Hello all, We just updated to version 9, and in the "whats new in v-9" it shows something called pre drill for plunge points. Can anyone tell me how to use it? Thanks, Jody

Hello all, I still havent mastered using check surfaces. I uploaded a file to the ftp site,(1547w-fixt16a.zip)and I wondered if anyone could show me how to have a surface contour cut all the surfaces to the finished size, but leave .01 on the red surfaces. Thank You Jody

Thanks for the reply James, my system is a 650 pentium III, with a single processor. I am running Windows NT ver 4.0. I have also downloaded all the latest drivers from matrox. They had similar problems using these pc's in our engineering dept. but they thought it was just a problem with cadkey. If you guys & gals can think of anything else I should be tinkering with let me know. Thank a bunch, Jody

I have the latest drivers, and I am going to check what the the hardware acceleration is set at. thanks for the reply. Jody p.s. I have relatives that live in petoskey jamman.

Do you have "use tools step,peck, coolant selected in the job setup screen? Hope this helps, Jody

Hello all, I recently was given a "hand-me down" computer from our enginering department that has a matrox millennium G400 agp 32 meg video card in it. I read through some of the old posts and it looks like this should be an acceptable card, but I am crashing constantly. The person who takes care of our computers thinks its a video issue, I disagree. Mastercam crashes almost every time I import a new part, and then import tools and operations from a part I have already programmed. If I delete an operation that I may not need on this particular part Mastercam crashes. It will crash im guessing 7 out of 10 times I perform this type of operation. It will occasionally crash in the middle of processing a multiple surface tool path as well. So Im looking for some advise on whether it is the video card, or something else. 650 PENTIUM2 cpu, 512 ram, mastercam 8.1.1 mill level 3. Thanks, Jody

We like to use tri-flow. Its kinda like wd-40, only its has teflon in it and it lasts longer.

Kathy, You can also get around making duplicates of the surfaces you are trimming by checking the keep original surface, rather than deleting it. You will have to trim the surface more than once, but you can get around having copy it. It sure would be nice if you could spit a surface to a curve. Hope this helps. Jody

the part is a form post for a prog. die. It is the same one i had on the thread i started earlier in the week. would you like me to send you just the g-code? thank you, J.T.

hello all!! using the true solid mode in verify, does this check the rapid moves, as well as the area's the tool is feeding. i just finished cutting a part and found there was a small gouge in one of the surfaces. i was using the scallop finish cut, and in verify it shows no gouges, but there is no denying there is one in the program. it makes me wonder if i have a problem with my post, or there is something the verify isn't seeing. Thanks in advance J.T.

Thanks for all the reply's. My reseller showed me the appropriate cut for this particular part. Scallop was the cut that I should have been using. For further reference I have been trying to figure out how to use the ftp site. I have the software, but I cannot get connected when I type ftp.emastercam.com/incoming. When I type just ftp.emastercam.com I am connected with the site, but it prompts me for a password. Thanks again, J.T.

Hello all! I am having trouble coming up with a tool path that cuts a radius around the base of a "snowman" shaped post. The problem is the radius has some irregularities in a few areas as it goes around the post. In the past I have used flowline to finish a radius without the irregularities with good success. Now when I try the flowline cut, I get the "select surfaces do not form a row" message. Is there possibly another type of cut I should be trying, or maybe something in the flowline cut I am missing? Any suggestions??? Thanks, J.Taylor Mill level 3, ver 8.1

Thanks for the info Charles. J.T.

Is there a setting that automatically changes the drill cycle to tap when you select a tap in the tool parameter page? It would do this automatically in ver 7.2. Thanks, J.T.

When I change the path of the file is when I get the problem. And I also do have the save .nc and edit active. Like I said earlier, the post works fine if I have the path in screen/config set to the c:, as soon as I change it to the d: it will not post inside my operations manager. Thanks, J.T.