I havn't grabbed the file yet, but I've had good luck projecting letters doing this: Make your letters flat hovering in space above your curve or solid. (e.g. "A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away") Create>Curve>Project >follow prompts You can then select whether or not your geometry is projected as View/Normal, meaning just dropped on your part like a projected toolpath, or actually wrapped around the curve to look proper at a perpendicular plane. It will lay letters down on some pretty steep edges. I then just do a 3-d contour (comp off). A lolipop mill might be a neat way to go on a real steep side? Disclaimer: I hav'nt done much surface work (solids though), but this exact procedure has worked for me.

Oh BTW, my favorite caliper is indeed a Fowler. However it is the "Sylvac" line, which is swiss made. The best part is the tenths readout (.0005) is a smaller number than the main readout. Very easy to see at a glance or at odd angles, and not have to see the half-thou digit..which is always a .0005 or .0000. My feeling anyway is that when your looking for that resolution, use some good mics. Does anyone know of any other calipers that have the .0005 resolution in a smaller number? I've had these for over 10 years, and am getting nervous about replacing them. Cracks me up that tape measures have 1/32" increments, however the print is almost 1/32" wide anyway! Like I'd trust a tape to 1/32"...

Here's another valuable tip: When using an edgefinder, make sure your machine is set at 1000 RPM and not 10000 RPM! SPROING! Whoops, I did'nt see that extra zero. This one shop I worked at a while back we customarily issued the new guy a set of tools. It was a nice toolbox but filled with a collection of everyone else's destroyed tools.

Ok, I'm back..sorry I've been absent for a while. About a year-and-a-half ago I was having some trouble with getting times displayed from backplot...If I recall, I rectifed it in the job setup parameters. Unfortunatly I don't remember exactly what the problem was. I've been playing around here trying to remember what the issue was........I'll keep you posted as soon as I get whacked on the head again

P.S. Scroll to the end of the previous link for the quotes...or just read on. Dr. Frink: quote: Well, it should be obvious to even the most dim-witted individual who holds an advanced degree in hyperbolic topology, n'gee, that Homer Simpson has stumbled into...[the lights go off] the third dimension. Here is an ordinary square -- -- but suppose we exte-end the square beyond the two dimensions of our universe (along the hypothetical Z axis, there). This forms a three-dimensional object known as a "cube", or "Frinkahedron" in honor of its discoverer, n'hey, n'hey. And, of course, within, we find the doomed individual.

THAT sent me on a wild goose chase! But I'm happy to help... Simpson's Rule!

Finally found what I've been looking for, and hopefully this maybe a useful tip for y'all. When trying to figure out what size/ratio drafting entities are: Analyze>click on your dimension>Note Tells you what the attributes are of that particular text item.

When you run backplot, you should get a machine time displayed in the lower text area. I believe you have to have your job set-up parameters defined though.

+1 Rick. What I've been hearing, reading, (and experiencing) is that faster RAM is a much better investment than faster chip speed. Chip speeds in the 2.4 + area are exceeding board bus speed capability, however bottlenecks at RAM are common. Investing in faster RAM is a good way to increase overall system speed...However make sure that your motherboard will support the quick RAM of your choosing. I've also grown fond of our one machine with ECC RAM, SCSI drives, and only a P3 processor. The SCSI and 512 ECC RAM make it very stable. There are alot of folks on the forum that probably have more to add than me, but that's m2c.

And I thought I was crazy...the ops manager in general seems-less-than refined... e.g. You grab an operation and try to drag it up the list, well if there is any scrolling involved, the scrolling "stutters" or hangs up. Your not sure where it lands when you drop it. I now just use cut/paste instead.

Welcome to Oregon Kevin! You'll be getting here for about a month more of summer, however then come the rains...although winter is a great time to spend in front of a computer monitor, especially if you've got some new toys to learn! Best of luck!

Jim! Reminds me of the college days (daze)! haha

Thanks plasttav, I took a look at things a little closer here, this can't be that hard! When I go to nc>def.ops>library and select a library that I created, I get a warning. code: LIBRARY NOT FOUND Z:generalmastercaminfooperationslibraryDEFAULTS.DF9 It looks like my ops library is now a .df9. Should'nt an ops library be a .op9 ? I tried re-creating the library a bunch of times, and it always adds the DEFAULTS.DF9 extension. It gets stranger...it does open the library (after I toggle through the error messages), but also changes some of my system defaults..which I realized because some of my system colors went to what I was using when I created that library. Looks like it's opening a .op9 and a .df9 at the same time? sounds crazy. I think I'll deal with the rest of this one in the morning.

Slick site, but the dam metric system! I'm too entrenched in the stone age to bother with all the darn conversions. Thanks anyway

Ok, I'm having some "issues" with getting an operations library going. A) I would like to have a library on a network computer. However my remote machine will NOT accept being pointed to anything other it's own folder of C:Mcam9MillOps in my config. Does a library have to be local? WTF? After I create a library, how can I go back in and edit it? I'm looking for a "save/save as" or "replace/update" option. I've ended up re-saving my selected ops, and having multiples created in the library.

quote: Anyone encounter this: Sometimes when I use edit common parameters it works, some times it doesn't. YES, and also what everyone else said too regarding this mystery. my .02

I've done that type of undercut op a few times with keyseat cutters, slitting saws, etc. and usually just create some driving geometry, like CrazyMillman does. I'd like to know if I can trust Mcam to use my existing geomety though...good question CAMmando, I too would like to know.

If I was a science teacher, THAT would be a great way to introduce kids to "how the world works". Get them interested in "building stuff"... "ok kid, now load this piece of burnt toast into the machine like this....and then when it's done, take that one out, blow the crumbs off...and load another one in....I'll see you in about 8 hours, and you better have that whole loaf of parts cut".

Well, this could somewhat be related to Mastercam. This guy builds mini-NC machines out of the robotic LEGO kits. Yes, LEGOS, those little blocks that snap together. If you can download the quicktime film, it's of his mill engraving into a piece of burnt toast. Very funny. toast mill P.S. Check out his home page, some lathes and other goofy stuff. Lego NC Home

+1000 Charles, quote: But there's no feeling like having and idea and then acting on it, and then seeing it work.That's the joy! Having that freedom to use your brain to it's fullest and make stuff work. However there are slim days (and weeks) where punching a clock sounds oh so much easier...and probably profitable!

Sorry, my clever attempt at the above URL link does'nt work...I guess you can't point to a forum seach! Anyhow, I was attempting to show there are lot of WCS topics and questions from expert and novice users alike .

Thanks again for sticking with this topic Rick...I'm going to review this with my instructor here, and see what his thoughts are. I whole-heartedly agree with the attitude of "whatever it takes to get the job done". If it's putting bread on the table, then the methods are indeed right to some degree. That we all agree upon. However a person's or company's system may not always be the most efficient method of producing the desired outcome. Myself being a relative newcomer to Mastercam, my personal process are still in the “malleable” stage. I am rather cognizant of the learning process and intent on using the tools properly.…habits form quickly- both good and bad. If anything that comes from all this WCS dialog (and the multitude of previous WCS related threads and uncertainty)I hope that the good folks at CNC Software are listening…the feature needs some clarification.

My favorite job-shop saying quote: If you help or watch it will only cost more

Ahhhhh, I can see that I might be interpreting that quote as: - it is not correct to change the WCS for each part face. when in fact that statement is saying: - it is not necessary to change the WCS to machine different faces. It seems that you can either: A) Change the WCS for each side or Leave the WCS where it is, use different t/c planes for each side. Both methods accomplish the same thing. However, if you both change the WCS multiple times and use various t planes in relation to each WCS shift, then you get all sorts of multiple view propagation...8 views each WCS change. Right? I'm assuming that's the reason I was taught NOT to keep changing the WCS for each face. To summarize- To change faces, use one system or the other...but not both. - I hope I'm not thinking too much about all this, but judging from past WCS threads, there is indeed valid confusion. Thanks for taking the time to help me get it.

+1 For working alone...That's why I'm here at 7:30 am on a Sunday! No distractions, not having to stop in the middle of setting up tools (esp. length offsets!) to answer a question or the phone...