In X7 MU1 are you guys seeing this?

If I drag the geometry from a previous toolpath down to the toolpath below it adds it. Meaning the new geom is added to the geom allready in the toolpath.

I use to get an "Add or Replace" promt in previous MC versions.

Bumping this one again

Using X8 ( jumping up from X5 )....L-button drag ADDS the geometry....BUT....help pages tell me "it always will replace existing geometry"

- what gives ??

- I would have imagined that the programmer should have the choice....not the software

I do realise ( now ) that R-drag gives the choice to drop it ( ADD or REPLACE ) on selected multiple ops ( not yet sure if this is a good or a bad feature )

My preference is have the choice dialog on both buttons when drag....L-button drag to single op,......R-button drag to multiple ops.

Have you looked at the mill.set ?

and how this setup sheet handles time, limits etc

It would be a good place to start

Has the IT guy altered permissions on the network folders, targeting the library files

-make sure you or your PC has access to all necessary target folders ( you should have Read/Write access, not just to be able to Read )

if peck1$ <= 0,

[

testpeckrate = mprint(speckrate_error) #edited **TPJ 03-24-2008**

"ERROR -- PECKRATE = 0", e$

]

It's just clicked, you inserted a comment in the middle of the IF statement

Change it to

testpeckrate = mprint(speckrate_error) , "ERROR -- PECKRATE = 0", e$ #edited **TPJ 03-24-2008**

# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Error messages
# --------------------------------------------------------------------------
saxiserror       "WARNING - DEFINED AXIS OF ROTATION DOES NOT MATCH OPERATION'S AXIS OF ROTATION - OUTPUT MAY BE INVALID"
sindxerror       "WARNING - INDEX ANGLE DOES NOT MATCH POST SETTING ('ctable')"
stlorgerr        "ERROR - TOOL ORIGIN DOES NOT MATCH CENTER OF ROTATION IN POLAR MILLING"
shomeserror      "ERROR - WORK OFFSET USAGE DOES NOT SUPPORT TRANSFORM SUBPROGRAM"
sprgnerror       "ERROR - SUBPROGRAM NUMBER MATCHES THE MAIN PROGRAM NUMBER"
srotaxerror      "ERROR - MORE THAN 1 ROTARY AXIS DETECTED IN SELECTED AXIS COMBINATION - OUTPUT MAY BE INVALID" 
swriteopserror   "ERROR - WRITE NC OPERATION INFORMATION MUST BE ENABLED IN CONTROL DEFINITION - SET AND REPOST"
sworkoffseterror "ERROR - NO WORK CO-ORD SYSTEM APPLIED"
sspeederror      "ERROR - RPM NOT SET CORRECTLY ?"
speck1error      "ERROR - NO PECKS SET FOR DRILLING"     # <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
scutcomperror    "ERROR - CUTTER COMP STARTS / FINISHES ON AN ARC"

ppeck$           #Canned Peck Drill Cycle
     pdrlcommonb
     if peck1$ = 0, result = mprint(speck1error), speck1error, e$ 

do the same for the pchpbrk$ cycle

The mprint puts the error on-screen, 2nd statement puts the error message into the NC file

nearly the same as the previous post ...you may have missed the e$

Have you thought of using the "tilt" option in surfacing ?

This can allow you to shorten your tool build, and at the same time keep the tool holder & spindle head away from the part

you could, for example, use a tapered endmill ( say 15° side angle ) use a tilt of 15°, and rough machine it from the T-plane=TOP. stepdown would need to be less than the taper flute length

*** copy your post ***

find in your post

sg73    G73     #chip break - no dwell 
sg73d   G73     #chip break - with dwell 
sg84    G84     #tap        - right hand
sg84d   G74     #tap        - left hand
sg85    G85     #bore #1    - no dwell 
sg85d   G89     #bore #1    - with dwell 
sg86    G86     #bore #2    - no dwell 

and change to

sg73    G73     #chip break - no dwell 
sg73d   G73     #chip break - with dwell 
sg84   G84.1     #tap        - right hand
sg84d  G74.1    #tap        - left hand
sg85    G85     #bore #1    - no dwell 
sg85d   G89     #bore #1    - with dwell 
sg86    G86     #bore #2    - no dwell 

You could also change then in the text section at the bottom of the post

Your TEST code looks good for what you descibe for a machine that does arcs ( delta start of arc to arc centre ),

BUT, it may need to be the other way round,,,or you may be able to use signed R instead of IJK

What's giving the 6" diameter lead-in arc....mastercam graphics or the machine

Place a comma before the filename

note-- CN0: is the RS232C channel on the machine , and is not required if the default devices have been altered from TT: ( the papertape reader )

and the .MIN is not required as it is the default extension

ie

<PIP> <READ> CN0:, <WRITE> (the comma is a rename delineator, the program will come in as A.MIN)

or

<PIP> <READ> CN0:,ABC123.MIN <WRITE> ( the control will rename the incoming ABC.MIN file as ABC123.MIN )

or

<PIP> <READ> CN0:<WRITE> ( the program will come into the control as the $ABC.MIN filename string or as A.MIN if omitted )

Yes, Nvidia settings need adjusting

I think it would be only a problem for Dual Monitors

Open Nview Desktop Manager

--> "Windows" tab

--> "Dialog box repositioning" area

--> set to "No Repositioning"

Newest version is not always the certified / tested version

Pre win7, advice was to go to this site for Nividia Partner Certified Drivers

It references a driver for Win7/Vista 64 as driver version 191.87

this is the web page for the driver search

but Guffe's example shows a release 259.81 is available for download

Which of these drivers should be chosen ????

I was taught never to rapid between contours with comp ON.

If I was using "In Control" comp, my "rapid to point" can be anywhere in a radius that I have in the control for that tool ( depends on the "from where point", and if it didn't alarm out )

To me, this is dangerous code

a patch must/should be issued, NOT an MU release

My spirits have been lifted....a little....Ta

I don't care about the "rollouts", they are only propaganda exercises to increase interest and sales

I want to know when the official release date is......

Maint expired 31^st Oct, 2010 and how I stand being able to download and run X5

I'm sick of this damn carrot being constantly dangled in front of me. Now it's out of reach, over a deep abyss.

Sorry guys, looks like I'll never get the chance to use X5.

Use a library file..and user defined M-codes

M201 to check if in, or call in pallet1,M202 same for pallet#2

Also looks at the PART LOADED button at the front

M205 in place of M9 when using thru-coolant

Execution is done by the M-code...either MDI or in the program

-Create a file "MA400HA.LIB"

place in it

and then register that LIB file

and then define the M-code macro to the correct call statement ie

M201 is to use OPAL1

M202 is to use OPAL2

M203 is to use ONOT (empty the spindle)

M204 is to use OWARM

M205 is to use OM50O (coolant,spindle, all off,timed air blow, all off)

PS. size for the LIBrary file when registering in the control should be just larger than the file byte size

To get rid of any association to a particular file extension

go

My Computer >> Tools >> File Options >> File Types

and search for the extension you wish to void, in this case MCX, and delete it.

now, go and do Rickster's method of associating the file with Mastercam.exe

or similar to Apps,

8 circles on top of each other, each rotated by 45°

pick the circles, not the centrepoints. The circle dictates the thread OD.

I hazzard a guess your .TOOLs datapath is pointing to the X4millVMC1.TOOLS file but you may not have placed all your custom tool drawings and libraries in that location as well.

Or did you delete the ones that were in the X3 folder originally.

Something in the X4 tools library is still pointing to X3 folder for its tooling info, like tool drawings (.MCX)

2 methods

-surface finish project

select the surface to project onto

select the curves to be projected, offset from drive surfaces = depth you want to cut deeper by( say -0.010" ).

-project the curves onto surfaces to create new curves on the actual surfaces

use 3D contours to do the actual toolpaths on the new curves

comps OFF, lead in/out OFF, XY offset = 0, Z offset = depth you want to cut deeper by( say -0.010" ).

Hey Jeff,

I think you're Okuma savvy, There is an Okuma that can syncro the spindle with all axes, so you may have seen this option, they term it a "TURNCUT", on a horizontal MA600HB

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...urncut&hl=en-GB

To be able to threadmill large pitches, the tool must be able to arc in/arc out without cutting on the flanks of the thread lead.

ie bore ID = 2", the lathe threading bar should be small as practical to hold the tip, say a 1" rotating dia ( 3/4" shank ) or smaller.

You may have to rough with a 60° V tip first, but the 9mm pitch on a 60mm dia will be hard to do.

Or another version of Gcode's method

Cap the end of the cylinder with a surface and place a line ( at a fixed length, say 0.100" ) in the arc centre, normal to that cap surface for your 5-ax hole vector, you have got your retract point, vectors and your Z+ direction for the 5-ax drill cycles

Some machines, ( new or old ) don't like to do full arcs

You can set mastercam to automatically break circles into 180° or 90° arcs.

Doing this can also force greater accuracy into a machine that doesn't have tolerance control ( lag in the axis motors on higher feedrates or when the next block of code starts when the tool is in the "in-position" target area of the programmed position )

I agree with the comp issue, but more machine related than mastercam.

The problem is ore than likely on the arc lead in /out, 9/10 times it would be the lead in arc.

Try using a perpendiculr line only

or if you have to use an arc, try one that uses quadrants ie 90° or 180° sweep.( cuts back on the calculation/rounding errors)

You can add a point at the hole centre in the operation geometry and check on the "use entry & exit point", and set the line length to zero

The point centre should be above the chained contour for each chain

Yeh,

we all can revert backwards to be able to speak American

I'll think I'll go and hide now, before the daggers start flying

I think you'll find that most mill posts output the feed in units per minute (G94)

The only possible exception is tapping, which can may be set to output as feed per rev (G95)

Strange your machine can't use G95, is it possible you may have the feed too high ?

a machine may trip-out on a F5. ( 5.0" per rev ) even if you put in a low RPM

Post some code and try it on the machine, it'll complain if it can't handle it.

You'll then know what areas need modifying in the post