quote: First, the UPDATE procedure on your post(s) would NOT have changed any settings involving the NC filename extension. It was possible in MC v7.2 to directly edit an entry in the MILL7.CFG file that would set the extension for all NC files no matter which post you were using. Using the SEXTNC setting in each PST is the way to handle this now.I stand corrected. Good call Roger. I had edited the .cfg file to get it to output .txt files. quote: As for output paths, have you ever tried the SETDIRS C-Hook? It is something you may find useful. I'll look into the C-Hook. Thank you for your help. Rick, thank you for the optional work around. Thad

Thank you for your reply Millturn. I have set the default like you have described. Here is my situation. Each detail has its own folder. The path to the detail folder is F:job#2dprogdet#machine to be posted to. There is really no good directory to have my default set to since every new det gets its own folder, so I have defaulted to F drive. On any given job, I'll post out 5 different programs. When I post the first program, it defaults to save it to the F drive. Then when I post the second one, rather than "remember" the path where it saved the previous file, it defaults back the F drive again. I have to follow this path back each and every time I post a program. This is what I don't like. Now, when you save a file (drawing), MC remembers where it saved the last one and it saves the new file there also. This is the situation that I'm looking for with my posted programs. V7.2 remembers where it was saved/posted last and so does every other Windows based program on the planet. How can I get V8 to do this? Thad

quote: 1) When posting the first program, MC saves the posted file to the default directory, but when posting more programs, it doesn't remember where the last one was saved and I have to retrace the path again for each program I post. How do I make it so it remembers where it saved the last program, just like when saving the .MC8 file? Anyone? Thad

quote: Change/ or add the line in Rogers reply and you'll get what you want. I tried it when I got into work this morning and it worked. Thanks Roger (and Luc). When updating the post to v8, it must have reset the default. I don't know why they would do that. Anyway, another problem solved. Now, if I can get my posted programs to keep on saving in the same directory, I'll be all set. Any ideas? Thad

quote: To specify the NC filename extension you can add (or set if it is already there) the SEXTNC line in your PST file(s) -->> SEXTNC ".txt" # This post output .TXT file. Thanks Roger, but this post was already outputting a .txt file when used with v7.2 and now it doesn't. (If I'm not understanding you correctly, please explain further.) That's why I believe it's a MC8 setting that I'm missing. As mentioned earlier, the file extension default is greyed out when I go to set the defaults...and I can't figure out why. I used the CHook that Kevin mentioned to update the posts, but then 4:30 came around and I didn't get a chance to post another file to try it out. I'll check it out in the AM. Thad

I downloaded the updates (8.1 to 8.1.1) from MC's website. I was told by the local distributor that I didn't need the Mpparam.exe file, which is also available at the MC site, so I just used Mpmill.exe. Does using the CHook that you mentioned do the same thing? We have 2 posts, one is for a Tosiba boring mill with Tosnuc control and the other is an Okuma VMC with a Fanuc 15M control. Thad

1) When posting the first program, MC saves the posted file to the default directory, but when posting more programs, it doesn't remember where the last one was saved and I have to retrace the path again for each program I post. How do I make it so it remembers where it saved the last program, just like when saving the .MC8 file? 2) We want our posted files to have a .txt extension. I'm using the same post that I used with v7.2 that gave me a .txt extension, but it doesn't work with v8.1.1. This tells me that it's not a post setting, but a MC setting. I've gone into Screen/Config... to change the default, but that box is greyed out. How can I make the default extension on posted files .txt? Thad

Say anything about the Wings you want...but you can't do anything about the fact that they won it and they are the Stanley Cup Champs! Thad

Thanks Gravydog. The other patches...were you talking about these v8 patches or are there others? Thad

I'll be attending the 4 day MC class next week and I'm trying to get v8.1.1 setup. I'm unclear on what version is installed. Using Alt+V, it says version 8 (1.26.2001), but in the upper left hand corner, it says version 8.1. Going through the MC box, there is an 8.1 CD in it and I would find it weird if it wasn't installed when it was received...however, Alt+V does say version 8. Before I execute the patches to 8.1.1, I need to make sure I have 8.1 first. Does the 2001 date mean anything to anyone? Are there any files in the install directory to look for that would tell me this? All of the installation files reference "80", not "81", such as "nhasp80.exe." There is a pdf file, a txt, and a doc file that reference 81, but no application files that I can tell. Also, I have downloaded the necessary mill and design patches from the MC website, but I'm unsure if I need one of them. It's listed with the post dll files, and it's called Mpparam.exe. Do I need this or just the mill post patch? Thad How 'bout dem Wings!

quote: Simple - now if I could just figure out the others... And find that Beer Toast graemlin.. Thanks, just wanted to try it out. Thad

Kevin, I thought about it last night and I realized that you gave me exactly what I was looking for. My concern was milling the boundary of the pocket taking .010 off with each pass. We do some decent size pockets and adding the extra pass that only cuts .010, just to get a ramp off, didn't seem like it was worth it. I didn't think of changing the "finish pass spacing" value to something larger to resemble a typical cut. When I did, it worked great! Thank you for your help. Thad

I visit other boards that have this same format, and they have a "quote" button to quote other user's text. I don't see one here, I see others quote, and I didn't find anything in the FAQ. Please tell me how to quote text from other posts. Thanks. Thad

"Try leaving stock on the walls with your pocket routine and then go back and finish the walls with a contour for the ramping off of the walls." That's exactly what I do. I just don't want the cutter dragging up the wall on the retract of the roughing pocket cycle. Can MC ramp off the wall on a pocketing cycle without contouring the entire pocket boundry? It's not *that* big of a deal. I simply asked if there was a way to avoid it. Thad

Thanks Scott. I will attend the 4 day MC training class in a few weeks, then I'll be using v8.1...and perhaps have a few less questions. Thad

Thanks Glen and BerTau. I just got the internet hooked up on my PC at work and didn't think to "tweak" all the settings. Thad

It looks like that's my answer, BerTau. Thank you very much along with everyone else who replied. EVERY file that I bring in gets translated to the correct X and Y zero and then possibly mirrored or translated to a different Z level. I did what you said and it moved those 22 arcs also. Thanks again! Thad Edited to say that I just saw your previous post saying this. I've been meaning to ask if I am the only one having problems with the board refreshing the pages. I have to refresh at the page that lists all topics and then again at the message itself to get all messages to show up sometimes. I didn't even see your post before. [ 06-06-2002, 01:24 PM: Message edited by: thad ]

I've uploaded a file to cadcam's ftp. It's called mask on arc and it's in the MC7 directory. If I try to select all M12 tapped holes, it won't find them all at one time. It will find one, then 5 or vice versa. All holes are exactly the same size and were created on the same layer. Then I imported the iges file and this is what I get. The file was created in Medusa and the file has been mirrored, if that matters to anyone. Everything went OK with the upload, but when I tried to make sure it was there, I couldn't look in the MC7 folder. A window would flash and that's it. If anyone would like to play with this file, please feel free. Thad

I have mill level 1. Does anyone know if I can do 2.5D milling with this? Thad

Kevin, thank you for your time. This is the closest thing that I have seen to what I'm looking for. I don't need the tool to contour the entire pocket boundary when done with each pass, or when done with the pocket. I changed the settings to do what I thought would do that and I ended up with my results from yesterday...no ramp on the pocket. What I want it to do is, ramp off the wall when the pass is complete, just like ramping off the wall when a contour finish cut is used. I don't care if it does it on every pass or only the last pass, I only *need* it on the last pass. GibbsCam will allow you to define how it approaches the wall of a pocket. It will go through the normal pocketing cycle, milling from the inside out, but then when it contours the boundary of the pocket, you can choose a 90 degree, radius ramp on, or both as an entry/exit to the pocket. That is what I'm looking for. BTW, with MC, I always use "parallel spiral" option. Thad

Gary - They are not splines. James - How would I know if they are not closed arcs? Would they light up as only a section of the circle when selected? If so, they are closed arcs. Thank you for your replies. Thad

Thanks Jay, I'll try it in the morning. Thad

How do I know what level of MC I'm using? I don't see the usual Help/About that most programs have to give you program info. Since the seat wasn't purchased to do 3D machining, I can safely guess that it's not level 3. What level do I need to do a 2.5D swept surface? For example, use a 2.0 bull nose with .250 corner radius to cut a step that has a 1" rad at the bottom. The pdf files from MC's site don't mention this. Using v7.2 Thad

Jay, Is drilling by level an option with v7.2? Thad

What would be some possible causes of MC not finding all holes when searching by "mask on arc?" The holes are exactly the same size, on the same layer, and my tolerance is set to .001. For example, I have 6 tapped holes to select and it only finds 3 of them. I mask on arc again to one of the remaining holes and it finds the other 2. I have been told that it's not a design issue. Using v7.2 Thad