I never peck in graphite either, but .035 might require some material evacuation.( full retract) I'd also say push it in some scrap, then back it off a tad.

We found a better way for us for now, but confirmed a bug with CNC software today. We just loaded a custom toolbar for the tride but true "file /communications" option. If you right click on a toolbar, then click custom, select the "file" category, then File comm. is the third from the right. Drag it to your toolbar area ( or wherever you want it ). In Operations, we dissabled the send to machine option so it does'nt fault the machine out when we post. It's like using ver. 6 to send a file, but it works. We send to the machines sometime literaly 100's of times a day, so this was just an easier option. The editor option did'nt work also, because it does'nt seperate the line's from the end of the program line, so we got garbbledy gook. I can;t wait for the first service pack so I can start using it regularly...back to 9 for now. oops, The one problem with this is the toolbar'd File/comm. goes back to default each time you start "x".

Any update?

Same here Todd, It completely loses the port. You can still print, but the hasp is gone for both versions, the hasp utility in 9 can't find it either. I did'nt try shutting mastercam down, printing , the restarting. I'll try that in the morning.

That's interesting. I could use something like that because we have alot of .GE3 data that may be needed in the future. If yah get it working, how would I run that script. Is it like a c-hook? I'm not a computer programmer, so i'm thinking like this--->

Yes....we run a printer through the hasp and everytime we print something the system does'nt recognise the hasp and requires a system restart. ( Version 9 won't find it either )

Greg, we tried to set it to zero, but it was already there. We've found that the RAW communications console in X ( like the old days before operations manager.) and the one that is in the toolbar in Operations Manager are not linked together by the config. settings. The only way we can get a file sent to the machines ( Fadal 88HS ) is to send them VIA the raw console, but the settings ( IE- baud, stop bits , etc. ) cannot be locked in with the config. They revert back to the default after we restart x, so we have to send the file with that, and change the settings each time we start x. It's bee a pita trying to get it to communicate through the new operations manager. I'd suspect that would be a tiny bug, but at least we can communicate now. The comunications in the O.M simply does'nt work for us. What are we missing? Any Ideas? Thanks BTW( I work at the same shop as Rtwhiting in this post)

hehe..watch for High frequency tig welding too. We can't DNC if we need to put a spot of weld on something because of the high frequency start. Aluminum welding around Rs-232 is a big no go!

NO.....and even a well edited post will conflict the fadal controls.

quote: Do you mean beside "Cutter Compensation Not Successful"? Yes, Like what actually caused the error. "C.C. not successful due to stock , or , due to cutter size" It would be nice to let the software think for us totally, but that's probably only needed late on a friday evening, when the job has to ship out before you can go home( Or have to go in early on a Sat.)

YES....Filter arcs can be bad. I've had some issues with filter arcs enabled ,nd my machine will not run the program. ( helical arc move to small error on Fadal 88hs control) That's an easy fix, Just set the minimal arc move in filter options to a higher number, say .05". Works great! The bad one is in surface/finish/scallop!! That sucker tries to cut an arc about 60 ft in dia. on the vertical y/z plane from z zero. That was a lucky catch on my part, because the machine would have run to z- limit ( after chewing up a vise) had I not caught it in the machines graphics display . Kinda off subject , but I wanted to share

Version 9 Contour /ramp might have been of some help. I use it all the time to rough pockets (or slots in this case)very close to the size of the cutter. Mr Bond has it correct, if you told it to leave .001 stock on the rough passes, It will ignore the roughing cycle and go directly to the finish pass due to the fact that there is only .00075 per side left. I hate that. I wish MC would come up with a stock error in cases like this. Just my comment.

Roger martin, Thanx for the detailed way of accomplishing what I need ed to do. It worked just great. Thanx . Thanx to all that replied, Now I can also fix that pesky toolpaths-swept button I've been looking at blank for the past 5 years.

Hey, Does anybody know how I can add a custom icon to the upper toolbar in mastercam? I edited an existing icon, but I don't know how to get mastercam to assign the Icon to the specific function ( It appears mastercam did'nt assign an icon to begin with ) . All I have on the upper toolbar is the key #, and would like to have an icon present instead. Can This be done? BTW , the function is for "Modify-surface-trim-Flat bndy"

Jovato8, Send it to "[email protected]". I really appreciate it. I'll let yah know how it works If I get it tonite.