When using a face mill is there a way to define the tool using 90 degree inserts. When I try putting the value of 90 it gives an error when I try to backplot saying the tool is invalid. Is there a way around this, in the past I just always just made an endmill to the size face mill I needed?????

Just purchased a new machine yesterday to run MasterCam and Solid Works. Not doing extensive surface milling and advanced assemblies so this system should work fine for me. Dell Precision T3400 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz 4GB Memory nVidia Quadro FX 1700 80 GB hard drive 22" Widescreen

Anyone have a tool library that they would like to share, that already have the metric tools conerted over for inch. Dont yell at if asking for a tool libary is a bad thing like asking for a post.

When I program I am always program in inches. When I use the metric tool in "inch mode", is there a way for MasterCam to not show the M12 Tap up as a 12" Tap when I verify the part. Or do I need to set up a new tool in inch as Dia. .472" tap and call it an M12 TAP ? Thanks

What kind of salery range do you have for this opening? If you dont mind saying.

I had to do that also, I know I turned the A Axis off in the Machine Difination Manager. But I cant remember exactly how I did it.

We must be stuck in the stone age. Some Okuma lathes have presetters, dont use them. On our Haas Vertical Mills all tools are touched off on the part, "we have a tool setter in the toolroom". At least our Okuma HMC's are using the toolsetter on there machines. Biggest problem I think is that the guys in charge of each department have worked here for about 15-20 years since we opened and are resistant to change. I dont know how many times I've heard that "its just as easy and fast to touch the tool off in the machine" "there's only 5 or so of them"

thanks, guess I never looked at the bottom of your post

The "quadro fx 500" card show that is is for a AGP slots so that wont work for my system. Talked with the IT guy, he looking in getting me a new system now. GCode what is the configuration of the new system that you got.

I checked earlier today and it look like I have 2 PCI slots to expand to. Looked like most of the cards Solid Works reccomends are for the PCI Express Slot. I'm mostly doing small parts and simple assemblies to make machining fixtures.

I know this is a Mastercam forum, but it seems that many people on here have Solid Works also. I'm having trouble with the program shutting down every now and then. Contacted the reseller and they told me that I need to get a new graphics card, because the one built into the motherboard was not powerful enough. I believe they want me to get an Open GL card from either NVIDIA or an ATI Fire GL card. Seen that the cards range from about $200 to over $2000. The lower end ones have 256MB and then a Mid range on has 512MB. I was told that the more you spend the better card you get, which I know is true. Wanted to know what other people are running on there systems with Solid Works, and if they have has any issues with the card they currently have.

Seen this Haas post so i wanted to know if anyone has one of the Haas HMC's with the pallet pool. We purchased one of the EC-400PP and will be arriving as soon as its done being showed at Eastec. Hope fully it works out great for us.

I cant seem to find any post that output the G10. Do you know whtch one's they are?

I cant seem to find any post that output the G10. Do you know whtch one's they are?

We are wanting to try a few things to get our machines set-up faster. One thing that I have been looking to implement, is the G10 code to output the work offsets directly into the control. Wanting to do this on Hass VCM. Will my Hass 4x post in MCX2 support this? Something like this "G10 L2 P1 G90 X_Y_Z_" (G54 Offset) Also would like to try have the the set up guys put the tool length offsets and tool diameters directly into the program, from the pre-setter. Looks as if this could be done by lets say tool #9 is a 1/2 end mill, Length of 4.365" "G10 L10 G90 P9 R.250" TOOL #9 RADIUS "G10 L12 G90 P9 R2.5" TOOL # 9 LENGTH Any one do this? or something similar? One last thing that I have thought about implementing is how the tool numbers are called out. At the last shop I work at this is how it was done. At the beginning of the program you put the tool numbers in and this was assigned to a variable. I believe it started at #601. So later in the program when a tool was called up as "M98 P06 T#601". Then in the G43 line the H & D were called "H#601 D#601" This would help my the setup guy not having to change all the tool numbers if he doesn't use the pockets I assigned Any advice and or examples of how your shop might be done some of the things I talked about would be greatly appreciated. I would assume that my post does not support all of this and would have to buy new post to get all this done with in Mastercam. Thanks

Thanks for your help, I just got done having a metting with the Solid Works sales guy. Seem like this is the software that I want to go with. There support seems to be very good.

Thanks for all the imput, more is still welcome. Looks like the general consenses is to go with solid works. Easy to use and the learing curve seem to be a greater strength of it over Pro/E.

Does any do any importing of native Pro/E files into Solid Works? Do they translate smoothly? I see that my local reseller of Solid Works has hands on Seminars at there office for you to "test drive" the software". Looks like something I should invesagate. The Pro/E rep never had any thing like that, probally could talk him into coming here to give me a demo.

I know we need to get some thing new soon. Right now designing models in Mastercam then making 2d prints from that is a real pain. I know Mastercam has the solid Layout feature, but that is almost worthless most of the time, only comes in handy on the ISO view.

We are in the process of looking for a higher end design software than we currently use, which is Mastercam. Still plan on using Mastercam to program our laths and mills. What I am looking to do is design fixtures in solids/surfaces models then make 2D prints to make the fixture, and what ever other job comes up. Was wanting to know what everyone on emastercam would recommend for design software. I was looking into Pro/E a few months ago because one of our customs used that software and would like us to have it also. The price of the basic package was about 5K with out the maintance and training. Does anyone know about what Solid Works would cost? Any advice you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated

Found it. Thanks for the help

Running Mastercam X2 Cant seem to get Mastercam or my post to not break the acrs in quadrants. I have the filter button turned on but this is still not working. Is there something else i need to change in Mastercam or in my post to make not break the arcs. My post is Hass 4x MILL. Thanks T7 M6 G0 G90 G54 X-23.2677 Y-1.1811 S1000 M3 G43 H7 Z.1 M8 Z-.4905 G1 Z-.7874 F2. X-23.2224 F4. G3 X-23.2677 Y-1.1358 I-.0453 X-23.313 Y-1.1811 J-.0453 X-23.2677 Y-1.2264 I.0453 X-23.2224 Y-1.1811 J.0453 G1 X-23.2677 Z-.9842 F2. X-23.2224 F4. G3 X-23.2677 Y-1.1358 I-.0453 X-23.313 Y-1.1811 J-.0453 X-23.2677 Y-1.2264 I.0453 X-23.2224 Y-1.1811 J.0453 G1 X-23.2677 G0 Z.1

Thanks alot, first time using the Emastercam forum and can say I am quite impressed. Less than an hour after posting my problum I have it figured out, with your help. What I did was set the retract to .1, Feed Plane to -1.3, Top of stock to 0, and Depth to -1.3, all of these incremental. Below is the program that I was able to post. I relize that I need to watch the stock very close and not rapid into it, verify will definatly be used. Thanks again fot the help. T1 M6 G0 G90 G54 X-31.8024 Y2.874 S2000 M3 G43 H1 Z.1 M8 Z-.1 G1 X-31.1024 F15. X-30.2244 Y4. Y4.7 G0 Z.1 X-31.8024 Y2.874 Z-.2 G1 X-31.1024 X-30.2244 Y4. Y4.7 G0 Z.1 Z15. M5 G91 G28 Z0. M9 M01

Using MasterCam Mill X2 Does anyone know of a way for MasterCam to use a G0 move in Z, when feeding the cutter down. The only thing I have figured out is to put a high feed rate in for the plunge feedrate. Seems like there should be a rapid plunge box to check. This readly gets to be a pain when using "depth cuts" and I need to change the feed rate at the machine. I have to go though every line that has the traverse feed rate, and change it for that tool I put the stars on the line below that I would like it to post a G0 move. T5 M6 G0 G90 G54 X-.8279 Y5.104 S3056 M3 G43 H5 Z.1 M8 G1 Z-.2862 F100.******** Y4. F15. Y2.924 X0. X1.104 G0 Z.1 M5 M9 M01