Hello Matthew, I do geometry creation and toolpathing with VB script, and it works awesome. Along with the examples in the vb folder, my best resource is the VBScript.html in the help folder. (or the VBSCRIPT.DOC) Example functions prototypes from the VBScript.html that might help you: // open a Mastercam file Bool OpenMC( String (Input: the path and name of the Mastercam file name) ) // Import ANY file type (IGES, STEP, DWG, DXF, Pro/E, Inventor, etc) // into the current Mastercam session Bool ImportFile( String (Input: the file name) ) // save the current Mastercam file Bool SaveMC( Bool (Input: save the current screen image inside the file?) ) // Create a group from the name BOOL CreateGroupFromName( BSTR name); Best of luck, Joe

Hello Chris, A couple of ideas, you can configure Mastercam to automatically find and delete duplicate geometry when you open the file. If you File -> File Merge/Pattern the drawing again, you could also try Edit -> Delete -> Delete Duplicates, there are simple and advanced functions. One last trick is the FindOverlap CHOOK. Settings -> Run User Application -> chook. It cleans up a lot of duplicate and overlapping geometry. Maybe you could just save the dims you want to add as a new file and File -> File Merge/Pattern.

Hello, With X4 and McVerify Fix All look good in Backplot and Verify. What toolpath are you using, or is it every toolpath? What are your tool settings? Just wonder if special circumstance can duplicate problem or different settings produce same result.

Two ideas: Use Rhino and create a Surface -> Heightfield from Image. (Use Rhino Evaluation.) Mastercam reads native Rhino files. Rectangular array grid of points or circles and Xform -> Project onto surface. Then you are drilling at correct depth. Experiment with Rast2Vec C-Hook in Mastercam. Radio box check Create Outlines, optimize for mostly arcs , click accuracy to fine. Smooth geometry if desired. This method would let you manually add points only to the enclosed regions. Effect would be heavily influenced by your original photo, and the tweaks in Raster to Vector C-Hook. That said, I would use Mastercam Art.

I have had great luck in using verify with STL file setup as well as exporting the "machined" part out of verify as a STL. You can set the STL file in the Machine Group Properties under Stock Setup Tab, but you might have to also activate the options button in the Verify Window and make sure the file is selected there as well. Also if you use the same STL all the time, In Settings -> Configuration -> Verify Settings, you can set the STL stock file globally. There are many tools for creating the stock in the Operations Manager including Select Corners, which you may have to create simple geometry to represent your stock first, or experiment with bounding box and NCI extents. You can even create Cylinder stock if needed.

I installed MU1 for X4 after reading about the verify problem, but manually created a restore point with windows XP before doing so. I got the verify problem of all black stock and tool, like the surfaces are inside out. Tried to tweak the graphics card but gave up and used the restore point the next day. I rely heavily on Verify and hope a fix is discovered soon.

Do you know what program your customer uses to create the DXF files? Our waterjet guy had trouble opening some of out Autocad DXF files when ellipses were not refined into other geometry first. I have never had this specific problem with Mastercam though.

I import mainly Autocad 2007 drawings into mastercam, but have the capacity to draw and import Inventor 2008 ipt files directly, and do so for a lot of 3D stuff. Also some models come in from Rhino 4. Sometimes for surface finish flowline toolpaths I have begun to actually redo the surfaces in Mastercam to get flowlines to work correctly. I have reviewed the excellent examples of some of the more advanced surface modeling techniques from the mcxdesignsamples folder and am very impressed with tool set. Also, I have automated some of my geometry drawing by utilizing Mastercam VB Scripts, and have been happy with the results ... stuff gets drawn on specific layers and then ATP'd.

Just after the fact... Requirements for tool profile geometry: Draw the profile in the Top construction plane. Use only line and arc entities. Position the lower-left corner at X0, Y0. NOT SURE ABOUT THIS NEXT ONE because mine seemed fine disregarding it. Maybe this requirement is obsolete. The X dimension must equal 1.0 in either metric or inch units. Mastercam scales the geometry based on diameter you enter in tool definition. Use an open contour to outline half the tool. No undercuts are allowed. Do not include other geometry in the file. If the geometry is on a level in the part file, there should not be any other geometry on the level.

When I created my custom hook tool, I used a dashed construction line that overshoots the actual tool geometry on the y axis, though it is not necessary. Use X0 Y0 for lower left corner of the center of tool. Only draw half the tool and be sure to trim any lines that cross y axis. Save your tool geometry in your tool folder, same directory as your post. When you create the new tool for the first time, on the TYPE tab click the undefined? button. Then click the CUSTOM FILE radio button to open the folder to pick your custom tool drawing.

As Colin mentioned in the "LINKY" set of posts, and referring to the Surface Parameters page, go ahead and check the "Direction" radio button to highlight and activate. You can set plunge and/or retract direction vectors or lines. If a vector is wanted, enter distances in x, y and z you want to move simultaneously. This is a slick way to get out of the undercut area when you're done machining.