Greg, i dont know how to answer your questions.. i know it has a bit bigger motor and chuck compared to the stock config if thats of any help.. 400mm chuch and max 2750 rpm, i cant remember the kW, but i can check it tomorrow. where would i configure the chuck dia? mastercam or machine? i usually dont fiddle around in the parameters on any of them, but if you tell me where to check i can find out

I managed to get it loaded properly (am dry-running it as i type) but its bugging me that nothing is visible in the display, where the program is normally visible.. Is it possible to add any info thats visible before i run it (and it loads the predetermined programs)? As it is now it looks like nothing is loaded, meaning it could get confusing.. :/

First some specs.. MasterCam X2MR2 Okuma Multus B400 tool in question: Garant 268430 20 A20Q SVJCR 11 The tool is pretty odd shaped, used as finishing tool on rough surfaces that are hard to reach with normal tools, so the angle of the insert is 93 degrees, the insert is 35 degree diamond. But i fail completely in every way i try this in, i cannot just draw the tool because of a bug in mastercam when i need to rotate the tool to cut the other wall, it rotates around the wrong axis, showing the tool cutting from behind the chuck. I checked this with my local dealer/support-team and they confirm this to be a bug, but now im stuck! So now im trying to find a similar tool and just change the parameters (in order to get the cutting toolpaths right), but i simply cannot find a tool with correct insert angle. what do i do? i _must_ use this tool in order to finish my current job, but i cannot define it well enough to get even semi-decent verify. meaning i have no idea of what it will do until i post it (and risk crashing my machine) could anyone please help?

ah, that sounds great! so by simply overwriting the serial.min file i can use the same architecture and wont have to reload or reset anything Thank you so VERY much axela!

well, im making chuck bodys, 50 of them, and engraving each and every one with a uniqe serial no.. so any hint and suggestion in how to do this in a easier fashion is GREATLY appreciated the .sdf solution smells like a good option, but does it work with "normal" programs or do i need to remove the M02 (end program) command? i checked the manual and i must say, your explanation is in fact better than anything ive found so far... bad okuma or good axela?

Im engraving serial numbers into the details im producing, but im running into some problems.. The only way i know howto do this is to make 2 separate programs, one with the main machining and one with the serial number engraving. Since i will eventually forget to run the second program im tying to find a way to run it as a sub-program. but how do i do this? i cant find anything in mastercam relating to sub-programs and my manuals are not as well-explaning as i would want.. the mastercam is X2MR2 and the machine is Okuma Multus B400

Thank you guys for that VERY helpful examples! I would very much like to study up on the topic, but google only returns crap.. does anyone know any online guides/faq´s/reference libraries for me to read up on? i will probably implement thease functions as stand alone textfiles and manual input, read from file thru mastercam, as i do now with machine origo and so on, and i might be able to modify the post to use misc ops to output correct "flags" for exclude-able operations. I will need to investigate this further tho, dont want to do boo-boo..

to clarify, at the end of the "generic" program there is drilling and threading thats used on some of the pieces, and on some there´s none. So i would like to add something like: Drill yes/no= YES (not skip block N1650 and forward) at the start of the program, aswell as setting the above mentioned thickness of the detail. I figure i could add a function something like: N001 DRILL=YES .... N1649 IF Drill=yes goto N1651 N1650 ELSE M02 (program end) N1651 DRILL program .... All other parameters and functions are the same for numerous programs, and instead of tweaking 10 almost identical programs, it would ease my day ALOT if i could only do it once

My machine (Okuma Multus B400) reads BASIC code within the NC-file and i would like to add some if/else features to a program in order to make the same program fit multiple similar details i want it to skip a part of the nc-file if i specify it in the beginning of the file, aswell as setting a variable for detail thickness (for program origo correction) i can use the below mentioned code to automaticly set the origo, and i can add a function to it too (as illustrated), but is the below code correct? NUM=45 VZOFZ=25209.767+NUM result: VZOFZ=25209.767+45 i have done some basic scripting previously and im completely lost when it comes to code, so i would greatly apreciate any help on the topic

I have one too and i simply LOVE IT! but i seriously hate how mastercam expects you to rotate the view, always around a fixed point. why cant i rotate it around the center of the display? the way it is now works fine if youre using the mouse to rotate, but it sucks monkeys xxxx when used with a spacemouse/3d mouse i tryed the free rotate feature but it still sucks.. and i really dont like the idea of having to marking my center of rotation in order to get the rotation right.. is there any way around this?

Where did you find the beta? i would very much like to try it out for a spin

when i started out, i had NO machining skillz (spent 5 weeks in machining class, with some limited ISO-code) but pretty advanced 3d skillz. but no cam-experience what so ever. I had no guides, no references and nobody to teach me. It took me about an hour to figure out howto drill holes and about 2 days howto create lathe contours with toolpaths and so on. after 2 weeks i could do mostly anything, drilling/milling/turning. after 3 months im the sole programmer on my workstation, doing ALL of the programs/corrections. and i must say, there´s little i cant do in a day or two tops but practice makes perfect, im constantly finding new ways to improve my work, thats the beuty of this job, its never simple, but rarely hard just demands time, patience, computer-wiz and a bucket full of coffe

but how do i find out howto clear out a default post to just output coordinates, no compensations, codes or anything else?

hmm.. appearantly this is more complex than i realized.. but to clarify, if you imagine the above mentioned pyramid: with 4 points shared between the machine, it will simply reach the same point simultaniously. even if you add complexity to the mind-model, one tower is making a square while the other a circle, as long as they both have equal ammount of coordinate points, they will move in sync between the points. with more complex curves, the same logic is applied, both towers reach same point in the sequence regardless of their relative positions. so basicly (what i was thinking) is to be able to get the coordinates for each tower separately, then reset and post the second one. as long as i have any control over the number of points (making same number of points) this would probably work just fine and to relate to my work-experience, a straight line will be posted as a start and finish position, wich is pretty much exactly what i want. ...without all the bells and wistles of course

I think we do have that module at work.. but what am i looking for? as i said earlier, i have no idea about coding, and since this is a personal project, i cant possibly ask my sales rep for a quote since it would be ALOT more than i can afford..

but the cutter uses 2 towers with wire in between, and the towers are individually controlled. So in order to cut non-symetrical shapes (such as tapered wings or fuselage with thinner tail than front, the towers must have the same ammount of points since they will arrive at each point simultaniously and in order. (the towers are controlled by individual nc programs)

no radius (at least not yet) just points.

Im using mastercam at work, and have access to a VERY basic computer-controlled hot wire cutter for foam plastic (used to cut rc model wings and fuselage) at a friends house. And i would VERY much be able to use mastercam to post the work-files since its WAY better/faster than to manually calculate all the coordinates.. The cutter uses very simple coordinates and no G/M-codes, just the coordinates in numerical form ( 10.0 25.5 15.5 25.5 ) (X Y) so my question is, can i make or modify a post to only post the coordinates (no X/Y/Z nor M/G-Codes)? ive never programmed anything before (exept som scripting), so im hopelessly lost here on my own.. so any help is GREATLY apreciated!

We´re using the B400 at work (my precious ) witch works semi-ok. Appearantly its the second unit shipped to EU market so there are a few odd behaviours, especially with the tool swapping (pinches tools too firmly, making it hard to remove them). Other than that, i had nothing but problems with the network licence post, especially with the tool buffer (load next tool as soon as it swaps in the first one) but also with c-axis movements witch sometimes gives negative X-values (can only go x-20 (metric) but mastercam posts up to x-120... But its all comming together, slowly but making progress Apart from the above mentioned issues, its a REALLY nice and user-friedly machine, i love it! ..Does anyone know what type of basic programming-language the B400 uses? ..im trying to learn howto program the sensor cycles but drawing blanks since i have no idea at all regarding programming... any links/ideas/suggestions?