quote: I would also like CNC to fix the coordinate system issues with STL files. I believe they did this to interface with Vericut more seemlessly. It will 3d translate the STL to the WCS top you have selected (to top in new WCS). Simply go into WCS top / construction top to save your STL's and problem solved. Also dont forget to set your stock view (stock setup tab) to top on the new machine group or your files will not verify correctly either.

quote: No offense to anyone but spot drilling and reaming are a waste in my eyes. If you use a split point-self center drill you don't need a spot drill.Depends on how deep the hole is (long drill should be spotted reguardless), depends on how true the drill runs, depends on if you have these tools and the job justifies in qty of parts to buy them, depends on if you want to chamfer the hole. The rule is, there is no rule...common sence must apply. Reamer is giving you a consistent hole top to bottom without chip swirl that is safer to run (minor drill runnout or dulling does not scrap part). quote: I would do it with two tools. Drill undersized to depth with a Peck Cycle. Then Helix Bore to the start of the drill point with a 5 Degree pitch. Then a separate operation to finish the floor with a 1.5 Degree pitch. Another effective, fast, common tool method...

Spot drill, drill, ream, helix bore the bottom only with 5/16 ext. relieved shank staying .001 off the wall. Way faster then helixing the whole bore, and chips are pulled out with peck drill cycle.

quote: imagine you are inside a big tube looking up, you will see the letters right. I'm just playing with your "words"...I get it...I was born in a test tube and live in a mirror image world. I'd guess also that sign on A axis on post is reversed. Watch the direction that it rolls to engrave, note the sign (+ or -) then go confirn the A axis on machine rolls + the same direction. If its wrong...look for this line in post and change 0 to 1 or 1 to 0. rot_ccw_pos : 1 #Axis signed dir, 0 = CW positive, 1 = CCW positive ## ROTARY DIRECTION HERE##

"but the letters came out to be back words" Not sure what the issue is here...are these suppose to be front words?

quote: What we're saying is that there are a couple features that seemed to work better for us in 9 than they do now, like keyboard navigation of menus. We would like to take the best parts of the old version and bring them into the new version, making the best of both worlds.I'm not sure how many times it needs to be said, but again, this is what we are asking for. A few icons are fast but as many icons it takes to run MC becomes slow, and burns precious graphics space (another thing abandoned in X). Give us full, fast keyboard control back...please!

Thanks Gcode...I've been looking for the cause of this forever! I know canned cycles can be way off depending on peck amount and retract inc. distance params set on CNC machine also. To expand on that same test using X3 here is what I found. Using ramp depth of .1 to equal 10 passes. Linearize helix on 31.24 m (correct) Linearize helix off 15.42 m (wrong 1/2 the time) Same error occurs using ramp angle also. Bottom line, if you want accurate time turn linearize helix on with arc (helical) ramping (and change back to post). I'd imagine this will carry over into many paths that do helical entry, possibly even threadmilling.

quote: All the customization options work as intended, so therefore (IMO) they are not work arounds. By your definition, buying a space pilot is a work around.Usually to me a work around is something within the current system you have, that you find does what you want...without buying something else. So no...sorry...spacemouse is an enhancement. Anyway, I dont really refer to the shortcuts as work arounds (to me they just classify as such), they are part of the toolbox and intended to give options. They are there IMO largely because the version X isn't very streamlined, and the re write had holes to fill. I like options, but to many = bloatware and confusion and slowdowns.

quote: Wait, are you saying that setting up custom hot keys, or right mouse button menu, or custom toolbars are work arounds?Yep...I am. Designed work arounds lets call it. How would you define work around? Here's mine. Something that doesn't do what you would like the original intended way, so you find another way...= work around. Now, if you would like to discuss why there is at least 10 different ways to do anything in Mastercam...we can do that tomarrow.

To be honest I dont use quick mask, I have autocurser override setup on right click that mostly will override the autocurser for selection...except of course during analyze LOL. I'll play with quick mask some. Please dont miss the points being made though. There is tweaking and redundant movement that can be saved in X, and I haven't seen much effort to reduce it since X was released. The other methods people use besides main menu selections are work arounds IMO (other ways of doing the same thing). Edit...Hey Ron...sorry but the quick mask is just an shortcut to the ONLY selection and trading 1/4 of a toolbar in screen space to turn that on / added clutter is not worth saving 1 mouse click...not to me. Lean and clean...thats how I roll. [ 07-21-2010, 05:58 PM: Message edited by: Verndog ]

quote: F4/Rightclick point quick mask/pickpoint want to time how long that takes??I'm not saying X isn't configurable to do this faster. That is why I said go program a part in X on someone elses machine, they will have a different right click menue then you. That said, the default method is still very slow, and prior to that was very fast. quote: So analyze point.. F4 pick point there is the value. Your missing the point. Analyze ONLY point, I want to select many different points without selecting other enities on a large part with many enities... [ 07-21-2010, 05:28 PM: Message edited by: Verndog ]

quote: Just because you can click faster (mouse and keyboard) in V9 doesn't mean you are faster or getting more done.I believe the main point attempting to be made here is, there is much that can be done to X to reduce mouse clicks and speed it up even more. Cleaning up the menues - making hot key first capped letter in word in ALL cases, and eliminating dialog boxes that independently pop up everywhere (as much as possible) would be a good start. There are many examples that could be used...but here is 1 quick 1. In V9...analyze / only / point. Keboard AOP (IIRC --been a while since I used V9), 1 click and done Try that in X, 5-6 mouse clicks and 3 different dialog boxes later your there. Can something be learned from the past here? Lets hope.

In many regards I was still faster in V9 then x also. Key driven commands are faster with no search time. X has too many option dialog boxes that pop up under different menues that are scattered on the ribbon bar, and IMO many of them do not work "logically". I'm fast with some and slow with others. Much of X I like, but in general my work flow is too often interrupted with searching. Also, some day go try to program a part on someone elses workstation in X, wanna talk about sloooowwww...no prob. in V9. [ 07-21-2010, 11:58 AM: Message edited by: Verndog ]

I never could get V9 to run in Win 7. I have dual hard drives running XP for V9 on the occation I need it and win 7 the other 99% of the time. Drives are cheap.

Excellent, glad to help. It's been years since I worked with a 1 deg. horizontal, but IIRC at least at that time Mori would still accept decimal input (B90.000). Possibly its a parameter on the machine set that way. Anyway, you have it covered now.

"That's what I thought, but I'm still getting decimals when it posts out." The no of decimals will come in the Format Statements / NC Output for "B" section of post. Change the format number for the B from 3 place decimal to single integer (use the corresponding number called out in format statement..ie from 22 to 4 on mine.)

2 former companies I worked for have dropped Mastercam in favor of UG and Esprit. Total loss = 13 seats down the road Jack.

Toolpath /Surface / Finish / Project. Make a toolpath that cuts the sufaces walls with contour in 2d and project that onto the surfaces using the tool dia. that will give the proper inside corner rad. Bag the model, get this running and move onto the next part.

Backplot, expand the box with blue arrow, then hit info tab.

I'd settle for fix WCS issues (5 ax toolpaths, solid layout, analyze dynamic...ect), fix OP manager regen and parameter issues, holders stick to tool all paths (all new tree type), work on bugs very hard, 64 bit version code....and NO NEW TOOLPATHS till those are completed.

quote: In the past, shops would mirror at the control and use left-hand cutters.WOW!! Good luck with all those carbide indexable left hand cutters and near double the tool library size. It cant imagine doing things that way today and staying in business long. quote: On the aircraft type parts I copy the part to a different level, leave 1 in its original location and orientation move the other to machining orientation. I create ref geo that I use to translate the part back and forth if need be. Exactly. Leave a way to get back ( to merge revisions), and save an original untranslated "source" file. The is no "guessing" to get back, it's spot on. And you are not battling the cam system that has WCS only about 80-90% working seamlessly. [ 06-29-2010, 02:41 PM: Message edited by: Verndog ]

I personally like the slowdown. It will be even slower out there on the machine if you release to the shop that way (data bound control), so it forces you to filter / fix the issue before letting out to the shop.

quote: Main problem is when working between a detail and the assembly....I go back to the assembly file and have to turn the levels off again...shouldn't they stay off when I save with them off.Is this happening while using Viewsheet Tabs? This is a known bug that been in Viewsheets since X2 IIRC. When you add new levels (merge / copy GEO) the viewsheets add the new levels (visible) to all tabs. I've complained about this several times. IT SHOULD NOT WORK THAT WAY! Most people use tabs to isolate views and GEO, and DO NOT WANT to add new levels on (visible) automatically to all tabs. I would imagine solid layout is turning those levels on, since your adding new levels while creating your layouts (at the end of job for setup sheets), which turns visible on in ALL viewsheet tabs.. [ 06-28-2010, 10:54 AM: Message edited by: Verndog ]

quote: Simple.......you mirror it just like anything eles.That would be the efficient way to do it, as most would....BUT...he posted they were not allowed to move the model. My point being that they more then likely already are moving models. And settting up a WCS back to original airplane coordinates arguably could be viewed as just changing the WCS it resides in.

quote: It is just not acceptable where I work to move the model. Companies that write their QA manual this way are really forcing problems on themselves. I could argue this point 'till the cows come home (and have won many battles on this issue)...so, what do you do when you have an opposite part?? Also, if you set up a WCS back to the original position are you really moving it, or bringing it into a "different environment".