Thanks for everyone's help... I have it posting out exactly how I want it to.

I am editing the Generic Haas 3X post. I've learned a few things as I have been working on it... but your advise has helped me understand more. I'll look into it a bit more today and post back how it goes. Thanks for all the help. Dan

I figured out how to change the tool comment to post in the header and before each tool... this part in the post... tool_info : 3 #Output tooltable information? #0 = Off - Do not output any tool comments or tooltable #1 = Tool comments only #2 = Tooltable in header - no tool comments at T/C #3 = Tooltable in header - with tool comments at T/C It was set on tool info :2 and I changed it to 3 to get the comment in the header and before each tool. Now to adjust what info is in the tool comment

I did a search and didn't find what I was looking for. I've edited posts a bit and have a basic understanding... but assume I know nothing. At the start of my G-code program, I get the program header ( everything there looks like I want it to ) then it goes into a G20 and setting default codes. G40 G80 etc. Between the start comments ( date, time etc. ) and the start of the tool ( G20, G80 etc. ) the tools are listed. I want to edit them because the comment it soooo long giving too many details. then I want to add the tool comments at tool changes. I want to see the tool comment when I start that tool just to make sure when tool 12 is a 1/2 endmill, that I see the comment and can look in the machine to make sure before running. I told one of our new machinists that was into rap music.... YOU NEED TO CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF so, I like to have a double check before running the tool. Anyway, thanks for the help. Dan

Well sure, you all pointed me in directions I wouldn't have gone on my own. I had to come back and let you know how it went. Thanks everyone.

You got me there... I dislike contour surfacing because of its consistent depth making the top look bad and the bottom super smooth. I thought the Parallel had a consistent surface stepover. Sure enough, you're right. Its the same as the contour but it has a consistent X-Y stepover making the top look super smooth and the bottom look bad. I did get what I wanted to work out. I ended up using waterline ( which looks the same as contour ) but it has the ability to add cuts and dictate a maximum profile stepover. A little tinkering with this and I get a clean, uniform climb cut all the way around with no lifting. Oh and a pretty consistent stepover. Thanks for the help guys. You all generally pointed me in the right direction and I ended up where I'm supposed to be. P.S. don't know what I can post... doing Aerospace work and been at this job 2 weeks. not looking to get into any trouble yet. Been about 3 years since programming and with X4. A few things have changed and doing a bit different work. Great that you all are so willing to lend a hand.

The Scallop looks pretty good...it does go around a hit the corners first ( where the length is longer ) but makes a clean toolpath after with the exception of breaking it into small pieces. But the Backplot still shows an hour longer than the parallel surfacing. I'll have to double check my stepover settings and make sure they're the same. Thanks for the help so for, I'll try the Hybrid and see where that gets me.

I have currently, surface parallel and am doing one side at a time and zig-zag. would prefer climb milling continuously. But with 4 parallel surfacing ops and making them all run lengthways with the cut, I have a 1 1/2 hour cycle time. I did the scallop and kept it climbing but had very broken up toolpath and said it was over 4 hours with the same speeds / feeds/ stepover.

No 5 axis, Vertical mill and we don't have multi-axis MasterCam.

So, I have a .100 radius to put around a rather large part. The corners of the part are square so the radius has a 3D distance of .078. But at the corners, the 3D length is longer ( don't know exactly what it is... but longer ) I'm running a surface - finish - flowline and I have 2 issues. Since the corners are longer, it rapids to all the corners and starts hitting the tops then once it goes to all of them several times, it then starts to machining a continuous cut around the part. Is there a way to have a variable stepover so that the stepover is greater at those corners but smaller on the straight parts. That way the tool can stay engaged and not lift? Also, I haven't worked this out yet, its still doing a lot of lifting and not flowing from one surface to the next. It seems to be cutting the left, small rapid move, then the top... then getting a funny diagonal move across the entire part. I have done several other flowline surfacing and the tool stays engaged the whole time. I've tried different ways of selecting the geometry and even made a solid and radius the corners. Maybe I made the solid in a funny order? Don't know, anyway... Thanks in advance for the help. Dan

Creating curves on the IGES files does create overlapping entities. Some are clean arcs and lines... some are splined. I project the arcs and lines like .25 above the part and put them on a different level. It takes a little time to do this but then I also have an easily chainable 2D outline w/o modifying the wireframe.

Ok, thanks guys for the info. The create curves then the solid selection worked. I've never had to do that cause we always get customer supplied models in either step. or igs. files and the step. files can be toolpathed while the igs. files need a wireframe created. I like you reasoning on chaining from the wireframe and not the solid. Sounds like the easy way to go. Big Thanks.

I was just fooling with things so I created a solid of a part we're working on. Now, when I do a dynamic rotation... I get all the lines arcs and all that in which to rotate from. When I try to use that same line or arc for a toolpath... not happening. Then I go to Create - Curve - Curve on All edges... I can't do that either. I can do that with IGS. files that I imported. I'm sure I can save the solid as an IGS. file then import it back in and create curves... But what's the easy way?

I have gone through the help menu on mastercam, searched the mastercam website, and have found very little on creating machine and control definitions. I have started with a simple tree. Base VMC Y axis VMC X axis Table A Axis Spindle group VMC Z axis Tool changer So of coarse I get the invalid axis combinations alarm. But now what? I cannot find out really anything. Any and all help is appreciated.

I am machining a surface and I created that surface between 2 arcs, not splines. I go to the Control Definition - Arcs - Mill... and Support arcs in XZ plane and Support arcs in YZ plane are both checked. I'm guessing that when surfacing... you will always get a splined looking surface ( unless you're running X4) and the XZ and YZ arcs are only output on 3D movements... not surfacing. If anyone knows how to output the XZ and YZ arcs while surfacing... then a little help would be greatly appreciated. I do know how to set those splines smaller but an arc move would be even better.

Let me clarify... I've started playing with making solids INSTEAD OF lines and surfaces. Sorry, the way I said it first has several meanings. Thanks for the help guys.

OK, I answered my own question... There is a "solids" in the operations manager. I guess I can do what I want in there.

I've started playing with making solids over lines and surfaces. There are some advantages and dis-advantages. My question... when working on the solid, I cannot undo anything I did to the solid. So each time I modify the solid, I save it and then if the next thing I do isn't correct... I open the file again without saving it. So far.. .that Is the only way I can undo anything. There has to be an easier way.

Hardmill, I don't think 2 ops will work... I'm not an expert but doesn't mcam have to finish one op before going on to the other? Motorcityminion, That is the best way I have found so far but I was looking for even better still JDowe, I don't know how to edit a toolpath to make one line a rapid move, If you can explain a little further, than would be cool. Eric... I'll give that a shot. Thanks everyone for the Info..

depth cuts has a by depth or by contour. By depth does all the contours at the first depth then all again at the second and so on. By contour does all the depths on one contour then all the depth on the next and so on there too. I am going full depth and doing mulitpasses to keep widening the slot. It is a straight slot off the part at both ends. But it cuts from one end to the other, then Z to retract plane, rapid all the way back down the part and then cuts again. There are 35 passes on each contour. 70 passes total. I don't want to rapid down the part 70 times when I have an equal but oposite cut going down the part in the oposite direction.

X3 MU1 I have to open 3 inch wide slot and I'm using a 1/2 inch EM. Were doing this part on our router cause it's 8ft. long. It makes all the passes on one chain before starting the other. The problem is that I chained them in oposite directions so If it cut both at the same time... no rapid moves from one end to the other. I made it somewhat work by joining the 2 chains off the end of the part but then there is a lot or air cutting once I make my first cut clear the part. I guess my question is how do I get the cutting order to go 1st cut on 1st chain then 1st cut on 2nd chain, 2nd cut on 1st chain, 2nd cut on 2nd chain and so on.