Speaking of SSDs, isn't this basically the same technology that USB flash drives use? Has anybody tried loading MC on a flash drive and/or perhaps the OS on a second flash drive then running the benchmark? I'm thinking the bus speed would then be the bottle neck. Maybe I'm way off here but it sounds interesting.

I don't want to sound mean or anything, but what you're talking about here are CNC fundamentals, not MC related, and your issues are best resolved in school, in a book, on in a machining forum that isn't software specific. Why an indivdual with this level of expierience is sitting in front of 14k worth of software that is about to get loaded into a machining center worth mayby 50k and up is beyond me.

I also get the jerky movement with short, fast moves on a VF4, and that's in a vise, not the rotary. No HSM option here. The post is MPMASTER. As long as the tool stays down and there's some distance between the moves, things are fairly smooth.

Phil, I've seen it run like that in version X as well.

Micro Center sells some decent machines with XP as well.

10 ads in todays skilled trades column, 2 of which stated CNC. Terrible indeed.

Sorry James, I had beer goggles on that night. I didn't mean it as a personal offense. You keep marching forward and I'll stay out of your shop.

"We reset that time every morning and record what we got the day before. I have a form we fill in every morning before we start. It only takes a few seconds to do. It also challenges us when we see the time from the day before. We like to try to beat it. Numbers do all the talking. "

That's nuts. Do you get a star at the end of the week if your times are the best? The last time someone tried to pull that competition crap with me, I poked him in the eye, put Exlax in his coffee, and my time for THAT day improved dramatically relative to his time. This is one of the last items I need to add my list of things to do.

Want to beat it everyday? Run a warm-up sub-prog that cycles at the end of every program, that way, the machine timers will only stop when your loading parts.

I'll mess with the filters tomorrow and see if it helps. If I can't produce code that, feed wise, works for me, I'll use the parameters in the machine to set the 4th axis diameter. Thanks for the help.

err.

I'm attempting my 1st 3d contour on an A axis. Nothing too fancy. What I am getting is a ton of 3 place decimal A moves in the code. The main contour is a 180. Deg arc. Why so many A moves? Why not more ijk's? The Z depth is constant in the contour so I would figure a simple A180. or a little less would suffice for most of the code.

Also, where I might use a feed of 45. IPM with a .25 ball on a regular surface, in the rotary move I'm getting upwards of f1500. Does this sound about right for a rotary feed at a 3.316 dia? (inverse). Tool steel, about .01 DOC.

MPmaster is the post.

John, are the linearization tolerance and filter tabs new for X3 in the 2d contour toolpath? Wouldn't the arc length in a 2d contour be directly related to to the control definition settings? Sounds like he may be using a surfacing toolpath. "the contour toolpath was created off of a face from a solidworks model is there a setting to blen these better?"

There's a benchmark link a few topics down from this. The best cards to date are mentioned there. Quadros are nice but pricey. You may elect to go with the street level nvidia instead.

linux

Parallel finish cuts in a straight line and will stab curved geometry instead of flowing around it. Sounds like your cutting a countoured surface in X and Y. If so, you may want to try using surface finish contour or flowline, setting up boundaries or check surfaces. The .0001 tolerance will reduce the flats but creates larger file sizes. The code will also include shorter moves. Whether or not the Fadal can keep up with the code is a separate issue.

I'm looking for a face or skull protruding from a flat surface. Anybody have any thing like that?

OT: Who had the Monica campaign buton? I need it for the setup x logo.

When the selection dialog box appears, select entity, then pick your circles. They must be a full 360. deg. or it will drill at the ends of the circle.

Farming it out to a real shop is as close as your going to come if the following criteria is required:

" just wanted to get further and learn how to import a part created in Solidworks and let Mastercam do the job.

I'd like to see many automated steps for easy use and saving time in programming.

I expected Mastercam could recognize the part and make a suggestion how to mill the part. I know Condacam which does it: after selecting the material it suggests which tool to use and so on."

Yes its normal. It's the most easily understood concept for setting tools. Top of the part the is Z zero. Distance from home to the top of the part is the offset, expressed as a negative value in most cases. Does it get any simpler than that? Use a pre-setter or 123 block, gage lengths, etc, and your adding variables here. That $8.00 an hour parts loader gets messed up pretty fast. A lot of shops don't use multiple set ups in the same machine. Is there a better way? Yes indeed. Are these people paying the bills in a timely fashion? If so, collect your moola then grin and bear it, or STOP programming for other shops if this concept gets you upset.

This diatribe brought to you in conjunction with Makers Mark.

Slydman. I Got it. Thanks.

Heat, no doubt, is adding something to this equation. If you have one of the coolant manifolds with multiple nozzles, try pointing one directly at the tool holder's V flange to help keep the temp down.

Thanks, I'll look for it. Don't really need the toolpaths, just interested in whats taking place here.

Can you guys save that as a x file, not x2 or x3?

Stick a magnet over the area where the switch is located.