Or if you programmed out of the solid model without much 2d geo created, you can go to file/change tracking and from there you can just reselect on paths that changed too much to be just updated.

As always, Thanks to Roger, Man I wish I get to know that much some day!!

Actually, I was just testing Roger's addon and from what i can see, it does fine as far as getting rid of the overwriting on the template issue, but it doesn't save to a separate sub-directory as I understood you wanted. So at this point is the users call whether you want to open your SLDPRT file 1st and then apply a template or open your template and then call a SLDPRT file to apply it to as this is the way Roger's Add on works.

Hi Matt. I do about the same as you describe as far as organizing the files in sub-directories, and same kind of procedure also as far as merging into template to keep using standard tool list & toolpaths. One problem I had is one of the guys overwrote on the template once so we had to clean it up. This comes from as you described, he merged the solidworks file into MCX template. What if you go the other way around and ask you script to open the SLDPRT file and then Import/merge your template in? I say Import/Merge because a regular file Merge will call geometry and named levels table but it won't call toolpaths nor WCS's you have created, you have to actually import those. I hope it helps, but I'm feeling you might be done already with your project

Looking for any recommendations for thread milling this, Stock is 321 SST. Any ideas?? Thanks in Advance.

Is there a setting on mill verify to make it update stock as it does on lathe? I thought the check box on MC config file would do it but I see no difference and it's not nice having to verify 10 toolpaths before the one I need. This doesn't need to be done on lathe. I'm pretty sure I'm missing something so what is it? using MCX5 MU1 on Win 7 64 bits

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Never mind, I didn't read your post thru, you meant Fanuc drives & the procedure will work on any fanuc controller. Sorry for the misunderstanding

It sure looks like a faulty encoder, but before you go that way, try resetting the encoders. I had something similar happen to me before and here is how we reset it: 1) Turn the machine off, include the back switch and wait for at least 1 minute 2) Turn the back switch on and go to the front of the machine 3) Release the Emergency button 4) Press and hold both the letter "O" and "CAN" keys on the controller 5) Turn the machine back on *** Keep those keys hold 'til the positions screen come up or machine is completely back up*** Once the machine is completely started, send your axes to home position and see if that does the trick. Good luck.

May I ask where this button is?

Yep, That's the the nicest way of doing it. Calling a subprogram will work just fine specially if you don't work as much experience using rotary axis paths or transform as Neurosis shows. It will also work just fine if you don't have a full 4th axis machine,let's say you have one of the old times Haas Indexers with a control box outside the machine, you would then just change your "G0 G91 A6."" line for whatever M code controls the outside box. Anyways Neurosis Methods is the way I would go, easiest to update, verify & no messing around counting loops

Did you go on a single toolpath & single direction like in surface parallel or contour? If so, it may not make sense but from my perspective I would think one of the radius would be cutting using climb milling while your opposite wall would be doing a conventional cut type of milling. It could be that the tool tip is not cutting as much material but in fact rubbing a little on that plastic on one of the walls. Probably split the toolpath in half and make 1 wall per tpath, once they are both the same size, you could then adjust if you keep on getting 2 small or 2 bigger than they should radiuses.

What control are you working with? If it is a Fanuc or a Haas, you could use the subprogram as you wish, you can post your program and save as O0002 for an example, then at the and of your posted program, add a line reading "G0 G91 A6." as it seems like you have a 6 deg spacing. Check this example: % O0002(GROOVE MACHINING INDEX SUBPROGRAM) G0 G90 X-3.3845Y-4.4787 Z0. G1G41D20X-2.885Y-4.456F20. X-3.0162Y-1.5704 G3X-3.1161Y-1.4749R.1 X-3.1206Y-1.475R.1 G1G40X-3.3704Y-1.4864 G0X-3.3705Y-4.478 G1G41D20X-2.871Y-4.4553 X-3.0022Y-1.5697 G3X-3.1021Y-1.4743R.1 X-3.1066Y-1.4744R.1 G1G40X-3.3564Y-1.4857 (*************************************) (PROGRAM CUT FOR LENGTH) (*************************************) G1G41D20X-2.6872Y-4.447 X-2.8184Y-1.5614 G3X-2.9183Y-1.4659R.1 X-2.9228Y-1.466R.1 G1G40X-3.1726Y-1.4774 G0X-3.1847Y-4.4696 G1G41D20X-2.6852Y-4.4469 X-2.8164Y-1.5613 G3X-2.9163Y-1.4658R.1 X-2.9208Y-1.4659R.1 G1G40X-3.1706Y-1.4773 G0 X-3.3845Y-4.4787 (*************************************) (ADD INDEX HERE) (*************************************) G0 G91 A6. G90 (*************************************) (*************************************) M99 % So you load this subprogram on the controller and then make another empty program that calls YOUR SUBPROGRAM AS SHOWN: % O0001(0299D354) (DATE=DD-MM-YY - 13-09-11 TIME=HH:MM - 19:00) (MCX FILE - C:\USERS\MANUEL\DOWNLOADS\PART 44.MCX-5) (T20|COLLET -60 DEGREE FLYCUTTER|H20|D20|WEAR COMP|TOOL DIA. - 4.305|XY STOCK TO LEAVE - .01|Z STOCK TO LEAVE - 0.) G20 G0G17G40G49G80G90 (SINGLE TOOTH) T20M6 G0G90G54X-3.3845Y-4.4787A0.S2500M3 G43H20Z3. Z0. (*************************************) (CALL SUBPROGRAM HERE) (*************************************) (SUBPROGRAM WILL LOOP 60 TIMES TO MAKE 60 CUTS) M98 P0002 L60 (*************************************) G0Z3. M5 G91G28Z0. G28X0.Y0. M30 % Now before you run any of this make sure you have enough clearance with your tool before the indexing. Also you may want to run Air on the Looping as without testing it I could make a mistake on the count. Hope it helps.

You can try file merge and then save each one on a different level, I do it all the time here. After you get all your parts placed where you want them, then you can make a single program selecting geometry from different solids as I think that's what you're looking for. As far as bringing an STL, I maybe wrong but I think you can only use that for certain toolpaths from the multiaxis menu but won't work if you are trying to get drill & contours location out of them.

Hope you figured it out already but if not here is a solution. I can see from the code that you may be using a Fanuc control on your machine. The problem is the G98 call out you have on each drilling cycle. Fanuc & at least Haas controls uses G98 & G99 during canned drilling cycles. The difference between them is G98 will go back to the previous Z position, as Keith says, the one it read during the G43 line for your first face or "Z6." after your "B" axis indexing on the other toolpaths. G99 on the other hand will only rapid out to the "R" position called out on your G81 line, so taking this portion of your sample code: G54.1P1 X3.195 Y-.75 B0. Z6. G99 G81 X3.195 Y-.75 Z-.1075 R.025 F20. Y-2.75 G94 G80 Notice how I replaced G98 by a G99, this way your machine will only rapid out to "Z.025" and then move to the the next hole as you wanted. If you want Mastercam to do it for you when you post, then just check the Box "Use clearance only the start and end of operation", right under "clearance" box on your linking parameters tab during your toolpath definition. I can see an scenario for using both G98 & G99, Let's say you were drilling on a part with pockets on and you have holes on both top face & at the bottom of the pockets, you would want to use G99 while you're outside the part but then use G98 for the holes on the bottom of the pockets just so you can avoid any walls that might be there between the pockets. Anyways, this a long explanation for something so simple.

Hey Well actually none of them was working, work offset numbering was selected and wouldn't work, then I tried "mantain source operation's" and that didn't do it, I then try "assign new" getting both start and increment numbers to zero but apparently X5 doesn't let you work with an increment less than 1. After reading some other old post, I finally figured out that if you leave your work offset number to -1 as per defaults, Mastercam then takes over and re-assigns work offsets during transform ops. You still need to select "maintain source operations" and un-select copy source operations & disable posting and then it does only posts one offset after showing you the "WCS used in more than one view" error. Output comes fine anyways. Any ideas on what I might be missing?

Can I ask how you've got your transform to work like that?? Did you get a clean output?? I'm doing something pretty similar right now and I have no problems with the actual transform parameters but there might be something I'm missing as every time I post I keep on getting a new WCS callout on every rotation, first path will be G54, 2nd index will be G55, 3rd G56, etc. Am I'm missing something? I would like my forth axis to just index so and then repost the same code as the first path. I hope I explained my self on this one.

You could also use Solids/ from surfaces on Mastercam

New to this post, has anybody made the transition from PcFapt Cut to Mastercam X5 to program Fanuc Wire EDM's? We just made the transition and are having a hard time trying to figure out how to transfer our cutting Techs into Mastercam. Most of them are already on the machine but we would like Mastercam to post something similar to what we were getting from PCFapt, like the G10 Statement at program start which included all of the machining tech parameters (voltage, wire tension, feed, off/on time, etc) like this: G10P0X1Y1Z6U12V230W10I5J5K1A130C10E15Q0L34 As you can see we have a total of 14 variables controlling all of the cut during program operation. Biggest problem so far is Mastercam only has space for 10 registers when trying to build a new cutting tech library. Besides that, on PCFapt any change to material thickness will automatically change cutting tech values but I expect that to work thru the mastercam cutting tech library to be build. I found the AGIE.dll User C'hook included on the Mastercam Install to be very close to what we are used to for a user interface from PCFapt such as having drop down menus for all fanuc machine types, work piece material, Wire diameter, # of passes, etc. Is it hard to modifiy a C'hook? How would you approach it? How about the cutting tech libraries, any way to import them from one software to the other? Just trying to avoid having to type them all up again and would like to stay the way we were doing it coming from the program itself rather than having to type the info into the machine for every program. Thanks in advance!

DOes anybody have an idea on how this could be done?, I see he figured out but didn't get any comments on he did it.