Hi All, I'm using a insert end mill that has octagon type inserts in a 3 axis surfacing roughing path, the general shape is a dome so I'm always cutting up hill. the question I have is what type of tool def to use to accurately define the octagon to MC? I've tried a face mill and a chamfer type tool, both undercut the model… any help is thanks, Jg

wow, thats a while back. I used to run off of two 8" floppies..... If I remember correctly QED was the editor and NCS was where you would run your script and plot your efforts.....

search for more locations, there will be a couple. Jg

oldman, I think it's found under system config >> files >> acsii, change to your new location. thanks, Jg

I'll give that a shot, thanks Jg

Hi All, does backplot calculate time estimates for advanced 5 axis paths? sometimes they seem quite short to me. thanks, Jg

In the gouge processing area, un-check "infinate look-ahead" and set it to "look ahead 100", seemed to help. thanks, Jg.

thanks Robert, thats works for me. Jg

gcode, that looks interesting.... I'll have to look thru it and see if it will compare embedded machine and control files with the disk copy. thanks again, Jg

Randy and John, very good advice, thanks for the help. Jg

thanks John, so if I'm only updating or changing the PST I should be ok because the disk copy will be read in when a older file is re-opened, correct?

Hi All, It's my understanding that in X2 a "local" copy of your "post" (In this case "post" could mean machine def, control def and/or pst) is saved in your mcx file, if this is the case is there a way to see if what is saved within the mcx file matches what is currently the "master" on the hard drive? or to put it a different way, what if you ran into a situation that required a post mod how do you apply it to previously saved programs? I hope I'm describing this clearly enough.... Thanks for the input. Jg

sharles, just a "wag" but I'd bet the invisible surfaces are the parent surfaces of the trimmed surfaces you want (they are required), when you export them thru igs they are probably identified as such (unless you made them visible), so maybe the issue is on the receiving end? have you tried to read in the file you exported? Jg

11:32 Dell 470 Xeon 3.2 2Gb Ram ??? speed WiNdOzE xppro Quadro 3450 coffe cup IN CD draw, Duct tape holding the case on....

maybe zip it and put it on the ftp?

I believe it is a Toshiba, the B table is about 5 ft or so with the A about 30 in. it also uses a quill (W axis). Jg

Tr3bor, Yup, been thru that, it's extremely helpful and well done, unfortunetilly I get to the part that say's "mentally rotate the vector on the primary axis into the plane perpendicuar to the secondary axis of rotation" and thats about where my eyes glass over and get the "deer in the headlights" look, as it turned out about ten minutes after posting I checked some notes I made and (so far) I have the correct combo. thanks for the rely, Jg

Hi All, I'm making my 3rd 5ax post and having a little trouble getting the angles correct, the machine is a Horz with a stacked rotary with "B" attached to the machine base and rotating around "Y", on top of that is the second rotary "A" (I know it's wrong but that the way the builder did it) which rotates about "Z" (when "B" is at zero), I think "A" is the primary and I have setting as follows: mtype : 0 #Machine type (Define base and rotation plane below) #0 = Table/Table #1 = Tilt Head/Table #2 = Head/Head #3 = Nutator Table/Table #4 = Nutator Tilt Head/Table #5 = Nutator Head/Head rotaxis1 = vecx #Zero rotdir1 = vecy #Direction rotaxis2 = vecz #Zero rotdir2 = vecx #Direction Does this seem correct? or should "B" be the primary? thanks, Jg

Hi All, I'm using the Advanced 5 Ax projection tool path and would like to know if anyone has figured a way to offset the tool left or right (one rad) like you can in curve 5 ax? the only way I can figure is to offset the geometry itself. thanks, Jg

quote: It's cool Jg... we were ALL n00bs at one time! I Definitely resemble that ! Colin, I'm using it to output a incremental A axis cutting move on a 5ax machine (B/C, Head/Head) so the decimal seems to work good. thanks again, Jg

"fmt 2 mr7" that works perfectly, thank you both. "...should it be set?" I betcha I should have known that.... thanks again, Jg

quote: What 'fs' (format statement) is assigned to 'mr7' via an 'fmt' (format assignment) command? none... should it be set? thanks,

Hi All, I'm trying to output the value of mr7 without the "mr7" prefix (no quotes), i put this line before outputting mr7 result = nwadrs(sblank, mr7) where sblank is defined in Address string definitions as nothing, I'm still getting the mr7, does anyone have any ideas? thanks, Jg

can you put it on the ftp site?

No, but you could covert it to macro A.... much more cryptic though. Jg