Hey Greg, did you read that discription is not " a linear shaped variation of spur gear ", a sraight line ? here's one back to you http://gltrs.grc.nasa.gov/reports/1997/RP-1406.pdf look at pages 14,15 this is the form of a rack cutter, and how a spur is made in theory, if you "unroll" a spur gear, you get a rack gear a 20 deg PA spur gear with diametriacl pitch ( DP ) then a rack is a vee with 20 deg walls pitched along at ( DP )

You may find that the "grid" is active but not visible alt-G to open dialog and enable visible and disable active Having a small grid visible will show you at what construction depth and plane you have, a big help when working 3D

I always thought racks were straight vees with edge fillets

When the "Project" dialog pops up asking how to project, there is a tolerance zone you adjust to get greater accuracy of your "new curves", whether to planes or surfaces NOTE Don't simplify, you will have a xxxx of a time chasing chaining errors if you do simplify, you will have to open-up your gap tolerance to try and get it to chain

If the fillets are the same size as tool radius, don't select the fillets in the surfacing op, just take the walls and control the depth by "Depths"

quote: I converted my top and bottom rails to spines and connected the two with some vert lines then picked the option to sync the chains with branch points and got it to run. I do similar, wireframe bottom then top, with sync "By Branch" ,at where I want the tool axis to lay along ( ie before and arter a corner or rad ) # of entities do not have to be identical

Duplicate tool messages I find happen when:- 1- an tool number is already used in another "Toolpath Group" under the same machine ie. replicates the tool carousel on the machine as you "load" it up 2- Moving from one toolpath group to another or importing operations that have the same tool ( I'm assuming it copies the tool to keep the operations parameters intact and not replace them with the "generic" settings of the tool's parameters 3- Ah yep, I did stuff-up and duplicated a tool, Duh

The ends are finished 1st so that the tool has no deflection when changing direction while roughing or finishing Hole centres can be any distance apart on a straight or curved slot

1. Drill or interpolate ends out to correct size (+plus tolerance) 2. plunge slot excess 3. rough contour ( ramp method min. finish allowance ) 3. finish sides ( z-level not ramp ) ( finish tool relieved at the back- flute length 0.50" longer than stepdown- small blending rads on flute ends for z-level mismatch)

This may be a machine parameter setting. I know Okuma can have G00 read as G01 with a feedrate set in the machine This makes direct linear moves( straight lines ).

I have had similar errors in X2 MR2 while verifing using a STL stock especially memory problems My work-around was to save the STL at a coarse setting ( say 0.020" / 0.5mm or more, max 0.040") It allowed quicker regens / backplot and verifys plus files are a lot smaller I still keep the STL for comparing to, using a fine setting

The FX1500 seems good , I do have a few freeze ups ( probably driving it too hard ) But it drives twin LCD screens ( great for having mastercam graphics on one side and op. manager or pop-ups on the other or any other applications for that matter.

Have you tried creating an STL file to the previous operation. Then selecting that STL with the entities you now have for this op. Also start depths in incremental, say 0.080" and an absolute retract plane clear of all items, say 0.400" ( tool should go to retract plane for all rapid XY moves, then descends to 0.08" above STL stock on 1st pass, and continues on as normal.

quote: Thanks for helping. I can do that also, but try going backward after the -90. It wants to keep going. I am going from -90 to 90 than back to top ect. This may be a result of your actual machine parameters , as to go from A90 to A270 is the same distance as A90 to A-90. ( your machine may have M-code for directional movement etc.) Check your actual machine parameter settings as for signed direction movements and shortest distance or Have a reference point return to A0. before any machining at the "Front"

Have you enabled editing after posting ? --> Machine Definition Manager --> Control Definition --> Files --> Mill --> Post Processing Dialog ( then check edit box )

Using "circlemill" toolpath has the same result if you are drilling holes then milling them to size You have the option to start in the centre

First make backup copy of your post! see http://www.emastercam.com/ubb/ultimatebb.p...t=031029#000000 #Default english/metric position format statements fs2 1 0.7 0.6 #Decimal, absolute, 7 place, default for initialize fs2 2 0.5 0.4 #Decimal, absolute, 4/3 place fs2 3 0.5 0.4d #Decimal, delta, 4/3 place #Common format statements fs2 4 1 0 1 0 #Integer, not leading fs2 5 2 0 2 0l #Integer, force two leading fs2 6 3 0 3 0l #Integer, force three leading fs2 7 4 0 4 0l #Integer, force four leading fs2 8 5 0 5 0l #Integer, force five leading fs2 9 0.1 0.1 #Decimal, absolute, 1 place fs2 10 0.2 0.2 #Decimal, absolute, 2 place fs2 11 0.3 0.3 #Decimal, absolute, 3 place fs2 12 0.4 0.4 #Decimal, absolute, 4 place fs2 13 0.5 0.5 #Decimal, absolute, 5 place fs2 14 0.3 0.3d #Decimal, delta, 3 place fs2 15 0.2 0.1 #Decimal, absolute, 2/1 place (feedrate) fs2 16 1 0 1 0n #Integer, forced output fs 17 1.4lt #Decimal, absolute, four trailin Locate in your *.pst file XYZ format definitions: fmt A 11 cabs #C axis position fmt A 14 cinc #C axis position fmt A 4 indx_out #Index position the numbers in column 3 refer to the section "format statements", the three lines are what should only need altering

Edit --> Convert NURBS --> select your arcs ( quicker if you use all Arcs filter ) --> End Selection note! use your toolpath filter to smooth the cusping out ( smaller value = more accurate t/path = bigger file )

If you are engraving flat text or images and then axis substituting or projecting onto the OD, I suggest trying to convert all Arcs to Nurbs Your machine may not like arcs on C-axis rotations ( our older Okuma's don't like them ) This will eliminate (1) big problem area if it still don't work

quote: No I'm afraid not It would be a can of worms for Mastercam anyway - Backplot would need to know how your machine is built (VMC, HMC, four or five axis, Mill/Turn and an indexing head etc.) It's just not set up to do any of that, other than to simulate VMC 4 axis machining. Surely it can be done, as you have already defined the machine before you can create any operations. Additional outputs would occur only if defined in the machine def. or post and ( I imagine ) be relative to the assigned WCS for that op. It should display all available axes for that machine , because it can post them. All the values should be displayed when stepping thru Backplot or Verify, but disabled when running ( as it currently does ).

The "little white box" only appears when you right mouse click to alter an existing entity --> right click --> select entity/ies --> end slection ( "the big green dot" ) --> alter the attribute/s as desired --> accept note- the right click function is used mainly for existing entities left mouse click to alter attributes on entities yet to be created

Can other axes ( A, B & C ) be displayed whilst backplotting and / or verifing

Okuma's can have reference return points ie. "G30 P(value)" where each axis movement order is predefined within the control for each point 1st move = Z 2nd move = XY 3rd move = B P1= toolchange point ( order = Z, XY, B0 ) P2= toolchange point ( order = Z, XY ) P3= pallet#1 change point( order = Z, XY, B0 ) P4= pallet#2 change point( order = Z, XY, B0 ) P5= retract to Z home( order = Z only ) then all that is required is " G30 P5 " before pallet rotation values are altered thru "parameter pages"

And the problem is ?

Check to see if your "grid" is active alt-G displayed is OK to have on active will make your cursor pick points in seemingly space even if autocursor has no selection criteria