...Started typing up a rant, and realized it was the same rant I've repeatedly posted... so I'll skip it and hope for the best. MC needs a new approach in my opinion...

+1 MCM

I'm more talking along the lines of working on intersecting holes, internal grooves, etc; when burried by the filleted wireframe of a cored casting it's just a nightmare of lines... being able to set the view depth would kick a55.

I personally would LOVE to see section/clipping planes... I can't express how much headache that would save on certain parts; or maybe HLR (hidden lines removed) similar to SW. Either would really clean things up when working on a complex casting with internal cores. Just a thought.

Interesting. I've never had to use that function but I will give it a try. Otherwise the program was great, used high-speed rest roughing with a cad file and made for a very clean program. Thanks for the suggestion.

So... I had a perfectly verified program posted out to be ran sunday, a water pump impellor about 2 1/2" in diameter. Went home after a half day and got a call from the machinist still working on the part. The roughing path machined the entire part down to a disk and left no fins at all... I just opened up the MCX file (which HAD been run through verify), and the tool def. for the 3/8 ball em was changed to a 1/8 flat em. I'm really happy it was just a tiny piece of material, but what the hell?! Apparently now you cannot trust anything in this software anymore. BTW It is not the first time I've had this happen, seems to be mostly on created tools not from the library, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Will it work in a 4 axis setup?

We are currently looking for a source to program 5-axis porting on a cylinder head. A large project deadline has been moved up by two months, and the porting has not yet been completed. The heads are for a four cylinder engine, two cylinders per head. The shape is similar to a small block port, scaled down and fit into a much smaller package. If anyone is interested in providing a program (MCX file preferred); fixture, tool and part geometry will be provided. We would need the program in roughly a week to a week and a half from now. Please email me for details.

Thanks for the input guys, just frustrating as hell. It really is a lot more time consuming to have to do all the workarounds, shouldn't have to be doing this crap. Maybe it's time to grenade the whole X interface and rewrite it CLEANLY. I'm sure most users would gladly put up with MU releases for a year or two while they take a LONG HARD LOOK at the underlying program, and not just it's new features. Just my $.02

You're on the right track Lefty; It's 1" thick, so a few depth cuts, then a complete finish pass at full depth. I really don't want to engage that much radially at 1" DOC -- seems sloppy to me.

I'd be more than happy to supply the file if it weren't a customers proprietary design... Like I said, I am thinking it has something to do with it being an older version file resaved and edited with X4, but it's a simple 3axis pocket?!

I've tried creating a new op as well, exact same result. I can say that it is an older file (X), but I am recreating the ops and deleting the old ones (very poorly written program, not mine). Problem is, I've got a few hours into it already and I hate to have to start over because of something so simple. I guess I could contour all the pockets, but what a waste of time when MC used to do this fine for me all the time.

Guys, I've crashed MC six times this morning on a pocket remachining toolpath. It looks to me like they moved the 'machine complete finish passes' checkbox to another page and now it is failing like clockwork. Ops rough all pockets with .75 EM leaving .01 on walls, then remachine with .5 EM and complete finish pass.

SFS tool... we've had great luck with them. SFScarbide.com

This has happened a few times to me lately... Regardless of toolpath type. I usually have to completely exit MC and restart it, any ideas or is this a new bug? first: ...then:

What about a full radius keycutter... Using surface finish contour, should work depending on finish requirements.

Thanks guys, I just got off the phone with my reseller with no great answer, I'll give your method a try Rick...

I'm trying to edit a file from 2007, like clockwork during regen:

ditto

Ah beat me to it!

Select all operations then backplot. There will be an arrow at the top of the backplot window to expand it. After that, look at the lower portion of the backplot window for two tabs, 'details' and 'info'. The info tab will show you calculated feed times for the ops, it's fairly accurate depending on your rapids...

What are you looking to get done?

Thanks John, I did some proofing on a 5ax curve toolpath, looks like we can make it work and save some lathe time in the process.

haha... Yeah it's for a stump pulling 4-wheeler.

Correction: the diameter is around 5.35" I know it would be the easiest route to farm it out, but we've got a *VERY* quiet machine shop. It'll be a bit of a challenge, but it's hard to send away work. Thanks for the input guys.