I don't know why this isn't standard for holder creation - it's a revolved structure??

must be american I imagine? (canada)

let me rephrase: what were the results? .. of the part programming.

Meshlab also works great to reduce the size of your STL files but you have to know what you're doing (not that I do, but I use the quadratic reduction and it works well) it does however make 'safe' STLs every time.

is this for rest machining or checking accuracy in the verify? For what it sounds like you're trying to do a solid shouldn't be necessary. you can also use Stock model which can be generated from an stl file. Here's the bacon of the salad:an STL just doesn't have the same data as a solid. Once you make an STL - to get it back into a solid takes a lot of 'decision making' on how to treat features. STL files don't have arcs, splines etc. it's made of lots of polygons (triangles) so a software has to essentially convert those all to faces of a solid, and given solids have faces, volume, edges, midpoints of edges, etc. there's a lot of decision making that any sort of converter would have to do. with a complicated STl file it will most likely ife with problems and take a long time to convert. so why do people even use them?? Because any cad model can be degraded into an STL, and they're easier to use when it comes to rendering because the data in them is essentially the same throughout; you have vertexes and vertices. If a verification was cutting a 'true solid', the processing required would be astronomical. Also, every CAD /CAM /metrology etc. system under the sun can use them. STLs are essentially the lowest common denominator CAD file you can get. You will have to watch with some software because they will say things like "automatically convert an STL to a SOLID" and by automatic, they mean "individually select areas that you want to turn into solid faces". Or they will turn the STL into a solid that doesn't contain accurate original data, or is simply unusable for machining

how did you make out?

I gotta head home but I was trying some stuff with Triangular_Mesh > Constant Cusp it has some options that 3-axis scallop to 5-axis doesn't have that might get you closer to what you're looking for.

I had the same issue with a file from Cimatron but it turned out that they were exporting to Step as surfaces without knowing it. ProE and Cimatron treat solids and surfaces as one a 'face' for the other and this kind of thing can confuse people when they're exporting for other systems. not to say it couldn't be a problem with the import - but it may be that the file is a solid in pro-e but the .stp just doesn't contain any solids

what CAD/CAM system did the STP file come from

I do what Ray does. Rest machining off the stock model is fantastic. I create a number of different stock models and just let them crunch away in the background so I can go back and check what I was doing at any given time just by toggling them on and off

Your computer is absolutely fine and should run great. That's the same computer specs I have and I don't have any problems - first thing would be to go on the Nvidia website and download the latest video drivers for that card. You can go with the Solidworks Certified

I usually grab solidworks certified drivers. There have been other problems over the years that the solidworks driver corrected

haha see above :S

That's funny! - I've been involved in a number of adaptive machining robotic projects then without even knowing that terminology ... mostly for deburring edges, removing flashing, etc. I used mastercam but we always made our own probing routines on the machine and did tied everything in to the post-processor. Just did it as a custom drill cycle for the probing

Sounds like they just want to know if the software installed correctly and everything is in the 'right' place. If you have custom machine/control defs. along with a custom post, and maybe a default config file etc. it's more than just installing and seeing if it works. In which case there's some simple scripts you could write to ensure the files are in the correct locations - Mastercam doesn't come with validation tools but there is a lot online or any competant systems admin should be able to create this for you

Under tool clearances in Collision control you can also add clearances to different parts of your tool (as well as angular).

Haven't heard anything specifically - Any way you could post a file, maybe with just the offending surface in it?

glad we could help!

By adaptive machining what do you mean specifically. There's an adaptive option in the multiaxis paths and I like using it - but I'm unsure if what you're referring to is different, especially with regard to Renishaw

I have a nethook and I want the installer I made for it to place it's icon in the current users toolbar state There was an old thread that said the only way to automatically install a custom icon in the toolbars was through using the Customize command in the toolbars menu, but I know there are mastercam chooks already that install their icons into the toolbar state while maintaining the current user setup, so how is this possible? editing the mastercam.mtb file isn't a great course of action because a lot bit-string is changed when you add something from customize

how do you go about using this toolpath with a tapered tool? answered my own question, it tilts off and looks at the cutting length of the tool. awesome.

If you said that the first time Ron I would agree - more information would be nice, but all you said was: "Really dude a 2 year old thread?"

What's wrong with that? he gave a potential fix for someone. if everyone went back to old threads and did this, there would be some quality stuff

Coromill 419 works great with these toolpaths

yeah wouldn't that be awful ??? I'm with Rickster on this one..