone seen a preformance decrease in X4?

MC art would be the best. I myself dont have it. Thier are some possible work arounds. 2D engraving your picture would not be to difficult. You could consider projecting your 2D graphcs onto a surface. Machine the surface then engrave the line/arcs etc. You should have a C/hook called Rast2vec.dll that will help import pictures into MC. Good luck

Ok I create solids in X4 frequently. But I find myself converting the solids to surfaces on another level for doing the tool paths on. When I have surfaces I often change colors of many of the surfaces. Many times using the Colorsurf C/hook. I feel it is a shame to have to do this. Why can't their be a easier way to just use the solid to do tool paths off of? Here I see the issues with solids. #1 it is all one color I can not change particular faces to new colors. #2 When I do attempted to use the solid to do toolpaths off of I use the soild face option for my selction. Well when doing so it only shows you selected a face with a mild outline of a wire frame. The issue at hand is it can be easy Not to select a needed solid face. You tend to select the large faces but can easily miss the small faces and fillets that connect the larger faces. Am I over looking something here? Do any of you have a handy method for toolpath selection on solids? I see only two options to help. Make it possible to change solid face colors. Which may be next to impossible I am gussing. But the other option is rather then showing a wireframe when selecting faces why cant the face be highlited?

In X3 I had my EA Mgr set for some defaults. Such as all my text, notes and dimensions were always white. I set it once and never touched it again for months. Well in X4 it never seems to hold from job to job. My EA Mgr is checked but none of my settings are active. What is going on? Is this a X4 bug? Another reason for MC to post a know bug list. For those not knowing what the EA Mgr is you can get to it by right clicking your Attributes box at the bottom of your screen. Anyone else having issues?

Well written Dave. I totally agree. If your proud of your product you should have nothing to hide. Unfortunatly I am concenred the Bug list is extensivly long. A competitor will certainly find a way to view the list. Sharing the bug list with a prospective customer to entice them to buy their software. It sucks I dont know the answer. Wait maybe I do know the answer. Honesty is always the best. Is any other software company share a bug list? Sure MC could be the first and show no shame of their product. Forces them to be on top of things. Self discipline.

I would not relie on the symbol in the upper left hand corner. In Dec we were still using X3 but our hasp maintence license was do to be updated. When we updated, it changed our symbol in the upper left to X4. But we were actually running X3. In Feb we finally installed X4. I think your best method to determin your version number is to click About under your mastercam Help menu. If it says Design or Mill in the upper left hand corner and you know you have different. I beleive it is do to the current Tool Bar state you are in. Are you Designing or Milling.

Big Kaisers here. love them

No lead in and out issues here. Gouge check is unchecked never tried using it yet. I'm not seeing this infinite look ahead where do I find that?

thanks Crazy Millman I just sent off a email. Hope they can help.

I have a custome .set file I use for creating my mill set up sheets. I have a annoying problem. When I go to post the set-up sheet I get a error that reads "Errors were detected during posting! Do you want to view the message?" Below you will see the first few lines of the error report. I did update my .set file with the update post utility when I moved to MX3 and MX4. Anyone have an idea what is causing this. To me it seems control defination related? Thanks 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <0> - Report created. 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - Initialize posting log file 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - Using MP run version 13.00 and post components version 10.00 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - Initiate opening the post processor file(s). 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - Post processor file name: C:MCAMX4MILLPOSTS16146.SET 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - The post processor file has been successfully opened. 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - Post version information (input): 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - UPDATEPOST Version 13. was used to modify this file. 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - The file was modified by this product on 27 Jan 10 14:22:31 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - The post was written to run with Mastercam Version 13. 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - The post product type is Mill. 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - Initialization of pre-defined post variables, strings, postblocks was successful. 01 Mar 2010 03:48:30 PM - <2> - Search for defined post variables, strings, postblocks was successful. 01 Mar 2010 03:48:46 PM - <2> - CONTROL DEFINITION - - Post variable 'helix_tol$' was re-initialized from 0.0005 to 0.0001 01 Mar 2010 03:48:46 PM - <2> - CONTROL DEFINITION - - Post variable 'met_helix_tol$' was re-initialized from 0.005 to 0.001 01 Mar 2010 03:48:46 PM - <2> - CONTROL DEFINITION - - Post variable 'maxnccomment$' was re-initialized from 9999. to 99999. 01 Mar 2010 03:48:46 PM - <2> - CONTROL DEFINITION - - Post variable 'dec_seq_right$' was re-initialized from 3. to 0. 01 Mar 2010 03:48:46 PM - <2> - CONTROL DEFINITION - - Post variable 'nobrk$' was re-initialized from 1. to 0.

Wow I couldn't help but to do a few toolpaths with this "use tools step, peck, coolant" option unselected. I have to tell you I hate it. We are a Tool and Die shop that does one run off parts with many programs being done. We have a very detailed tool library that is saved with the proper Coolant functions, drill cycle style, peck amounts etc. These values are very rarly modified while we are doing a operation. Are extensive list of speicalty drills amoung other tooling are saved with perfect data so they preform the best. Once the tool libaray is set up we never have to think about the peck amount or cycle style or coolant style. When I unselct "use tools step, peck, coolant" option all that information is ignored and the programmer has to manually type it in. No way do I have all those memorized. Yes a default can be set up. But the default is not the same for all tooling. The bottom line is that "use tools step, peck, coolant" option really needs to stay on. In my opinion Mastercam needs to make a patch to fix the problem. Disconnect that realtionship to make it run like X3 did.

you're correct unselecting "use tools step, peck, coolant" option does make my values stick without having to select Apply. But now I dont know what the worser of two evils is. Unselecting a button I have used for a few years. Which I beleieve is allowing me to call up tools from my library that are stored with peck values and coolant choices. Or keeping that button selected and having the pain to rememeber to select the Apply button. Not looking forward to neither. Would this problem be considered a bug and will it be addressed? In X3 I had that "use tools step, peck, coolant" option selected and never had issues. My work day is about over but I will play around Monday with that unselected and see how it goes. I do appreciate looking into this for me. Thanks I suppose this also may be graying out my coolant button? Weird thing is it is not always grayed out. Strange

I go from field to field using a combination of tab and mouse. rarely enter. I use tab if I only need to move to the next field or two but if I need to make a big jump to a field i use mouse

I go from field to field using a combination of tab and mouse. rarely enter. I use tab if I only need to move to the next field or two but if I need to make a big jump to a field i use mouse