Thanks Hardmill. I will remember that for the future. (your way will put both groups in the same program. Correct? )

Send two programs at the same time.

I have two programs that are needed to make a part, each with a different nc number. They are in the same MX file as different toolpath groups. Is there a way to get them to post at the same time so when it hits the control it will load two programs. (copy and paste them together is one way but can MX do this automatically.

Nicely put MillMan. Your explanation makes a hella lot a sence. I did not think of it that way. Thank you for your insight.

I first want to say thanks. And a little bit about me. Yes I am a beginner but have a way with learning that many do not possess. I have already put in maybe 200 or so hours on Mx before ever using it for real world purposes, although real world IS much dif. I have read almost every listing in this forum back to 2005, As well as a full year back on CNCZone. I come across things I want to do today but cannot remember where the answer was. I will take anyway that is offered to me and probably only use it once just to get the job done but one way or another I will come up with my own process. I am not saying this to act above anyone but only to pursway you to tell me YOUR own ways of getting something done. () back to the question, How can I use the same offset to make all three operations without having multiple geometry to select for said toolpaths. If I only use one offset, I cannot move it the 3 inches without my paths going dirty. To Colin: is this where the copies of toolpaths come in? If so elaborate please. To J: With only one origin I can make my setup much smoother and less room for error with a setup guy. (I want to ad that this forum and the discussions that apply are the greatest help of all to ANYONE using MX beginner or pro. Thanks to everyone.)

OK here goes another one , I should be able to keep you guys busy for the next month or so. I want to make some custom jaws for a part that has to milled on 3 sides. The middle of the jaws will be a pocket to hold the part for facing and a contour cut. Now 3 inches to the left and the right will be angled pockets to hold at the required angle to just face the part and get my completed angles. I want to copy the geometry with one in the middle as being flat, 3 inches to left at 15deg, and one 3 inches right at -15 deg (or 345deg)as MX likes it. Can I copy a part and be able to rotate and move each one independently then set my origins as required or am i going about this all wrong.. (the spacing between the pockets is critical, 3 inches).

Thanks alot - JParis and EDMBosto

This might sound crazy, and perhaps I am a little bit. Say I have a square, now stay with me . A square has 4 sides all I want to do is use 3 sides with a contour path. when I chain them using the partial selection I get lead in and lead out lines generated with each chain.. Y Y Y.. I have gotten this to work before and I know it is a simple click. But like I mentioned above I may be CRAZY..

Comp in G2 or G3 - I know what this means but can not get it to go away. Using pocket mill for a couple of circular pockets and tried using or not using an entry. Whats the deal !!!!! P.S , It does the rough cuts ok then at the finish it alarms out..machine is a VF2

I can make it happen everytime if i change my comp from wear to control then the nice toolpath line showsup going 15.0 inches. But if I change comp back to wear it goes away. This is really screwing up my flow.

C-mon guy! thats where I took my Mx class just a couple months ago... I run Mx on 2 VF4's & a VF2

Leominster, Home of the Blue Devils..

Mass. GO PATRIOTS

Thank you that worked just fine however know my tool #3 alarms out with a z over travel. It tries to send the tool + 15.0 (on a haas vf2 this is not gonna happen. It is a remachining toolpath set to the roughing tools Dia. Part is a 10 tooth gear remachining just the small dia at the bottom of each tooth. In between teeth MX wants the tool to go to this +15.0 mark ??? Why only this operation..

I know there is a switch to make cutter comp activate above a part and turn of after clearing the part. I know that I read it somewhere on this forum but cannot find it.. Can someone point me in the right direction please.. I thank you in advance..

Thanks JParis, My toolpaths did go dirty. I regenerated and then changed common parameters. Regenerated again. I also clicked the planes selection and selected the little grid box and chose the new origin (wich was the same name as previous) and added it across the board to the T plane and comp/construction plane..

MX2 MR2.... I created a new origin from geometry. This origin was set to -.100 in the X and -.060 in Y (from front left of geometry) due to the stock being oversized and I wanted to just touch the outside edges of the stock and have the toolpaths clean up the edges. Turns out that the last piece was cut to size. So when I changed the origin to be at the edges of the part and updated common perameters I could not get the toolpaths to change and had to adjust my offsets in the machine. Was this the right aproach or am I crazy

I needed to do something of this sort.. The best way I came up with for at least breaking down the sizes. Use the general selections bar / select all diameters / < or = to the smalest diameter you enter. Now you can decrease your diameter search value or just pick entities until you have the one you are looking for.