Beware the profitless prosperity.

mikeb Not sure I get your drift? If you're saying its impossible to protect software, I just find that hard to believe given off the shelf encryption technology. Look, you can make a credit card purchase over a "secure" site without the number being stolen. I just think there must be a way. I think it's unacceptable to accept the status quo. Are we really prepared to say, "we're only going to sell software to those honest enough to not steal". We owe it to the honest people to make sure thieves don't have a competitve advantage.

I have a small company, and there is not a stitch of illegal software in it. Why? Because I learned a long time ago you could make a lot more money being honest than being dishonest. When you start cutting corners, it shows, and people start cutting corners with you. And what kind of message are you sending to employees (or your own children) when you use illegal software? I'll bet the bad environment created more than offsets any "savings" from ripping off software. i.e. "Hey, the boss stole Mastercam, so why can't I steal these end mills? This is petty theft compared to what he does!") Not to mention those company's live in fear, paranoia, and often nagging problems they can't get an answer to. Those add up fast. Besides, how's it going to look to any legit company you do biz with when the truth comes out? You'll look like the cheap mutt you are, totally illegit; how smarmy and embarassing! Many big company's will just cut you off, as they don't want to be associated. Was loosing a customer worth it? Do the right thing and you can hold your head up. It's easier to look ahead when you're not looking over your shoulder. Bootlegging is not the best thing to happen to any software manufacturer. It robs revenue, which robs development, which hurts everyone. I think the penalty for robbing a bank of 5K should be the same as robbing a software company of 5K. Again, I think some scheme that can protect software can and must be devised, even if it adds another door the user must pass through and a little more inconvenience. The soapbox is yielded. [ 08-23-2001: Message edited by: Charles Davis ]

Try reading some Zen philosophy. One of the central concepts is to be totally in the moment. Enjoy the process. When you sweep the floor, REALLY sweep the floor, etc. A few words of wisdom: "The best way to prepare for tomorrow is to take care of today". "Life is what happens while you're waiting for something else".

I was trying to be sarcastic. Maybe I did too good of a job! Of course I want the bank checking my identity thoroughly before they allow a large withdraw. That's better than trying to track down who stole 10K from my savings account. I think CNC has the same right to be completely sure that whoever is using their high value software is a legitimate user. Unless the govt is willing to put the resources and teeth behind aggressive enforcement, we need to try to stop the crime before it happens. Yeah, I hate the intrusiveness also, but there has got to be a way of verifying legitimate users while not overly burdening legitimate users. As a ligit user, I'd suffer the hassle to ensure my sleazy competitor down the street isn't getting the same software I paid for illegally, thus putting my quotes at a competitive disadvantage.

Hey, if I go to the bank and want to withdraw $10,000, they ask for two photo ID's, my SSN, my mothers maiden name, and I wait for 5 minutes while they check my signature against my signature card. I think that is very intrusive and an invasion of my privacy. [ 08-22-2001: Message edited by: Charles Davis ]

I don't think DXF is going to support much, just lines, arcs, etc. Use the Create, Curve, All Edges, From Solid to output curves, then DXF it out.

We'd be glad to provide a free golf shirt or other Mastercam Stuff to anyone who provides a lead that results in a sale. I'd like to see some of the 3D roughing technology applied to 2D toolpaths. For example, a cavity made up of solids or surfaces could be automatically roughed and finished given some machining parameters. It would automatically detect critical depths, and unfinished areas to remachine with another cutter. Put this in Level 1. For surface machining when vertical walls are present, allow automatic setting of surface vectors based on a point the user places in the cavity. Automatic sorting of a 2D model to segregate geometry by color and/or later based on Z-depth (slicing). Would make my 2D part look like a rainbow so it's easier to drive 2D toolpaths. Include a view slider bar to pop up on the side so I can view a "slice" of my model by dragging it up and down. Have a tol (.001 thick default) that sets the thickness of the stratum being viewed. I suggest everyone send suggestions regularly to [email protected] These guys listen, and have a sophisticated system for logging request. Many times I've seen suggestions implemented, but you won't get it if they don't know about it.

It seems to me if the CIA can send messages that can't be decoded, software developers can create software that can't be cracked. How about requiring Internet access, and they must log on to CNC to activate the software? In the very few cases where the customer does not have internet access (2%?) the dealers could do it for them. The irony is that, in the big picture, company's get a better bargain buying software than getting it for free, since free software is junk. I own and run no shareware software. We either have to find a better protection scheme, start imposing serious penalties(bankruptcy and jail time), or find some way to convert this to a 100% service business, which will never provide the level of support this technology requires.

Not sure about going from ME to 2000 on the same computer. I would think you'd want to reformat the hard drive just to make sure everything was clean. CADCAM about the drivers. Good idea, but these are about 4mb and so many different ones out there (for example you can't use regular Nvidia drivers for laptops). Probably best to point out the valuable links and let people grab the latest and greatest direct from the manufacturers. I got mine directly off the Dell site www.dell.com

I went ahead and downloaded the latest driver from Dell ver 7.8.4.0 and installed it (R28509.exe); even though the driver was supposedly the same rev as the driver shipped with my computer. Bingo. Hardware accel full bore; no problemo. A 300 surface file spins like a tumbling dice. Way cool... [ 08-19-2001: Message edited by: Charles Davis ]

I have a new Dell laptop with an Nvidia Geforce2 GO, 32MB, running on Win2000. Love the computer, but have to turn Hardware Accel down to the second to last notch or I get repaint problems on the screen (square splotches appearing, etc) forcing a lot of F3 regens. The performance did definitely degrade some from turning down the hardware accel. Still acceptable, but dynamic rotations of shaded parts are not nearly as smooth as before. I have not experienced any problems with the cursor, though. The computer is only a week or so old, so I assume I have the latest drivers. p.s. Win2000 rocks. I mean, it REALLY rocks. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. If you're getting a new computer, forget ME or 98; go 2000. [ 08-18-2001: Message edited by: Charles Davis ]

Just go to Screen, Configure. Set everything you like it, then select Save, and give it a unique name, like bobsmith.cfg To activate this config file, go into Mastercam, select Screen, config, and pick bobsmith.cfg from the list of config files. The sys will immediately reconfig itself with their buttons, etc. It works great, and I use this often now. I believe you can also have them make their own icon, and in the target put in the path, filename, and config file, c:mcam81mill8.exe bobsmith.cfg I think this works, but haven't tried it in a long time.

Not sure if I really understand what you want, but have you tried Modify, Xform, Between Vws?

High Technology Manufacturing

Not sure. Try contacting the people who make the Catia translator. I can only say my customers have used it "out of the box" with no problems.

That's a really good idea....

Screen, Configure, Screen tab, check the box: "Display viewport xyz axes"

Find the format statement for your xy commands, probably fs1 and/or fs2, and put an n after the format assignment. For example fs1 X 0.4n That makes the command non-modal. Have you asked your dealer to help??

If you changed the folder mastercam is in (for example, from mcam8 to mcam81), you may have to edit the registry. As I recall, Start, Run, Regedit click on the following paths HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Software CNC Software, Inc. Mill8 Under the Directory function make the path c:mcam81 instead of c:mill8

I talked about this with Marc Lindsey late this afternoon. I understand the problem more now. This is an odd one! His idea was to truncate the number rather than round it; he's looking into it. Another idea we had was to break the arcs into quadrants, rather than 180 degree arcs (yuk). I THINK v9 will output 360 degree arcs.

Wait a minute.... I've never known Mastercam to incorrectly round a number. If the last digit behind that displayed is 5 or greater, it rounds up. If less, it rounds down. That's how I'd do it too if I were writing the code by hand. Basically, we're going to machine what the engineer draws. The databases are double precision, so there should be no roundoff errors in the data translation, or resulting from however we rotate, translate, etc. Maybe I'm missing something here. Is there really some situation (once in a blue moon) that you can get into that you'd round otherwise because you know they intended an arc when but drew it "wrong"? Wouldn't this manifest itself in some other way, like a discontinuity between entities? [ 08-06-2001: Message edited by: Charles Davis ]

Hello, James & Millturn! Thanks for the kind words. Not too many people have seen this yet because it is so new. FYI: It's my understanding that CNC is sending out one copy of the Handbook to all dealers this week or next. This is Volume 1, which covers all 2D modeling and machining. Volume 2 covers 3D modeling and machining and will be available later this fall.

For your own peace of mind, just totally eliminate Mastercam as the problem. Manually program a 1.0 diameter hole using one of the examples in the Fadal manual as a guide. Put a dial indicator in the spindle and spin it. My guess is the hole will be elliptical. Time to call Service... If the post is wrong, you might get an error at on the control, you may even skip part of the arc, but highly unlikely you'd ever get an oval.

In my experience, lasers are one of the easiest machines to program (unless 5-axis). Issues like power settings are handled by setting up some Misc Integers. Shutter on/off is easily accomodated automatically. They are a bit intimidating at first because you think "wow, laser, high tech" and you're not familiar with the terms. These are really just routers for the most part. Instead of a spindle you have a laser source.