I tried to upload the file when I got to work this morning and I cant access the ftp site here at work either. But thanks for your help, I will try to create the toolpath that you suggested. Anyone else got any suggestions? Jon

Well I dont guess that I can upload my file. The ftp site is not working for me, its not comming up at all. By looking at the picture what do you sugges that I use as a containment boundary? And yes I cant use a regular endmill cause the walls contour curves in both the vertical and horizontal direction. Jon

Yes I will put the file on the ftp site when I get home, I'm leaving work right now. Jon

Ok you guys have helped me out alot before in the past so here I am to pick your brains once more. Here is the situation I want to cut this thin wall on both the outside and inside including the radius at the bottom of the inside. I would like to do it all in one operation on each wall. Then I will go in there and pick up where the last tool left off and finish the rest of the outer wall down to the end of it. We are using a .750x.260 full radius wheel cutter to do so. How would I go about doing this? The thin wall is .060" thick and I've left about .04" material on both sides of the wall. The picture below shows the walls that I am talking about as well as how the part is sitting on the tombstone. I've been racking my brain on this one and really wish I knew how to use mastercam to its fullest, but one day I will get there hopefully. I want to achieve the best finish I can in the shortest amount of time, trying to cut down a 3hr cycle time as much as possible. edit: Using X2 MR2 SP1 Thanks in advance Jon

Thank You the first way worked perfectly!

Hi guys, I am creating a pocket toolpath, and I want the entry point for the tool to be a hole that will be drilled into the part first. How do I go about letting mastercam know that the hole is the starting point of the pocket? Using mastercam x2 mr2 sp1

Thank You, I either dont have that generic post that you used or I dont know how to find it on the cd. I just installed X2 MR2, and it only installed 2 machine definitions. So I aint sure what I am doing wrong. I guess I will have to address that with the resellers to cause I must've not followed directions when installing it lol. Edit: Ok I figured out how to install the extra machine definitions off the disk. And I found the post that would give me the same code that you have posted. So at least I am somewhat closer than before. [ 01-28-2008, 07:39 AM: Message edited by: FAS_MaKiNoMaN ]

Now that looks more like the code that should mine should be putting out, with the exception that the it the b90-0 should be b0-b270 and the x's should have their positive and negative signs reversed. I will call our reseller tomorrow, and maybe they can tell me why my post will not output the correct numbers. I finally found our info to verify in mastercam and what I put in for my paths yielded similar results as yours, in the verify part that is. Thanks for all your help, its time for me to go I've been here working on this program for 15 hours already!! Jon

When I post it I still get negative z's, that will cause a crash. Not sure if you have a different post than I do either. Because at one point it gave me the following error: ERROR - POST ROTARY AXIS ASSIGNMENT ('rot_on_x') IS DISABLED It needs to use both the left and front offsets. If you dont mind could you post it and post the code here for one of the cuts, that way if it is different from you then I will know that something is up with my post file.

The file is Here. Thank you for taking the time to help me. After looking at it, if you got any tips or pointers for me, I'm eager to learn. Edit: The two 5 axis cuts are at the bottom, I have been playing with both trying to get it to output the code the way I want it. So one is set to front for t/c plane, the other is set to left. Jon [ 01-27-2008, 08:13 PM: Message edited by: FAS_MaKiNoMaN ]

If there is a way for it change offsets dynamically while in the middle of the cut I think that is the route it needs to take. This problem is the one thing that is holding me up from completing this program. We have a guy coming from our reseller to work on some of our posts this Thursday, but I would like to get this problem hammered out or at least know if it is something I am doing or the post is doing before he gets here.

I have tried that and it doesnt seem to work. Or I am not doing exactly what you are saying. But to me by looking at code it appears that the x and z are not following the b. So when it rotates while trying to cut and then continues cutting it is still as if it didnt rotate at all. Hence my z going into the negatives. Here they want us to program with our y coming from the bottom of the pallet and our x and z coming from the center of the pallet. So our z's are always positive unless we are programming in incremental mode.

Something is not right. Here is the code for just one of the cuts: N1 G00 G17 G20 G40 G80 G90 G94 N2 (CUT CHAMFER ON CLEVIS) N3 M11 N4 T154 M06 (35.5 DEGREE CHAMFER MILL) N5 T154 N6 G00 G90 G54.1 P11 G17 X8.937 Y7.3572 B270. S4074 M303 N7 G43 Z9.0637 H1 D2 M302 N8 M08 N9 Z10.3773 N10 G94 G01 Z5.0637 F6. N11 X9.037 Z5.0638 F81.48 N12 X9.137 Z5.0639 N13 X9.237 Z5.064 N14 X9.337 N15 X9.4369 Z5.0641 N16 X9.537 Z5.0642 N17 X9.637 Z5.0643 N18 X9.737 Z5.0644 N19 X9.837 Z5.0645 N20 X9.937 N21 X10.0284 Z5.0646 N22 G93 G91 X.6204 Z-1.3675 B-352.47 F1000. N23 G90 X11.1531 Z1.8516 B287.098 F1000. N24 X11.3272 Z-.3349 B298.049 F1000. N25 X10.9768 Z-2.8991 B310.953 F1000. N26 X9.9905 Z-5.4231 B324.438 F1000. N27 X8.6358 Z-7.4019 B336.333 F1000. N28 X7.0804 Z-8.9002 B347.005 F1000. N29 X5.6702 Z-9.8494 B355.369 F1000. N30 X4.8283 Z-10.2782 B0. F1000. N31 G94 F81.48 N32 X4.7912 Z-10.2803 N33 G00 Z-15.5939 N34 Z-14.2803 N35 G91 G28 Z0. N36 M06 N37 M30 I'm not sure if it has something to do with my post processor or if it is the way I have it set up. The wcs is set to the center of the tombstone on the bottom. And I change the gview to what I need it at and the t/c plane to equal the gview. What am I doing wrong? Please Help Jon

Yeah that makes a little sense to me. The curve that drives the tool, does the center of the tool follow that path? Meaning that I need to create the lines for the tool to follow offset from the part in order to get the desired results? Jon

CNC Apps Guy, why is it that the 5 axis curve works that way? I've just about beat my head against the wall trying to get that to work, you put me on to that test file, I follow that example and apply it to my part and it appeared to give me the results I was needing. I just don't understand all the options. Is there anything that might explain it all, that I could possibly get my hands on? Edit: I guess I should mention that I am somewhat self-taught with Mastercam. Again thanks for your help! Jon

quote: Look on the FTP in the ftp://www.ppcadcam.com/Mastercam_forum/MCX2_Files/ folder for a Curve 5-Axis Test file. HTH I tried what was shown in that file and it seemed to work, but i cant verify it without some code. I guess I will have to wait til I finish and then run it through vericut to verify the whole program. Thanks for your help! Jon

Here is a pic of the part on the tombstone how I will hold it.

I have a part that I am working on. It has a chamfer that starts on the side and curves around to the top. Its kinda hard to explain so I will post a pic in a minute. I am running this part on a Makino A51 and need to program it so that the b-axis moves while the chamfer cutter is cutting. Im having a hard time wrapping my head around this as I have never done a 4th axis cut. Any help is greatly appreciated. Edit: I am using MasterCam X2 Jon

Thank You for the info DavidB, I looked in the post i was using and found the dia_mult variable, changed it to 1 and it gave me the radial values in the posted nc.

Maybe I aint explaining it right or something. I also need to mention that I have absolutely no experience programming or running a lathe. I've done more in the past two days than I have in the past 6 years here at my job. I cant figure out how to upload a file here, otherwise I would post my part and a snippet of the posted nc. But if anyone would like to add me to msn messenger to better help me feel free to add me: [email protected]

Hey guys, I am programming a part on MasterCam X2, for an Okuma-Howa Lathe with a Fanuc Series O-TT control. My problem is I can get the part programmed and all but when I post it, the x's are not right, its showing for the diameter of the part. Im using g92's to set my x and z for each tool. I fixed the program by going through and halving all the x positions. I tried using generic fanuc 2x lathe control and post, and also the lathe default and mplfan post. What am I doing wrong in MasterCam or is this something that I need to fix in the post themselves. I need it to use radius for the dimensions not the diameter. Please help, I have one more part to program on this lathe or one similar. Both are part of an assembly that has just been moved into hot status by Spirit.