Haha, figured out how to properly use net surface on my wireframe. Excellent, this flattened perfactly using FlattenSurf.dll. What is map.dll for?

Hey thanks John, that solved the geometry. However I'd still like to know how to correctly unroll wireframe geometry. If anyone knows the secret sauce, please post.

I'm trying to unroll a tapered wireframe cylinder, but its not working, not creating the geometry i want. I tried different planes/axis/ etc. I can create a flat sheet and roll it, but the opposite does not work. Basically its just this: a 6" circle and a 5" circle 10" offset. I broke the arcs, shortened the arcs a tiny bit, then drew two lines joining the 4 endpoints. Creating a "wrapped sheet". Why won't it unroll correctly?

You could also try installing a PDF printer driver that prints to a B&W PDF document & then print that. I use CutePDF Writer. Its free.

I don't like the toolpath tree either. I thought the X3 dialog box was 3x better. To me it is added complexity with no added benefits. I agree, it is SO disorganized.

The toolpath filter is enabled with arcs in all planes. The machine definition's post page also has arcs in all planes enabled. I did decrease the tolerances in the post setup. Did that cause it?

This is Mastercam g-code (with drip-feed post) for the exact same toolpath as above: G94 G17 G02 G90 X500. Y100. Z35. I310.447 J-252.235 F20000. G01X505.777Y97.183Z32.673 X511.693Y94.632Z30.39 X517.738Y92.354Z28.154 X523.898Y90.352Z25.971 X530.161Y88.63Z23.844 X536.516Y87.192Z21.777 X542.95Y86.041Z19.776 X549.45Y85.179Z17.843 X556.002Y84.607Z15.983 X562.595Y84.327Z14.2 X569.215Y84.34Z12.496 X575.848Y84.645Z10.875 X582.482Y85.241Z9.341 X589.104Y86.128Z7.897 X595.701Y87.304Z6.544 X602.258Y88.766Z5.287 X608.765Y90.512Z4.127 X615.206Y92.538Z3.067 X621.571Y94.84Z2.109 X627.845Y97.414Z1.255 X634.017Y100.253Z.506 X640.075Y103.354Z-.136 X646.007Y106.71Z-.669 X651.8Y110.313Z-1.094 X657.443Y114.157Z-1.408 X662.925Y118.235Z-1.611 X668.236Y122.537Z-1.703 X673.364Y127.056Z-1.684 X678.3Y131.783Z-1.554 X683.033Y136.709Z-1.312 X687.555Y141.822Z-.96 X691.857Y147.115Z-.498 X695.929Y152.575Z.073 X699.764Y158.192Z.752 X703.354Y163.956Z1.537 X706.693Y169.853Z2.427 X709.773Y175.874Z3.421 X712.588Y182.006Z4.515 X715.133Y188.237Z5.709 X717.403Y194.554Z6.999 X719.393Y200.945Z8.384 X721.1Y207.397Z9.86 X722.52Y213.898Z11.424 X723.649Y220.434Z13.074 X724.487Y226.994Z14.805 X725.031Y233.562Z16.616 X725.28Y240.128Z18.501 X725.233Y246.677Z20.458 X724.892Y253.197Z22.482 X724.256Y259.675Z24.57 X723.327Y266.097Z26.716 X722.106Y272.452Z28.918 X720.596Y278.727Z31.171 X718.8Y284.908Z33.47 X716.722Y290.985Z35.811 X714.365Y296.944Z38.188 X711.735Y302.775Z40.598 X708.836Y308.465Z43.035 X705.674Y314.004Z45.496 X702.256Y319.38Z47.974 X698.588Y324.582Z50.465 X694.678Y329.601Z52.964 X690.533Y334.426Z55.466 X686.162Y339.048Z57.966 X681.572Y343.458Z60.459 X676.775Y347.646Z62.94 X671.777Y351.606Z65.405 X666.591Y355.328Z67.848 X661.225Y358.806Z70.265 X655.691Y362.032Z72.65 X650.Y365.Z75.

I programmed two connecting helical arcs in IMAWOP. 1st ARC: CW R400 X0 Y0 Z35 to X500 Y100 Z10 2nd Arc: CCW R10 X500 Y100 to X650 Y365 Z75 This is the g-code output: G02 X500 Y100 Z10 R400 G03 X650 Y365 Z75 I575 J232.5 Does this look familiar? Its native code, runs fast (20m/min) with no errors. Why does it choke on Mastercam's g-code?

The IMA manual (I don't have a NUM manual) says that all arcs > 180 degrees require IJ. That's all I know.

It is a BIMA 310 Router from IMA (Germany). The software is IMAWOP. But, I am not outputting to IMAWOP format with this part (too big). I'm generating gcode from Mastercam. Then drip-feed direct to the control by serial port from the CNC's Windows 2000 PC interface. Rickster, that was my understanding of arc filtering. Perhaps the part shape causes the strange size. Anyway, it doesn't fix the control problems. I still get slowwwww cutting, or freezing with circular errors.

..bumpie

What I don't understand about Mastercam's tolerance filter is this: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NC File Size min arc size 0.1mm - - - - 1500kb min arc size 1mm - - - - - 800kb Shouldn't the code get bigger if there are less arcs? What I'm thinking is maybe trying to eliminate most of the arcs so i don't run into arc errors.

I'm trying to cut a 3D star with a CNC Router. The toolpath is a Surface Rough Parallel. The router has a proprietery format for its native software, which we do have a post for. Any file over 95kb will not load into the memory, we have to use the dripfeed mode. Problem is, the NUM 1040 control is a b*&ch when it comes to complex code. It runs slow, or stops at every change in Z, or spits out circular errors.. I've been experimenting with the control definition, trying to find the right settings that will work. There are settings that work great at first, then it will stop in the middle of nowhere with errors. The manual says to use IJ for > 180 degrees, but I've tried a dozen combinations of arc settings with little succes. Can someone shed some light on what settings to use for the NUM 1040?

I am getting the 1628 error when trying to install X4 MU1. I am not running 64-bit. X4 is already installed and working. I've cleared out my temp folders and tried various other things like Microsoft Installer cleanup utility. What could be the problem?

Ok good news. In-house solutions tech support found the problem: Turn off EA Mgr in Attributes. Now Geometry Nesting places geometry on the correct levels.

Nesting properly creates the new levels with sheet names, but all geometry is on level one. It looks a like a bird's nest. Even if i make a new level (2), make it the main level, and tell nesting to start with level 2 (used or unused), nesting still places all sheets on level 1.

Mastercam X3 MU1 and X4. I'm nesting 21 pieces of an arc, and the result is an 8 sheet nest. But it won't put each sheet on its own level anymore! Everything is jammed into the 1st level. I've tried the obvious settings in nesting. X3 and X4 do the same thing. What to do? I need the parts cut yesterday. [ 09-25-2009, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: mcuser99 ]

The more complex the font, the worse the results; ie more loops and crossing lines. One method that sorta works: use any old paint program to write your line of text with desired font, in black, with white background, then save as high-quality jpeg. Mastercam's Rast2Vect can convert this to an outline - and its much cleaner than "Create Letters" method. I'd rather Mastercam cleaned up the create letters function.

I have the same font problems when i engrave plain old wireframe geo. Is there a way to quickly fix all the open chains and crossing entities? What i do now is select all break at intersection, then i go to work cleaning out all the little critters.

I am experiencing the same problem with nesting lots of parts at once. Its frustrating to put it mildly. Anyone have a fix?

Ah, another way to do it. Thanks for that edm. Anyone care to explain why sync mode by entity works? I don't understand what sync mode does. The help file isn't terribly clear in its explanation.

I found the solution. Pretty simple All I needed to do was set Sync Mode to "by entity" in chaining options, and set the chaining tolerance greater than the gap between my parts. Works great for common edge nesting. This thread should be moved to the router forum. Most people who run CNC routers do nesting, and common edge nesting provides a big boost to cycle times.

I'm lazy - No quick way to do this without creating new geometry?

With Mastercam X2 Router, how would I chain lots of small rectangular nested parts using common edge? When i chain lines one by one in chosen cutting direction, it uses each line as a single chained entity and adds lead-in and retract moves. I tried to change chaining tolerance to 16mm (the distance between each part is 13mm) in chaining options, but it still doesn't give me a single toolpath. Ideas please? J.

Roger, I'm a new Mastercam user, so I there's a lot of tricks i don't know about. Allen Brown (In-House Solutions integrator) and I were working on this for a couple of hours, and I see how it can be done. I thought the methods (file merge, rotate, move, break at intersections) we used were slow and tedious. If it was just one piece to process, that would be simple enough. Because there's typically a dozen pieces makes it more tedious to place the break points in the right place. Obviously the break points influence how efficient the nesting will be; you have to guess how mastercam will nest them to really know where to break the parts. I can provide a sample file for anyone to try, cause it'd be great to discover the fastest manual way of doing it and help me determine whether or not a C-hook would help. In any case, toolpath panelling should be a built-in function for Mastercam Router, perhaps, as Roger said, integrated with ATP. We do a good amount of work where the finished part is considerably larger than our 4'x8' router bed.