Thanks for the back up Dan! It's nice to hear I'm not the only one. Like you said, things are busy everywhere in Washington, and I'm sure everywhere else eh!?!? So you guys are up to speed on V10? Excellent! We're still in V9.1.1, I'm trying to get things ready for the big jump, hopefully by summer.

Perfect! Thanks to both of ya's! I got it, I get it, and boy do I feel lame for asking about it!

I M we Todd did, I M sofa king we Todd did. Call me crazy, and I really feel like an a$$ asking this... But, it says in the book the files page can change the tool library but all I see for "file usage" is Set Up Sheet Template Post Executeable Chook from Misc. values button Operations Library (inch) Operations Library (metric) Default Operations Library (inch) Default Operations Library (metric) Page 170 of the manual shows the window as well.

Thad, or anyone for that matter, when you go in to this field, or the Machine Definition route, either way. When you open the Machine Group Properties on the first tab, Files, all of the fields are blocked out. I'm trying to set my Tool Library for my machine. How can I? Disclaimer, I did a search, not a huge one, but I did try to find some info

So I just wanted to go on the record. I took your advice Thad/James, I paid close attention to "FOCUS", where my mouse was clicked, and nothing. Another oddity was since the hide button didn't work, I tried the Unhide button, entities from another level appeared that weren't even hidden. This is all just for the record, I know what yer thinking, what could I be doing wrong, it's me not the system. No worries, I accept that!

You're not alone Greg, and I'm sure you James and I aren't the only ones to have experienced this. But, it's like James said, usually you find another answer and move on. Would be nice if they fixed it though!

I'll give that a shot Thad, I'm pretty sure my mouse is in the right spot. I think I may be using it a lot more than most according to what everyone is saying. I use it a ton! Thanks for the input fella's.

Has anyone noticed any problems with the Hide feature? I've been running in to it freezing up, Alt E that is. I can go in a file for a while using Alt E, and then all of a sudden it doesn't want to hide anyhting. Edit still works, but the hide function doesn't. Not even when I use the soft key. If I close out MC and re-start it, then I'm back in business.

Thanks gcode! The "edit/simplify" function worked perfect. The Curve generate option was a no go. Very bizarre though, the sufaces I am dealing with are perfectly straight. You'd think that it would automatically create a line instead of a spline.

In the past when I have used the create curve function I get lines and arcs off of most of my surfaces. Ever since I loaded MR1 I have noticed that the curves I create off of surfaces are NURBS. Is there a setting somewhere? Or maybe a switch I don't know about? Oh, and these are surfaces from models I import from CATIA.

Ditto to mister jmparis. I add little strips/boss' whatever you call it and join the stock and save the file.

I am modelling some insert cutter geometry for my tool crib in Version X. It's for an HSK 63A machine. My dilema is: I'm modelling the cutter's for the detail brought in graphics, mostly clearance issues. What I have noticed from past experience is you don't have much control over holder geometry. Is there a way to model this as well? Or should I incorporate it in the "Custom" cutter geometry? And last but not least, is there a fancy way to have your 5-axis head geometry represented in MasterCAM.

Thanks gcode. So that would be the Display Axis info, eh? You would think (hint, hint) that you could just have the option to turn that off in the print page.

Sorry, I did a search, but you know how it is, I read like four of them and now I just want the answer So when I print, I have this string of notes at the bottom, Gview: Blah blah blah, WCS:, etc. Is there a place to control what is on and off? I'd prefer to have nothing, no axis, no scale, just geometry. Sorry if this has been covered already.

Sure someone may have discussed this before, but I just had a moment and wanted to share. Call me soft, call me a wussy (spelling? wusey? woossy?), anyhow's. It just dawned on me, after years and years of "Getting" a file, after having the phrase "File Get" embedded in my head, I won't ever do it again. I will be "openning" files from here on out, I will now be.... "File Open"ing in MasterCAM. (No I'm not drinking at work! I just got a little sentiMENTAL programming in X)

You should really consider forcing yourself to work with X, especially since you've just been hired, it's a great "excuse" to be taking longer. Every day I put off switching over to X, because I'm "faster" on 9. In all reality though, in a few years, being faster on Versio 9 is going to be like being fast on SmartCAM a few years ago! (I know, I know, Smart CAM's on a comeback).

I'll have to get back to this post later in the day... Nurbs/Splines - Parametric... Either it's too early in teh morning, or I need another Red Bull! Nice call Thad, completely fergot about that switch too!

I have the visual disabled. As a matter of fact, I have everything disable (Internet, Radio, Visual). Like Budgie said, maybe it's a RAM issue. It's good to hear other people comment on the sound issues. If I have MEdia open, but not playing anything and run "Verify" I get a pretty wild static/frequency that comes thru my headphones. I'll look in to getting IS to install Winamp and see if the problem goes away. Thanks for the comments, it's good to hear that no one else is having the a problem with it.

Very nice Rob. What format is VDA for if you don't mind me asking?

Every now and again I run Windows Media Player while programming in MasterCAM. And every now and again MasterCAM will crash if I am processing a large toolpath (3+2 Surfacing). I've never put the two together until lately, I'm listenning to music more often. Has anyone else noticed this problem? I looked but no I didn't come across any other posts with this "theory".

I've never seen it, I don't think it's possible. I see parametric come in from CATIA all of the time, but never native. Why do you need them in MasterCAM? Couldn't you use Nurb Splines? If you do figure out how, I'd love to know!

Age 16, are you running MasterCAM on a Linux System now? Are you trying to set it up to? Just curious, I've always been curious about that, as in, if it woudl process faster. Anyone else doing/done/seen this?

"If you had to stand in front of a 5 axis machine and figure it out it'd be a piece of $hit too i bet."<--- Dunno if I'm doing the quot ething right Boy oh boy, where to start. I guess I'll get it out of the way, I like the looks of X, I've learned it, used it, and look forward to when it is ready to run efficiently. I do not fear change. I am sorry to see V9 on it's way out though. Speed, that's the ticket though. And no offense to anyone who takes this personal. Anyone who can stand in front of a 5-axis machine and "figure it out" (a competent "Machinist") deserves to say whether they think it's a quality machine or not! I'm sure the same person that can "figure out" a machine, can "figure out" a software, new interface and all. The person who can't "figure out the machine" is the kind of machinist that is starting to flood our trade. You know the type, the person that is always asking you to "teach them how to program", the guy who wants to go to training so he can be "shown how to program". How many CNC programmers these days started out as an operator? How many programmers these days taught themselves how to program? Not because they wanted to make more money. Not because they couldn't cut it in college but were good enough at using a computer that they figured out being a CNC programmer was as close as you could get to being an engineer as you could without a degree (ya ya, run on sentence). How many CNC programmers don't even like that title? They just say that they "Machine", or "Cut metal"? To me that's what I see as the problem. I think X looks great! Heck, it's user friendly. There's going to be a lot of people that will be able to pick it up really fast because of the new interface. All those icons, all the new tricks that it can do. And trust me, I see them all the time, contractors we hire show them to me. And yep, there the ones that didn't get that degree, or worse yet, have one! There also the ones that waste my company's time and money. Why? Because I have to go back and fix there programs after they are let go. Why do I have to do that? Because they're great at running software, but have absolutely no grasp on what efficiency is. You can argue all you want about who can program faster, and hey, I think I'm kinda fast too. But that's not what it comes down to, what it comes down to is how fast your part is being made down on the floor. And anyone who has ever ran a machine knows that there are a lot of "Cannned Cycles" in MasterCAM that are a waste of time. That snapping on a surface and picking a routine isn't the answer. The reason I chose to program in MasterCAM was because of the efficiency that it gave me. I didn't want to program in CATIA because of the time I saw it wasting me. Now I look at VX and see a lot of the same things as V5 CATIA. Medaq, your right, and I thought the same thing, why not make a softkey or a parameter so VX could be formatted like V9. Great idea... but really, what's the point of making a switch that rolls back a software version (Course Windows XP has that in there advanced settings for there performance!)? I thought the same thing when MC went from 6 to 7! I think it comes down to this. You pretty much have to learn the new software, if you don't you'll be behind the times. It's like the Machinist's handbook, they add pages, but they take out pages (My version 12 has some pretty cool info on threading). It's like all the tool builders that trained me to mill stainless on a Bridgeport, not one of them ever bought a sign bar, they made them from scratch. Or like the first guy to explain to me what subroutines were, and how to hand write programs. They probably wouldn't even know how to turn MasterCAM on, or better yet, they're probably retired)! It's just the natural course of technology, it makes things easier for everyone, not necessarily better, just easier. What's the first thing you think to do when your car breaks down... Pop the hood and see if you can fix it? Or call someone on your celphone?

Welcome to the Forum!

If you're still up for it, I'd love to take a look.