MCEDIT is an older editor that we licensed years ago and have not been able to get updates to. One of its shortcomings is that we cannot tell it to open up with a filename that contains spaces. If we encounter a filename with spaces, we automatically launch CimcoEdit. So it's not really 'old NC' vs. 'new NC' files. I bet you've got a space (or more than one) in the path to the old ones. I know the explanation's a weird one, but it's the truth. PDG

Sorry about the double post - my answer has been moved to the next post ( couple weighty blueberry muffin crumbs fell on my enter key when I wasn't really finished typing) PDG

Codebreaker, Got a file I can look at which only brings "a few" features across to Mastercam? We know there are things we can't support yet (so we'll turn the model up to that point into a 'brick'), but a lot of feature types are supported. I'd be interested to see that particular types are causing problems. (And you could get your hands on some fixes...) PDG

Code_breaker, It sounds like you may have moved your Mastercam directory from where it was originally installed. Use REGEDIT (very VERY carefully) and browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareCNC Software, Inc.V9 Mill. (Or V9 Lathe, or whatever) You'll see a string under there titled "DIRECTORY". This is where double-clicking on a file is going to think Mastercam is installed. Does it match where you really run Mastercam from? If not, edit it by right-clicking on "DIRECTORY" and choosing 'Modify'. Type in the actual path to where Mastercam is installed. IF YOU'RE UNSURE ABOUT EDITING THE REGISTRY, PLEASE FIND SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THEIR WAY AROUND IT. ALL SORTS OF THINGS CAN GO WRONG IS IT GETS MESSED UP! CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED! PDG

I checked with our Applications Manager and he says: "There isn’t a HFAPP_V9.DOC file. It was converted to a powerpoint. Yes, it’s available on CD. It’s about 65MB with the .AVI files, 2MB without. He can get the CD from his dealer. If the dealer doesn’t already have the files, he can download it from the extranet under sales/ demo tools/ all products." PDG

Pro, it is currently not possible to "stitch" surfaces together to make a solid from within a C-Hook or a VB Script. PDG

Pro, Please e-mail me at [email protected] and I'll help get you started. PDG

I'll save you from asking QC. The answer is no, it's not configurable by the user PDG

A bit of clarification... We do Not convert the STL file into a solid during machining of STL files. But, it might sound cool to convert the STL file (remember it's all triangles) into a solid, but you'd very quickly end up with a solid with 1000s (if not 10000s or 100000s) of flat faces. And it's usefulness will probably fade. PDG

ssneller, Nope, sorry. We'll output a rectangle as 4 separate lines PDG

Anything in the "Help" sub-folder of the folder where Mastercam is installed?

Sure - let's verify once & for all that there really is only one problem here. We know we can't handle the "block references" and "proxies" are often problematic. A note regarding "proxies". These are essentially an entity type that AutoCAD will know nothing about, even if made in MDT. Programmers can write add-ons to AutoCAD and make any kind of entity they like and call it a "proxy". MDT is really just an add-on to AutoCAD. You can e-mail it to me at [email protected] PDG [ 01-22-2004, 05:51 PM: Message edited by: ProductDevelopmentGuy ]

Avs_fan, No - nothing in the January patch affected the DWG/DXF importer. Are your problems limited to DWG/DXF files which contain solids stored as "Block Reference" entities in AutoCAD? That is the only entity type that we are aware of which we are not handling properly. PDG

You did indeed find the way to convert surfaces to solids. Whoever told you we cannot do this was mistaken. PDG

I uploaded chainingSample.DOC to the C-Hooks folder on the FTP site. It's got some code snippets and explanations regarding how to make chains from entities and how to associate the chains with an operation PDG