Right now we are using MasterCam to model in. We are looking at going to Solidworks with the MasterCam add on. I don't actually do the toolpaths for the part I mentioned above but I am pretty sure they are creating models, turning them into surfaces and putting the standard old style toolpaths on them. That was what I was looking for in that if we have the model we need to be doing HSM toolpaths. We are using X5, does the feature based machining work well cutting H-13 steel?

I know that a model is actually surfaces with a water tight skin on it but does anybody see any advantages of programming a part as surfaces and not creating a actual working model if you can get the job done faster as surfaces. We do a lot of cavities with variable land and variable draft tapering up from the bottom of the land. This becomes a nightmare on some complex shapes to model. Just trying to get some idea on which direction to take. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks guys! I kinda already knew this but wanted to hear it from some experts. Now I have to find a way to pass this information along. Folks feelings get broken here about as easy as the cutters do!

Let me first say that I don't program for the Mills here were I work but I was told something that I had to get some feedback on before I believe it. We currently do all our Cam work in Mastercam and I was told that Mastercam is not good with fine detail work because we are always breaking cutters... But it is great with the thicker parts where we are using larger cutter taking out a lot of material. I was told that certain Cam software was better with the fine detail than others and visa-versa. Any feedback, comments, arguments are welcome. Like I said, I was just curious what some would have to say about that?

Yeah I think so to... Do you think since its such a repititious movement that if it starts out a small problem and then just compounds till it has a bad movement on one of the serrations and then resets itself and starts all over again. Thats the only since I can make of it since it only happens on these type of shapes.

Sorry, that was a piece of the shape that I manipulated to cut a test and put the startpoint on the outside. The wire comp is actually on the inside of the shape. We use .010" wire.

I have no problem doing that. I did just get through running test cuts on both of our Charmille machines and the Robofil is the machine that is causing the problem. Our other machine is a Charmilles Cut 20 and it cut the part just fine with no problems.

straight burns, control def is set to delta start to center and yes allow 360 deg. arcs is unchecked

If I am looking in the right place that you are talking about they are all set to Conical.

Fish tail is checked in my control setting in the corner tab. This has always been checked as far as I know in all previous versions of MasterCam we have used. One thing I did notice was checked that wasn't in our previous versions was the End point checks in the Arc tab. Would this cause problems like that? I am not familiar with what that does exactly. Another thing that doesn't make since is that it doesn't do it on all the corners, it can be a ridged top with .010" r. connecting the top ridge to the bottom ridge and their could be 50 of those just alike and it will choose to do this on just one fillet out of the whole bunch. Makes you want to pull your hair out!

What its doing is going outside the geometry which is causing a gouge in the steel. As its cutting or dry running it is tracing the offset around the g code from the .iso file and thats when you see it. We are using Robofil Charmilles machines and have never had this problem on similiar shapes before.

I am having an issue with our wire machine wanting do a full circle when it comes to certain fillets. It is happening when the offset is applied at the machine. On MasterCam its set to (in control). The only way around this is to have MasterCam set to (in computer) and call out the gcode with the offset already applied. Anybody have a idea or have seen this before. I'm sure there is some sort of filter I can use to prevent this but just not sure what to do??? Oh yeah, it seems to only be on small .008" or .010" fillets and so far its been on shape with a lot of small ridges, like a bleacher section. Thanks!

I did, thanks, I remapped all my power libraries in my operations to the proper folders. I made a folder in C:\mcamx\wire\power with all my power libraries just so I could tell what the power name was so each time I pull up a older file I can then remap it. Not sure if this is a wise thing to do but it works for me... For now...

'Simulate Wire Compensation' is checked. Nvidia Quadro 600? Doesn't that have to do with the graphics? Not to up on that end of computers... I might need to get our IT to take a look at it and upgrade if need be.

OK... I just rolled my mouse in and out and it appears and then disappears.... What the heck? Computer specs are: HP Z210 Workstation Intel Xeon CPU E31240 @ 3.30Ghz 14.0 GB of Ram 64 Bit OS This should be a enough juice so that I shouldn't have any display promblems? Right?

I'm new to X5, so not sure if this changed from X4 but I can usually see the path for my bottom head on a 4axis wirecut minus the comp. Any idea why I can't see the path? I only see the where the sync lines end and the path should be.

Thanks, Thought it was something I was doing wrong. This is the first time have updated to a newer version and not had the older version still on my computer, plus with the new file structure it gets a little confusing.

You would think it would change all my operations automatically to point to the new location and also with all my files that I open with those operations in them to just look in the new shared folder. Maybe I just had wishful thinking and with me not have X4 on this computer their was no old folders with old power libraries in them. Maybe thats it? Let me know what you come up with. I have went round and round with this and even did a go to meeting with my reseller and still no luck....

Ok, do you mean the operations that I created? Do I need to go in and change all my operations created in X4 to point to the right folder for the power libraries? And when I open a file created in X4 is it just going to say NONE in the power library but still have all the right wire comp and its up to me to just reroute the power library for that file if I choose to?

I have been using X4 on my Windows XP machine. I loaded X5 and did all the updates to all folders. (Never toolpathed anything in X5 and all my libraries and power settings were created in X4.) I then got a new computer with Windows 7 and I loaded just X5 on that computer and then copied over from the XP machine the CNC Machines folder and the Wire folder from the shared mcamx5 folder to the same shared mcamx5 folder on the Windows 7 computer. I can create new toolpaths just fine and it uses the right power libraries but if I open a file that was created in X4 or if I import a operation from my operations library that has been updated to X5, it says it can not locate my power library folder. Its still looking for it in C:\mcamx\wire\power...... Please help!!! Oh and all my power library is pointing to the right folder in all control def. and settings config. C:\users\public\documents\shared mcamx5\wire\power.

Still no luck. I'm just going to manually reroute my operation files so that they look for the power files in the right folder... I could just copy the C:\mcamx\wire\power folder on to my new computer even though I don't have X4 installed and I think that would work. Not ideal but probably a quick fix. Anybody know?

Already tried that, I have made sure all my files are mapped to the right folders. Still have no luck though..... Its wanting to look for the old location for some reason just not sure why.... Something might have got lost in the translation between updates?

I recently got a new computer and at the same time was upgrading from X4 to X5. I did the update on the old computer and then moved the operation, machine def. and control and also power libraries over to the proper folders (new folder structure). Everything works fine except that its still trying to look for my power libraries in the old file structure. C:\mcamx\wire\power. Since the folder doesn't exist you can imagine the problems I am having with opening x4 files and also creating new toolpaths using my operations created in x4 and updated to x5. The only thing I have found that will fix this is manually going into the control def. and reselecting that power file for each operation so that it is rerouted. Any other suggestions as to why this is happening???

Need resolve to key not found when running v.9.1 in XP mode on Windows 7 pro 64bit. Surely somebody is running v9.1 in Windows 7, the only reason I will ever need v9.1 is if I need to open a non supported file. thanks for any help!

I am using X4 running 240, 440 and CC machines. This is what my code looks like on a 1" thick part. Hope this helps. O0001 ( CHARMILLES ROBOFIL 4X WIRE ) N10 G90 N20 G92 X0. Y0. H1. N30 G11 ( TEC,1CUT1000 ) N40 M15 P0 N50 S501 N60 M60 N70 G92 G00 X0. Y0. I1. J0. N80 G41 G01 Y1. N90 G03 X-1. Y0. I0. J-1. N100 X0. Y-1. I1. J0. N110 X1. Y0. I0. J1. N120 X.001 Y1. I-1. J0. N130 X0. I-.001 J-1. N140 M00 N150 G40 G00 Y.99 N160 M15 P0 N170 S502 N180 G92 X0. Y.99 I1. J0. H1. N190 G41 G01 Y1. N200 G03 X-1. Y0. I0. J-1. N210 X0. Y-1. I1. J0. N220 X1. Y0. I0. J1. N230 X0. Y1. I-1. J0. N240 G40 G00 Y.99 N250 M15 P0 N260 S503 N270 G92 X0. Y.99 I1. J0. H1. N280 G41 G01 Y1. N290 G03 X-1. Y0. I0. J-1. N300 X0. Y-1. I1. J0. N310 X1. Y0. I0. J1. N320 X0. Y1. I-1. J0. N330 G40 G00 Y.99 N340 M15 P0 N350 S504 N360 G92 X0. Y.99 I1. J0. H1. N370 G41 G01 Y1. N380 G03 X-1. Y0. I0. J-1. N390 X0. Y-1. I1. J0. N400 X1. Y0. I0. J1. N410 X0. Y1. I-1. J0. N420 G40 G00 Y.99 N430 M50 N440 M30 %